Hong Mei's body stiffened at the boy's words—the difference between small layers was immense! 'He has just reached the Second Layer!? Even if he is the man with the other half of my flame...'
'No, I cannot let him die!'
"Impossible, know your place." She spoke with a cold but fiery voice as her entire body began to boil with a furious heat, the blood boiling like mad.
A split second later, she appeared before the boy with a whirl of flames.
Her blazing hot palm came crashing down on the boy, a murderous intent of a calibre she had never felt before coursed through her mind, her entire body enveloped in flames.
The pressure from the strike sent a wave of shock waves that ripped through the air, and an enormous gust of wind blew across the surroundings. 'I cannot let him die here—we are linked.'
*Step*
Like her flames meant nothing to his body, Su Lang smiled faintly, grasping her thin wrist, before placing the hot flaming palm against his chest.
"Your flames do not hurt me. I will fight. He will not give me a chance to survive even if I flee." The flame hurt like hell, melting and bubbling his flesh, but more than half of that damage was converted into black demonic Qi and started to temper his body...
'The amount of this mere flame is worth 100 of Fatty Di's punches...'
Meanwhile, Hong Mei's rage was building rapidly, filling her with an urge to burn all her opponents to death.
'How can a boy at the Second Layer block my attacks!? Am I in dreaming, did sleeping with him cause my heart to weave off the path of the assassin, the blade of death?'
*Step*
Her other fist swung over like a meteor, knocking her flaming fist back and unleashing a blazing storm. Su Lang's eyes widened. However, the flames didn't hit him...
A flash of lightning arced towards them with a horrifying crackle burning the ground and surroundings before her flames caused the attack to disperse completely.
She then spoke quietly, "If you are going to black his attacks, do so. Show me just how special you are. Su Lang."
His face looked shocked momentarily, unsure how she knew his name... Her lips showed a small movement as her eyes watched him rush forward, holding his fists tight with a strange black flame that carried the same heat and feeling as hers.
'But he is so much denser... and it makes me demonic blood surge wildly... with Joy.'
[Hong Mei POV end]
Running forward, Su Lang attacked the annoying guy who liked to play with lightning. Tightly closing his fists, he never forgot his duty: to abuse his physique to try to temper his body with this guys Qi.
The male was black-haired with a rather handsome face, but it was slightly long, and his nostrils were always flared.
"You little bastard, what do you have to do with Hong Mei!?" The brown eyes of the male became bloodshot, his fist cracking with lightning as it shot towards Su Lang, a sense of the air shuddering from the crackle of his power.
The beautiful woman's voice sounded behind him, "Ming Ye, I won't let you survive!"
Su Lang could not dodge, so he fought only by pushing back and absorbing the attacks with his body.
The sound of flesh cracking filled the air while his bones trembled violently as the demonic power circulated through him, biting down on his tongue.
Su Lang held the horse stance, trying to endure the lightning assaulting his organs and flesh despite being reduced by the damage caused him great damage, his skin bubbling and muscles spasming.
He was trying his best to focus on absorbing the lightning, as his left arm wrapped around Ming Ye's fist and grabbed him tight, stopping him from moving as Hong Mei's flaming sword approached from behind.
"Struggle, struggle harder! Fight and defeat him!" A voice in his heart, a distorted voice that sounded like his own! Su Lang didn't know if it was the devil or something else, but the voice was right—his arm shot out from his left shoulder, a burst of demonic flame surrounding his body before his hand clenched into a fist, hitting the male's jaw and unleashing the strength of his body.
Although his blow didn't deal damage, with a sharp smack, it connected with the side of Ming Ye's face with a crisp cracking sound as the fire from Hong Mei shot forward, her blade slicing down the chest of Ming Ye.
Blood spurted out as his body was cut into two parts, falling onto the ground.
Hong Mei's flaming body rushed towards him, her eyes wide in disbelief, as her right arm wrapped around him.
She pulled him up, lifting her flaming sword and stabbing it deep into the ground, burning the surrounding environment and erasing his corpse, the signs of Qi so they would only point to her, as she looked at the strange boy she thought would die.
Su Lang coughed up blood and fell onto the ground.
The demonic flames were circulating within his body, turning his meridians and organs into wreckage—it seemed someone at the Mantle Stage of the Earth Cycle was beyond his limit to fight right now... the lightning still causing his demonic Qi to rage in his body.
