One Versus Two

At the cliff, three figures slammed into each other. Huang Da charged straight in, throwing a punch at Zeng Fan's face. Zeng Fan twisted aside, dodging it, while Huang Er clenched both fists and came at him hard from the side. The muscles in Zeng Fan's arm bulged high as he drove a fist upward. With a muffled bang, Zeng Fan slid backward, while Huang Er staggered back two steps.

The instant Zeng Fan retreated, Huang Da flashed past Huang Er and struck out with his palm. Zeng Fan twisted aside once more, then drove his knee upward, sending Huang Da flying.

"This won't do. If this keeps up, these two will wear me to death!" Zeng Fan's pupils contracted as his mind raced. From their exchange just now, he already knew that Huang Er had suffered a serious injury. Looking over the two of them, he saw that the skin on their bodies had also turned black. They seemed to be cultivating the same technique as Huang San—one that strengthened the physical body. His attacks could not inflict much damage on them.

"I can only rely on the stored power of Fish Dragon Dance to find a chance to finish Huang Er, then fight Huang Da one-on-one. Damn it! If my Body Tempering Bone Realm were complete, I'd be confident even if both of them attacked together!" A sudden flash of insight struck Zeng Fan. The two men charged again, and Zeng Fan secretly glanced toward the Body Tempering Fruit before circulating his Spiritual Energy and meeting them head-on.

"I'll take down Huang Er first!" Zeng Fan locked his gaze on Huang Er. Even if he had to suffer an injury, he had to finish him first. Huang Da struck out with another palm, but Zeng Fan relied on Fish Dance to dodge it once more before charging toward Huang Er.

Huang Er froze, then immediately understood that this fellow wanted to take him down first. "You want to finish me first? Then try it!" A vicious look flashed across his face. Instead of retreating, Huang Er advanced. He knew he had to create an opportunity for Huang Da. As Spiritual Energy circulated through his body, Huang Er also drove a fierce punch toward Zeng Fan's chest.

A glint flashed in Zeng Fan's eyes. He actually charged straight toward Huang Er's fist. A fierce light swept through Huang Er's eyes. "Trading injuries? Once this fellow is hurt, Big Brother can deal with him!" With that thought, Huang Er attacked with all his strength, adding even more force to his fist. Like Zeng Fan, he no longer bothered defending and threw himself into the attack with everything he had.

When Huang Er's full-force punch slammed into Zeng Fan's chest, the pain of bones shattering instantly traveled from Huang Er's palm to his mind. Huang Er felt as though he had struck a piece of refined steel. "There's something blocking his chest! Not good!" Huang Er twisted his body with all his strength, trying to retreat.

"You're not getting away! Fish Dragon Dance!" When Huang Er's punch struck his chest, Zeng Fan could not stop himself from vomiting a mouthful of blood. However, most of the impact had been blocked by the Heart Protection Mirror on his chest, so his injuries were not as severe as expected. How could he fail to seize such an opportunity? Zeng Fan immediately unleashed his killing move, striking Huang Er's chest with his palm. Huang Er's chest caved in, while the clothes on his back burst apart under the tremendous force carried by Zeng Fan's palm.

Pfft! Bright red blood sprayed uncontrollably from Huang Er's mouth, mixed with fragments of his organs. His entire body crashed heavily onto the ground. He stared at the sky, his body trembling violently. He wanted to open his mouth and warn Huang Da about the strange object on Zeng Fan's chest, but in the end, it was futile. His life force gradually faded away. In Huang Er's black-and-brown eyes, the brown area grew smaller and smaller as the black silently spread, then stopped.

Huang Er was dead, killed by Zeng Fan. Zeng Fan stood beside him. Although the Heart Protection Mirror had blocked most of the attack, he had still suffered serious injuries. Before he could fully recover, Huang Da's furious roar was already rapidly approaching.

"Die, you bastard!" Zeng Fan turned around. He had only enough time to circulate Spiritual Energy into both arms and raise them to block before Huang Da, consumed by rage, kicked him flying.

Huang Da did not continue attacking. He bent down and approached Huang Er's corpse. His palm trembled faintly as he helped Huang Er up, but Huang Er's eyes had already lost their light. After Huang Da raised his corpse, Huang Er stared blankly at the sky, his pale hands hanging limply at his sides. The hollow in his chest silently told Huang Da where the fatal wound lay.

Huang Da's eyes were red, and tears streamed endlessly from their corners. He kept biting down hard on his lower lip, utterly unaware that his chin was already covered in blood.

"Second Brother... Second Brother..." Huang Da softly called to his younger brother. The corpse before him could give him no response, and could never again wave him off impatiently as it had in the past. What is it, Big Brother? Stop calling me. My ears are about to grow calluses.

A tremendous bitterness surged straight into Huang Da's nostrils. Second Brother was never coming back. His trembling palm covered Huang Er's eyes and closed the lids. Huang Da then glanced toward Huang San. Regret could no longer solve anything. He had to kill these people before the hatred in his heart could ease even slightly.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Huang Da, whose grief and fury had mingled together, froze faintly. He had kicked Zeng Fan flying with all his strength just now, but why had that fellow made no sound at all? He definitely had not killed him. Huang Da suddenly turned his head, only to find Zeng Fan standing beneath the cliff, warily watching him. His face was an unnatural red, yet the aura around him was constantly growing stronger. Huang Da's pupils contracted as he looked toward the Body Tempering Fruit tree, only to discover that the Body Tempering Fruits on it had vanished without a trace.

