Era of Mist

Chapter 158: Chapter 157: Semifinals, Battle He Chong

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Three consecutive strikes, all aimed at the chest, each one delivered with full force. His Ruthless attribute kicked in. Blood splattered as the man’s sternum shattered under the blows. Blood continuously surged from his throat up to his face. The man stared weakly at the sky, trembled, and then with a CRACK, he was ejected from the secret realm, landing on a medical team’s stretcher.

’Man, opening a hospital here would be a real gold mine!’

Shi Tiexin, covered in blood, pushed himself to his feet. As he looked around, he saw that the fighters in the other three secret realms had all finished off their opponents at roughly the same time.

His gaze shifted from one person to the next. Shi Tiexin knew that these three were on a different level from the other opponents.

This was a world where the strong grew stronger. He could see it from his own experiences: the more powerful you were, the more Celestial Golden Light you could obtain. And obtaining Celestial Golden Light made you even more powerful, to the point where those just a tier below found it impossible to catch up. The gap between the top tier and the next-to-top tier only grew wider.

You had to understand, someone like Little Dog has their cultivation planned out from a young age, with specific techniques to practice and a strategy for hunting Celestial Golden Light. He Chong’s family background was surely nowhere near Si Chongtian’s, but Shi Tiexin figured he would use the same methods to strengthen himself. The underlying thinking was the same.

Looking at the other three secret realms, he was certain all three of those fighters had obtained Celestial Golden Light before. He didn’t know how much, but they definitely had some. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it this far.

’So, who will my next opponent be?’

Not only was Shi Tiexin watching, but so was everyone else who was still conscious. The top three among these four would be decided, and they would receive the Celestial Golden Light. In other words, one person was destined to fall just short, their efforts coming to nothing.

”Losers withdraw, winners continue. Merge!”

The Dragon Map Scholar once again employed his Secret Technique. The final four secret realms began another stunning dance across the dimensions of space and time. Six-colored light flowed as they merged in pairs. Shi Tiexin watched the space opposite him with a solemn expression.

When the six-colored ripples subsided and he saw his opponent, Shi Tiexin’s expression tensed for a moment, then broke into a smile.

He Chong.

It was He Chong!

Finally, he was facing him!

He had imagined the scene of defeating He Chong in the finals of the local trials. Now, even though it wasn’t the finals, it was close enough. At least He Chong hadn’t been unceremoniously knocked out by some random nobody. After all, revenge is a dish best served with one’s own hands to be truly sweet.

’Besides—the semifinals?’

’Good.’

’Very good.’

’Perfect!’

HSSS— He took a deep breath, flexing his fingers—curling them, extending them, then clenching them into tight fists. Shi Tiexin felt a tingling, electric sensation surge from the depths of his soul, running from his tailbone to the crown of his head, making his eyes feel as if they were about to emit light.

”Shi. Tie. Xin!” He Chong’s face twisted as he roared, ”It’s perfect that I’m facing you in the semifinals! You have no idea how much I’ve suffered, how many resources I’ve spent! I’m not just going to take you down; I’m going to grind you into dust, inch by inch, so you won’t even have a chance to fight for third place! You won’t get a single speck of Celestial Golden Light!”

Shi Tiexin bared his teeth in a grin, his teeth looking as sharp and cold as a wild beast’s. He shouted back, ”Well said! For once, we’re in complete agreement!”

He Chong froze for a second, then realization dawned and he sneered, ”You’re overestimating yourself. I’ll send you to your death right now!”

”Then what are you waiting for?” Shi Tiexin spread his arms, his blood-stained face looking particularly terrifying. ”Come on, let’s—tear each other apart!”

”HYA—!”

”HA—!”

WHOOSH! A six-colored radiance erupted from both Shi Tiexin and He Chong simultaneously. With a CRACK from the ground beneath their feet, the two shot forward, charging straight at each other.

BANG!

Fist met fist.

THUD!

Kick met kick.

All their past conflicts, schemes, disdain, insults, and hatred now fueled the lethality of every punch and the force of every kick. BOOM! POW! CRACK! The decisive battle between Shi Tiexin and He Chong reached a fever pitch from the very first moment. Neither man backed down an inch. Standing just over a meter apart, they roared as their four fists became a bewildering storm, hammering away at each other.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The layers of light scraped and collided, shattering and reforming, only to shatter again. Flecks of six-colored light scattered everywhere. Taut muscles strained against cheap clothing, threatening to burst the seams. Shi Tiexin was like a heavy artillery turret, engaged in a desperate, unyielding exchange of blows with He Chong!

”HRAAAAAAGH—! Eat my Flying Sand Fist!”

He Chong bellowed as the speed of his fists skyrocketed in an instant. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! The air was constantly being pierced. In the blink of an eye, the shadows of He Chong’s fists came down like a sandstorm, relentlessly striking Shi Tiexin’s head, face, and chest.

’Fast!’

’He Chong’s fists are so fast, and they hit so hard!’

Every punch was not only coated in a six-colored layer of light but also carried the power of essence energy. Coming from a prominent family, He Chong’s Nourishing Essence Realm was far higher than Shi Tiexin’s. Now, he was squandering this essence energy as if it were free, pouring it all into accelerating his fists.

’Blocking... I can’t completely block them all.’

”You can’t possibly beat me!” He Chong jeered. ”Do you really think you can win with that pathetic basic fist technique? I hired specialists to study everyone you’ve injured and went through specialized training just to deal with you! Do you have any idea how many resources that took? Do you know how high-grade my Flying Sand Fist is? What right do you, a lowlife, have to beat me, someone who has spent a fortune!”

BAM! CRACK! The layer of light on his forehead was shattered and broken through. Before it could recover, a gash was torn open on his temple. Hot blood streamed down, but Shi Tiexin’s face was like stone, completely unmoved.

’If I can’t block, then I won’t. I’ll go all-out on offense!’

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! Shi Tiexin swung his arms, his shoulders acting like levers. His ordinary basic fist technique couldn’t grant him extreme speed or flexible maneuvers, but Shi Tiexin was holding something in. It was a breath of defiance. It was a breath of indignation.

Every moment of his life-and-death struggles, the crushing grind of his oppressed life, every choice he made between endurance and dignity, every time he wanted to give up but gritted his teeth and refused to fall.

All of it transformed into that single breath, which ignited and pressurized inside Shi Tiexin’s chest, erupting with a force that surpassed his own limits.

SNAP! A muscle in his arm suddenly twitched, making a sound like a great tendon being plucked, or a finger being snapped.

At the same time, the heavy punch from Shi Tiexin’s right arm suddenly accelerated, smashing into He Chong’s chest with the force of a thunderbolt.

CRACK!

The layer of light shattered. He Chong stumbled back three steps, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief, his face draining of color. ”Th-This is impossible! How could this be!”

HUUU— Shi Tiexin exhaled a long breath, then sucked in another. Beneath his sleeve, the skin over the muscle that had just twitched was already a dark bruise, as if it had been severely injured.

But Shi Tiexin showed none of it on his face. He simply raised his hand, pointed forcefully at He Chong, then beckoned with his four fingers. ”Again!”

He Chong looked as if he had been deeply humiliated. His expression twisted in an instant, and with a wild roar, he flew forward. ”I don’t believe it! The Flying Sand Fist can’t possibly lose to some garbage basic technique! I can’t lose!”

SNAP! It was that same finger-snapping sound again. Shi Tiexin’s left arm swung furiously, a hook punch smashing into the side of He Chong’s head.

CRACK! CRACK! Amid the sound of his light shield shattering, He Chong was sent flying, spinning through the air.