The beautiful woman, however, hugged him tight. The flames within him calmed down, and she gave a bitter smile as she spoke, "What an idiot you are. If you wish to live, why force yourself to do stupid things?"
'This is strange; she doesn't hate me anymore...'
However, he seemed to have spoken too soon, as the moment his Qi calmed down, she kicked him away and jumped onto a distant tree muttering to herself while looking back with concerned eyes, "Idiot. How did you survive the baptism of a demon's pure yin... Hmph!" Before she vanished into the dark Mao Lei Forest.
Fortunately, Su Lang's body wasn't ordinary. His injuries healed completely within a few minutes, and his bones, organs, and muscles were thoroughly recovered.
He had already built the foundations thanks to the strange technique he knew, a technique hidden inside his soul... so it was no wonder the rat couldn't use it. Not to mention the new punching technique he gained.
"Phew... I should return to avoid any suspicion." After finding an isolated and safe spot, Su Lang fixed his clothes and took a moment to close his eyes and examine his current state... the black flames were quiet in his dantian, the earth's core gently floating.
'Maybe I need to build my mantle before I can properly temper my body with that flame?"
A gentle black flame glowed from his dantian, slowly rising, seeming bigger than earlier when he first broke through, but a long way from the third layer... The Qi he needed might take a few weeks unless he practised harder. 'I need to become stronger within 19 days.'
With a smile, he rushed back to Sect with rapid, light steps.
***
It had been two hours since Su Lang had returned and started eating dinner with Fatty Di.
At the training room, Fatty Di began to do a strange movement with his feet... his fat body moving with a slight mist and blur, each stride nearly double the previous... It was quite impressive.
After he finished, now gasping and wheezing, he looked at Su Lang with an excited face. "Uncle said we can learn this technique together! I will show you the book; it's in my room!"
'Why do I feel this Fat boy is growing on me... Should I make him into a little brother that won't become useless in a few chapters?' Su Lang chuckled in his mind before looking at the book Fatty Di held out to him.
The text was simple, describing a method to move the Qi in the body and then the foundation and improve the control of Qi while moving faster.
It was a series of moves called the Six Steps of Ethereal Mist, and each of these steps drastically increased the speed of one's movement and the flow of Qi.
—The Six Steps of Ethereal Mist is a powerful and advanced martial arts skill that focuses on increasing speed, agility, and the flow of Qi (life force energy) within the practitioner.
This technique consists of six carefully crafted moves, each contributing to significant improvements in the practitioner's movement and energy flow.
As the practitioner progresses through the Six Steps, they experience the following effects:
Enhanced Speed: The initial step focuses on improving the practitioner's speed and reflexes. It allows them to move swiftly and efficiently, making it challenging for opponents to predict and counter their actions.
Agile Footwork: The second step emphasises footwork and balance. The practitioner learns to move with precision, grace, and agility, enabling them to navigate complex situations easily.
Heightened Qi Flow: The third step is crucial for enhancing the flow of Qi throughout the body. By harmonising their breathing and movements, the practitioner can increase their overall energy levels and amplify the power behind their techniques.
Increased Flow of Qi in Strikes: In the fourth step, the focus shifts to incorporating Qi into striking techniques. This enhances the impact of their attacks and empowers the practitioner to deliver more powerful blows.
Fluid Transitions: The fifth step emphasises seamless transitions between movements. The practitioner learns to link different techniques effortlessly, maintaining a continuous flow of energy and motion.
Mastery of the Six Steps: In the final step, the practitioner attains mastery over the entire sequence. They achieve a level of proficiency where the Six Steps become second nature, enabling them to apply the skill effectively in combat or other physical activities.
The Six Steps form a comprehensive and transformative martial arts skill, providing practitioners with heightened speed, agility, and a deeper connection to their Qi. Individuals can significantly enhance their martial prowess and overall physical capabilities by mastering these steps.
At the moment, Su Lang's maximum stride was nearly 3-4 yards... the first step would double it, and the other steps added with just as impressive and made him want to learn... But Steps 3-6 needed to be the Mantle Layer.
"So, what do you think?! Cool, right!" Mao Di beamed as he was happy about this Low-Tier Bronze Skill book.