"That fellow is... breaking through?!"

Zeng Fan was attempting a breakthrough. When he killed Huang Er, he had already known that he had no strength left to deal with Huang Da. Only a breakthrough could give him a sliver of hope. As Huang Da kicked him flying, he had desperately adjusted his body's direction and headed toward the cliff where the Body Tempering Fruits grew. Borrowing Huang Da's force, Zeng Fan was not far from the cliff.

While Huang Da grieved over Huang Er's corpse, Zeng Fan had already rushed up the cliff. Six fruits hung quietly from the Body Tempering Fruit tree, their fragrance spreading through the air. Zeng Fan stopped thinking and plucked all six fruits.

"How many do I need to give me enough Spiritual Energy to break through?" Zeng Fan frowned.

Although the Body Tempering Fruits contained abundant Spiritual Energy, if he ate too many, Huang Da might not even need to attack. He could already be burst apart and killed by the enormous amount of Spiritual Energy.

"I'll try it first." Zeng Fan immediately took out two Body Tempering Fruits and tossed them into his mouth. They melted as soon as they entered, and an enormous surge of Spiritual Energy exploded from his abdomen. Zeng Fan felt the meridians throughout his body swell with a dull ache.

"Not good! Two are too many!" Zeng Fan did not know that even an ordinary single Body Tempering Fruit could be used to refine pills. It was only because the Spiritual Energy contained within the fruit was too violent that other medicinal ingredients had to be added to neutralize it and bring out its effects to the fullest. An ordinary person would suffer severe injuries from the enormous Spiritual Energy of two fruits before they could even digest them.

Seeing Huang Da frozen beside Huang Er's corpse, Zeng Fan spared a sliver of his attention to watch him while devoting the rest of his mind to absorbing the enormous surge of Spiritual Energy. Although the bones and meridians in his body were frantically absorbing it, the Body Tempering Fruits continued transforming into Spiritual Energy, which kept scattering through his body. Zeng Fan simply could not absorb it fast enough. That was why Huang Da saw his entire body turn red.

"He actually dares to break through here?! I have to kill him as quickly as possible!" Huang Da set down Huang Er's corpse and leaped toward Zeng Fan at his fastest speed. Although in the Body Tempering Realm, as long as one had sufficient Spiritual Energy, the time needed to advance could be drastically shortened, and outside interference would not have too great an effect, ordinary people still sought a quiet place when breaking through so they would not be disturbed. After all, no matter how low the chance was, there was still a possibility of qi deviation. Once that happened, their cultivation career would come to an end.

Huang Da had never expected Zeng Fan to dare to attempt a breakthrough under such circumstances. Once he succeeded, even if Zeng Fan immediately fled by relying on his breakthrough cultivation, it was something Huang Da could not accept. Right now, he only wanted to grind these people's bones to dust!

Black radiance spread across Huang Da's body. Clearly, he had pushed his killing move to its utmost limit. Arriving before Zeng Fan, he smashed down with a punch. Zeng Fan barely managed to raise both hands to block. Dust flew from the ground as Huang Da's punch forced him directly into a half-kneel. Before Zeng Fan could react, Huang Da kicked him, sending him sliding backward through the air. Zeng Fan could not help vomiting a mouthful of blood midair.

Even the blood he spat out contained a large amount of Spiritual Energy. After vomiting it, Zeng Fan instead felt his body relax somewhat. He landed on the ground and steadied himself.

"Only by expending this Spiritual Energy will I have a chance to break through!" Zeng Fan now understood what he had to do. Huang Da approached again. Spiritual Energy surged through Zeng Fan's body. He no longer used movement techniques to dodge. As his thoughts stirred, vast amounts of Spiritual Energy raced through his body, and Zeng Fan charged straight at Huang Da.

The two figures collided again. Zeng Fan's madness made Huang Da feel somewhat shaken. No longer defending, Zeng Fan traded injury for injury. The dull thuds of flesh meeting flesh echoed continuously around them. Ignoring Huang Da's fists, Zeng Fan only wanted to vent all the Spiritual Energy in his body.

"Trading injuries?" There was not the slightest trace of fear in Huang Da's eyes. He was an entire minor realm above Zeng Fan, and with his killing move that strengthened his defense, he was confident he could hold out longer than Zeng Fan. He might have forgotten, however, that what Zeng Fan needed most right now was time.

As the most brutal close-quarters battle began, Zeng Fan's injuries continued to worsen beneath Huang Da's attacks. Yet the Spiritual Energy within his body was constantly absorbed by his bones amid the frenzied battle, or circulated by Zeng Fan to fight. His condition instead gradually stabilized. The danger of bursting apart and dying had passed, and the aura of his breakthrough grew increasingly obvious.

Huang Da grew somewhat impatient. Although Zeng Fan's injuries continued to worsen under his attacks, no fatal wound ever appeared. "We can't keep going like this!" Huang Da took a punch from Zeng Fan squarely in the abdomen. Enduring the excruciating pain in his stomach, he gave a low shout, and his fist came crashing toward Zeng Fan's heart with a howl.

"It worked!" Before Huang Da could rejoice, a wave of pain and numbness spread along his arm from his fist. Zeng Fan was also sent flying by the punch.

"This fellow's chest is strange!" Huang Da's fist trembled faintly from the pain. He clearly sensed that something had blocked his strengthened fist, and the result was completely different from what he had imagined. Before Huang Da could figure out what it was, a voice entered his ears, making his heart plunge into an icy abyss.

"Now, it's my turn."