Causing Trouble

Since the Mechanical Clan invasion, business at the Exchange Market had become much slower. The reason was simple: the most profitable line of work had always been venturing through the stars, exploring newly discovered energy planets or life planets that had yet to be fully developed. Those were the truly lucrative trades. In the past, many private expedition teams came here to recruit people, but that was no longer possible. Space had been completely sealed off. The people inside could not get out, much less venture into the stars.

"Why is this place so deserted?" Meng Xuanxuan asked curiously.

Hearing her question, Tang Yu thought for a moment before voicing his thoughts.

"Ah? That's true, but so much time has passed. Someone must have returned from outside by now, right? Then wouldn't they..." Meng Xuanxuan did not finish her sentence, but the outcome was obvious. Those explorers roaming the stars had most likely met with misfortune on their way back.

"Not necessarily." Tang Yu's gaze sharpened at her words. "If we can think of it, the Federal Government must have thought of it too. They can't just stand by and watch humanity's elite forces be wiped out. They must have a way to deal with it. We just don't know what it is!"

No one capable of conducting long-term interstellar exploration was ordinary. They were all the backbone of humanity. The government could not possibly have overlooked that. As for what solution they had come up with, that was impossible to know.

"Well, well! It's been a long time since I've seen such a tender little beauty!"

Suddenly, a man emerged from a side alley. The moment he saw Meng Xuanxuan, lust filled his eyes, and he blurted out those words without restraint. Meng Xuanxuan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She was clearly displeased.

Tang Yu's expression darkened as well. He naturally recognized that voice. It was Old Fifth from last night.

"Let's go!" Not wanting to stir up trouble, Tang Yu said this to Meng Xuanxuan. The two turned and prepared to leave. The merchant guild auction would not begin until nightfall, and there was no point lingering here. Tang Yu had no interest in watching matches at the arena either.

"Don't leave, little beauty. Big brother's talking to you!"

"Get lost!" As the man reached out, Tang Yu was just about to make a move when Meng Xuanxuan had already acted. She lashed out with a backhand strike. Though she had only just awakened, the force behind that blow was no small matter. Even a warrior of the same rank would not dare take it lightly.

"Oh? Quite the temper, huh? But I like it! She'll definitely be a thrill in bed!" Old Fifth had a pair of triangular eyes and looked like a venomous snake. His entire body radiated a sinister aura. One look was enough to tell he was no good, and his words and actions only confirmed it.

When Meng Xuanxuan's strike failed to connect, Tang Yu knew that Old Fifth was stronger than her.

"Watch your mouth!" Tang Yu discreetly pulled Meng Xuanxuan behind him and narrowed his eyes at Old Fifth as he spoke coldly.

"Kid, you haven't even grown all your hair yet! What big words are you spouting?" Only then did Old Fifth, with his triangular eyes, shift his gaze onto Tang Yu.

Slap!

With a crisp crack, Tang Yu slapped the man across the face. Old Fifth could dodge Meng Xuanxuan's strike, but that did not mean he could dodge Tang Yu's, especially when it had come as a surprise attack.

"Damn it! You're courting death!"

Zhou Jiao never expected this brat, who looked like he still smelled of milk, to actually dare hit him. Rage immediately surged in his heart. He reached out with clawed fingers and unleashed Black Tiger Digs Heart, grabbing straight for Tang Yu's chest. The moment he moved, Tang Yu knew this man would not be easy to deal with. He hurriedly retreated several steps and casually shoved Meng Xuanxuan aside.

But Tang Yu was not afraid of him. He had learned Bone-Twisting Layered Palm last night, and now was the perfect time to put it to use.

His arm twisted, his entire limb seeming boneless as it slipped past Zhou Jiao's claw and rapidly coiled around his arm. Then Tang Yu violently twisted. His whole arm moved like an activated machine, as if he intended to cripple Zhou Jiao's entire arm.

This gave Zhou Jiao quite a fright. He had thought the kid was merely a hotheaded fool, but he had not expected him to possess genuine skill. Still, Zhou Jiao was no pushover. Over the years, he had gone through plenty of life-and-death brawls. Would he really fear some young brat?

With his arm entangled by Tang Yu, Zhou Jiao shook his body sharply and directly flung Tang Yu's arm away.

Tang Yu was shocked. The force in that shake had to be at least a thousand pounds. That meant this man's gene count was at least one hundred and twenty or thirty. But that was perfect. This was just the opponent he needed to temper himself against. Tang Yu had been worrying about finding an evenly matched enemy, and now one had delivered himself right to his doorstep!

