Mohist School Profound Armor

Monster Grade Demon Beasts possessed Yao Qi and were generally a cut above wild animals in ability, but they did not know how to control their Yao Qi on their own. They were still within the range ordinary people could handle; as long as people gathered together, joined forces, and avoided fighting them one-on-one, there would be no casualties.

Spirit Grade Demon Beasts knew how to use Yao Qi and often possessed some kind of extraordinary special ability. Ordinary people could not deal with Demon Beasts of this level; they had to be left to experts with Level Eight Internal Cultivation or higher, or they would cause enormous casualties.

The most common Demon Beasts were Livestock Grade and Monster Grade, which together accounted for over ninety-five percent. They often appeared in large numbers when a Demon Beast tide struck. Spirit Grade Demon Beasts were comparatively rare and often served as overseers or minor commanders during such attacks. Demon Beasts above Spirit Grade were even rarer; even across the entire world, one might not appear in a whole year.

Si Ming was certain that the toad monster behind him was a Spirit Grade Demon Beast. Ordinary methods could not kill it, and he did not have Level Eight Internal Cultivation himself. He had to rely on other tools and learn to use the terrain to his advantage to create a chance of victory.

But neither Si Ming nor the toad monster noticed that a third party really was watching their chase from the sidelines.

"This kid is interesting. Last time I saw him, he clearly didn't have any foundation in Hundred Birds Frolics. It hasn't even been a month, and he's already trained it to its highest realm. That talent is ridiculous! Even if an ordinary person started practicing in the womb, they still wouldn't reach the realm of Hundred Birds Fall Silent by his age."

Yan Jinghong stood on the top floor of a building, watching the man and beast running below with an expression of admiration.

Beside him stood a broad-backed, burly man wearing a blue-and-white Daoist robe that did not quite fit. He was so massive that he had stretched the originally loose robe into a skin-tight garment. Particularly striking were the deep dark circles around his eyes, which made him look as though he had not fully woken up.

"I like him a lot. It's got nothing to do with his talent or martial arts, but with his righteous heart. To save a young woman and a child, he was willing to risk his life fighting a powerful enemy far stronger than himself. That spirit is what's truly precious, a quality no amount of talent can buy."

The burly man's eyes filled with appreciation. "Besides, he should have been struck by the Mighty Rhinoceros Toad's Divine Fear Spiritual Light earlier, yet he managed to overcome the fear in his heart through sheer sincerity. A naturally courageous fighter like him is exactly the best candidate to practice our school's Duckweed Flow Vast Righteousness Art."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Pan De, with those thick brows and big eyes of yours, you're actually telling lies with your eyes wide open? Is his build really suited to practicing your Duckweed Flow Vast Righteousness Art?" Yan Jinghong protested. "This little fellow reached the highest realm of Hundred Birds Frolics in a month. That proves he's extremely talented in movement arts, so he ought to learn from me."

"You want to take him as a disciple? As a Spirit Transformation expert, taking a disciple is a major affair that will draw the attention of powers from all sides. You can't be too hasty. It would be better to think it over and test him a few more times," Pan De advised solemnly.

"And then, while I'm testing him, you'll sneak in and snatch him away, right?"

Yan Jinghong was not about to fall for it and immediately exposed his scheme. "I didn't take a disciple before because I hadn't found a suitable one. This kid has both martial talent and a kind nature, and he's also quite clever in battle. He's clearly a piece of fine jade covered in dust. If I don't pick him up, someone else will sooner or later."

Pan De was helpless. He knew he could not fool him. In the past, his honest, simple appearance had misled quite a few people, but unfortunately, he and Yan Jinghong knew each other too well, and he had been seen through at once.

As an expert at Internal Cultivation Level Eleven, he was already an extraordinary figure in the eyes of ordinary people. But compared with a Spirit Transformation expert, the difference was still as vast as heaven and the abyss. If they both offered to take the boy as a disciple, he could never compete with Yan Jinghong. It went without saying whom the boy would choose.

Knowing there was no hope, Pan De turned his attention back to the battlefield and asked, "Aren't you going to save him? At his current level of cultivation, he can't possibly defeat the Mighty Rhinoceros Toad."

Yan Jinghong thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. This battle means a great deal to him, and it can help him grow quickly. It's better for others not to interfere. Tell the other Mohist Knight Guards they don't need to come this way."

Then he took the sword case off his back, patted it, and said, "As for the difference in strength, we can make up for it with Profound Armor."

Chapter 13: Mohist School Profound Armor

Unaware that two mighty experts were watching from the sidelines, Si Ming fought alone and deliberately lured the Mighty Rhinoceros Toad to a construction site. Like a nimble monkey, he climbed onto a suspended platform loaded with bundles of steel, baiting the Mighty Rhinoceros Toad into firing an air bullet. Then he leaped away and dodged it nimbly.

