Dragon's Origin

Wang Sheng's entire body seemed to transform into a soft, pliable rope, bending and twisting in every conceivable way. Yet, upon contact, one would discover it wasn't a limp rope at all, but rather a taut bow brimming with elasticity.

Whether it was his shoulders, back, hips, or even his chest and abdomen, everything became a weapon. Have you ever seen a fighting style where a punch aimed at the opponent's stomach causes it to retract, only to spring back with such force that it nearly dislocates the attacker's wrist?

No matter how one attacked, Wang Sheng either evaded the blow or neutralized its power in a manner utterly unimaginable to the black-clothed assassin, rendering his immense strength useless.

Conversely, Wang Sheng grew increasingly at ease, fighting with greater and greater fluency. Despite a thousand or even ten thousand simulations run by the combat awareness persona within his Yuan Hun space, nothing could compare to a real fight against a true expert. This was precisely such a situation, benefiting not only Wang Sheng but also his combat awareness persona immensely.

The sensation of being unable to exert his strength frustrated the black-clothed man to the point of tears, while the occasional strikes that landed on him caused excruciating pain. He couldn't fathom how Wang Sheng could beat him so thoroughly under these circumstances. He wondered if that mysterious master had foreseen all of this and orchestrated it deliberately.

Wang Sheng's seemingly gentle palm strike on the black-clothed man's body elicited an expression of extreme pain. Ling Xu, the old Taoist priest, who had been watching intently, was now beside himself with excitement, his eyes glued to Wang Sheng's technique. He even disregarded everything else, attempting to mimic some of the movements nearby.

The old Taoist was on the verge of jumping up and down with excitement. He saw in Wang Sheng's movements a form of boxing that was almost perfectly aligned with his understanding of the Dao. Yet, each time, it was just a little bit off, just a little bit short, preventing him from fully grasping it. This feeling was more agonizing than being killed, yet he was irresistibly drawn to it, watching with unwavering focus, afraid to miss a single detail.

The combination of forceful and gentle, two utterly different ways of exerting power, were unified so seamlessly. This discovery nearly made the old Taoist cry out.

It wasn't just the old Taoist; even Grandmaster Lu and the old Array Master were captivated, their eyes fixed on the two combatants. This situation presented an opportunity for the young man.

Everyone, from the experts to the novices, had their attention focused on the battle, with no one paying attention to him. Wasn't this a golden opportunity to escape?

No sooner had he thought it than he acted. Taking advantage of the others' distraction, he crawled on the ground, having already positioned himself there while pretending to vomit earlier. Disregarding any sense of shame, the young man crawled several yards away.

There was a wall ahead. Once he crawled past that wall, no one would see him. With no one watching, he could move a little faster. If he was careful enough to escape far enough away, he could unleash his super speed and flee this death trap.

He was almost to the corner of the wall, just a turn away. A look of joy even appeared on the young man's face, as if the light of freedom was just ahead. But suddenly, a wave of darkness enveloped him.

It wasn't the darkness of night, but the black-clothed man's robes. Wang Sheng had sent the black-clothed man flying with a powerful punch, and he crashed directly into the young man's head.

Wang Sheng didn't hold back in this punch, using his full strength. The sixth-level black-clothed man had his chest bones shattered and internal organs crushed by the blow, sending him flying.

The young man, who had previously acted as if he had Wang Sheng figured out and considered himself an expert, was struck by his own subordinate. A distinct snapping sound echoed from his neck, and he collapsed, lifeless, just inches from the wall.

"I thought you were some kind of expert, but you can't even take one of my punches," Wang Sheng said, shaking his head with disdain at the scene before turning his gaze to the old Taoist Ling Xu.

Ling Xu was now completely engrossed, his eyes closed, seemingly recalling everything he had just witnessed. His hands and feet moved incessantly, occasionally mimicking some of Wang Sheng's combat movements, his face displaying an intoxicated expression more exaggerated than if he had drunk a whole jar of strong liquor.

Grandmaster Lu was in no better state. Having reached the eighth level of cultivation, even if he didn't fight much, his vision was still sharp, and his sensitivity as a top grandmaster remained. Some of the things Wang Sheng displayed in his fighting techniques might not be unusable to him. Some of the techniques, with their blend of softness and strength, could even complement Grandmaster Lu's methods of skinning people with hammers and chisels, which couldn't help but delight him.

The only one who didn't understand was probably the old Array Master. He had seen Wang Sheng's final blow, the death of the black-clothed man, and the death of the young man who had come with him. Now, it seemed, it was his turn.

None of the young man's other subordinates had appeared, and the old Array Master no longer held any hope. The two strongest sixth-level experts had been dealt with—one skinned alive and turned into a bone rack with hammers and chisels, and the other killed by Wang Sheng using an unbelievable technique. The fate of those weaker than them was obvious.

Thinking of the screams he had heard not long ago, he and the young man had thought they were the screams of the villagers. Only now did he realize that they were the dying cries of the young man's subordinates.

"Pick an opponent!" Wang Sheng said, sitting back in his original seat and addressing the old Array Master, who had remained seated.

Wang Sheng was a warrior; he couldn't afford to be merciful and let go of an expert who wanted to kill him and had a way to track him down. Even if he was a frightened old man, the old Array Master had to die. Letting him choose his own opponent was the most he could do.

The old Array Master knew his fate, but he still stood up and walked towards the old Taoist Ling Xu.

The old Array Master had seen Grandmaster Lu's attack. He had also seen Wang Sheng's attack. The only thing he hadn't seen was how the old Taoist Ling Xu attacked; he didn't even know how the sixth-level black-clothed man had flown over. But that didn't stop him from realizing that the old Taoist might also be an expert.

The old Array Master also understood Wang Sheng's words, "You really picked the wrong place to come." The old Taoist had been living here all along, and they still wanted to make a move. Indeed, they had come at the wrong time and to the wrong place.

The old Array Master's cultivation was clearly stronger than the young man's, but just as he was about to attack the old Taoist, who was still immersed in his comprehension, the old Taoist casually raised his hand, his arm passing under the old Array Master's ribs, seemingly effortlessly striking his chest.

Then Wang Sheng saw the old Array Master's body fly out like an arrow released from a bow, crashing into the wall not far from the young man with a loud thud.

The wall remained intact, but the old Array Master's body turned into a thin, enlarged painting, eerily and horrifyingly plastered onto the wall.