In the dense forest, the bandit stared in disbelief at his own blood-soaked palm. It took a few seconds for the searing pain to register, jolting him back to reality, and his sneering face twisted into a grimace of pure fury.
Mo Ling and his group, standing some distance away, stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed. They had never expected Mu Chen to be so audacious, striking with such ruthless ferocity.
"Brat, do you have a death wish?"
The bandit trembled slightly, his expression turning savage.
Mu Chen looked at him calmly and replied,
"As an experienced adventurer, don't you know that even the simplest plans can go awry?"
"Hahaha, well played, brat."
Hearing his words, the enraged bandit suddenly burst into laughter. He waved a hand, stopping his comrades who had just drawn their blades and were stepping forward. He casually tore a strip of cloth from his clothes to bind the wound on his palm, his malevolent gaze fixed on Mu Chen as he spoke:
"So, I suppose you know what comes next?"
"A fight, then?"
Mu Chen said with a smile.
"Interesting. Your sudden attack doesn't anger me much. On the contrary, I admire your courage. A person with sky-high talent but no ruthlessness is just trash. You're truly different from those sheep over there."
The young man kept his eyes fixed on Mu Chen:
"My name is Lin Zhong. I might appreciate your spirit, but it's an eye for an eye. I'll give you a chance now. Defeat me, and you and your friends can leave freely; I won't hold this strike against you. But if you lose, leave a finger behind as a lesson."
"Of course, you can refuse. However, you and those brats will likely suffer a bit of pain today. Though I can't kill you, trust me, I have plenty of ways to make your lives a living hell."
"Are there any other options?"
Mu Chen shrugged.
"You tell me?"
Lin Zhong's eyes widened.
"Oh, in that case… let's fight!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Mu Chen's eyes narrowed, and he took a powerful step forward. His index and middle fingers pressed together, enveloped in dark spiritual energy. Like a sudden bolt of lightning, a sharp, strange gust of energy thrust straight toward Lin Zhong's throat.
"Still trying to press your luck?"
However, Lin Zhong was nothing like the inexperienced disciples of the Northern Spiritual Academy. Moreover, having just suffered a blow, he was already highly vigilant of Mu Chen. Therefore, when Mu Chen made his move, Lin Zhong was slightly surprised but not at all panicked. He raised his arm, instantly channeling his spiritual energy to block his throat.
*Clang!*
Mu Chen's fingers struck Lin Zhong's arm like short swords hitting a block of steel, sending a sharp tremor through his hand. Lin Zhong's strength was indeed formidable; he had already reached the peak of the Spiritual Movement Stage, just a single step away from becoming a Spiritual Wheel Stage expert.
The thought flashed through Mu Chen's mind, but he did not halt his assault. Retracting his fingers, he clenched them into a fist. Shrouded in spiritual energy, his fist whipped fiercely toward Lin Zhong's temple.
*Thud! Thud!*
Lin Zhong thrust out his palms in a flash, blocking Mu Chen's dual fists. As their spiritual energies clashed head-on, shockwaves rippled outward, sending the dry leaves on the forest floor swirling into the air.
In the direct confrontation, Mu Chen was momentarily pushed back several steps. Lin Zhong also retreated a step, a hint of alarm in his eyes. In that brief moment of contact, he clearly perceived the domineering power contained within the dark spiritual energy. The spiritual art the brat before him cultivated was truly extraordinary.
“Interesting brat!”
Lin Zhong barked coldly, releasing his formidable spiritual energy. His two palms, like blades, swept in a merciless arc, striking towards Mu Chen's vital points.
Tang Qian'er, Mo Ling, and the others standing behind saw Lin Zhong's offensive and shivered, breaking out in a cold sweat. Those people were truly desperate daredevils.
However, facing that sharp offensive, Mu Chen showed no fear. He moved lightly, his eyes constantly focused on Lin Zhong's attacks. Occasionally, he threw out a few punches to clash directly with the blade's edge, but retreated immediately after contact. Step by step, he was forced back, yet Lin Zhong still couldn't do anything to him.
On Lin Zhong's side, his companions, who had initially thought they'd just watch a show, found their expressions growing more and more serious. They exchanged glances, each seeing surprise in the other's eyes.
"This kid isn't bad, huh? He's only at the Middle Stage of the Spirit Movement Realm, yet he's held on this long, and Lin Zhong still can't do anything to him."
At the very back of the group, a burly middle-aged man also stared intently at the two combatants, his gaze solemn. A moment later, he slowly analyzed:
"What a formidable young man. He sees through all of Lin Zhong's attacks. Every time he makes a move, it's precisely when Lin Zhong's force is spent. On the surface, it looks like he's constantly retreating, but Lin Zhong is probably so furious he's spitting blood."
