Era of Mist

Chapter 140: Chapter 139: Stone Heart, Iron Bones, Punch Towards the Heavens

”People like that are the heavens, the law, the Dao, the very rules of existence!”

”In this world, no one can keep their dignity. In the long journey of life, everyone must grovel!”

”So if that’s the case, then why the fuck aren’t you kneeling? Why the fuck are you still standing?”

”A mutt like you not only has to kneel, you have to kneel lower and more pitifully than anyone else!”

”I, He Chong, am nothing to those big shots. But here, in front of a lowlife like you, I am the strong one! I am the one to be revered! Since I’ve kneeled to others, I have to take it back from a lowlife like you! I have to make you kneel to me!”

”Dignity, who doesn’t want it? Since I’ve used my own dignity as a stepping stone for others, your dignity can only be used as a stepping stone for me!”

”And that is your fate!”

”I, He Chong, was born to conquer peasants like you! I am your heavens! I am your Dao! I am your rules! Anyone who does not kneel will be hunted down and slaughtered!”

Under the influence of the Dharma Seal, He Chong roared, hoarsely screaming out the truest thoughts, the truest humiliation, and the truest terror in his heart.

He Chong’s roars echoed across the campus, and they echoed in Shi Tiexin’s heart as well.

Shi Tiexin’s expression was complicated. He was looking at He Chong, but he was also seeing more than just He Chong. He Chong was merely the manifestation, the microcosm, the representative of some kind of rule. Through He Chong’s savage face, Shi Tiexin seemed to see a cage woven of countless layers in the sky, like the Mist Wall at the edge of the solar system—it blotted out the heavens, crushed everything, and was utterly inescapable.

From what Shi Tiexin could see and feel, He Chong’s words came from the heart.

Liu Qigang’s ”suffocating generation” still rang in his ears. Shi Tiexin looked at He Chong. ’Isn’t He Chong also a member of that suffocating generation? This guy is just a little insect, driven mad by that suffocation. It’s just that this insect is a bit stronger, so it vents its suffocating madness on other, even more pathetic insects.’

And those rules were like the magnificent might of the heavens. Who could possibly resist?

But just then, a voice suddenly seemed to sound from the unknowable depths of his memory. The voice was neither male nor female and couldn’t be heard clearly, as if it had spoken long ago at the very origin of life. But at this very moment, as the suffocating generation came rolling over him, it suddenly emerged from the mists of his memory and sank into the bottom of Shi Tiexin’s heart.

He didn’t know who had said it, but the words were so resolute, so powerful, so warm.

The voice said—

”A heart of stone, bones of iron, raise a fist to the heavens!”

Raise a fist to the heavens!

Raise a fist to the heavens!

It was a simple phrase, yet in that moment, it carried an indescribable, immense power that instantly pierced through Shi Tiexin’s entire soul. He didn’t know what relationship he had with the person who spoke those words, but just having them released from the deepest recesses of his memory was enough to make Shi Tiexin’s fighting spirit flare and his aura surge to the heavens!

CRACKLE! Golden stars shot toward him, and his basic fist arts of the Profound Realm surged once more.

HIIISSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Shi Tiexin closed his eyes, taking deep, long breaths, his chest swelling. Then, he suddenly clenched his fists, his eyes flew open, his mind-force seethed, and the brilliant light in his eyes seemed ready to burst out.

”I, Shi Tiexin, kneel to my parents, to my respected teachers, to heroic martyrs, and to my conscience. But I will never kneel to you!” He settled into a fighting stance, the fluorescent glow in his eyes blazing as he stared directly at He Chong. ”In today’s test, I will take first place. What are you going to do about it?!”

’No more bullshit. If you want to step on me, then bring it on. Let’s fight to the death!’

From the moment he’d parted the crowd of eight hundred people, Shi Tiexin’s momentum had been accumulating, and now it had erupted to its absolute peak. His edge was completely exposed, and he was fearless in the face of death.

Struck by this momentum, He Chong was jolted out of his peculiar, hysterical mental state. He froze, not knowing why he had just said so much. Then, his anger flared again. Without bothering to think, he opened his mouth to accept this deathmatch and, in front of everyone, beat Shi Tiexin to a pulp from which he could never recover!

But just as he was about to speak, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

’Who?’

A familiar voice sounded in He Chong’s ear.

”Brother He, this isn’t the Wenxin Secret Realm. Please, think twice.”

’Brother Gu?’

He Chong paused, then immediately calmed down. But as soon as he did, he broke out in a cold sweat.

’No, no, what got into me just now? Why did I even think of a life-and-death battle with him? Shi Tiexin is ruthless and dares to fight. He Chong had seen with his own eyes just how capable he was when he went berserk.’

He Chong’s own supply of nourishing spirit food was adequate, and his spirit-nourishing level was indeed much higher than the orphan Shi Tiexin’s. But as mentioned many times before, in the spirit-nourishing realm, combat power was not directly tied to one’s spirit-nourishing level. Nourishing one’s spirit to the very end would only bring one to the limit of a mortal; very few could ever break past that level.

’But this hard-headed bastard, this peasant, he took a different path to increase his combat power and started to temper his physical body.’

That’s right, he used the most basic methods, just like martial artists from before the Era of Mist, purely tempering his own physical body! Synthetic meat couldn’t provide much essence energy, but it was enough to maintain his health and stamina. They both had false cores the size of a soybean, but the bookish Champion Scholar Stone who’d spent his life studying and the Iron Tyrant who’d spent his life in deadly combat were on completely different levels.

Although for those at the Sharp Qi realm and above, those muscles were purely ornamental and just for show, it was undeniable that Shi Tiexin, through sheer physical tempering, had already honed his body to the verge of human limits. That was why Shi Tiexin didn’t need to use any essence energy when he parted the crowd of eight hundred people.

And that was a point He Chong could never hope to match.

’Nourishing the spirit is so easy and comfortable, while Body Refining is so painful and arduous. I’d have to be an idiot to choose Body Refining!’

But now, the biggest problem he faced was that no matter how he calculated it, He Chong felt he really couldn’t beat this peasant in front of him.

Shi Tiexin shouted, ”Fight or submit! Don’t just stand there in a daze!”

He Chong couldn’t help but grit his teeth.

’Damn it, if the Student Union cadres weren’t here, I would’ve gathered my men and beaten you to death, just like last time!’

’Fight? I’d probably lose.’

’But if I just step aside like this, what will happen to my pride!’

At that moment, the familiar voice sounded in He Chong’s ear again.

”Brother He, don’t fall into this trap. Today is about the qualification test, which measures one’s mind arts level. No matter how well Shi Tiexin can fight, it’s completely useless for his mind arts. Why not let him make a huge fool of himself first? Brother He, your own level is more than enough to crush everyone.”

He Chong’s face flushed red then turned pale. He suddenly gritted his teeth and roared hatefully, ”Fine, Shi Tiexin! You want to test first? Then test first! I’d like to see if you even have the qualifications to participate in the lesser provincial exam! You little brat, with your—”

THUD. Shi Tiexin strode forward and slammed his shoulder into He Chong, who was about to spout a few more lines of trash talk. The impact made He Chong’s face flush red as he gasped for air.

Standing before the testing apparatus, Shi Tiexin wasted no more words and slapped his palm onto the crystal sphere.

In an instant, the crystal sphere lit up with a brilliant light.