Having neutralized Tang Yu's attack, Zhou Jiao's aura became even more imposing. He turned his hand into a blade and chopped horizontally at Tang Yu's crown. Tang Yu naturally did not dare take the move head-on. He hurriedly leaned backward, hoping to evade the blow. However, Zhou Jiao seemed to have anticipated this. An imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his eye, because the fingers of his other hand had already curled into a claw and were nearing Tang Yu's lower abdomen. If that grab landed solidly, Tang Yu would be disemboweled, his intestines torn out.

"Tang Yu, watch out!"

Even without Meng Xuanxuan's warning, Tang Yu could sense the danger. But while Zhou Jiao had his calculations, Tang Yu had his own as well.

The essence of Shattering Heart Palm was still vivid in his mind, as were the countless practices within the black crystal. Tang Yu planted his feet, and his tilted body suddenly spun three hundred and sixty degrees. The powerful rotational force knocked Zhou Jiao's other hand off course. But that was not all. At the same time, Tang Yu's hand did not remain idle. He struck Zhou Jiao's chest with a palm. The palm strike looked soft and powerless, but it was anything but. Powerful origin force had long gathered within his palm. Zhou Jiao had both hands extended and his body leaning forward, leaving him no way to defend. He wanted to dodge, but it was too late!

Thump!

With a soft muffled impact, Tang Yu performed a backflip and landed steadily on the ground. Zhou Jiao, meanwhile, staggered back six or seven steps before finally steadying himself. His face had gone pale, one hand clutching his chest as his entire body trembled, as if he might collapse at any moment.

Pfft!

A mouthful of blood spurted from his lips. Tang Yu's Palm Thunder was no joke. Once the origin force entered his opponent's body, the opponent would naturally sense it and immediately try to resist with their own power. But that only stimulated the invading origin force. When that force erupted, it was not something an ordinary warrior could endure.

A gust of wind rose as Tang Yu's body shot toward Zhou Jiao, who was half-kneeling on the ground. Strike while he was down and take his life—that was the truth. If you failed to kill a tiger, the tiger would surely wound you. Tang Yu understood that principle. Since he had acted, there was no need to leave anyone alive!

Whoosh!

Suddenly, something tore through the air beside his ear, aimed directly at Tang Yu. He had no idea who had launched the concealed weapon, but for his own safety, Tang Yu had no choice but to roll sideways and evade it.

"Fifth Brother, are you all right?"

Immediately afterward, a figure rushed to Zhou Jiao's side and asked repeatedly.

"I'm fine. You're no match for him. Let's retreat first!" Before he even finished speaking, the two darted into an alley with perfect coordination. In less than half a breath, they had vanished without a trace. Clearly, they knew the black market's terrain extremely well.

Tang Yu did not dare take the risk of pursuing them. His fight with Old Fifth had mainly succeeded because the other man had underestimated him. Moreover, the newcomer's strength was not low either. Chasing after them rashly would be unwise.

"Tang Yu, are you all right?" Only then did Meng Xuanxuan come closer and ask with concern. After all, Tang Yu had fought others because of her. While she was touched, a faint and unfamiliar feeling also arose in her heart.

"Whew... I'm fine, but we may have gotten ourselves into trouble!" Tang Yu let out a long breath and shook his head. Yet he was thinking that since those two called each other Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother, there must naturally be a First, Second, Third, and Fourth Brother above them, and they would certainly be stronger. Without realizing it, he had caused himself some trouble.

"Let's go! Let's head back!" He said he was fine, but that was not actually the case. Sparring between warriors was not merely physically exhausting; it consumed even more mental energy. Just like Tang Yu's fight with Zhou Jiao, neither had expended much physical strength, but during the battle, they had schemed against and tested each other. Every change in every move consumed immense mental energy. In that instant, they had to calculate their opponent's strength with absolute precision and determine how they should respond.

Ordinary people might think this was merely an instinctive reaction, but as a warrior whose origin force had awakened on its own, Tang Yu understood that even instinctive actions were calculated and analyzed by one's innate consciousness. It was simply something one did not consciously realize.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Tang Yu completely immersed his mental consciousness into the black crystal between his brows, nourishing his spirit. For Tang Yu, the black crystal's greatest current use was not only allowing him to personally experience the essence of each martial art. More importantly, it could nurture a person's soul—their vitality, energy, and spirit. When ordinary people suffered excessive mental exhaustion, there was no way to replenish it. They could only recuperate slowly. But Tang Yu was different. He only needed a short time to let his consciousness settle within the black crystal between his brows, and he would immediately be full of life again.

"Whew... Although I've practiced this Bone-Twisting Layered Palm many times and know it by heart, I'm still not proficient enough in actual combat. If I had taken advantage of the opening when Old Fifth shook free and driven the force of Shattering Heart Palm into his shoulder, I could have subdued him in an instant!"

Every exchange was a form of improvement. Carefully reviewing the mistakes he had made in battle was immensely helpful to his growth. Tang Yu was exactly that kind of person!