Chapter 152 - Challenge (1/2)
”Since you're odd, can you be my sparring companion for the lesson?”
When Hei heard that question, he was surprised. Hei didn't imagine that someone he didn't know would approach him and ask him to do as a sparring companion for the lesson.
'He didn't approach our group by addressing everyone. He pointed directly to me, which means he deliberately chose me as his sparring partner. The problem is, why? I don't know him, and I don't seem to have ever interacted with him this week. The only reason I can think of is the episode in the canteen a week ago. Only that. Could it be that he is affiliated with Feng Gengxin?'
While Hei was thinking, Lian at his side asked in a wary voice, ”Why should he be your sparring partner?”
The blue-haired young woman had stood next to Hei; Ye and Xing had also come out as they uncovered their teeth toward the newcomer. They, too, like Hei, had come to the hypothesis that it was someone affiliated with Feng Gengxin who had come to bother them.
The young green-haired man with red spots laughed and replied, ”It isn't for the reason you think, even though it is related to it. Let me introduce myself; my name is He Fen. The reason I'm asking this request is that I want to fight you. Look there.”
He Fen, therefore, indicated a specific point on the whole of the training grounds. There, Teacher Song Yazhu was fighting with a bald, black-skinned young man. They were exchanging blows after blows using only hand-to-hand combat techniques. Incredibly, the young man, who was a student like all of them, was keeping up with Song Yazhu. It must be said, however, that Song Yazhu had limited his power to that of an ordinary spirit soldier. However, it was still a challenge for anybody to keep up with Song Yazhu even in those circ.u.mstances.
”He is Hu Jie, son of the Jie Family head, one of the Eight Big Families and the owner of the White Tiger Bloodline. Members of the Jie Family are adept in the Law of Metal; however, even among them, Hu Jie is a genius among geniuses. His talent is said to be the highest ever in the family. The particular thing about Hu Jie is that he doesn't use weapons. Despite the hardness of their bodies, users of the Law of Metal use weapons to overcome their lack of long-range attacks. But Hu Jie no. He only fights with hand-to-hand combat techniques without using weapons. The reason why Teacher Song Yazhu is fighting with him isn't that he is making preferences. There is simply no one in here who can sparring him in hand-to-hand combat at his full strength, not even the Imperial Prince Long Tian or the son of the Feng Family head, Feng Chen.”
Listening to He Fen's words, Hei replied promptly. ”Nice to meet you, He Fen; my name is Hei. From how you speak, you know the Eight Big Families very well. However, I still don't understand why you chose me.”
”My surname is He, that's the surname of my family. We are a family that owns a bloodline - the Bifang Bird Bloodline. Families with pure bloodlines, although they aren't part of the Eight Big Families, have very close relationsh.i.p.s with them. Since I was a child, I have dealt with Hu Jie and Feng Chen, although they have never paid me much attention. Therefore, I have seen many people who considered themselves geniuses, and I can recognize who is the real deal and who is just a braggart. The murderous intent you emitted in the canteen, your bearing, and your aura. You are someone who has tremendous talent, perhaps comparable to that of Hu Jie and Feng Chen. Right now, I can't ask them to make me sparring companions; they wouldn't calculate me at all. You are the best solution I have found.”
Hearing these words, Hei began to understand a little the reasons that led He Fen to propose that request, although there were some details that he didn't understand. ”Do you have any grudges against those two?”
”No, I don't have anything against them. In fact, I even admire them a lot for their strength. But I have my reasons for doing what I'm doing. I need to reach a level that allows me to fight them on equal terms. No, not like them, I have to be stronger than them. So please, be my sparring companion, and don't spare your strength.”
”Alright. If this is what you want. Lian, Ye, Xing, go with the others. Rest assured, everything will be fine.” Hei, therefore, reassured Lian and his little sisters before moving away from the group a bit with He Fen.
”Thanks, Hei, for accepting my request.”
”You don't have to thank me. After all, fighting with someone, I don't know is a good workout.”
The two young men then activated their spirit power. Quickly, they snapped towards each other and began to exchange a series of blows. He Fen's style used quick punches that roared through the air, but Hei was dodging them all without difficulty with Snake Run. The techniques that Bao Bei taught in Hei weren't elemental techniques but could be defined as hand-to-hand techniques to which the Elemental Laws could subsequently be applied.
Although the use of Elemental Laws was prohibited for the hand-to-hand combat lessons, spider-style and snake-style techniques were still dangerous to deal with. He Fen was soon thrown to the ground after receiving a flurry of Snake Fists from Hei.
”As I thought. You are strong. But you're still limiting yourself. Don't do it, please. Use your true power over me.”
”Some of the techniques I know have been designed to kill, not to be used in training. If I use them, there is a risk that I won't be able to brake at the last moment. It means that I could end up killing you or seriously injuring you.”
”Do it. I'll take the blame. Don't worry, I swear. ”
Hei thought about it for a moment. He Fen was a first stage spirit soldier like him; his hand-to-hand combat techniques could be defined at the amateur level at the most. Yet, during the fight, Hei had noticed that He Fen was improving little by little. Therefore he thought it was better to start gradually, but He Fen wanted him to use all his techniques immediately.
'Spider Lance is too powerful. Even if he says he'll take the blame, I can't risk it. I don't trust someone I just met. But I can use other techniques. While I'm in it, I could see if I can invent some new variation to use in combat.'
After making his decision, Hei and He Fen resumed fighting. This time Hei used Spider Run, Two-Legged Mode, to run around He Fen, who was surprised by the speed reached by Hei. However, the He Family's member wasn't intimidated. He also used a footwork technique, starting to move quickly to intercept Hei. However, it was clear that there was a clear gap between the two techniques.
”Vibrating Fist! Vibrating Kick! ”
Peng! Peng!
Hei used his dominant left arm to punch He Fen's face. The young man was taken aback, but his defensive layer of spirit power cushioned the blow. Unfortunately for him, Hei's offensive wasn't over. Taking advantage of the momentary sense of disorientation due to Vibrating Fist, Hei used the variation of this technique through a kick toward He Fen's spleen, making He Fen fly several meters until he landed abruptly on the ground.
Cough!
He Fen stood up, spitting out the saliva that had built up in his mouth as he took a breath of air. Vibrating Fist and, therefore, Vibrating Kick were simple techniques. They consisted of sending one's spirit power forward against the enemy. With the same spirit power, even if they had encountered the enemy's defensive layer of spirit power, part of the technique power would have been transmitted as a wave. In a sense, it resembled the characteristics of specific techniques of the Water and Blood Laws. But since Hei didn't possess such laws, he was unable to use this technique perfectly. In this regard, Lian was decidedly more adept than he in using Vibrating Fist or Vibrating Kick. However, it was still a suitable technique in these sparring situations.
After getting up, He Fen smiled. Inside him, his blood was boiling as he relaunched his attack. Unlike Hei, He Fen's main techniques were based on his Elemental Law from a distance, enhanced by his bloodline. He didn't have many close combat techniques. So he was in extreme difficulty against someone like Hei, yet he didn't seem to be discouraged at all every time he was thrown several meters to the ground. Every time he went down, he would get up full of energy and more and more determined.