10 Chapter 9: A fight against 3 seniors (2/2)

That did it. I jumped as far back as possible, allowing Tie Shan's strike to carry me across several dozen meters. Curling my body into a ball, I landed on the ground, rolled and then jumped back to my feet. Straightening myself, I pushed my glasses up my nose.

”Well, while I really don't have the Heaven and Earth techniques or whatever you guys are talking about, but I'm still a student of Wu Ling Academy.”

While the trio lunged at me, crossing the relatively vast distance between us, I raised both my hands up and adopted a defensive stance.

”Hah! So you've finally decided to stand and fight instead of running around like a coward!” Tie Shan scoffed as he closed in, swinging his huge fists. To his utter shock, I simply parried his massive fist with my arm. Taking care not to absorb the full power behind his blow, I altered the trajectory of his fist by using my arm to knock the inside of his forearm to the side and causing the punch to breeze past my face. The shockwave stull buffeted me, causing my head to snap to the side, but aside from a wince I ignored the pain. Cursing, I stepped in and rammed my elbow into his gut.

Despite my best efforts, my opponent wasn't doubling over in pain from the blow. Well, obviously. I wasn't as strong as my seniors, who had several more years of experience, cultivation and training than I did.

”Hah!” Tie Shan snorted before he recovered and threw another punch again, forcing me to parry his fist and deflect it to the side. The force of his blow lifted me off my feet and sent me flying a few meters, but I managed to elegantly land on my feet.

”Not strong enough, huh…”

I pushed my glasses up my nose as I stared at the trio. Tie Shan's gut felt like a brick wall. Slamming my elbow into the densely packed muscles almost hurt me more than it hurt him. Furthermore, he didn't look as if he was affected at all.

”It's useless.”

It was Luan Fa. He warily maintained his distance, eying my hands. He probably was trying to figure out how I knocked Tie Shan's punches aside despite being physically weaker and smaller. To be honest, that was pure luck. I didn't know how I did it either.

”What?”

”You don't seem to be emanating much qi…I would say you're only at the first level of the Qi Gathering Stage at most.”

”…Qi what stage?” I repeated, bewildered, only to parry another strike from Tie Shan. The wall behind me was obliterated as an azure blast was let loose from his fist, but thankfully it didn't hit me directly. While shrugging him off, I spun around and intercepted a vicious swing from Mohawk's kick. Mohawk was utterly shocked that my leg didn't break at all, but I didn't care. I merely twisted my foot around and surprised him with a kick to his chin, causing him to topple over. Behind, the entire earth next to me blew up as the force from Mohawk's foot split it apart.

That was close. If I hadn't blocked his kick…

Nonetheless, I was impressed that I managed to counter a kicking senior with my own kick. Great job, me! It looked like all that training in the past three months were starting to pay off!

”We're in the third level of the Qi Essence Stage. There is a whole different of stages between us, and furthermore, there are three of us. I would advise you to give up.”

”Look, I have totally no idea what the fuck you've been blabbering about since earlier,” I snapped as I blocked Luan Fa's punch with my arm, then sidestepped to counterattack. To his credit, he blocked my strike. To either side of us, shockwaves rampaged throughout the ground, splitting earth and throwing up clods of grass.

”For cultivators, there are several stages. The higher your stage, the more powerful you are. The differences are absolute.”

”I still have no idea what you're talking about.” Ducking under his punch, I swung my branch, forcing him to retreat. I wanted to pursue, but I was forced to turn around to parry Tie Shan's punch. After defending that attack, I spun around and deflected Mohawk's kick. Again, a qi blast traveled past me and tore chunks out of the ground.

Was it just me, but was I actually fighting on par with three seniors at the same time?!

”For martial artists, we all begin with the Qi Gathering Stage. Above that is the Qi Essence Stage. Then the Flowing Qi Stage, followed by the Qi Fusion Stage. After that is the Pure Spirit Stage, and finally the ultimate, pinnacle stage of all cultivators – the Nascent Soul Stage.”

”…from earlier, I have no idea what these stages are. Are you trying to stage something?”

”Shut up! Stop pretending! If you really are a martial artist, then you're complete trash!” Tie Shan shouted. Everyone ignored him. Luan Fa continued to explain.

”The stages are indicative of the amount of qi you possess, and the level of techniques you have mastered. A Qi Gathering Stage practitioner trying to fight a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner would be like an ant fighting a dragon. His amount of qi would be a single drop of water as compared to the ocean of qi that the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner possesses.”

”…”

I didn't know whether to call bullshit or not, but whatever.

