The black-clad bodyguard moved like a panther entering hunting mode.
Seeing that Evan Lin ignored all warnings and kept moving forward.
The bodyguard's brows furrowed sharply. With a low shout, he dashed straight at Evan.
His hand curled into a claw. If he gripped down, he could crush the bones of an ordinary strong man in an instant.
This was exactly why the black-clad bodyguard could survive in foreign mercenary squads.
No matter what kind of enemy he faced, he always went all out—because carelessness usually meant death.
Evan lowered his gaze, watching the bodyguard rush toward him, and let out a cold snort.
"Petty tricks."
Instead of retreating, Evan advanced. His left hand clenched into a fist as he ran the Grand Dao Qi-Refining Art, drawing the vortex of qi from his Bubbling Spring Point through his meridians into his left hand. Without dodging or backing away, he punched out fiercely.
Bang!
Evan's fist collided with the bodyguard's claw.
Evan felt a huge force surge into his left hand. The two separated instantly after the clash.
Under that tremendous force, Evan was pushed half a step back, while the bodyguard was sent flying three or four meters, crashing to the ground. His entire right arm hung limply to the side—the bones in his arm clearly shattered.
"How is this possible!"
A look of disbelief flashed across the bodyguard's face. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to cry out in pain.
His right hand had completely lost all feeling.
That claw attack had actually been blocked by a punch from this seemingly frail teenager!
"Hurry, go!"
The bodyguard spread his left hand protectively in front of Victor Su and Molly Su, glaring coldly at Evan.
The intense pain from his shattered arm made even this battle-hardened bodyguard break out in a cold sweat. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead as he gritted his teeth, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
Victor Su frowned, glancing at Evan Lin and shielding Molly Su behind him.
The old man's traditional Tang suit fluttered in the air without any wind, its fabric floating almost imperceptibly. He looked at Evan and spoke in a steady voice, "I don't know which patron sent you, young man. Are you here to take my life?"
Victor Su watched Evan warily, his eyes full of caution.
"Your life isn't worth much. I'm not interested. As for your bodyguard, you'd better get him to the hospital—wait a few more minutes and his whole arm will be ruined." Evan replied coolly, glancing at Molly Su, whose eyes were wide with shock behind Victor.
Then Evan walked right past Victor Su, heading down the steps toward the foot of the mountain.
The bodyguard kept his eyes locked on Evan, not daring to make another move.
Only when Evan's figure had completely disappeared down the stone steps did the bodyguard finally speak: "Mr. Su, I think you'd better leave quickly. He held back just now."
The bodyguard's voice was strained, and a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"He held back?" Victor Su was momentarily stunned.
"How could this happen!" Victor Su reached out and touched the bodyguard's right arm, but all he felt was a string of broken bones.
"To cause this kind of injury, could it be that he used internal strength?" Victor gazed down the steps, but Evan was already gone.
"So young and he's already mastered internal strength... He must be a disciple from some martial arts family. Blade, look up his background for me tomorrow." Victor glanced at the bodyguard, who nodded with difficulty.
"Sigh, go to the hospital first." Victor waved his hand, and Blade quickly hurried down the mountain.
"Grandpa, what is internal strength? Is that person even stronger than you?" Molly Su asked softly, seeing Victor's grave expression.
"When martial artists begin training, they usually start with basic horse stance and punching. That's entry-level. The first threshold is called external strength, which is mainly judged by raw power. Those who master external strength can hurt people with fists, palms, or their bodies—the focus is on the body's own toughness."
"The second threshold is called internal strength. Its power comes more from the internal organs, and by coordinating the muscles, the whole body can generate and release force."
"Compared to external strength, internal strength is much harder to achieve. When internal strength reaches great completion, it produces 'internal energy,' which is another level entirely. Legends say that high-level internal energy can be projected outside the body to injure people at a distance, or even allow feats like running up walls and the famous 'water-treading.'" Victor's eyes shone with longing as he spoke.
"There are plenty of people who can train external strength, since it just takes eating well, building up the body, and enduring tough training. Take Blade for example—he's at small completion of external strength and can fight ten men alone."
"But mastering internal strength is much stricter. Without the right manuals or guidance from a master, it's nearly impossible to achieve."
At this, Victor couldn't help but glance down the mountain again, but Evan was nowhere to be seen.
Walking down the stone steps, Victor Su listened to the sounds of insects and birds nearby and continued, "That boy just now was able to knock Blade back with a single punch, and even injure his arm like that. At the very least, he's already stepped into internal strength."
"If someone like him could help our Su family, it would definitely be a great thing for us." Victor frowned, deep in thought.
