123 Chapter 122: Prodigy (1/2)
”Who the hell are you?!” Lei Yong Chun demanded. I shrugged, already regretting popping out and helping Bai Ning Xue. Unlike the others, who Lei Yong Chun didn't seem to have any intention of hurting, he was about to kill her. I could sense real killing intent, which was why I jumped out to stop him before I realized what I was doing.
And now I might die in Bai Ning Xue's place. Way to go. Why the fuck did I decide to be a hero?
Then the memories of Hu Shi and Her son, Hu Hai, hit me. my failure to protect them, back when I was so weak, when I could only watch Ba Yun kill them right in front of my eyes. Back then, I had made a vow.
That never again would I allow anyone to die if I can help it.
”Fei Wu!”
On the other hand, Bai Ning Xue recognized me. She stared at me, her eyes wide in shock and disbelief.
”What are you doing here?”
”Uh, well…Principal Xiao Zhang asked me for a favor.”
Technically, that was the truth. Earlier that day, Principal Xiao Zhang did request me to help the student council in case of an attack on the school. It seemed that he really had foresight. I honestly did not expect Lei Yong Chun to show up and assault the academy. Additionally, the truth was that I couldn't even be bothered, and it was a massive coincidence that I was out here training when the incident happened at all.
Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to step in and would have remained in my dormitory room the entire time.
Regardless, Bai Ning Xue was sure to include this in her report, so I might as well make myself look good. There was no harm in trying to improve my reputation, especially where Principal Xiao Zhang was involved. If anything, it would benefit me greatly, even if I didn't deserve it.
Pushing my glasses up, I turned back to stare at Lei Yong Chun, who was scowling in annoyance at the interruption. Tilting my head to the side, I grinned. ”Sorry, but you'll have to go past me if you want to hurt Bai Ning Xue.”
”You're no match for him!” Bai Ning Xue cried out. ”Hurry up and go! I'll handle this! He is my first senior, so…”
Did you really believe that? The bastard was trying to kill you less than a minute ago.
”I see.” Lei Yong Chun straightened up and watched me. ”So you're another of Ning Xue's friends, huh?”
”I guess you can say that,” I replied with a shrug. To be honest, we weren't that close. Our only relationship was that of classmates, otherwise we were merely acquaintances. I hadn't interacted with Bai Ning Xue much, even after spending over three years in the same class. It wasn't because I was antisocial. Bai Ning Xue hardly interacted with anybody in class, even the girls. She was often by herself, with Zhu Jiao being the sole person who had the courage to approach her of his own volition. As expected of childhood friends.
”No, wait…” Bai Ning Xue protested, but Lei Yong Chun cut her off.
”Don't worry. I won't kill him either. I'll just finish this quickly and knock him out…”
Before he even finished his sentence, Lei Yong Chun was already moving forward and slamming his elbow into my face. Lightning crackled fiercely around his arm, and even though it was not as potent as before, I recognized the danger it posed.
”!!!”
Lei Yong Chun spun around and stared at me, stunned, after his electric elbow passed through thin air. I had dodged at the last moment, just narrowly escaping having my nose caved in by the otherwise deadly elbow strike.
”How did you dodge that?!”
”You guys talk too much,” I retorted as I straightened myself and withdrew with a footwork technique. Around Lei Yong Chun's figure, I could see the different flows and streams of silver, electric qi. Making use of my qi sense, and using Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, anticipating Lei Yong Chun's attacks and movements, and evading accordingly.
Even then, Lei Yong Chun's attacks were so fast and furious that I barely stayed one step ahead, often dodging only by the most minimal of distances. Literally by a hair's breadth.
”You have good reflexes,” Lei Yong Chun complimented me as he delivered a Lightning Fist to my face, only for me to duck. Feeling his fist breeze through the air above, the shockwave rustling my hair, I then spiraled away before he could kick me. Just in time too. His foot sailed just millimeters away from my chest.
”Amazing…”
Bai Ning Xue was gaping at me, unable to believe what she was seeing. Unlike herself, and the rest of our schoolmates, who were taken out almost immediately, I was dodging like a pro, evading every single one of Lei Yong Chun's attacks (albeit narrowly).
Unfortunately, this wasn't anything to be impressed about. Certainly, I had accomplished what no other student my age had done, escaping Lei Yong Chun's relentless assalt, but I had done so at the cost of offense. Simply put, I couldn't fight back. I couldn't even muster a single counterattack or retaliation. I had poured everything into evasion and evasion alone. As a result, I could dodge Lei Yong Chun's barrage, but only just, having traded away any chance of fighting back to focus solely on escaping his fists, kicks and lightning.
