parentshiftbook Chapter 16: Divine Power Annihilation
Chapter 16: Divine Power Annihilation
Lingchuan, outside the city.
"Hey bro, there's a girl over there, wanna make a move?"
At the city gate, there weren't many people coming and going. Two furtive men huddled in a corner, their eyes like hooks, scanning the flow of people leaving the city.
The more robust man followed his companion's gaze and it landed on several young beggars walking out of the city gate. The one in the lead was wrapped in a tattered black robe, and her figure vaguely revealed a hint of femininity.
He squinted his cloudy eyes: "Check their faces first. If there's nothing wrong, then follow them."
Those in their line of work specifically prey on women who are traveling alone out of town.
"Damn it, what bad luck!" The burly man spat as soon as he finished speaking. "How dare someone with that kind of appearance come out and annoy people!"
The curse was loud and clear, and Ruan Qiuhe heard it perfectly. She didn't lower her head; instead, she deliberately raised her horrified face to meet the growing gazes directed at her. Sure enough, those probing eyes quickly shifted away.
"Big sister, which way should we go?" San Gou, who was following behind, shrank his neck and lowered his voice.
"There are many red fruit trees over there in the valley."
Upon hearing this, San Gou paused, his voice trembling, "Valley? Big sister, have you heard anything about that place lately..." He was interrupted before he could finish speaking.
"Any further, and you won't be back before dark!" Ruan Qiuhe said firmly.
San Gou immediately fell silent. In this world, once the sun sets, the wilderness becomes a domain of demons and evil spirits. Apart from guarded caravans and martial artists with exceptional skills, who would dare to linger outside?
At the same time, inside the abandoned courtyard.
Zhang Ping was focused on practicing his boxing. The stance was the Mountain Stance from the martial arts school, and the fist technique was the Taiping Fist from the school. After several months of hard training, he had become very proficient in both skills, especially the Taiping Fist, which had become the only combat technique he was currently comfortable using.
After finishing a round of punches, he exhaled a long breath, the white column of energy remaining solid and undispersed. His blood and qi surged within him, even hotter and more turbulent than in the past few days.
"It seems... that beast patterns and martial arts are not incompatible after all," Zhang Ping murmured to himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
He casually plucked a fruit from the conspicuous tree by the courtyard wall, popped it into his mouth, and took a bite. The sour juice instantly filled his mouth, and his brows immediately furrowed.
He chewed a couple more times, but couldn't swallow it, so he spat it out with a "pui" and threw the half-eaten fruit on the ground.
In the shadows of the corner, a little beggar with his face painted in patches of black and gray huddled there. She glanced at Zhang Ping, then quickly looked at the dirt-covered fruit on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, she carefully moved over and swiftly picked it up.
Zhang Ping paid no attention to this, turned over and sat on a section of a low wall that had collapsed halfway, and began to sort out the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
As the number of beast patterns imprinted increases, one fact becomes increasingly clear: this mysterious beast pattern system is of immense benefit to martial arts cultivation! When practicing martial arts, the speed at which qi and blood accumulate is as if it has sprouted wings, more than two or three times faster than that of ordinary martial artists!
He only noticed this after breaking through to the Skin Tempering Realm, when his perception of changes in his own Qi and blood became increasingly acute.
I had previously asked Senior Brother Wang Dashan indirectly. As the master's personal disciple, Wang Dashan was exceptionally talented. At the age of thirty-four, he had already reached the late stage of the Flesh Refining realm, and it was said that he was only one step away from the Dirty Refining realm.
And what about Zhang Ping? His natural talent was mediocre; the master judged him to be of average ability. But after comparing them, he was startled to discover that his current rate of accumulating qi and blood was almost half that of Wang Dashan!
Keep in mind, he's currently in the late stage of the Flesh Refining realm! Compared to Wang Dashan's Skin Tempering realm... the speed difference is ridiculously large, nearly ten times!
The speed at which one's Qi and blood accumulate directly determines the speed at which one's martial arts realm advances. So, if we calculate it this way...
"Tsk..." Zhang Ping stroked his chin, his expression a little strange, unsure whether to laugh or scratch his head. "At this rate, wouldn't I become a genius?"
"I should be able to break through to the mid-stage of the Skin Tempering Realm in about half a month; the late-stage of the Skin Tempering Realm... will take some time, about three months?" he calculated.
The day for the martial arts school to escort goods was also set for half a month later. Although the improvement at the mid-stage of the Skin Tempering stage is limited, every little bit helps, and it provides some security.
Improving one's martial arts skills is like water dripping on a stone; it cannot be rushed.
"The beast-marking is still the most troublesome thing; it's too slow." Thinking of the beast-marking, Zhang Ping's gaze fell on the owl in the cage not far away. Its big, round eyes gleamed eerily in the shadows. He was extremely envious of its ability to sense danger.
The biggest problem with Branding's slow progress lies in the materials. Gathering many things on his own is incredibly difficult and time-consuming. Even more critical is the cost! Some materials are cheap, but others... are terrifyingly expensive!