"Grandpa, is that the person we're looking for?" Molly's eyes lit up as she asked.
Victor pondered for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "Not enough."
"Not enough?" Molly was stunned.
"Not enough. That boy is at most entry-level internal strength. For his age, that's already impressive, but still not enough." Victor sighed again.
"The opponents we have to face are likely already at great completion of internal strength, maybe they've even developed internal energy. That's why I bring you up this Thousand-Saints Mountain every day—hoping to meet a true hidden master."
This chapter isn't over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
"What a pity, what a pity. We still haven't met a true hidden master." Victor couldn't help but sigh. "Never mind, it's chilly tonight. Momo, let's go home before you catch a cold."
......
On the other side, Evan had come down the mountain and was heading home.
"I didn't expect that bodyguard's strength to be so fierce. If I hadn't run the Grand Dao Qi-Refining Art and relied on the power of the dragon in my left arm, I might not have blocked that claw." Evan frowned, feeling a sense of danger for the first time.
"Looks like I need to break through to the second layer of Qi-Refining as soon as possible. Once I reach the 'internal breath' stage, if I meet him again, I can crush him with one punch."
Evan felt the Bubbling Spring Point was still empty and swirling with qi. In the end, his realm was too low and his body too weak.
When he got home this time, the front door was left open.
As soon as Evan walked in, he saw Lucy Lu, Charles Chen, and Lynn Chen sitting at the dinner table.
The atmosphere inside was a bit heavy.
"Xiao Yi, you're back! Come eat—hurry, or the food will get cold." Lucy smiled and waved Evan over when she saw him.
But Evan still noticed a trace of worry between Lucy's brows.
"Some people really know how to disappear. I was only a little late opening the door and you vanished—then Mom scolded me for it." Lynn Chen sat with her arms crossed, giving Evan a scrutinizing look. "Where did you go? Spill it."
"Just climbed down the mountain," Evan replied with a frown, taking a seat at the table.
"Climbing mountains at night? Aren't you afraid of falling?" Lynn Chen shot Evan a look, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Seeing how unfazed Evan was, Lynn just felt even more annoyed.
Evan used to come home all timid and nervous, always sneaking glances at her.
But lately, ever since a few days ago, Evan had become more and more distant—Lynn even felt like she didn't exist in his eyes anymore.
This guy was getting more arrogant by the day!
The sudden shift was hard for Lynn to accept. Worse, she realized she actually felt a bit hurt inside.
"Enough, Lynn! Eat your food and pipe down." Lucy scooped a bowl of rice for Evan, handed it to him, and shot Lynn a look.
"Hmph, just keep defending him." Lynn pouted, poking at her rice. Then she set down her chopsticks. "I'm full."
With that, Lynn headed upstairs.
Charles Chen's face remained somewhat indifferent. He glanced at Evan and finally spoke, "Evan, what did you do at school today?"
"Beat someone up." Evan shoveled in some rice and grabbed a piece of meat.
"Beat someone up?" Charles tilted his head, looking at Evan. For once, he didn't get angry. "Your teacher Mr. Zheng already called me. The injured one was your class's PE committee member, right? I trust you wouldn't start a fight for no reason. But since you fought and didn't lose, that's good! If they ask for money for medical bills, just tell me—I'll cover it for you."
"No matter what, you're at least half a member of the Chen family." Charles spoke firmly, and there was a rare note of approval in his eyes.
This surprised Evan a bit.
His hunger was driving him crazy—cultivation was exhausting enough, and he'd fought more than usual today.
"Alright, eat your food." Lucy glanced at Charles.
Charles heard Lucy and didn't say anything more.
"But you came home looking so gloomy—what happened? Did Manager Sheng say something to you?" Lucy asked cautiously.
Charles sighed, not caring that Evan was wolfing down his food, and shook his head. "Don't mention it. Ever since Manager Sheng was 'cured' by Doctor Wu, tonight he only invited Neil Ping and Doctor Wu to dinner."
"Just those two?" Lucy frowned instinctively at that.
"Yeah, just those two. Nothing I can do—Neil brought in a miracle doctor and 'cured' Manager Sheng, so in his eyes I'm useless now." Charles sounded dejected as he stood up. "I'm getting a bottle of wine. I really want to drink tonight."
That miracle doctor cured the illness?
Evan thought, there must be some misunderstanding here.
"Xiao Yi, slow down—don't choke. Drink some water." Lucy poured Evan a glass and reminded him gently.
"Mm, thanks." Evan looked at the worry on Lucy's face and sighed inwardly.
Well, for Aunt Lucy's sake, if I get the chance, I really ought to knock some sense into Manager Sheng.