And even then, I was just barely staying one step ahead of me. There were so many close shaves that were way too close for comfort. I was already relying on my footwork techniques to weave, dance and duck away from Lei Ying Chun, but he was using pure spirit and power to overcome my evasive maneuvers.
”Ugh!”
Lei Yong Chun's fist swerved past the front of my face, almost scorching my skin and leaving a slight burn. I could feel my flesh numbing as the lightning slapped me lightly, but fortunately my footwork had pulled me just out of lethal range. Normally I would use this chance to counterattack, but I was forced to duck under a second swinging fist. Before I could recover my breath, Lei Yong Chun was already swinging his leg out to hook my feet out from under me, and I hastily jumped back. Using Tui to widen the distance between us, I quickly used the opportunity to recover my breath.
”What, out of breath already?”
”!!!”
I had hardly just inhaled a lungful of air deeply when Lei Yong Chun was already in front of me, rearing his fist back for a ppowerful punch. I swayed to the side, inviting him to attack me, and he fell for it, punching instantly. I allowed my momentum to swing me out of his reach, and his fist stopped just a millimeter short.
All right! I can do this!
Relieved, I was about to kick him when my instincts suddenly screamed out danger to me. Obeying them in reflex, I dropped to the ground as a Lightning Fist swung at me from behind, blazing through the space where my head had been. Relying on my spiritual sense rather than sight to detect Lei Yong Chun's position, I saw that he was already following up with another attack.
”Kuh!”
If I didn't do something fast, I would run out of stamina and fall to his relentless assault sooner or later. But it wasn't a matter of whether I wanted to attack of not. Lei Yong Chun was completely giving me no chance to retaliate.
Hell, he wasn't even giving me a chance to breathe.
”That was a nice feint. On top of that, you saw through my feint as well. You're really impressive. Which sect are you from?”
I smiled in reply, offering no answer. I had no obligation to tell him my sect. That would give him an advantage.
”And this technique…” Lei Yong Chun frowned as he studied me, aware that I refused to tell him about my origins like some cliché protagonist (should I give a long soliloquy as my self-introduction and show off a super-long list of the skills I had learn? Fuck that. Only idiots would do something like that). ”Where did you learn it from?”
While I maintained my silence, inwardly I was a little worried. The way Lei Yong Chun spoke, it was almost as if he recognized my technique as Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. No doubt he recognized my Shadow Steps, but everyone knew that the Stealth Shadow Sect had been destroyed centuries ago, and only now did we attempt to restore their techniques through Wu Ling Academy's near inexhaustible resources.
But Lei Yong Chun seemed aware that Shadow Steps were never meant to be a primary martial arts and that I wasn't a disciple of the Stealth Shadow Sect nor someone trying to restore it.
Unfortunately, I was mistaken. Lei Yong Chun wasn't concerned about my Shadow Steps. No, he was more interested in my…
”Those evasive techniques. They go beyond footwork and the basic Shadow Steps. It doesn't feel like an evolved or new form of Shadow Steps. No, this technique feels familiar, as if I've fought it somewhere before, not long ago…”
I narrowed my eyes, not sure what he was rambling about. I did know one thing for sure, though. He seemd to recognize the martial art I was using.
”Where did you learn this from?”
Lei Yong Chun narrowed his eyes. Striking at me with a Lighnting Fist, he then spun around with a kick, forcing me to drop my head back to avoid it.
I had no reason to tell him, and was actually unable to answer because I was too busily dodging his next series of attacks.
”!!”
Lei Yong Chun was tired of not being able to hit me, and he suddenly unleashed a lightning bolt at close range. Having noticed a spike in his qi and the subtle shift in his attack patterns, I quickly pulled myself away and dove for cover.
Boom!
”Wow, you even saw that coming too?” Lei Yong Chun scowled as he watched me roll to my feet, his hand crackling with silver lightning as he got ready to hurl another thunderbolt. ”I knew it. You really are…”
I used Jin and advanced forward, kicking at him before he could finish his sentence. Lei Yong Chun stumbled back, and then counterattacked with a Thunder Break. Knowing that it would be unwise for me to block it directly, I dropped to the ground, narrowly escaping his fist, and threw myself off to retreat.
”!!!”
”Thunder Crash!”
