Chapter 202: Exhaustion (I)

Crackle.

The bonfire burned, releasing sharp crackling sounds.

Not far from Liang Yunhui and Liang Yuhan, a middle-aged man with an ordinary face was eyeing Liang Yuhan with malicious intent. Although Liang Yuhan had disguised her appearance, the natural charm she exuded was still striking. To a lustful man who had been traveling for over a month without female company, any woman was alluring.

"Only those two women are left, Brother. Shall we make a move? You can have the younger one. I prefer the older one; she has more charm," one man snickered. His eyes gleamed with lewdness as he swept his gaze up and down the mother and daughter, Liang Yunhui and Liang Yuhan.

It had been more than a month since they departed from Bafang City. The last time they passed a supply city was over ten days ago. The road ahead would take over a month with no cities in between, a stretch that was both the most dangerous and the greatest test of human nature.

Choosing companions for the journey to the Central Plains was of utmost importance. Encountering ruthless people could mean losing one's life at best or suffering a fate worse than death at worst. That was why the Guangxuan Escort Agency charged such high fees, yet so many were still willing to travel under their protection.

The Guangxuan Escort Agency had an excellent reputation, passed down through four generations. Each one was known for strict adherence to rules. Many who had once journeyed to the Central Plains under their escort had returned safely, spreading only praise for the agency.

"Don't cause trouble. Even if they're not under Guangxuan Escort Agency's protection, if we act right under their noses, they might still intervene," Lai Mao said calmly. He turned the skewer in his hand, and when the meat began to sizzle with oil, he sprinkled it with chili powder, cumin, and salt from his pack.

"Besides, Zhao Hao isn't as simple as he looks. The beast following him has at least the strength of a first transformation cultivator," Lai Mao continued.

"

Tch

, I've been watching that guy for days. Every time he comes back from the mountains, he looks completely drained. Anyone who didn't know better would think there was a brothel hidden in there and he'd just fought three hundred rounds," Lai Chang sneered.

He and Lai Mao were brothers, notorious ruffians from Bafang City. Their trip to the Central Plains was mainly because they had grown bored with the city and wanted to see the grander world beyond.

"I think Zhao Hao might be practicing some kind of demonic art. It seems to flare up every four days or so. To hide it from us, he slips into the mountains to ease the side effects. No matter how strong he is, right now, he's surely at his weakest. It's the perfect time to act," Lai Chang said with a sly grin.

Lai Chang was no fool. He knew well that anyone bold enough to travel behind the Guangxuan Escort Agency without paying their protection fee was no weakling. The truly weak ones had already perished along the way, leaving only eight people of considerable strength.

Throughout the past month, he had secretly observed the others daily. In his view, the weakest among the eight were the mother and daughter, Liang Yunhui and Liang Yuhan. Zhao Hao's strength was uncertain, but he was certainly not weak, and since he stayed close to them, it would be hard to make a move.

But after watching for so long, Lai Chang had noticed Lin Zheyu's pattern; every four days or so, he would disappear into the mountains for several hours. When he returned, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, the weakness was still apparent. Thus, the best time to strike would be during his absence. It would only take a little bit of drugs and would be a fleeting affair under the stars; surely the Guangxuan Escort Agency wouldn't interfere in that?

"Wait a little longer. There will be plenty of chances to act later on the road. Don't be hasty," Lai Mao said, shaking his head.

"Wait, wait, that's all you ever say. Damn it, I've been holding it in for so long I'm about to burst," Lai Chang muttered.

Although dissatisfied, he did not go against Lai Mao's decision. As the elder brother, Lai Mao was the stronger one and had a steadier temperament. Usually, he was the one who made the decisions.

Whoosh, whoosh.

On the open ground, Liang Yunhui practiced with her longsword, its blade cutting through the air with sharp whooshing sounds. Liang Yuhan tended the fire, eyes vigilant as she watched the surroundings. Her right hand rested on the hilt of her sword, ready to strike the instant anything stirred.

"

Hmph.

" Liang Yuhan had also noticed Lai Chang's malicious gaze. She let out a soft snort, her wariness rising. Anyone who dared travel behind the Guangxuan Escort Agency toward the Central Plains surely had something to rely on.

