Chapter 63: Resolved!

Hands on shoulders, tiger’s mouths locked tight.

Qi and blood revolved, the Raging Python hissed.

An extremely strange suction force transmitted from Liu Jiang’s palms, attempting to pull at Ding Xie’s Qi and blood.

But,

Ding Xie’s Qi and blood did not budge in the slightest.

One layer of ordinary Blood Robe.

One layer of specially woven Blood Robe.

The two layers of Blood Robe not only allowed Ding Xie’s physical defense to reach a certain upper limit, but had long since made his entire body leakless.

“The pinnacle of the Iron Cloth Shirt!

A Leakless Body!”

Liu Jiang cried out in alarm, his eyes filled with horror.

Even his face became distorted.

He had never thought that besides Zheng Zhong, there was someone else who could practice the Iron Cloth Shirt to such a Realm.

No!

This was an Iron Cloth Shirt Realm even stronger than Zheng Zhong’s!

When facing Zheng Zhong, he couldn’t absorb anything, but he could sense Zheng Zhong’s Qi and blood.

But facing Ding Xie, not only could he not absorb anything, he couldn’t even sense where Ding Xie’s Qi and blood were located; it was as if his hands were placed on a rock from Mount Tai.

How is this possible?

How can a person be like a stone?

He’s not the Monkey King!

In the time it took for a thought to flash, a sense of absurdity arose in Liu Jiang’s mind.

Ten years ago, he couldn’t beat him!

Ten years later, he still couldn’t beat him!

Not only could he not win, but it was as if Heaven was playing a joke on him; in order to no longer be powerless when facing the Top Scholar before him, he had exhausted his mind and spared no effort to create the Raging Python Swallowing Flood Dragon Art, yet facing the former Top Scholar again, the opponent had already reached the pinnacle of the Iron Cloth Shirt… No, not the pinnacle.

It was Supreme!

The inexplicable sense of absurdity had just appeared when it turned into despair.

Is the gap in our talent really this large?

Why, if there is a Liu Jiang, must there also be a Ding Xie?

Why?!

In his questioning, despair spread like mist.

Then it became like a tsunami, drowning him.

Amidst the feeling of suffocation, Liu Jiang smelled the scent of death.

Looking at Ding Xie who was close at hand, Liu Jiang repeatedly begged for mercy—

“Brother Ding, it’s a misunderstanding!

I am willing to tell you all the methods to compensate for the weaknesses of the Raging Python Swallowing Flood Dragon Art!

Have you forgotten?

The first time we met, I even treated you to wine…”

Slap!

Ding Xie raised both arms and struck out fiercely with both palms.

Liu Jiang, who was in the middle of circulating his technique, was completely unable to move.

When the palms struck his temples, Liu Jiang heard the sound of his own bones cracking, and that strange penetrating force shattered his eyes before going straight into his brain, churning it into mush.

The arms resting on Ding Xie’s shoulders slumped down.

Liu Jiang fell backward, all breath gone.

Ding Xie looked at Liu Jiang’s corpse, his heart without a single ripple.

The man deserved to die, so he killed him.

As for the weaknesses of the Raging Python Swallowing Flood Dragon Art?

Liu Jiang was conceited and arrogant, yet also insecure.

This caused the other party to show off constantly.

Amidst this showing off, Ding Xie had long since seen through everything.

Wasn’t the Six Paths Preliminary Body, which used Qi and blood as its Foundation, obvious enough?

The Six Paths Preliminary Body was created precisely to compensate for the weaknesses of the Raging Python Swallowing Flood Dragon Art.

It was just that some of the bottlenecks still required careful consideration.

But the text flashing before his eyes was different.

With a single glance, it was clear and concise—

【doctors mercy shot and killed Coffin Bearer X4, Experience +1000】

【Tiger Fist killed Zheng Zhong, Experience +3000】

【Tiger Fist killed Liu Jiang, Experience +3500】

【Judged as combat, Talent ‘Martial Star’ in effect, Experience increased by 100%!】

【Judged as rookie instance, Experience increased by 100%】

【Experience +22500】

【Character Rank increased: 9→10】

【Health, Stamina, Stress limits +1】

【Skill Point +1】

【Character Template judgment in progress…】

【Judgment passed!】

【Attribute Point +1】

【Talent ‘Fish that Escaped the Net’ judgment in progress…】

【Talent ‘Martial Star’ judgment in progress…】

【Judgment passed!】

【Attribute Point +1】

【Combat Skill Point +1】

…Assign points!

