Chapter 441: Cultivator Physique vs Monstrous Physique

As soon as Omilaena shattered the vial, the liquid seeped into the tree leaves. Technically it could be washed away for a period of time, but with the dryad village drawing all the liquid in the atmosphere, that wasn't very likely. She watched, just in case something would go wrong, but the disease soon took hold.

With her expertise it would definitely kill even qi-rich trees, and thanks to Nymidria it would spread over the wall into the shielded region. It might take a few days, but a disease like this would spread with unnatural speed. The larger delay might honestly be waiting for the Verdant River sect to notice that the infection was spreading.

So her job was done. Hopefully the others were having just as easy a time.

As soon as the disease spread was verified, Omilaena headed away from the site. In theory at that moment Zae Zin Nim was attacking, and likely robbing, the vault. Best not to get anywhere near her just in case things got uglier than planned and she had to retreat the way the average vengeful cultivator would against such a powerful sect. And meanwhile, Kai should be infiltrating...

Except at that moment, Omilaena felt an explosion of presence techniques around the sect, all clashing with one another. She could have sworn that she heard the screams and could feel the waves of chaos radiating in the distance.

Before she could get any answers, she sensed two figures screaming away from the sect, tearing into one another in midair. One of them was definitely Kai, and he was locked in combat with a Sky Soul. Whatever had happened, things had not gone according to plan.

What the fuck was Kai doing? Omilaena redirected her path, realizing that they'd definitely need the hidden second meeting point after all...

.

..

.

Kai was giving ground for one reason and one reason only: he need to put more distance between himself, the sect, and his wives. All his other instincts screamed at him to throw himself into battle against the old man and really test his Physique.

If he had prepared Direboar's Strength, Kai thought he would have a solid edge, but given that he had used his normal cultivator essence set, he was pushed to the edge. Grandpa Wan had the level of mastery that made his qi into a half-phase, allowing him to push through presence techniques, not to mention both take and deal powerful blows. Kai needed to maintain razor focus during the entire intense battle, keeping his strength concentrated enough to equal it.

They clashed again in a clearing, raining blows down on one another. The old man had the ability to project his fists in the form of qi, pummeling him from a distance, and Kai wished he could pit Tyrant's Claw against it. Unfortunately, he only had Manticore's Quill, which he was resisting using just in case the old man had resistance to poison.

He realized that was insane: this fight was much too close for him to be holding back. But the truth was that the old man seemed like a noble warrior who didn't deserve to play servant to spoiled brats.

When Kai next leapt away, the old man turned into a blurring streak after him, arcing around toward his back. But Kai was getting used to the higher flight ability: his first punch went through the light harmlessly, but as the old man reformed, Kai's second blow hit him directly in the face.

This one actually connected and the old man skidded backward, cracking a tree before he stopped himself. He rubbed his neck and then spat out a mouthful of blood - less an injury than a challenge.

"Hey, wait." Kai held up his hands, though he didn't lower his guard. "What's your name?"

"I have nothing to say to a rapist," the old man said.

"That's a false charge and I think you know it. Do you really trust any of those young masters on a subject like that?"

The old man lowered his fists into combat position, building up qi again, but didn't attack.

"Right now I have to call you Grandpa Wanwan in my head, and that definitely seems like an insult." Kai did his best to shrug without opening any weaknesses. "You're the patriarch of the Deepriver sect, aren't you? I'm honored to fight you, and I'd rather know your name."

"There is no honor in battle, only duty." Even as he advanced, something shifted in the old man's eyes. "But my name is Wan Fei."

That explained the nickname. Grandpa Wan Fei shifted his back foot, then pushed off the ground with that explosive force he had used the entire fight. Kai met him head on, just pushing through his first qi punch and trusting Behemoth's Heart to endure it, then getting in close. They grappled aggressively in the clearing, each binding an arm while hammering blows into the other's side, and Kai found himself grinning despite himself.

He really should be using more lethal skills, but pushing himself like this... his body was on fire, burning with new strength. It felt like, even though his skin wasn't changing, the muscles underneath were mutating in response to the Savage Heart.

