Phenomenal (Part 2)

Master Ming consecutively compressed qi around him, wound up and flicked it. Abels qi armour was inevitably going to crumble if Master Ming wasn't stopped. The issue was Abels couldn't create or find a gap between the flick and the moment of impact to turn the tide. To add, Abels was unable to predict the target, which was doubly lethal since Master Ming's accuracy was dangerous.

Some people were of the opinion that Divine Realm adepts refrained from fighting. In reality, the craving for combat in a true pugilist was insatiable. In fact, those who had reached a level similar to Abels woefully searched for challenges. Perhaps it would be fairer to say that they weren't just looking for fights but were seeking improvement. One could improve physically all they want; however, some concepts and skills could only be acquired and honed in actual combat. Real combat experience for them was worth years of training in solitude.

Abels felt he tried to bite off more than he could chew. He had absolute confident in his Just Realm style, yet it took a split second for Master Ming to break through his armour. He had crossed swords with other Divine Realm adepts before, but never had he looked so pathetic; it was as if his impressive entrance was just a skit. Abels was unable to seize the initiative even once for the first time.

Abels constantly reinforced his true qi armour in hopes of affording himself more time between flicks, allowing him to hang in there. Howbeit, he was merely delaying the inevitable.

"Enough with the tricks!"

Abels shifted his hips back until he was folded forward and propelled himself forward as fast as an arrow off the bowstring. Master Ming paused. From the perspective of others, standing still against an opponent moving as fast as Abels was committing suicide.

The gale billowing Master Ming's clothing before the punch landed didn't scare him. Master Ming changed the trajectory his coiled index finger would snap to adjust to Abels' movement. For whatever flummoxing reason, he didn't strike. Once Abels delivered the punch carrying all of his forward momentum, Master Ming finally unloaded. The impact was as loud as two big axes colliding.

Abels felt as though his left steely clamps were pushing against a towering mountain. The stalemate came to a conclusion when Abels' was sent reeling backward with his feet off the ground! Master Ming curled his index finger again.

Abels almost never used his Divine Realm might against anyone except for in training by himself. The scrap against Master Ming wasn't over, yet he had already used it more than any other day.

Abels uncorked another luminous blue punch that could prove the rumours of Enlightenment. The pressure emitted slowed down anything the pressure caught.

"A thread? It's barely visible, but I'm sure that's a thread," inwardly noted Abels, feeling a sting on his fist. He realised, "No wonder why I couldn't seem to defend his attacks no matter how much I raised my output!"

Master Ming's flick attacks were thin qi needles - for lack of better word - using qi and his threads. To put it into perspective, the flicks were needles stabbing into an elephant's leg.

"It must be snow spirit spider silk. Actually… it's tougher than that… Celestial spider silk?" Abels analysed. "That's unfair! You're using a legendary weapon against my bare fists! What a disgrace!"

Master Ming simpered, and off went another flick. Abels wasn't going to fall for the same trick again. Abels reversed the way he used his mental cultivation, thereby modifying his output type.

Rings of blue energy disseminated toward Master Ming's thread. Each ring slowed down the strikes, and the undulating motion of the energy impacted the trajectory, consequently veering the strikes off target.

Finally found a counter for that technique.

Abels confident smile finally returned: "Nicely played, Master Ming. You almost had me there. May I ask what the name of the technique is?"

"It's my self-invented style. I just call it Night Net Celestial Silk."

That's like him, even using "thread" in his style's name just as his calculative mind pays attention to the finest of details.

"The style provokes deep thought. You are innovative man. Had I not used Enlightenment, I would have been cornered."

"You flatter me." Master Ming's cold voice somehow sounded joyous. He elaborated, "The style is nothing special and not worth any attention. It was merely the product of internal energy experiments. It's only…"

H-he got me?

Abels felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and smelt blood

"… Valuable since it caught the world-renowned leader of Evil Spirits."

Abels couldn't believe he was caught without being aware. As he sealed his meridian to staunch his bleeding, he shot Master Ming a fiery glare.

As though he could read Abels' mind, Master Ming stated, "That technique is called Autumn King Thread. It's third in my Seven King Thread's style. I was hoping I could try it with you."

"Night Net Celestial Silk… Seven King's Thread? I've heard about your style before, but I had no idea you wielded such a bizarre weapon. What does your Autumn King Thread consist of?"

"Let's find out." Master Ming flicked again: "Autumn King Thread - Moon."

Master Ming's white beam attack broke through Abels' barrier and the barrier he covertly set up, forcing him to dodge.

This… is going to be tough.

The reason Master Ming's attack wasn't fazed was because he added Enlightenment. Abels Enlightenment was about ultimate might. As for Master Ming's Enlightenment nature, it was still a mystery. Abels hadn't revealed his full power, but neither had Master Ming. If the two of them kept dialling up the intensity, one of them would die, which wasn't Abels' goal for the night. Master Ming, to the contrary, fired off fatal attacks one after the other.

"I don't want to fight any more for tonight."

Only River Monster and Abels heard the declaration.

"That wasn't Voice Transmission. This is more advanced… How many more insane skills does he have up his sleeve?" wondered Abels. "What was that?"

"We don't have a feud we can't settle. Let's consider that last strike the one that set us even."

Feud? Since when did I develop a grudge with him?

The white beam could be described as a beam of information. Shen Yiren also glowed white when she started fighting Abels with an awkward style. From what he could tell, it was the same as Master Ming's white beam. Putting together the white glow and supposed grudge, he concluded Shen Yiren was Master Ming's woman. The conclusion also justified why Master Ming was connected to the imperial court.

River Monster, out of the blue, used Voice Transmission to bray, "Get your head out of your behind! Are you saying you're sparing Master?"

"Precisely. I don't have a grudge so deep against you that I must kill you. I don't want to keep making enemies, either. If you don't scram right now, though, you'll bite the dust."

Abels took the threat serious, but River Monster continued, "Shut your trap! Come kill us to avenge your lover if you're so tough."

River Monster also reached the same conclusion Abels did after witnessing Master Ming's Enlightenment ability.

"I wasn't speaking to you."

River Monster felt as if she was stuck in ice when Master Ming shifted his piercing gaze to her.

"What… was the scar on the puppet's arm about?" questioned Master Ming.

River Monster fronted with a smile: "I lopped her arm off, just like the puppet!"

"Shut it, River Monster!" commanded Abels.

The escort flinched because of Abels sudden belt for they weren't aware the three were speaking to each other in secret.

Sensing Master Ming's qi pressure drop again and seeing his silence, River Monster beamed with dark delight: "What, heartbroken? It's just a hand. You can still have fun using her other parts. It's no big deal."

"I said shut it, River Monster!"

"What's the matter, Master?! Why do we have to be scared of him?! He is just bluffing to scare you off!"

Abels pulled his brows together and then picked up bloodlust.

"… You're right. It's just an arm. It's no big deal."

Master Ming raised a thread: "I'll throw it away, then."

Master Ming threw a woman's thin arm away.

"Aaaahh!"

Like a waterfall, blood poured from River Monster's shoulder.

Nobody. Nobody saw how it happened.

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