I Can Transfer the Side Effects of Evil Skills

Chapter 269: Chapter 193: Fourth Grade True Intent

Ordinarily, for Zou Feng, who was still just a Fifth Grade Martial Artist, managing to ambush and cripple Xu Tao would be considered an outstanding achievement. It saved him from the predicament of being hunted down by two Fourth Grade Experts.

So, the logical next step would be to seize the opportunity and flee.

But he had no intention of doing so. Instead, he postured as if he was ready for a proper showdown with Kang Shixiang.

This was what made Kang Shixiang so uneasy. After all, it simply defied all reason.

”You got lucky and escaped with your little tricks last time, kid. Let’s see what you can pull this time!”

As Kang Shixiang circulated his Gang Qi, he didn’t miss the chance to assert his dominance verbally.

He was also reminding himself that the technique Zou Feng had used to injure him last time had merely been a clever exploitation of his own Restriction. It wasn’t that Zou Feng himself was actually that powerful.

Naturally, Zou Feng wasn’t about to waste words with him. Riding the momentum from having just crippled Xu Tao, he immediately struck first.

However, just as he began to execute the Great Universal Hand, a strange sensation spread throughout his body.

His expression changed slightly, and he immediately realized something.

To his surprise, a moment of insight washed over him. His Gang Qi was about to undergo another transformation, allowing him to break through to the Fourth Grade Realm.

Zou Feng, however, was not surprised by this.

He had already been on the cusp of breaking through to the Fourth Grade. Ever since his Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force had also reached the Peak Realm, he had been in a state where a breakthrough could occur at any moment.

Now, having absorbed a significant amount of toad venom and with the momentum from defeating Xu Tao, his condition was perfect. It wasn’t strange at all for him to advance to the Fourth Grade.

As for the need to settle things with Kang Shixiang, Zou Feng wasn’t concerned. His breakthrough was a natural process, so he could simply let his Gang Qi transform while they fought.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t encountered similar situations before.

Across from him, Kang Shixiang keenly sensed Zou Feng’s odd behavior. He subconsciously assumed the kid was finally losing his nerve and immediately seized the opportunity to strike.

His Gang Qi erupted into a torrent of raging flames, blasting toward Zou Feng like a downpour of karmic fire.

As Kang Shixiang’s ferocious attack bore down on him, Zou Feng stood his ground, unmoving. He formed a Dharma Seal with one hand and, with the other, unceremoniously unleashed the Great Universal Hand.

However, after this seemingly simple palm was struck, a massive amount of Gang Qi formed what looked like a monstrous tidal wave, crashing toward Kang Shixiang’s descending ”Celestial Fire.”

And so, a battle of epic proportions began.

In an instant, the swamp was filled with unending roars and a series of thunderous blasts.

The various venomous creatures in the swamp scattered in a frenzy, as if fleeing a forest fire.

The two continued to trade a variety of long-range techniques, essentially just blasting energy at each other.

The reason they didn’t engage in close combat was, of course, that Kang Shixiang remained wary of Zou Feng’s poison techniques. It was simply safer to keep his distance.

Zou Feng, on the other hand, needed to divert his focus to his Gang Qi’s transformation, so a long-range battle of attrition against Kang Shixiang was exactly what he wanted.

After all, with his Gang Qi Heart Skill at the Peak Realm, he had no fear of depleting his energy.

The battle continued like this for dozens of rounds.

Zou Feng remained perfectly composed, but Kang Shixiang was beginning to feel that something was very wrong.

’Why have we been trading blows for so long, yet I, the Fourth Grade expert, seem to be the one running low on energy?’

He knew this couldn’t go on. Gritting his teeth, he decided to risk it and engage Zou Feng in close combat.

But just as Kang Shixiang was about to step forward and rush toward Zou Feng, he was stunned to discover that Zou Feng was clearly undergoing some kind of change.

’This is...’

’He’s about to break through to the Fourth Grade?!’

Having been through this process himself, Kang Shixiang quickly figured out what was happening.

The Gang Qi surrounding Zou Feng now gave off a sense that it contained ”True Intent.”

The defining characteristic of a Fifth Grade Martial Artist is Gang Qi Transformation, which allows for myriad forms.

At the Fourth Grade, the Gang Qi begins to contain ”True Intent.” This is why a sword practitioner, upon reaching the Fourth Grade, can condense their own Sword Intent.

For those who use a blade, it would naturally be Blade Intent.

And once one possesses ”True Intent,” the next step is, of course, advancing to the High Grades, where Gang Qi fully transforms into True Qi.

’So this damn heretic is breaking through right in the middle of our fight?!’

Breaking through to a new Realm during a battle wasn’t unheard of among Martial Artists.

’But the problem is, I’m a Fourth Grade Martial Artist! I’m supposed to be the one pushing him to his limits!’

But to do so under such intense pressure—diverting focus to transform his Gang Qi without any mishaps—was not something one could achieve just by being good at multitasking.

Thus, no matter how unacceptable or unwilling to admit it he was, Kang Shixiang could only arrive at one conclusion: Zou Feng had been fighting him with ease the entire time.

Only that could explain how he was able to divert his focus to his Gang Qi transformation.

At that moment, shame turned to fury. Kang Shixiang finally snapped, letting out a wild roar as he charged forward.

His decision was correct. If he waited for Zou Feng to complete his transformation and fully advance to the Fourth Grade, forget continuing the fight—he might not even be able to escape.

Unfortunately for him, choosing to go all out now was too little, too late.

At this moment, Zou Feng’s eyes were wide, his expression like someone who’d just learned a weird new fact. His hands moved in a blur, forming a Dharma Seal before his chest.

It was worth noting that these were Dharma Seals Zou Feng had developed himself. He had slowly researched and created them based on the cultivation seals from the Karmic Fire Red Lotus Palm he first practiced and the Ten Directions Sect’s Great Compassion Hand.

These Dharma Seals allowed him to circulate his Gang Qi and execute techniques more smoothly, even amplifying their power.

This was not surprising. A Martial Artist forming a Dharma Seal followed the same principle as taking a specific stance to better execute an attack.

However, the Dharma Seal Zou Feng was forming now wasn’t for an attack. Instead, it was one he formed instinctively upon sensing that his Gang Qi transformation was nearly complete.