Kai wasn't strong enough to hold back at this level and a blow made it through to his chest. He hurtled backward and smashed into a hill, his sternum aching with an intense pain. It had definitely broken, and even Behemoth's Heart would take a while to heal from the qi-enhanced blow.

Yet his opponent wasn't following him, he was staring.

After a pause, waiting for some sort of trick, Kai dared to look at his own soul. He was afraid that his monstrous essence was leaking through, or his power was otherwise falling apart, but instead he saw something completely different.

<

Name: Kai Clanless

Total Power: 835

Monstrous Hunger - XIV (xi)

Cultivation: Nascent Foundation 8% (252)

Savage Heart: 19 (192)

Manticore Tattoo (71%)

Physique Level: C-0 (300)

Beggar King's Robes: +2 (10)

Soul Level: 9 (81)

>

Somehow his Physique had broken through to C rank in mid-combat. Kai had never heard of something like that, not at this high level, and judging from the old man's astonishment, he hadn't either.

"That's not possible..." Grandpa Wan Fei actually looked intimidated for the first time. "I thought you had reached the limit for barbarians..."

"I've studied many different Physique abilities, but I only broke through thanks to you." Kai clapped hand to fist in a perfect cultivator bow. "Thank you for the instruction, grandfather."

"Are you mocking me?" The old man's eyes flashed, but he didn't attack.

"Not at all. I have nothing but respect for you... which is why I have to ask why you're serving that little rat."

"I serve the Masterful Crown sect, and I owe a great debt to his father." Grandpa Wan Fei shifted his back leg forward, again preparing for an attack, but far more cautiously. "You may be a more respectable man than I thought, but I was ordered to kill you, so my own desires are irrelevant. Prepare yourself."

Kai just grinned through the blood in his teeth.

When they clashed again, he instantly felt the difference in his Physique. The jump in power wasn't enormous, but his body had absorbed a higher concentration of qi and was better reinforced against qi blows. He forced himself not to use the Savage Heart or other abilities, pushing his human strength to the limit and seeing how far he could go.

Best of all, he was still growing. Every blow they traded, Kai's body adjusted just a little bit more.

As much fun as he was having, he saw nothing but grim determination in the old man's eyes. It seemed that Wan Fei would either kill him or die trying, and though Kai was willing to kill him if necessary, it seemed unjust. Kill a noble cultivator just because he had to serve a human shitstain like Yul Wei Ren? That was the kind of mindless behavior the young master himself would do.

And so, as much as he wanted to keep fighting, Kai decided that he needed to run. He'd already thoroughly distracted the enemy and given his wives an opportunity. Fighting Grandpa Wan Fei only benefited them if their plan was to exterminate the entire group at once, and that had never been their goal.

As soon as he saw a chance, Kai leapt backward to put some distance between them. The old man transformed into a stream of light again, though he no longer attacked directly with his flight technique. Kai waited for him to get close, then suddenly breathed out a wide cloud of Baleful Breath.

Just as he expected, the old veteran sharply turned, avoiding the cloud and pulling back. The instant he did so, Kai shot away, using his full speed with Thunderbird's Wings. His initial shockwave sent the cloud of death roiling outward, forcing his opponent to back up again, and in that time Kai streaked out into the woods at top speed.

While he flew, he abandoned the human strength he'd been building and focused on his monstrous side, letting Mutefang's Stealth cover him. He could feel Wan Fei pursing, trying to catch up, but his speed decreased as he lost track of Kai in the endless forests of the Southern Rivers.

For the sake of caution, Kai went to ground and waited. He could either slip around Wan Fei or start taking out pursuers, if they sent more... but it seemed like none of the others dared to follow their battle. Just an old man with more duty than sense.

Eventually, he would need to meet up with the others at the ship, but for now Kai stalked through the forests with his thoughts on the battle. He could see potential paths to killing all the young masters, but not to true victory. Given the present conflict, maybe that was enough. Yet when he felt the new strength in his Physique, he knew that he wanted so much more...