***

Boom, boom, boom.

From deep within the forest came the sound of repeated impacts. Lin Zheyu swung his fists as if he had nothing to lose. With the support of his heavy armor and fist momentum, each strike carried immense weight and overwhelming force.

After more than a month of arduous training, Lin Zheyu's comprehension of the Barbaric Ox Fist had grown deeper. The momentum of his strikes had changed fundamentally from before. Though still domineering and unstoppable, they now possessed a true core, and that was strength.

Lin Zheyu had trained in martial arts for less than two years. Though he had grasped fist momentum through the Barbaric Ox Fist, he lacked the experience and insight to form his own martial conviction. His momentum still felt hollow and ungrounded.

Since the first time he practiced the Barbaric Ox Fist while wearing five hundred kilograms of weights and grasped its true essence, his momentum had begun to find a core to anchor itself on. Though it would be difficult for him to form his own martial conviction so soon, he could forge a stronger momentum by imbuing it with the essence of dominance.

Boom!

His punch tore through the air as the Barbaric Ox Fist, tripled in power, exploded forth. Invisible momentum gathered around his fist, packed with unmatched strength. When the blow landed, the tree before him burst apart instantly.

The core of dominance that Lin Zheyu had found was strength itself. The Barbaric Ox Fist's barbaric nature symbolized brute force, the power to crush all. As long as his strength was great enough, as long as his fist was mighty enough, he could shatter ten thousand techniques with sheer power. That was true dominance. Beneath his fist, he was the law.

The stronger his power and the greater his force, the more condensed and formidable his dominating fist momentum became. The two reinforced one another. This was his way of compensating for his inability to form a martial conviction in the short term. It was a roundabout path; so long as he continued to grow stronger, win battles, and accumulate the belief in his own invincibility, he would eventually forge a dominator's will of his own.

Boom, boom, boom.

Lin Zheyu unleashed the Barbaric Ox Fist again and again. After four consecutive blows at threefold strength, he still had some energy left, though not enough for a fifth strike.

As his understanding of both fist momentum and the Barbaric Ox Fist deepened, Lin Zheyu became increasingly proficient in their use. Each time he executed the threefold strength Barbaric Ox Fist, his consumption of essence, qi, and spirit lessened. He felt room for improvement still; perhaps before reaching the Central Plains, he could unleash a fifth strike at threefold strength.

Whoosh.

A cold wind swept through the forest after the rain, chilling the air. The trees swayed in the gusts, and droplets fell like light rain, producing faint ticking sounds. Lin Zheyu trained tirelessly, occasionally removing his weights to prevent muscle strain.

Time passed slowly. After about two hours, Little Black returned, carrying a beast nearly four times its own size. The creature was a glutton, greedy as ever. Even when it couldn't finish the prey, it would still hunt large beasts and ignore smaller ones completely.

Chirp, chirp.

Little Black dropped the beast to the ground, then leaned lazily against its belly, watching Lin Zheyu practice. Before long, it stood upright and began mimicking his movements, waving its claws in imitation. It did quite well at first, but soon lost interest, slumped back against the carcass, and started tapping a tree trunk with its paw, shaking loose a shower of droplets.

Another hour passed before Lin Zheyu exhausted the last of his strength. With a low groan, he collapsed onto the damp grass. At the instant he broke through his limits, his essence, qi, and spirit seemed to twist together into one. His mind soared into a transcendent state as waves of strange sensation flooded over him, making him feel as though he had taken a drug and was about to float away.

The more times he broke through his limits, the stronger this feeling became. At first, he had only felt a faint sense of exhilaration, as though his spirit had ascended. But now, the strange pleasure had grown more and more intense.

Could this be the effect of Origin Force?

It was only a guess. The human body and soul held many mysteries. Perhaps breaking through one's limits repeatedly could awaken some latent potential in the mind. Lin Zheyu doubted many people trained as he did, draining their strength every four days and pushing their bodies beyond their limits. Ordinary martial artists valued sustainability; they would never train to the point of breaking their own bodies.