"Hah!"
With a thunderous roar, the tall, thin man’s body was instantly wreathed in countless Thunder Serpents. The terrifying Emperor Realm Primordial Power pinned Mu Bingling and Ye Shuangshuang in place, rendering them immobile. He took a single step, and his fist arrived in a flash!
BOOM!!!
The immense fluctuation of Primordial Power made space itself tremble. But to the man’s astonishment, his punch, which contained seventy percent of his strength, failed to move his opponent in the slightest! He only saw a flash of azure Profound Ice before an immense force pushed him away.
No, "forced back" was a more fitting description.
Landing on his feet, the tall, thin man stared, dumbfounded, at Mu Chen, who hadn’t moved an inch. Horror gripped his heart!
"..."
Never mind the tall, thin man; even the short, fat one, who had just been clutching his elbow and crying out in pain, forgot all about his suffering. His mouth hung open, his face a mask of utter disbelief. ’He knew how respected his Second Brother was in the Outer Mountain of Holy Tomb Mountain! With the supreme Explosive Power of the Thunder Attribute, no one could match him! But today, some nameless punk easily forced him back! Who would even believe this?!’
’What’s more, if my fleeting glance just now wasn’t mistaken, that punk only has a single Martial Ring... and it’s blue!’
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Mu Chen tapped his foot. A flash of white Thunder Light flickered and vanished as he executed his Mist Step. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the tall, thin man, Profound Jade Fan in hand. With a flick of his wrist, the fan traced a bizarre arc as it smashed down with formidable Qi Force.
Startled, the tall, thin man gathered all his Primordial Power into a single point and threw a punch, roaring, "Don’t get cocky, kid!"
BANG!
The two attacks collided with a deafening bang. Mu Chen was sent flying backward, while the tall, thin man only took three steps back!
The difference in their power was instantly clear!
"..."
The tall, thin man looked at his own fist, his face full of confusion. Then, understanding dawned, and he smiled faintly. "I was wondering how this kid could be so formidable. Turns out he used a Secret Technique to temporarily boost his strength!"
"I don’t care who you are! I, Thunder Demon, will tear you to shreds to avenge my brother’s arm! Thunder Gang Saber!"
The tall, thin man, now identified as Thunder Demon, let out a cry. His Storage Ring flashed, and a massive Battle Saber, wreathed in surging Thunder Serpents, appeared in his hand. Without another word, Thunder Demon leaped, bringing the saber down on Mu Chen with the force of a mountain splitting apart. The terrifying Primordial Power condensed into a sharp Saber Qi!
’Looks like I really can’t fight him unless I use my Extreme Ice Attribute!’
Mu Chen looked up, frowning to himself. With a single thought, the bizarre, shimmering sigil on his forehead reappeared. An Ice Crystal of the deepest blue began to glow, and his Profound Jade Fan was once again coated in ice-blue Primordial Power. He charged forward to meet Thunder Demon head-on, swinging the Profound Jade Fan with all his might!
CLANG!!
The crisp clang was followed by a terrifying wave of Qi Force that swept outwards. The trees, already battered by the short, fat man, were now decimated by the two combatants...
A fierce gale swept through the area, instantly dispersing the dust cloud kicked up by the collision of their Primordial Power.
His thoughts racing, Thunder Demon subtly stilled his trembling arm.
’What in the world is with this guy? His strength keeps fluctuating. I clearly had the upper hand that time. I caught him when he was off-balance and attacked from a superior position. In terms of power, timing, and positioning, that strike should have been a guaranteed kill. And yet the outcome was... bizarre.’
After mulling it over, Thunder Demon glanced at Mu Chen, who had already regained his footing. He shook out his arm and renewed his assault. ’Although that strike failed, it let me test Mu Chen’s true strength. He’s still far weaker than me, especially since I haven’t even used any Combat Techniques and Secret Methods yet!’
"Hehe... Xiao Chenzi, it seems you’re being looked down upon."
The voice of the Profound Old Ghost suddenly echoed in Mu Chen’s mind. Mu Chen chuckled, understanding at once why the Profound Old Ghost had spoken up. ’If this were an ordinary Five-Ring Emperor, I could have defeated him with ease. But I never expected the Martial Artists from Holy Tomb Mountain to be so extraordinary. This Thunder Demon’s strength as a Five-Ring Emperor is no less than my own, and on top of that, he’s a Thunder Attribute Martial Artist—the most difficult type to deal with.’
’But that just makes me even more excited! A battle where I can finally go all out... this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for!’