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“What is with this kid!” The Black Shadow disciple cursed as he spun out a wind attack.
The kid, Bào bi, seemed to be able to jump around the forest with extreme ease. Each movement propelled him in a random direction, making him very difficult to hit. As soon as the spinning air was a few inches from his back, he dropped down three branches and it harmlessly cut a few branches off, missing the kid himself.
Bào bi was by no means fast, especially considering the disciple sat in the second realm. In fact, there appeared to be nothing remarkable about Bào bi’s movements at all. They were incredibly subtle and unremarkable. They lacked any flashy movements or gusts of wind. Overall, nothing about this kid seemed above average other than a somewhat decent cultivation level. Bào bi had been worried that the necklace would cause problems while hunting, and thus didn’t bring it, making his cultivation level apparent to this disciple and the other men before.
For a sect, the cultivation level would have been at a genius level, but for a clan like the Black Shadow Clan, this was only at the level of strong, and far below the elites. That was, of course, assuming that he was a thirteen-year-old boy as he appeared to be. Yet, despite all that, the second realm disciple who should have been able to cut him down in an instant had been chasing him through the forest for the last ten minutes.
Even the evil clans cared about face, and this disciple felt like he was losing all face when compared to this young child. He was thirteen, and while he was only at the standard level for his clan and this kid would one day overshadow him, he refused to let that day be today! Pulling out one-time use crystal, he tossed it at Bào bi. The item exploded and a dozen ice-spears shot toward Bào bi and every direction he could escape. This was a very expensive item that the disciple had to kill a really strong cultivator to steal, and he didn’t want to use it except in a desperate situation, but this Bào bi was seriously pushing his nerves.
Bào bi did the unthinkable. He hid behind a tree. As the spikes came forward, three of them would strike the tree. Rather than grow upset or disheartened, the disciple’s eyes flashed with malicious intent.
“As if a tree would be sufficient!”
These were simple spears made of ice. They had been combined with spiritually ice energy and were of sufficient strength to pierce through any one of the second realm. For a first realm cultivator like Bào bi, there was truly no hope. The tree in front of him was instantly pierced the spikes moving through like a knife through butter. Upon landing, the disciple grinned, moving to the side to get a look behind the tree.
What he was the boy, Bào bi, having moved to the floor. Only one spear offered any chance of hitting him. Just as the spear was halfway through the trunk, he had kicked up. Using the tree as a brace, he had cracked the spear in two. The disciple’s eyes fell open in complete shock. What kind of speed and power would someone need to break an ice spear? Admittedly, the spear was at its weakest along the side, but it still required nearly perfect precision to make a kick like that.
“C-cold!” Bào bi cursed, grabbing his foot. “I don’t want to get frostbit and lose a toe! Don’t use cold things!”
“You…” The disciple didn’t hesitate to toss out another bald of wind.
Bào bi leaped up into a tree, avoiding the attack once again as he began to race away. The disciple’s face grew even more enraged. He had wasted a perfectly good item and it was all for naught. He had planned to kill Bào bi, but now that Bào bi had done something to piss him off, now he was definitely going to kill Bào bi!
“You made me waste my resources.” He screamed. “I’m definitely going to kill you!”
“How is that any different from before?” Bào bi couldn’t help by shoot a wry look to the nonsensical man.
“Shut up and play fair!” The man shouted. “If you didn’t keep leaping about like a monkey and using the forest to your advantage, you’d be dead already!”
Bào bi let out a breath as he shot the man a look of disbelief. “Are you freaking kidding me? You’re a realm above me, how is this unfair?”
“If we were in a grassy plain without trees, you couldn’t dance between them as you do. I could easily strike you dead without obstructions!”
Bào bi’s forehead furrowed as he looked at the man. It was true that this movement skill was well fitted for forested terrain. There were many movement skills, and some were many times faster than his own. The unique thing about this skill was that it incorporated invasive action and movement. However, if it came down to him escaping a dangerous foe with fast speed, he’d easily be overtaken outside of a forest. Still, that didn’t mean his invasive abilities were worst. He suspected that if the situation was backward, this man would say that his technique was unfair in such an open environment where he could dodge anywhere, and it’d be a different story if he was restricted in a forest.
“Wait a second…” The man suddenly cursed. “I recognize this area? Are you leading me in a circle?”
“Ah, there it is!” Bào bi cried out, jumping down from a tree and grabbing my spear.
