Chapter 1407 — Grievously Wounded
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Yet it was precisely because he was so much stronger that Uncle Zhu found himself capsized in a ditch — and that only made his rage burn hotter!
"Young pup, you're courting death!" Uncle Zhu roused his internal cultivation art, ready to strike back at Wu Chengtian. Wu Chengtian's earlier punch had landed squarely on Uncle Zhu's body, inflicting grave internal injury — an utter humiliation!
Wu Chengtian was startled. He had not expected the old man before him to truly be Yellow Rank, and near the middle of Yellow Rank at that. It gave him a fright; he had taken Uncle Zhu for a boastful nobody, a small-time character who had picked up a few secrets of cultivators and now thought the sky was no higher than his own head. Yet who would have thought the man truly had the strength!
"Old man, so you really are a mid-Yellow Rank expert!" Conceited as Wu Chengtian was, in the face of such absolute power he dared not give himself airs. On the path of cultivation, strong was simply strong; conceit could not win a battle. So Wu Chengtian instinctively fell back.
Even so, Uncle Zhu was fast. His fist had already reached Wu Chengtian's chest. With nowhere left to dodge and his back already against the wall, Wu Chengtian could only grit his teeth, swing up his fist, and meet Uncle Zhu's fist head-on!
"Bang!"
The two collided with a tremendous report. Wu Chengtian, unmatched iron fist though he had, was still shaken until his fist throbbed with pain before Uncle Zhu, whose absolute strength surpassed his own! Had he not cultivated his hands and body, that punch would likely have crippled his hand under Uncle Zhu's blow!
Uncle Zhu was, after all, an inner-school expert, and inner-school experts held the advantage over outer-school ones. Even at the same rank as Wu Chengtian, he would still have been the stronger; and he was ranked above him besides — a mid-rank expert!
"Eh? Your hand's actually fine?" Uncle Zhu's intent had been that even if he could not hit Wu Chengtian, he would at least cripple his hand. Wu Chengtian had already wounded him severely, sending his blood and qi surging and sapping his strength, so his rage knew no bounds; this punch had spent every ounce of power in his body — and yet it had done nothing to Wu Chengtian!
"Heh, old thing, haven't you eaten your fill? Of course my hand's fine!" Wu Chengtian was not so foolish as to announce that his cultivation lay chiefly in his hands. That would be exposing his own weakness. Against someone weaker it hardly mattered — say it, and it might even serve to put on airs. But with someone stronger than himself, Wu Chengtian dared not speak carelessly!
"Give me your life!" Wu Chengtian's words left Uncle Zhu's eyes bloodshot. Once more he roused all his true qi and struck at Wu Chengtian. He knew as well that Wu Chengtian's earlier blow had badly damaged his strength; he should have been able to finish off this early-Yellow Rank pup with ease, yet here he was, wounded at the very outset, unable to summon his full power again. He could only end it as swiftly as possible — before his injuries flared, kill Wu Chengtian!
How would Wu Chengtian dare trade blows head-on? The moment Uncle Zhu opened his mouth to speak, he turned and ran!
But after all, the gulf between their strength was far too vast. Uncle Zhu was a Yellow Rank expert fallen from Profound Rank, with more experience and power than an ordinary Yellow Rank expert to begin with — how could Wu Chengtian, who had only just crossed the threshold of cultivation, possibly be his match?
The earlier sneak attack had been a victory won by surprise alone. To land another blow on Uncle Zhu now was all but impossible — and not just striking: even if Wu Chengtian wanted to flee, it would no longer be so easy!