When branding dog-nose animal patterns, a substance called "sheep treasure gold" is needed.
Despite having "sheep treasure" in its name, it has absolutely nothing to do with sheep; it's solid gold! That alone cost him a full three thousand taels of silver!
Thinking back to the days after he asked Fu Huiying for money, Zhang Ping's lips twitched involuntarily. Those days, even in bed he had to lie still and take the beatings... it was just... so damn humiliating!
"Money...connections..." The more I think about it, the more my head aches!
Suddenly, Zhang Ping froze. He smelled an aura that didn't belong here.
Faint black lines appeared on his nose, the tip of his nose twitched rapidly twice, his expression changed drastically, and he abruptly turned his head to look in a certain direction outside the courtyard!
"Come!"
There was no time to explain. He rushed to the corner, grabbed the little beggar who was frowning and nibbling on a sour fruit, and lifted him up!
"Ugh..." The little beggar was so frightened that he almost dropped the fruit. Just as he was about to scream, his mouth was firmly covered by another rough hand.
Zhang Ping carried her into the only relatively intact room, laid her on a tattered mat in the corner, and his eyes were sharp as knives: "Stay there! Don't make a sound! Understand?"
The little beggar stared wide-eyed in terror, nodding frantically, his tiny body huddled into a ball.
Zhang Ping turned and rushed out of the house, closing the creaking, broken door behind him.
A mile away, six furtive figures were approaching the courtyard along the abandoned alleyway.
"How much further?" The scarred leader licked his chapped lips, his eyes fixed fiercely on the trembling beggar who was leading the way.
The beggar's legs trembled, and he answered haltingly, "Sir...it's...it's just ahead..."
"Wait!" In the middle of the group, a woman holding a short sword suddenly stopped and looked around warily.
"What's wrong?" The others immediately tensed up, their fingers pressing on their weapons. They were in a narrow alley, their eyes instinctively drawn to both ends, ignoring the dilapidated walls on either side.
Li Qian looked up warily at the walls on both sides, but there was nothing there except a few clumps of withered grass swaying in the wind.
A moment of silence.
"Sister Li, is it... just my imagination?" someone asked hesitantly.
Li Qian frowned. For a fleeting moment, she did indeed feel as if she were being watched by something, like cold needles pricking her back. A martial artist's intuition is usually sharp, but it's not foolproof... Could it be that she's been too stressed lately?
After a brief standoff, the tense nerves of the group relaxed slightly, and they all sheathed their half-drawn swords. Li Qian also sheathed her short sword, feeling inexplicably irritated, and kicked a pebble away.
Tap...tap...
The stones struck the mottled wall, producing two clear, crisp sounds.
"etc..."
The moment the second echo entered her ears, Li Qian's pupils suddenly contracted!
Before she could react, the wall to her right—BOOM!
Suddenly, bricks and dust exploded! A terrifying arm, as thick as a water bucket and bulging with muscles, burst out of the wall like a giant python emerging from its cave!
With his five fingers spread wide and as fast as lightning, he grabbed Li Qian by the neck and lifted her up into the air like a chick!
"Snap!"
A sickeningly crisp sound!
The sound of bones shattering was particularly jarring in the dusty alley!
The attack came too suddenly! Scarface and his gang, whose nerves had just relaxed, couldn't keep up with the terrifying pace! Their minds went blank, and their usual ruthless reactions were all slowed down by shock!
Just as their eyes rolled and they made out the collapsed wall and the massive black silhouette in the smoke and dust—
call!
The iron fist, carrying a strong wind, had already smashed into his face!
A dull thud, the cracking of bones, and viscous fluid mixed with bone fragments splattered everywhere, splattering crimson and pale white blood onto the mottled walls on either side...
......
"What...are you...a monster!?"
The scarred man slid to the ground, his back against the cold wall, a gaping, bloody hole torn open in his chest by a terrifying force, his broken longsword still clutched tightly in his hand.
The light in his eyes dimmed rapidly, leaving only boundless despair and fear as he stared intently at the terrifying figure before him, a towering figure three meters tall.
"I specially saved you for last...Are you happy?"
Zhang Ping grinned, revealing a smile that, to the scarred man, resembled that of a vengeful ghost. His tone even carried a strange gentleness. However, the next moment, that massive foot, stained with blood and mud, lifted with immense force, slowly and gently fell back down.
puff!
The dull thud of leg bone shattering sent chills down one's spine! Scarface let out a bloodcurdling scream, his body convulsing violently as if electrocuted, blood gushing from his wound like a fountain! The look in his eyes as he stared at Zhang Ping had completely transformed into a look of utter terror, as if gazing into the abyss of hell!
Click... Click... Click...
With a teeth-grinding, crushing sound, every bone in his body shattered. Scarface's breath grew weaker and weaker, and the convulsions stopped.
Before the flame of his life was completely extinguished, he squeezed out two last syllables filled with resentment and despair:
"demon...!"