”Each Stage has nine levels. The ninth and top level is usually a bottleneck, the most difficult period of time to breakthrough to the next stage. But of course, even among practitioners of the same stage, the one with a higher level – and thus more qi – will have an advantage over his opponent with a lower level.”

”So sort of like gaming, then,” I mused.

”So you understand?” Tie Shan snarled as he punched at me. Azure blasts of qi rippled dangerously across his arms. ”A Qi Gathering Stage trash like you will never be able to match up against Qi Essence Stage practitioners like us! Just give up and hand over the Heaven and Earth techniques!”

”Ah…I see. I do understand.”

I dove to the side, instinctively understanding that I wouldn't be able to block his attack this time. Tie Shan's fist smashed a huge hole in the wall behind me, revealing the chemistry laboratory where my alchemy lessons were held.

”…your whatever Stages are absolutely meaningless to me.”

”Big talk coming from a weakling!”

So he knew I was weak. Then why the hell was Tie Shan so bent on believing that I inherited the Heaven and Earth techniques? Surely if I had inherited those Heaven and Earth techniques, I wouldn't be weak, right?

No, he was probably believing whatever he wanted, and not caring about logic or consistency.

”Guh!”

Rolling on the ground, I found my back pressed against the wall. Tie Shan slashed at me, and I waited until the last moment before I jumped to the side. Baldie's fist smashed into the wall, obliterating the concrete.

Now!

Seizing the chance, I hooked my foot around Tie Shan's and tripped him over. It helped that his momentum from his punch was carrying him forward. With a bellow, Tie Shan disappeared underneath the falling rubble.

”H…how is this possible?!” Mohawk demanded as he fell back, gaping at the horrific sight. ”The amount of qi this kid is emanating…it can't be higher than a Qi Gathering Stage practitioner! This is impossible!”

”I told you,” I repeated as I strolled forward casually, the building still collapsing behind me. ”All these Stages are meaningless to me.”

Wailing, Mohawk lunged at me, swinging his leg upward to kick me in the head. Seeing openings all over the place, I stepped to the side and tripped him. It was almost too easy. Mohawk stumbled right into the still crumbling building and vanished under the falling rubble.

Huffing, I straightened up and turned away from the devastating sight.

”!”

I suddenly spun to the side, neatly evading the lethal fists of Luan Fa. He tumbled past me, but was able to block my counterattack. Not bad.

Having understood that I presented a very real threat, Luan Fa wasn't holding back now. He was doing his best to attack, plunging his foot down firmly on the ground and twisting around to launch another attack. I whirled away from his right fist, then ducked under his left.

”Thanks for all the explanations earlier. You really taught me a lot about the sects and other things, and thank you for telling me about the old man's death.”

”You…are you really not the Absolute One's successor?”

”Nope,” I affirmed. I doubted there was any point to telling him that I was from an alternate timeline. ”I'm just an ignorant junior who's still in his first year at Wu Ling Academy. Which is why I don't know about all these weird stages and whatever. And I honestly doubt they mean anything to me. Nonetheless, it was useful to know about them, which is why I'm grateful to you.”

”…”

I jumped into the remains of the building, staying out of reach of both of his fists, then danced away to stay out of range of a barrage that he threw at me in silent anger.

”But I really am telling the truth,” I assured him. ”I know nothing about Heaven and Earth techniques or the Heaven and Earth Sect. I have no idea why the old man gave me the medallion, and I plan to find out. After I take care of you guys.”

”!”

Luan Fa felt a chill and he threw a punch desperately at me. This time, I had led him to the portion of the building that was still standing. The remains of a laboratory stood, with scattered desks buried under debris or knocked to their sides. At the back of my mind, I knew Teacher Lian Jin Shu would be furious when he saw the ruined state of his beloved alchemy lab. I could see broken gas pipes leading to what used to be Bunsen burners. Chairs were overturned or smashed into oblivion, and the lab was in ruins.

I hoped they didn't make me pay for the damages. Nah, I would convince the teachers to charge the destructive trio instead. But I had to survive first. While my eyes flickered around the ruined lab, a plan formed in my mind.

Luan Fa smashed a few bricks off the wall behind me when I found myself cornered. I flinched as the shower of broken concrete pelted me, but maintained my composure.

”Since you were so kind to explain everything to me, I will let you off with nothing more than a little singe.”

Luan Fa narrowed his eyes as he charged forward, rearing his right arm back to deliver a devastating hook.

”Underestimating me, aren't you?”

I said nothing and let his attack come. Ducking under his punch, I threw myself to the ground. The senior's fist slammed into another wall and reduced it to debris.

At that moment, the remaining part of the ceiling gave way and crashed down on Luan Fa before he could react, burying him under concrete and dust.

