Era of Mist

Chapter 136: Chapter 135: Against the Current

The connection of their auras lasted only an instant before vanishing. For Cultivators at their level, this kind of interaction was still slight, fleeting, and indistinct—so blurry it felt almost illusory, making it hard to tell if it was real or imagined.

He Chong froze for a moment, then shook his head. He didn’t even have time to correct Wang Jiaxu before a sense of shocked uncertainty washed over him. ’With my cultivation in the mental arts, how could a mere lowlife from the Orphanage possibly make me feel pressured?’

’An illusion. It has to be an illusion.’

While He Chong was lost in thought, Shi Tiexin turned his gaze to the eight hundred people blocking his path.

Just moments ago, when facing He Chong, these eight hundred people had been dead silent, obediently making way. Could they really not defeat He Chong? Not necessarily. He Chong had focused on mental arts for the exam, so his martial arts were mediocre. In a real fight, he couldn’t even beat Shi Tiexin. Surely someone among these eight hundred could have stopped him. But none of them would. They would only obey, only see him off with respect.

But when they faced Shi Tiexin, these same eight hundred people were completely different.

”What’s this guy doing here?”

”A little bastard from the Orphanage actually thinks he can take part in the local trials? He must be insane.”

”Brother Chong obviously wants to shut him out. This kid doesn’t know when to bow his head. Showing up for the exam anyway... he has a death wish!”

”Let’s see what he does now!”

One by one, they started talking—some in whispers, others brazenly. As far as he could see, there wasn’t a friendly face in the crowd. This was a school for the children of the establishment, and while their internal relationships were a tangled mess, they were united in their attitude toward an outsider like him.

The same eight hundred people. For one, it was smooth sailing, as if the world itself was lending him strength. For the other, it was a struggle against the current under a harsh glare, facing treacherous mountains and raging rivers. This was the stark contrast between He Chong’s and Shi Tiexin’s situations.

And what Shi Tiexin had to do was the same as He Chong.

He had to part these eight hundred people!

”Hey, what are you doing? Get to the back of the line and wait!” the person at the very end of the crowd shouted, turning to Shi Tiexin.

Shi Tiexin looked down at him, his expression unreadable. ”Do you want to be tested first?”

The boy immediately stammered, ”No, no, of course not! The first one is definitely...”

”If you don’t have the guts, then step aside.”

The boy stared blankly at Shi Tiexin. Just as he was about to mock him, he saw Shi Tiexin suddenly clench his fist and inhale. HIIISSS— His chest swelled. Then, Shi Tiexin looked at everyone blocking his path and roared, ”Today, I will fight He Chong for first place! If you want to compete, then come and compete! If not, then don’t stand in my way! Anyone who won’t compete but still blocks me will be treated as one of He Chong’s lackeys! We’ll open a secret realm and fight to the death!”

The eight hundred people fell silent in an instant, his voice echoing across the entire school.

Silence. Then, an uproar.

”This guy is insane!”

”This is ridiculous!”

”Damn it, who the hell does he think he is?!”

But Shi Tiexin ignored them.

He could wait. He could wait until the very end; it didn’t matter if he was tested first or last. And yet, he couldn’t wait, because this wasn’t a fair test. What He Chong had done once, he could do again. If Shi Tiexin went last, the risk would be immense.

’I have to be first. Only first place is safe.’

So, he looked down at the boy blocking his path.

”You’re blocking me?”

”Heh heh, so what if I am? You—”

CRACK!

A glazed light spread as a secret realm opened. Without another word, Shi Tiexin threw a punch. The boy was startled, but by the time he tried to block, it was already too late.

THUD.

”AHH—!”

With a piercing scream, the boy fell out of the secret realm and collapsed, unconscious.

A one-hit knockout!

”What the hell just happened?”

”What was that?”

”I don’t know!”

Shi Tiexin took another step forward, coming face-to-face with the second person, a girl.

”You’re blocking me?”

The girl stammered, flustered for a moment. Then she puffed out her chest and shrieked, ”So what if I am? Brother Chong is my—”

CRACK!

The glazed light spread and contracted in an instant.

”AHH—!”

With a piercing scream, the girl collapsed to the ground. Another one-hit knockout!

”What is happening?”

”I can’t tell, I can’t see anything!”

”Shi Tiexin was never this strong before, was he?”

”Yeah, that guy was always ruthless, but he had nothing else going for him. But now...”

Stepping over the girl, Shi Tiexin looked at the third person and asked the same question.

”You’re blocking me?”

”I... I... well...” This time, the boy hesitated. He looked at the two people on the ground. They probably weren’t going to be taking the qualifying test anymore.

Being this far back in the line meant their strength levels were all about the same—pretty bad. But unlike those who had given up completely, this boy still held out some hope. He wanted to earn a spot on the Iron List.

So the boy stood frozen, conflicted.

Shi Tiexin simply nudged him with his arm, and the boy was pushed aside without any resistance. He didn’t make a sound or even look up.

The fourth person.

This was someone Shi Tiexin had beaten up before.

”I’m not fighting for first and I’m not blocking you! I’ll get out of the way, I’ll get out of the way!”

The fifth person.

Seeing the last two people give way, he thought about Shi Tiexin’s notorious reputation. Besides, his own father wasn’t aligned with the He Family faction. With the assessment on the line, why should he act as He Chong’s Vanguard? So he obediently stepped aside. ”Go ahead, go ahead. I’m not fighting for first.”

The sixth.

”Pah! A bunch of cowards. There are so many of us, who does he think he is to act so arrogant? Kid, you—”

CRACK.

THWACK.

”AHHH—!!”

Another one-hit takedown!

Shi Tiexin stepped over the person, his face like stone, and continued forward.

The seventh.

”You motherf—”

CRACK.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

This time it was a lightning-fast three-hit combo. The person crumpled to the ground, spitting a mouthful of blood.

PING! PING! PING! The shooting stars in his vision flew toward him, and the progress bar for his Basic Fist Arts continued to extend. Shi Tiexin strode forward again, felling one person with every step as he approached the eighth.

The eighth person didn’t speak. He was silent for a moment, glanced back at He Chong, and then, without a word, let out a roar and threw a punch.

CRACK! The secret realm unfolded.

This time, the eighth person’s fist technique was much stronger than the previous ones.

But Shi Tiexin’s expression didn’t flicker. He didn’t even use his precious essence energy.

In his mind’s eye, a venomous snake that had transformed into a flood dragon darted and fought. After seeing the short Shi Yu Lei’s Snake Form Fist, Shi Tiexin had been deeply inspired. It was like watching a pro gamer, having his eyes opened to a whole new way to play the game, and then making explosive progress in a short time.

Shi Tiexin’s already decent Basic Fist Arts had undergone an earth-shattering transformation, revealing a completely new aura.

More vicious, more ruthless. Conserving stamina, pursuing efficiency, aiming for a one-hit kill!

Feints became real, and real attacks became feints. Using the simplest and most effective deceptions to achieve the greatest result at the lowest cost—SQUISH! Shi Tiexin’s two fingers, like the fangs of a giant serpent, instantly pierced his enemy’s eyeball.

”AHHH—!”

Amidst the screams, Shi Tiexin twisted his arm, coiling and strangling. With a sickening CRUNCH, the person’s head spun one hundred and eighty degrees as he collapsed pathetically. With another CRACK, the secret realm shattered. The boy who had ”died” was now only heavily injured, and Shi Tiexin’s broken rib was restored to normal.