Shen Zhi's cold, calculating gaze narrowed further as he barked, "What's wrong? Why aren't you throwing the stones?"
His tone was sharp, almost accusing, and the tension in the air thickened like a coiled spring ready to snap.
Lu Tzang stiffened.
His eyes flickered briefly to the translucent system screen that hovered before him.
Ding!
A tutorial is available.
To begin, touch any target.
Lu Tzang's gaze drifted back to the Shen family trio.
Each of them looked more menacing than the last—Shen Jian, the towering brute with fists like boulders; Shen Rui, the dagger-wielding smirk personified; and Shen Zhi, the sharp-eyed leader whose every word seemed to cut like a blade.
Inwardly, Lu Tzang's thoughts churned.
Should I let their guard down?
Maybe if I hand them both spiritual stones, they'll relax, and I can initiate the tutorial by placing a hand on one of them. Shen Rui seems like the best option—he's cocky and distracted by greed. But...
His heart sank as he saw Shen Zhi's hawk-like eyes scanning his every move. The suspicion was already too deep. There was no turning back now.
"Oi! Are you deaf?" Shen Rui snapped, brandishing his dagger with a dramatic twirl. His voice was dripping with irritation. "Why're you just standing there like an idiot? Hand it over or—"
Shen Jian cut him off with a deep growl. "Stop wasting time," the hulking brute rumbled, his massive fists flexing. "If he's not giving it, we'll just take it."
Shen Zhi raised a hand, silencing them both. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable edge. "Wait. Let's see what he does. He's hesitating for a reason."
Lu Tzang felt sweat bead on his forehead. His body was frozen, his mind scrambling for a solution. But then Shen Rui's voice cut through his panic like a whip.
"Why are you not reacting again, huh? What, cat got your tongue?!"
That was the breaking point.
Without thinking, Lu Tzang turned on his heel and bolted.
He didn't say a word.
No excuses, no explanations—just pure, unfiltered survival instinct.
His legs pumped furiously as he sprinted away, his heart pounding like a war drum.
For a moment, the Shen trio stood there, dumbfounded.
"What the fuck?!" Shen Rui finally blurted out, his dagger dropping slightly in his hand. "Did... Did he just run?"
Shen Zhi's face twisted in both shock and anger before he quickly composed himself. His sharp voice sliced through the stunned silence. "Chase him!"
Shen Jian, the biggest of the three, let out a deep laugh that rumbled like a landslide. His enormous frame shifted, and with a single step, he launched himself forward with startling speed.
Lu Tzang glanced back, and his eyes widened in horror.
He's fast! Too fast!
Behind him, Shen Rui and Shen Zhi were keeping pace, but their focus was entirely on Shen Jian, who was gaining on Lu Tzang with terrifying ease.
Shen Rui laughed breathlessly as he ran. "Man, look at that! Shen Jian might look like a mountain, but when he moves, it's like an avalanche! No one escapes him once he starts running!"
Shen Zhi's smirk returned as he nodded in agreement, his tone sounded smug.
"That's right. Shen Jian isn't just the strongest among us physically—he's also the fastest. It's his greatest achievement, really. No one expects a man of his size to be so quick, and that's what makes him deadly."
"Remember the incident in the Stone Forest?" Shen Rui chimed in, his voice almost gleeful. "That idiot thought he could outrun Shen Jian. I'm sure it won't even last three seconds before he gets caught."
"Or the time in Riverbrook," Shen Zhi added, his voice laced with pride. "The guards couldn't believe it when Shen Jian outpaced their fastest scout. The look on their faces was priceless."
Shen Rui snorted. "It's always the same—big guy, bigger speed. People never learn."
The two of them laughed, clearly enjoying themselves as they watched Shen Jian close the gap between him and Lu Tzang with terrifying ease.
Lu Tzang, meanwhile, cursed under his breath as he pushed his body to its limit.
"I knew this would happen!" he thought bitterly, his legs burning with every step. "I read the novel! I knew he was fast! Why did I even bother trying to run?"
Despite his best efforts, the distance between him and Shen Jian was shrinking rapidly.
The towering brute's heavy footsteps were like thunderclaps in his ears, and Lu Tzang could practically feel the man's shadow looming over him.
"Got you now!" Shen Jian bellowed, his voice a booming roar of triumph.
