Chapter 79: Three Years
There were many different life energies in the world which had various functions.
Some of the energies increased strength efficiently, making a person strong enough to overpower tigers and leopards or tear stone mountains down until they were nothing but rubble.
Some energies improved speed to the point that allowed a person to run a million miles in just a few seconds.
Considering the refining method each person practiced was different, the colors, shapes, and functions of each life energy were different as well.
But the demonic life energy found in Zen had not only swallowed Zen's purple life energy, but also unexpectedly tried to swallow Vale's life vitality, as it came up and spread over Zen's body.
When one pushed hard enough, working to reach nature level, his life energy changed into life vitality which then could be shaped.
Vale had achieved the level of the Illuminating Soul Realm, and because he practiced the cultivation method named Lotus Scriptures, his life vitality could be shaped into pink lotuses.
Although the lotuses were breathtaking to see, they were, in fact, deadly and horrible.
At the moment, it was shocking to see that the demonic life energy had come from Zen's body and now, was swallowing the lotuses one by one while Vale was using his life vitality.
The demonic life energy was so quick that it swallowed the bloom the moment its dark purple life energy sparked. First, a crack appeared on the pure lotus, then the crack spread, multiplying until the lotus was covered with cracks, and then the lotus was consumed leaving no remains.
Within a short amount of the time, the dense layer of lotuses covering Zen's body was blended into the demonic life energy.
Once the lotuses were gone, Zen's gruesome wounds were exposed to air instantly.
Seeing cracks on Zen's body, the cultivators at Mountain recoiled.
Never before had they seen wounds like his, and they wondered what could cause the skin to break like this.
In actuality, wounds like his could be caused by the pressure of Vale's lotuses. As heavy as the lotuses were, they pulverized an ordinary person, but the unique manner of Zen's body protected him so that his skin merely cracked under the overwhelming pressure.
Too busy with what he was facing now, Zen couldn't tend his wounds. He balled his right hand into a fist, and his fingers of the other hand splayed on his right arm gently.
“Ogres Shaking the World! It's the first step of Heavenly Ogre Fist!”
Until now, Zen couldn't manage the mighty Heavenly Ogre Fist no matter how many times he practiced since he had no demonic life energy in his body.
After Zen completed his regular studies daily, he read the rare book named, Heavenly Ogre Fist, carefully, until he could recite it fluently.
As Zen thrust his fist, it brought the demonic life energy out with the Ogres Shaking the World punch, and at the same time, he had an epiphany. In that instance, Zen understood all of the subtleties found in the tome of the Heavenly Ogre Fist without any questions.
Streams of demonic life energy gathered on Zen's hand frenziedly, and then Zen took a step which shook the earth and shattered the black gravels circled around him into fine powders in an instant.
Zen drew his fist back, and with his other hand still steadying his arm from possible recoil, struck the air.
Zen thrust the fist towards Vale.
A dark purple shadowy fist appeared just ahead of Zen, hovering in the air. As it formed, it grew larger until it was the size of a man and lunged at Vale.
Vale's eyes widened, never before had he seen such a huge fist of shadow. He realized he had underestimated Zen before.
Even though Zen employed the soul attack method to disorder Vale's mind firstly and then shot the broken flying knife at Vale's head, which almost killed Vale, Vale hadn't taken Zen seriously, but now, Vale did.
After all, before this, as quick and deadly as Zen's attack style was, it hadn't been one that would cause Vale deadly harm, so, he hadn't bothered to be concerned.
But now, seeing the dark purple shadowy fist, Vale realized that this young man could reach high levels through inner strength.
Zen could swallow the lotuses, manifesting them into his life energy, using them to retaliate when he was about to be finished, and all while exuding nothing but a calm and lucid exterior. Vale had to acknowledge, that Zen did much better than most people in the world!
What frightened Vale more was the power behind the punch.
Considering that Zen was on the level of marrow refining and could only gather life energy, it left one to wonder; what method produced a punch that powerful with only life energy? There was also the realization that once he reached the nature level and controlled life vitality, no one would be able to withstand the power from the punch.
There wasn't time for Vale to dwell on that now.
Time and again, Zen surprised Vale. As young and weak as Vale saw Zen, he felt tense and ridiculous, but took the attack seriously.
In a flash, the dazzling white beam became much brighter.
Although Vale didn't move, he threw a punch the same way Zen had.
Sparing no effort, Vale fabricated as powerful a punch as possible.