Two points into 【Physique】, two points into 【Unarmed Combat: Proficient】.

The heat flow reappeared, making his whole body feel comfortable.

The deathmatch in his mind appeared once more.

But this time,

it was far more than just that!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

One, two, three beats.

The heartbeat was clearer than ever before; the chains binding it began to shake and tighten, but they could not hinder the heart’s beating at all.

When the heat flow surged, the chains even began to melt.

Bit by bit.

But,

it was too slow!

Ding Xie felt it was too slow!

The Qi and blood of his entire body began to rise.

The heartbeat became turbulent.

One breath, two breaths.

When the third breath arrived, the Qi and blood were like a massive hammer, frantically smashing against those binding chains.

Crack!

Snap!

The chains shattered with a single blow.

The pulverized chains were swept up by the Qi and blood and refined in an instant.

All sorts of things from the past flooded his mind.

At this very moment, he finally knew his true self.

Inhale, exhale.

Ding Xie breathed in and out.

His heart felt completely light.

Then, as if sensing something, he looked up at the sky.

Dark clouds were dense, and a fine drizzle fell continuously.

Suddenly, there was a pause, and the Big Dipper appeared.

In this time before night had even fallen, the radiance of the sixth star of the Big Dipper, the Kaiyang Palace, suddenly brightened.

Immediately, the stars called out.

Sixth Brother! Sixth Brother!

Sixth Brother! Sixth Brother!

However, before the shouts faded, the sixth star of the Southern Dipper bloomed with light, shining brilliantly.

Following that, the first and seventh stars of the Big Dipper bloomed in succession.

In an instant, the stars fell silent.

Only Ding Xie closed his eyes to perceive.

【Heart Knot Resolved!】

【Identity Quest Completed!】

【Talent ‘Martial Star’ has cleared away the dust, bathed in the starlight of Kaiyang, and taken a step further!】

【Talent ‘Martial Star’ promoted!】

【Martial Star (Gold): During combat, gain the special effect ‘Increasing Bravery with Every Battle’; after combat, gain the special effect ‘Illustrious Achievements’; during daily life, gain the special effect ‘Innate Gift’】

【’Increasing Bravery with Every Battle’: Upon entering combat, at the 10th second, gain 【Physique】, 【mind】, and 【Technique】 +1; every 10 seconds thereafter, all attributes +1. After completing 6 stacks, enter the 3-second ‘Star Sovereign’ state; after the ‘Star Sovereign’ state ends, all bonuses return to zero and enter a twelve-hour cooldown.】

【’Illustrious Achievements’: Experience +300%, each level up will grant an additional 1 Combat Skill Point.】

【’Innate Gift’: Possess extraordinary intuition and learning ability for combat-related skills, specialties, and talents.】

…【The Star Palaces of Seven Killings, Army Breaker, and Greedy Wolf shine upon you!】

【Seven Killings, Army Breaker, and Greedy Wolf enter your fate!】

【Obtained Talents: Seven Killings, Greedy Wolf, Army Breaker!】

【Seven Killings (White): Any killing will no longer cause stress.】

【Army Breaker (White): Physique +1】

【Greedy Wolf (White): Obtaining any loot will result in a pleasant mood and reduced stress.】

…In a flash of change, ‘Martial Star’ was promoted.

It also brought three additional talents.

【Seven Killings】, 【Army Breaker】, 【Greedy Wolf】!

The Shatter-Kill-Wolf trio?

Ding Xie only took a glance and no longer cared.

He was just himself.

He was Ding Xie.

As for the rest?

Inconsequential.

Rather than obsessing over these, it was better to look at the special effects of ‘Martial Star’: ‘Increasing Bravery with Every Battle’, ‘Illustrious Achievements’, and ‘Innate Gift’.

He hadn’t experienced ‘Increasing Bravery with Every Battle’ yet, but he could guess a thing or two.

He had already experienced ‘Illustrious Achievements’ before, and its improvement now was truly like adding wings to a tiger.

As for ‘Innate Gift’, he had already begun to experience it.

New ideas for the Iron Cloth Shirt and Tiger Fist, which had originally reached their limits, actually appeared in Ding Xie’s mind at this moment.

Moreover, they were truly feasible!

Most importantly!

When Ding Xie picked up the Raging Python Swallowing Flood Dragon Art and flipped through it,

the bottlenecks regarding compensating for the weaknesses of the Raging Python Swallowing Flood Dragon Art were actually resolved effortlessly!

At the same time, the Six Paths Preliminary Body underwent an earth-shaking transformation.