"What?!"
The adventurers were all startled. "That young man can see through Lin Zhong's attacks? What kind of eyesight is that? Lin Zhong isn't like those academy brats..."
"Captain, you're not mistaken, are you?"
The burly man glanced at them:
"If that young man also had the strength of the Late Stage of the Spirit Movement Realm, none of you would be his match. I just don't know when the Northern Spiritual Academy managed to produce such a formidable disciple."
"Impossible!"
"Lin Zhong can't hold back anymore."
The burly man chuckled faintly.
Hearing this, their gazes all turned back to the fight. Lin Zhong's face was flushed, silver light flashed on his fist, and a faint rumble of thunder seemed to echo in the air.
"He's already using the Thunderstorm Fist? That's Lin Zhong's killing move! He's truly been pushed to his limits."
"Brat, take this!"
Lin Zhong's face reddened further, the silver light on his fist grew increasingly dazzling, and violent, berserk fluctuations spread outward.
Mu Chen looked at the silver light on his opponent's fist. His eyes trembled slightly, and his right hand clenched tightly.
"Thump!"
Lin Zhong bent his leg, then suddenly lunged forward, unleashing his fist. Waves of air surged forth, and a rumbling sound like thunder echoed.
"Thunderstorm Fist!"
A berserk punch, carrying astonishing destructive power, struck towards Mu Chen. Dry leaves were swept up by the air waves, forming a swirling vortex of leaves.
Seeing that terrifying punch, Tang Qian'er's group turned pale with fright.
Mu Chen took a deep breath as dark spiritual energy erupted from his palm. Arching his body like a drawn bow, he shot forward like an arrow. Darkness enveloped his fist as he unleashed a powerful punch of his own!
"Netherworld Seal!"
The darkness condensed into a black seal, carrying a tyrannical spiritual energy. Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, the two attacks clashed head-on.
*Boom!*
A terrifying explosion rang out. The ground beneath them shook, cracking and spiderwebbing outward, while the resulting shockwave sent dry leaves flying in all directions.
Both of their faces turned pale. The shockwave suddenly surged with violent force, forcing them both backward in a stumble, nearly sending them sprawling.
A direct confrontation, with no clear victor!
The onlookers gaped in disbelief.
"You...!"
Lin Zhong steadied himself, his expression shifting rapidly as he stared at Mu Chen. He could hardly believe the outcome of this clash. Behind him, his companions stepped forward, glaring menacingly at Mu Chen.
Seeing this, Mu Chen sneered. He pinched his fingers together, and a crimson bead appeared, radiating extremely violent fluctuations of energy.
"What? Planning to use numbers to bully the few?"
Lin Zhong's companions instantly recognized the berserk spiritual energy emanating from Mu Chen's hand. They cried out in alarm:
"A Spirit-Breaking Orb?!"
No one dared to take another step forward, their eyes locked onto Mu Chen in sheer shock. No wonder this kid wasn't afraid of them at all; he was harboring such a trump card. Judging by the spiritual energy fluctuations coming from the Spirit-Breaking Orb, it possessed enough power to gravely injure even a Spirit Wheel Realm expert.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Tang Tian'er, Mo Ling, and their companions quickly retreated behind Mu Chen, warily eyeing the adventurers.
"Stop!"
A heavy shout echoed from behind Lin Zhong's group. The burly man slowly stepped forward, frowning. "What do you think you're doing? You can lose a fight, but you can't lose your dignity. Isn't acting like this just dragging our Thunderclap Squad's name through the mud?"
The burly man then turned to Mu Chen, offering a smile. "Young friend, you are truly formidable. Let's put an end to today's matter. If we offended your companions earlier, please forgive us."
"No need to be so polite."
Mu Chen smiled. With a flick of his wrist, he stowed the Spirit-Breaking Orb away. At that moment, he noticed the burly man visibly relax, clearly wary of the orb's destructive power.
"You've got some skills, kid." Lin Zhong's shifting expression finally settled. He stared at Mu Chen, licking his lips.
Mu Chen simply smiled, offering no further comment. "Then we shall part ways here."
Just as he was about to lead his group away, however—
"Wait a moment!" Seeing them depart, the burly man grew anxious and quickly took a few steps forward to call out.
Mu Chen watched him warily, his hand slipping back into his sleeve, ready to retrieve the Spirit-Breaking Orb at a moment's notice. "Is there something else?"
Meeting his guarded gaze, the man hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Young friend, I would like to propose a partnership. I wonder if you might be interested?"
"A partnership?" Mu Chen frowned upon hearing this.