He had been looking for this spear for some time. Naturally, it wasn’t easy while dodging this man’s attacks, but he had wanted to stay close. If he just ran off in any direction, he didn’t know what Heavenly beasts he could run into. Plus, he would get farther away from Liao An and wouldn’t be able to help her. Thus, he ran in the direction the spear had went, an while the guy fired attack after attack at him, he had scanned around trying to find the spear that Liao An made.
“You… bastard…” The guy cursed, seeming to lose even more face now that he realized Bào bi hadn’t even been trying to escape during that pursuit.
In reality, Bào bi could have shaken him easy in a forest if he had truly wanted to. However, he had decided that since these were pedophiles, he would stay and fight. Although Bào bi had certainly stared in many films that exploited the more youthful aspects of women, they were all legitimately thirteen years of age. He made it a habit to check IDs and wouldn’t work with a producer who didn’t.
“Wait…” The guy’s bad mood seemed to improve as a light of greed flashed in his eyes. “That spear… it’s a spiritual weapon! I don’t know how a brat like you got a hold of a weapon of this caliber, but I would happily take it off your hands!”
“Eh?” Bào bi gave a confused frown. “I’m wielding the spear against you though? If it is as strong as you say, shouldn’t you be worried more about handling it than taking it? I mean, you can barely keep up when I’m not using any enhancements.”
“Don’t get cocky! Being able to dodge me and being able to fight me are two different things. I’m a realm greater than you. There is no chance I’ll lose this fight.”
Bào bi felt somewhat like crying. Was this guy an idiot by chance?
“No, seriously, you will lose this fight! I really don’t want to kill you. Isn’t the goal of cultivation to live forever. Why risk your life on a stupid stick?”
“Stupid stick?” The man looked at Bào bi like an idiot. “Can’t you see a spiritual weapon of the 1st tier. Only a formation master could have created something like this. The strongest master in our clan can only make a 3rd tier weapon, and the expense would be our entire treasury!”
“Eh?” Now Bào bi looked at him like he was stupid.
This was a stick Liao An had picked off the ground and carved on for a little bit. She was a nine-year-old girl. How could she be able to carve that? Unless, the stick was already a spiritual item that had been lost in the forest, and it was pure chance that Liao An stumbled on it. Since she was a spiritual user, it wouldn’t have been surprised that she was attracted to the item. Her spiritual perception was many times greater than Bào bi, so he was willing to believe that easily.
“Give me that stick and I’ll kill you less slow!” He barked as he lunged at Bào bi.
“Seriously! That’s the worst motivation ever!” Bào bi cursed back.
Not willing to kill the man, he attacked with the side as if he was using a staff. Bào bi had never been in a real fight before, but he had spared with Liao An countless times. Comparatively, this guy felt like a baby. After exchanging three blows, a frown formed on Bào bi’s forehead. He had expected this fight to be difficult, yet at no point was the man’s attacks threatening. When he was trying to dodge them, his focus had been on other things and he hadn’t noticed how slow and weak they were.
Bào bi quickly realized that the spear wasn’t even needed. Just with his palm attacks, he would be able to floor this guy in an instant. However, knocking him unconscious wasn’t enough in Bào bi’s mind.
“Stop moving you cheat!” The guy cursed.
Bào bi shook his head at the stupidity of this person, this better be because the guy was in some shadow cult. He didn’t know if he could handle too many more people who had such strange and twisted logic. If you’re worst than me, I will take advantage of you. If you’re better than me, you’re cheating to take advantage of me. What a strange mentality. It clearly had to be the product of the so-called evil clans.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to disable you.” Bào bi explained.
“You’ll die now!” He shouted, foam coming from his mouth. “If it wasn’t for the spear, I would have killed you by now!”
The retarded boast instantly struck Bào bi’s nerve. Staring at the crazed pedophile, he finally sighed, slamming the spear into the ground. He then lifted his palms, moving in the Wind Phantasmal Palm technique. Whereas he had no actual weapon techniques, and only fought using instinct, he actually was trained in this technique. Furthermore, it was a technique created my Tigra, and there was no way it’d be simple.
“You fool!” The man took the opportunity like a dehydrated man lunging for water and attacked.
Instantly, Bào bi’s palms moved. They cut through the air so smoothly they left after images. He caught and struck the man six times in various hits. He coughed up blood as he leaped back.
“You’re coughing up blood, man, it’s over.” Bào bi nodded, crossing his arms.
“I cough up blood just taking a piss!” The man screamed.