The air bullet hit the platform and smashed it apart with a bang. The steel bundled on it plummeted from the air and crashed hard onto the Mighty Rhinoceros Toad. Even the ground nearby shook, and the beast was buried completely.

"Haha, now you've seen human intelligence, haven't you, you amphibious bug disguised as a mammal?"

Si Ming panted heavily. Even with the Six-Transformation Bear and Snake Pill replenishing him and keeping his stamina above an acceptable level, the fatigue accumulated in his body was not so easily dispelled.

"Ribbit—"

A loud croak rang out, and a hurricane swept up from the ground. The force erupted like an explosion of gunpowder, blasting the steel away. The Mighty Rhinoceros Toad emerged almost completely unscathed and shook its somewhat dizzy head. Far from being seriously injured, it did not even have a bruise. Its thick hide was not only hard but also highly flexible, enough to absorb powerful external impacts. Even if a truck crashed into it, it would not be hurt.

"I couldn't even scratch its defense? The first boss battle is already this hard? How am I supposed to play after this? Can I surrender and only lose half?"

Si Ming gave a helpless, bitter smile. While his opponent had yet to notice him, he used the various building materials as cover and quickly slipped away.

He had not let the heat of battle make him forget the real purpose of this venture. He had only wanted to save the older sister and younger brother, not fight this Spirit Grade Demon Beast to the death. Now that he had achieved his goal, he could withdraw with his task accomplished.

Although he was a little disappointed that he could not kill the Demon Beast, the first quality a martial artist needed was the ability to recognize the gap between an enemy's strength and his own. He had the advantage in speed, but his opponent's hide was simply too thick. Even if he gave it everything he had, he could not hurt it. The wisest course now was to withdraw from the rapids while he still could.

We've been tangled up for so long that even if the Mohist Knight Guards are slow to react, they should have noticed the commotion by now. I'll leave the rest to the real experts.

Not being able to defeat the enemy himself was a blemish on an otherwise perfect outcome. Si Ming looked at his hands and thought, Looks like I can't focus solely on tempering my body from now on. I need to learn a martial art that can hurt enemies too. Hmm, Wild Ball Fist seems pretty good. I'll have to find it and take a look when I have time.

Su State prohibited the public teaching of lethal martial arts, but Wild Ball Fist was an exception. At the beginning, the art had virtually no power and was no different from an ordinary person swinging their fists. Even elementary school students could practice it. Moreover, under normal circumstances, progress remained slow even after three to five years of training, and its power was inferior even to defensive martial arts. After all, even defensive martial arts had some moves for counterattacking.

But once mastered to its utmost realm, it gained the might of thunder and explosive bombs and could be called the number one elementary fist art under heaven. A martial arts Grandmaster once said, "Nothing under heaven is difficult, except Wild Ball Fist."

Ordinary people would not practice this fist art, because rather than spend more than a decade on an elementary fist art, they would be better off practicing other, more advanced martial arts. But Si Ming had no such concern.

"It's too early to give up now."

Suddenly, a voice came from in front of him. Si Ming looked up and saw Yan Jinghong, the Spirit Transformation expert he had met once before, smiling at him.

"Senior, you came just in time. There's a Spirit Grade Demon Beast running rampant over there, acting outrageously and destroying quite a few buildings. Please step in and take care of it."

With a Spirit Transformation expert stepping in, dealing with a Spirit Grade Demon Beast would be as easy as reaching out and grabbing it. Si Ming let out a long breath and relaxed all over.

But Yan Jinghong had no desire to act. "This is your battle. Don't you want to destroy it yourself?"

Si Ming smiled bitterly. "I do, but even if it stood still and let me attack it, I couldn't break through its hide."

"So what you're missing now is a sharp sword. As it happens, I'll lend you this."

Yan Jinghong set the sword case, which was taller than Si Ming, on the ground.

Could there be a legendary divine weapon inside? Is it the Heaven Reliant Sword or the Dragon Slaying Saber? Judging by its weight, could it be the Heavy Iron Sword? Si Ming wondered.

Unexpectedly, what happened next was nothing like what he had imagined. Yan Jinghong forced a drop of blood from his fingertip and flicked it onto a square outline on the upper part of the sword case. "Password: Profound Armor still stands."

"Blood test passed. Password accepted. Activating Edict Armament," a cold electronic voice said from the sword case.

Yan Jinghong hurriedly said, "Execute transfer edict. Change armament target."

"Received. Awaiting target scan."

Yan Jinghong said to Si Ming, "Stand in front of it, put some of your blood on the scanning area."

Si Ming was already shouting inwardly, What the fuck? What the hell is this flashy, high-end-looking thing? Wasn't this supposed to be a wuxia story? How did it turn into sci-fi? A lightsaber isn't going to pop out of the sword case, is it?