Lei Yong Chun suddenly switched his attack and swung his hand down, unleashing yet another lightning bolt. Having seen his qi surge and transformed, I had predicted his long-range attack a millisecond before he pulled it off, and jumped to my feet, using Tui and Duo to weave around and evade the massive lightning strike.
”I knew it…man, it's been a while since I've seen someone use that.” Lei Yong Chun was looking impressed now. ”I never thought that martial art would be revived. It seemed that I've underestimated Wu Ling Academy.”
His eyes narrowed and he casually threw another distance lightning attack. This time, it took the form of a tiger and roared silently before it pursued me.
”You guys are way too dangerous to be left alone.”
I would have made a retort, something along the lines of ”you're the one who's too dangerous!” but I was too busily running away from the lightning tiger that mercilessly chased me. Cursing, I lashed out and disintegrated its form.
”Not bad. As I thought, you really are…”
Lei Yong Chun smiled broadly before he struck me, only for me to dodge his Lightning Fist again. He twisted around and blasted me at pointblank range.
”Thunderous Descent!”
”Kuh!”
The attack was way too large for me to dodge, and I was blasted off my feet, my body jerking about as I crashed onto the ground. Gritting my teeth as the electricity surged through my body, I pressed my hand against the ground to discharge it.
”!!”
While I was heaving, Lei Yong Chun suddenly kicked me, sending me flying. I hit the ground and rolled away, my body throbbing from the blow.
”Even if you can read the flow of my qi, you won't be able to evade attacks that are too massive or too fast.”
Lei Yong Chun chuckled as he approached me. He glanced down at me, and nodded quietly.
”You're actually still conscious…and to be able to discharge all the electricity into the ground. Amazing.”
”I learn that from reading a manhwa,” I replied dryly.
”I'm sure you did,” Lei Yong Chun replied wryly. ”What about your Heaven and Earth Formula? Did you learn that from a manhwa too?”
”No, I got it from looking at a brand of green tea.”
Lei Yong Chun scowled and then attacked me, forcing me to dodge. As I used Tui to retreat to a safe distance, I wondered why he didn't use the Heaven's Void, Lightning Style. Then I realized that it was a time-consuming technique. He was aware that if he tried to use it, I would close in and attack him, interrupting him before he could complete it.
”How did you learn Heaven and Earth Formula?” he demanded, not buying my filmsy excuse for a minute.
”Fei Wu is an Expermentalist,” Bai Ning Xue explained. ”He's been trying to restore Heaven and Earth Formula for years now.”
”There's no way he could have restored it this perfectly. It's exactly the same as the technique that bastard Tian Mo used all those years ago.” Lei Yong Chun cast a sharp and disbelieving glare in her direction. However, Bai Ning Xue could only respond with a bewildered expression. Having never personally fought anyone from the Heaven and Earth Sect, she wouldn't be able to tell. Furthermore, she didn't know the truth.
”You can believe whatever you want,” I snapped as I dodged another Lightning Punch. ”I don't care if you don't believe us.”
”Hmph.” Lei Yong Chun threw another Lightning Punch, and then he winced. Evidently, the injury he received earlier from Bai Ning Xue was hindering his movements. It was also the reason why he failed to knock me out. His strength was reduced drastically. Otherwise, even with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I would never be able to match his speed. Lei Yong Chun seemed to have realized this as well, ahd he scowled. ”I'll have to finish this quickly then.”
I felt a sudden chill. My instincts screamed at me to flee, and I was only too happy to oblige.
Unfortunately, Lei Yong Chun wasn't going to let me run away. He dashed forward, actually overtaking me despite my using a footwork technique, and threw his hand forward.
”See if you can dodge this! Lightning Flash!”
Even though I was able to avoid direct physical contact, the shockwaves from the tremendous blast of lightning struck me with almost full force. There was an immense explosion and my smoldering body was sent hurtling across the courtyard.
”Fei Wu!”
Bai Ning Xue cried out, but I was in no shape to reply. Hitting the dirt, I skidded across the surface, leaving a blackened trail. Coughing, I tried to roll to my feet and spun around to catch sight of where Lei Yong Chun was.
However, I spotted something in my peripheral vision. Turning, I saw the sword that Bai Ning Xue dropped earlier after she used her premature version of Heaven's Void, Lightning Style. Diving for it and simultaneously dodging another Thunder Crash from Lei Yong Chun, I grabbed hold of the sword and quickly rolled to my feet.