“Huh? No… I’m pretty sure that’s a major medical condition! You should go to a hospital?”
“Die!” He screamed, racing towards Bào bi again.
Bào bi sighed and once again returned to this position. This time, he had a mind to break the guy’s leg. However, the guy’s attack came at an awkward angle. He managed to deflect the guy’s attack, but he fell into a roll. It wasn’t until he completed his roll that Bào bi realized he never intended to attack him. Rather, his aim was the spear, and that attack put him right next to it.
Grabbing the spear, the man lifted it up and pointed it at Bào bi, laughing maniacally. “Haha! Now I have the power and strength of a 1st tier weapon. Die, you stupid child!”
“Dude… this is low even for you.” Bào bi couldn’t help but shake his head.
“Only the one who wins matters! That’s why I tricked you into giving up the weapon, you would have realized that if you weren’t such a stupid child! Now, die!”
“…”
Bào bi was speechless as the man made a running charge towards him. Admittedly, the pointed weapon did worry him slightly, but no more than a man holding a knife or something like that. He thought about using the disarming techniques he had learned in his old world, but Liao An’s face flashed in his mind. She had told him to depend on the palm. She said that it was something he needed to grow to depend on.
Thus, Bào bi returned into the Wind Phantasmal Palm stance. What he didn’t understand was that he had spent the last couple of years learning this stance, and it was many times more powerful than the spear. Although Liao An had told him that the spear would allow him to defeat a low-level mid-tier spiritual beast, the truth that she didn’t tell him was that he could defeat a high-level mid-tier spiritual beast depending on his palm technique. He simply lacked the experience and confidence in these abilities to use them. That was part of the lesson she had hoped he’d learn by coming out here.
The shadow disciple reached him. The spear struck out with force and speed, and if it could hit Bào bi, it would have skewed him. However, Bào bi’s movement skills were evasive and unpredictable. He avoided the strike and using the speed and skill he had developed, struck the man’s hands. The disciple looked on in disbelief as his grip was lost on the spear. Bào bi grabbed the spear and then stabbed it down into the man’s foot, impaling it to the ground.
“Ahhhhhhgg… I’ll kill you!” He cursed.
Bào bi’s expression darkened.
“You know… the think about killing people.” Bào bi explained, “Is that you can only do it once. Once that threat is out of the bag, there is little choice but for someone to do whatever it takes to live. You see, there is nowhere to go after that.”
“Shut up! You stupid little kid!” He cursed.
I pulled the spear out of his foot and then slammed it into the other.
“Fuuuuuuck…. You shiiiiiit…” He screamed as he fell down to one knee, the other impaled one forced up by my spear. “I’ll… kill…
“You see… you started this whole confrontation trying to kill me, and no matter how much I fought to survive, your bottom line never changed.” Bào bi explained. “And look at you now. On the ground… kneeling. I thought it was a cultivator’s desire to live forever.”
Bào bi pulled the spear out of his foot, and the man fell down on to his hands and knees. He was breathing hard, but still, he shot Bào bi a hateful look. Bào bi casually brought his spear to the man’s throat. Only then did a bit of fear appear in his face.
“Y-you won’t do it…” The man said, his voice lacking confidence.
“You see… when my bottom line changes, then you start to feel fear.” Bào bi pushed the spear against the man’s throat, “I don’t have to kill you. I can simply cut off your arms and legs. Your dick. Your tongue. Your eyes. Your ears. You can live the rest of your life taken care of by a maid. No swift death. No slow death. Just agonizing life. Never hearing, never seeing, never tasting. An eternity of pain. That… is a threat.”
“Ah… agg…” A high-pitched incomprehensible noise comes from his mouth.
“Are you peeing yourself?” Bào bi noticed his pants growing wet as he kneeled in it.
“I-I-I’ll… kill…” His eyes rolled up in his head, and then he fell down, collapsing in a heap.
“Oh… he fainted.” Bào bi blinked.
He looked down at the kid. Yes, in the end, this was only an thirteen-years-old, and while that was an adult in this world, he was young in Bào bi’s eyes. He was on a bad path, so Bào bi was just trying to use fear as a motivator, to possibly put him back on the right path. Unfortunately, he must have pushed a bit too far. Either way, he knew he wasn’t going to kill the guy. He would have to figure out what he needed to do with him later.
At that moment, he needed to go rescue Liao An. There were two more shadow disciples left, and they were both stronger than this kid.