Lu Tzang glanced over his shoulder one last time, his heart sinking as he saw Shen Jian reaching out, his massive hand outstretched like an iron claw.
What should I do now?!
Lu Tzang closed his eyes tightly as Shen Jian's massive shadow loomed over him, his enormous hand reaching to grab him.
Desperation surged through Lu Tzang.
Please work... Invincible Slamming Soft Path Mortal Art, please work! After all you have the word invincible and there's no way I can beat this guy otherwise!
In the split second before Shen Jian's hand could close around him, Lu Tzang felt something stir deep within his body—a subtle, almost playful pulse of energy.
His muscles moved on their own, as though guided by instinct, and then—
BANG!
The world seemed to shatter around them. Shen Zhi and Shen Rui, several meters behind, froze mid-step as their jaws fell open.
"What the...?"
Shen Rui gasped, his voice barely a whisper.
His eyes were as wide as saucers, practically bulging out of his skull. His mouth hung open so far it looked as if his jaw might detach.
Shen Zhi fared no better, his composed demeanor completely shattered.
His face twisted into a grotesque caricature of disbelief, his mouth agape, his head shaking slightly as though trying to process what he was seeing.
Before them, the seemingly indomitable Shen Jian lay sprawled flat on the ground, his massive body forming a crater at the center of cracked earth that radiated outward like a spiderweb.
Dust swirled around him as the very ground trembled from the impact.
"What... just... happened?!" Shen Rui stammered, gripping Shen Zhi's arm like a frightened child.
"I... I don't know!" Shen Zhi snapped, his voice tinged with panic. "He... he just—"
Their eyes darted back to Shen Jian, who groaned and began to stir.
The hulking brute pushed himself up slightly, his limbs trembling like a newborn fawn.
His head wobbled, his usually fierce eyes now glazed over as though he'd just been hit by a mountain.
Shen Jian shook his head in an attempt to regain clarity, but his massive frame betrayed him.
With a dull WHAM!, his body slammed back into the ground, sending another tremor through the earth.
"Wh... What...?" Shen Jian croaked weakly, his voice slurred as though he was struggling to stay conscious.
Then it happened again.
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!
Shen Jian's body seemed to have a will of its own, slamming into the ground repeatedly as though the very earth was trying to swallow him whole.
Shen Rui and Shen Zhi's faces morphed from disbelief to pure, unadulterated horror.
"What... what's wrong with him?!" Shen Rui shrieked, clutching his dagger so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"He's being... slammed!" Shen Zhi hissed, his voice shaky. "But I don't know how! How is this happening?!"
Meanwhile, Lu Tzang stood frozen a few steps away, his face pale as he stared at the spectacle before him. What... What did I just do?!
His mind raced, but deep down, he knew—he had done this.
His body had moved on its own, executing a move that should have been impossible.
He replayed the moment in his mind: the way his hands had effortlessly grabbed Shen Jian's enormous wrist, how his body had twisted in a smooth, almost graceful arc, and how Shen Jian's massive frame had been flung through the air like a sack of grain.
It was like a judo throw... but more exaggerated. Way more exaggerated!
Lu Tzang had spun Shen Jian over his head like a windmill before slamming him into the ground with the force of an earthquake.
It was absurd.
Impossible.
And yet, somehow, he had done it.
A familiar chime echoed in his ears.
Ding!
A system screen appeared before him, glowing softly in the air.
Invincible Slamming Soft Path Mortal Art
A unique combat art granted to the host.
With this technique, the host can instinctively and effortlessly slam any opponent in the Mortal Realm, regardless of their stage or phase.
The art overrides all physical resistance during direct contact, making slams unavoidable and devastating.
Note:
The art requires physical contact with the target.
The host is vulnerable to opponents using weapons, ranged attacks, or other techniques that do not involve direct flesh-to-flesh interaction.
…
Lu Tzang's eyes widened as he read the description.
The realization dawned on his very head like a bolt of lightning.
So that's it... As long as I can touch them, I can slam them. And Shen Jian... he's just the first.
A low, nervous chuckle escaped his lips. His shoulders shook as the chuckle grew into a laugh—soft at first, but soon becoming louder and more manic.
He turned his gaze to the terrified Shen Rui and Shen Zhi, who were now standing rooted to the ground, their faces pale.
Slowly, Lu Tzang's lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Well," he said, his voice laced with a dangerous edge, "who's next?"