”Phew…”

Scrambling to the front of the devastated lab, I found the teacher's desk. As I suspected, there were still equipment and other stuff I could use.

”You bastard!”

While I was rummaging through the contents of the teacher's desk, a voice bellowed from behind. Glancing back, I saw a familiar silhouette burst out from under the debris.

Tie Shan still hadn't given up. He was screaming as he charged at me, his right fist cocked back for a punch. I stared at him and shook my head. The poor guy still hadn't learned his lesson.

”I won't forgive you!”

It wasn't just Tie Shan. Mohawk had emerged from the rubble too. Further back, Luan Fa was quick to recover, clawing his way free of the pile of concrete. All three of them were converging on me.

I smiled as they ventured toward me, stepping to the center of the destroyed chemistry lab. While they did so, I jumped back and struck a match.

”What are you doing?” Tie Shan growled when he caught sight of the matchstick in my hand. I grinned and shrugged.

”Well, you know…lighting things up.”

I tossed the matchstick at them. It never reached them, of course, but it didn't have to. The moment the flame came into contact with the leaking methane gas that was spilling from the broken pipes, the entire space that used to be the chemistry laboratory exploded.

”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

All three mountainous seniors screamed as a colossal conflagration consumed them, the massive flames sweeping across and engulfing the remains of the chemistry laboratory. I retreated as quickly as I could, but even as the distance between myself and the inferno widened, I could still feel the intense heat scalding my skin.

Yeah…it was going to be difficult for the trio to survive that.

At least that was what I thought, until I saw the flames go out. Gulping, I tensed and prepared for another assault, only to see the three blackened figures lying on the ground. It seemed that they had used the last of their strength to extinguish the flames, for I couldn't feel any qi emanating from them any longer.

”Hmm…”

I approached them almost casually, looking down on their fallen bodies. They stirred and glanced up helplessly, indicating that they were still alive despite the powerful explosion.

”W…we surrender!” Luan Fa spluttered, holding his hands up. ”P…please! Please spare us, great hero!”

What the fuck? I was a great hero now?

”C…coward…”

Despite taking twice as much damage as his comrades because he was closest to the epicenter of the explosion, Tie Shan was still conscious. He glared at me, his face contorted in rage, and his mouth frothing with blood. But that was nothing compared to his severe third-degree burns. He clearly had suffered the worst of the blast, having been right on top of the epicenter when the lab blew up. If he didn't get any treatment soon, he might die.

Not that I cared.

”Resorting to such filthy tricks…have you no honor? Coward! Despicable villain!”

”Funny hearing that from you.” I couldn't help but shake my head from the irony. ”So it's fair and honorable of you to gang up on me and attack a junior who is weaker, it's honorable and fair to attack a single victim with three people…but it's dishonorable and cowardly for me to fight back using my knowledge of science and the school grounds?”

”Yes!”

The hypocrisy was astounding. I shook my head in disgust and stomped on Tie Shan's neck.

”NOOOO!” Luan Fa shouted. Even Tie Shan lost his air of defiance and screamed as my foot crashed down upon his neck.

My shoe never touched his skin. There was no need to, though. Tie Shan had lost consciousness, his eyes rolling up in his sockets and his mouth foaming from fear. I wouldn't be surprised if he had pissed himself. Not that I was going to check his pants if it was wet.

Raising my foot and stepping back, I turned to stare at Luan Fa and Mohawk, whose expressions were a mix of horror and immense relief.

What? I was a completely normal guy born and raised in the modern world. I wasn't a psychotic murderer going around killing people just because they pissed me off. I had never killed another human before, and I didn't intend to do it right now. Maybe in the heat of the battle, perhaps, but obviously I didn't have the stomach to slaughter helpless opponents who had already been clearly defeated.

Glaring at the still conscious duo, I took a deep breath.

”You might not believe me, but I'll tell you guys again. I don't have the Heaven and Earth techniques. The only thing I received was this medallion…” I raised the golden dragon medallion with my right hand for emphasis. ”But I am not the leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect. I didn't even know it existed. Get it through your thick skulls already.”

”…yes…we understand.”

Luan Fa nodded, his face pale. Beside him, Mohawk blubbered, tears leaking from his eyes as he whimpered pathetically.

”Good. And another thing…if you guys ever come after me again…” I raised my foot visibly and mimed a stomping action. Both Luan Fa and Mohawk eyed my blackened shoe nervously, on the verge of pissing themselves. They got the message. Excellent.

Pocketing the medallion, I pushed my glasses up and straightened my back. Turning around, I began to leave. As I departed, the only sounds I heard from the almost-empty, half-destroyed school building were the pathetic sobs of Mohawk and the agonized, labored breathing of Luan Fa.