Death and the Madman

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two battling like highly efficient demolition machines, they wreaked havoc within the dilapidated old building.

These two powerhouses, any one of them, could easily punch through the already decrepit red brick walls with a casual blow. They tore through wooden doors like thin paper. The building's shoddy construction meant one could even break through the floorboards with a slight misstep.

It was precisely because of this building that Liu Tian discovered a weakness in the man who called himself Mantis—a lack of agility.

Whether it was due to his so-called evolution, his age, or the martial arts he practiced, as the fight continued, Liu Tian clearly noticed Mantis's sluggish reactions and imprecise control over his strength.

Although he hadn't sparred with other Martial Artists, Liu Tian didn't know if Mantis had reached an average level. However, it was evident that in terms of both skill and reaction speed, Mantis couldn't compare to Liu Tian, who had been meticulously trained by Tian Dao for ten years.

It was for this reason that despite being at a disadvantage in both strength and speed compared to Mantis, Liu Tian could still hold his own and trade blows by utilizing the terrain.

One round, ten rounds, a hundred rounds.

Countless wounds appeared on Liu Tian's body. The deepest one had even torn through the muscle layer of his left hand, rendering it temporarily useless. But even with Liu Tian in such a state, how could Mantis escape unscathed?

His condition was no better than Liu Tian's—besides the same scattered wounds, the gash on his face, deep enough to expose bone, had nearly killed him. Blood constantly flowed from his forehead, even impairing his vision. In the deepening twilight, amidst this fierce battle, this was a fatal flaw.

With my current strength, even with the advantage of the terrain, the outcome against Mantis would be fifty-fifty.

If I want to kill him, there's only one way—avoid his offense, then end it in one blow. Before he can kill me with those unbelievably hard hands, I need to destroy his vital point.

Though his killing intent surged, Liu Tian could still calmly contemplate his only path to victory.

It had to be said, Mantis's unbelievably strong hands gave him too much of an advantage. While lacking agility, the hardness of those hands was such that even Liu Tian's full-power strikes couldn't inflict critical damage. Instead, the recoil would injure him.

It was as if Liu Tian wasn't hitting a pair of human hands, but sharp blades.

Liu Tian even maliciously speculated—given the characteristics displayed by those hands, Mantis couldn't even comfort himself unless he used his mouth or feet.

Could this way of becoming stronger truly be considered evolution?

However, the intense battle didn't allow for further contemplation.

In an equally matched, fully focused, and incredibly fierce exchange, openings could appear at any moment, especially for two Martial Artists who couldn't perfectly control every part of themselves.

And during one perfectly normal exchange, perhaps due to extreme fatigue, or perhaps due to slightly obstructed vision, Mantis left himself wide open after one clash?

This was a potentially fatal opening. Could Liu Tian seize it?

Of course, he could!

The first move of the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao, the Heart Severing Path, was designed to exploit an enemy's weakness and strike their vital point. Liu Tian, no longer wanting to prolong the fight, clung tightly to this opportunity.

Heavenly Martial Killing Dao—Heart Severing Path!

Seizing the chance, Liu Tian unleashed his full power, aiming for the heart, one of the body's two most vital weaknesses.

Hit!

The lightning-fast punch struck before Mantis could defend, piercing through the ribs protecting his chest and directly through Mantis's flesh!

?

Although the decisive blow landed, Liu Tian felt no joy. Mantis, who should have died instantly, did not. Instead, his right fist was instantly locked by powerful muscles.

At this moment, Liu Tian met Mantis's gaze, and a strong consciousness made him understand Mantis's intent—a full-power strike is also the moment of weakest defense. You didn't expect my life to be so tenacious, and that my heart is on the right side, did you?

Now, be defeated! Die!

Mantis raised both arms, his shadow twisting in the moonlight like a giant praying mantis standing upright. His arms were raised high, transforming into terrifying reapers like scythes.

Mantis Fist—Two-way Robbery and Killing.

Wrong! You're the one who's dead!

Beneath this apparent stalemate, three Origin Points vanished. Liu Tian's left fist, which should have been unable to exert force, clenched. The torn muscle layer instantly healed, and his entire physique grew by another inch.

At this moment, his strength and speed were no longer significantly inferior to Mantis's. His right fist, which had pierced Mantis's chest, now locked Mantis in return—

Again!

Heavenly Martial Killing Dao—Heart Severing Path!

The Heavenly Martial Killing Dao—Heart Severing Path, striking after the fact, instantly hit Mantis's right chest. The powerful force sent Mantis flying back a foot. Before Mantis could muster his last bit of strength, his freed right fist struck again.

Heavenly Martial Killing Dao—Heart Severing Path!

This was the final, and most powerful, blow—the decisive strike to end this battle!

Hit!

The final Heavenly Martial Killing Dao—Heart Severing Path was like detonating a bomb inside Mantis's chest, blasting all his internal organs out from his back. Mantis, who had undergone a physical reduction, slammed heavily against the wall with this blow, crushing his already shattered organs. Red paint splattered across the entire ceiling and walls.

Mantis's final strike was never unleashed, from beginning to end.

Liu Tian wanted to turn and leave, but Mantis, having suffered such severe injuries, still wasn't dead. His eyes stared intently.

"So, so strong!" Even with his lungs gone, Mantis struggled to speak, "Continue to grow as bait..."

"Who understands what you're saying?" Liu Tian frowned. Out of respect for Mantis's tenacious life, he lightly stomped his foot. A broken stone sprang up from beneath his foot, instantly turning into a projectile that pierced Mantis's brain, adding another splash of gray to the wall. "Such strong vitality, are you an arthropod?"

Without looking at the thoroughly ruined Mantis, Liu Tian turned and left.

Liu Tian didn't want to finish him off—his internal organs were gone, his brain destroyed. If Mantis could still live in this state, then he'd consider himself unlucky—to have inexplicably provoked a monster...

At the same time, on a cruise ship with clearly advanced technology by the coastline, a man who had just met Liu Tian was gazing at the brightly lit city.

"What time is it?" Bai Cinan asked.

"10 PM," a burly subordinate with a beard looked at his watch and replied.

"He's still not back. It seems Mantis is indeed dead. He got what he wished for, seeking benevolence and finding it, seeking death and finding it. For my master to accept another disciple into the Heavenly Martial Killing Dao, my junior brother couldn't be as simple as he appears on the surface." Bai Cinan raised his hand and made a slight gesture. The cruise ship stopped waiting in the shallow waters and headed straight for the deep sea. "It's clear my junior brother truly has the potential to become my bait."

"Keep getting stronger—that way, I might have a second option..."