Such a powerful punch came from the master of Illuminating Soul Realm!
In midway, Vale's fist collided into the full force of Zen's shadowy fist.
'Crash!' 'Crack!'
Where the two fists met, a terrifying whirlwind formed, snowballing and scooping black gravel in as it spun, larger and more powerful until it slammed into the mountainside.
All of torture Mountain shook slightly, and boulders rolled down from the mountainside splashing into the stream.
Hell Mountain's cultivators were horrified at sight.
Some houses built alongside the wall were shattered by the stones, leaving rumble. Fortunately, those who practiced hard mastered extraordinary feats and weren't injured even though their houses were destroyed.
What confused the cultivators though was how a young man at the level of marrow refining could fight a master at the Illuminating Soul Realm.
The match was unexpected.
On the mountaintop stood Yan, and her eyes were filled with surprise as she said, “The power my brother wields in his fist should be so astonishing that Vale has to fight back!”
The old man at her side nodded and replied, “But Zen may have spent all his energy blocking Vale's, leaving Zen too weak to throw a second punch….But!? Vale has no chance now! Here comes Aura Su!”
Not far away was Aura's flying chariot, speeding up the mountainside and getting closer to Zen.
“Your punch is good,” complimented Vale smiling as he said, “Such a punch proves you are a worthy foe for me, however… A punch like that consumes almost all your life energy, and you have no strength to throw the second one. Still, it's a great honor for you to be regarded as a competitor, by me, and to die by my fist.”
The human body was just like a cup.
The higher the level one practiced at, the bigger the cup and the more life energy it held.
Only at the nature level could the human body be equipped to hold life vitality.
At the Illuminating Soul Realm, Vale's corporeal body was like a lake and could hold an immeasurable amount of life vitality.
Throwing his punch had expended all Zen's demonic life energy and left him like an empty cup. He was exhausted, his face turned pale, and he was a spent force.
“Go to perdition!” Vale smiled and shook his fist which had a pink lotus shadow flowering on it.
In the face of Vale's fist, Zen stood stoic, showing no sadness or fear.
Growing up, he read a large number of books, where he learned that whatever situation a person was in, he could be satisfied if he had done his best.
To Zen, Vale was a strong opponent, but not one he could defeat, yet.
As a second punch from Vale came closer, Zen calmly closed his eyes.
“Vale! No! Stop!”
Aura was rushing to Zen's rescue, but as she just neared, she could only shout when she saw the scene.
Vale glanced at the flying chariot and Aura. Admittedly he heard her, but he had no intentions on stopping. Instead, without hestitating, he threw the punch at Zen.
“Do you want to get your entire clan killed, Vale?” Shouted Aura angrily. Now the chill in her voice gave her words an icy threat.
Did he want his entire clan to be killed?
Vale was mighty now at the Illuminating Soul Realm at such a young age, so it wasn't difficult to realize that he was very promising.
However, the Wang clan wasn't one of the top seven noble clans.
If Aura wanted to exterminate the Wang clan, it would be easy for her alone, and she had the Emperor's Token.
It mustn't be a lie to intimidate him.
Aura was merely a girl though and couldn't intimidate Vale at all, because, to Vale, she was nothing more than a princess who was unloved by her parents.
It was what Aura threatened that frightened Vale.
The Wang Clan was a noble clan, and well off, so, it would be undeserving to be wiped over such a little thing.
Inches from Zen's face, Vale's fist stopped, his serious face completely relaxed, and meanwhile, he casually said to Aura, “Your Royal Highness, I was joking around with Zen, and we were having a friendly competition, so why would my whole family be killed?”
Aura's tone was cold as she replied, “I think you'd better stop or your family won't be safe and sound!”
Mockingly, Vale said to Zen, “You're terrific, but I have to say, now, you are not even fit to see Yan, not to mention to fight me!”
“Three years,” said Zen holding up three fingers.
“What does that mean?” asked Vale frowning slightly.
“In three years, I'll return, defeat you and take Yan from Hell Mountain!” stated Zen.
Vale guffawed boisterously as if he had never heard anything funnier, “Ha-ha-ha! Three years... Great! Okay, that's really courageous. I will give you three years. If you cannot defeat me then, you won't take Yan from Hell Mountain, and I'll kill you!”
announced Vale as he pointed at Zen, before flying away. As Vale retreated, pink lotuses dissolved into scattered life vitality, disappearing under the sky.