There was no trace of blood on the Heart Core—only its steady, peaceful beating. To any human, this was utterly unbelievable. The two tiny holes above and below were almost invisible, hidden among tendril-like filaments as fine as hair.
"Whoa, what is that?"
A shrill voice rang out. Ma Yongjie hurriedly tried to stuff the Heart Core back into his chest, but Sylvia Blue had already darted over, grabbing the organ with one hand. Ma Yongjie grimaced, as if she was squeezing it a bit too hard.
"Amazing—your heart's outside your body and you're still alive!"
"Easy, kid."
Sylvia Blue playfully stuck out her tongue, giggling as she released Ma Yongjie's Heart Core.
"Sylvia..."
I called her name, and Sylvia immediately bowed her head and apologized. I shook my head helplessly while Ma Yongjie looked at her, still shaken.
"Little girl, don't startle me like that—I can't take it."
Ma Yongjie stood up and glanced around.
My eyes widened as I released Belle, my right hand instinctively shielding my chest. Deathbane Aura surged wildly, and with a thunderous boom, I felt a crushing pressure slam me to the ground, my back pressed flat. Ma Yongjie's right hand was already raised high.
"Quadruple Extreme..."
Ma Yongjie's fist creaked, and a deep thumping echoed from his chest. His attack was relentless, leaving me no chance to escape.
The Deathbane Aura on my right arm was powerful, yet it was shattered in an instant. With a sickening crack, my right arm broke. I gritted my teeth as Ma Yongjie's right fist crashed down toward me.
With a snap, my body split into dozens of slender snakes the width of a finger at the moment Ma Yongjie's fist landed. The Deathbane Aura snakes I formed were instantly crushed by his overwhelming force. I emerged from the writhing mass, rolled across the ground, and quickly got up as Belle flew to my side with a whoosh.
Violent Deathbane Aura erupted from every part of my body in an instant. Gripping Belle in both hands, I faced Ma Yongjie as he lunged forward with a punch of terrifying force.
"Fifth Extreme..."
My eyes widened again. With a deafening boom, my feet nearly sank completely into the ground as my body was forced downward. I struggled to block the blow, Deathbane Aura twisting behind me like a fountain, barely supporting me against the immense force.
"The Extreme isn't singular—remember that..."
With a whoosh, just as I caught sight of him, Ma Yongjie's right hand shifted into an elbow. He stepped sideways, thrusting forward, and with a heavy thud, his elbow struck my chest.
With a sickening splatter, I was sent flying, coughing up black blood. My chest caved in, a massive dent where the blow landed—even my body forged from dense Deathbane Aura was nearly pierced through. The force rippled through me, tearing my clothes and twisting my skin. My chest bones were almost all shattered.
I crashed to the ground, limbs flailing. I hadn't expected him to hit so hard—I could barely respond. Even though I matched his speed, his sheer strength was overwhelming.
With a sharp crack, I loaded my shotgun as I scrambled up. I aimed at Ma Yongjie, who was darting low and fast toward me, and pulled the trigger.
Suddenly, Ma Yongjie's arms shot backward, his fists morphing into eagle claws. I watched as his hands blurred, trailing afterimages. My eyes widened—he caught both Deathbane Aura bullets midair and flung them aside.
Explosions echoed as two clusters of Deathbane Aura detonated. Ma Yongjie was already upon me, his left hand clamping my shotgun. Just as I tried to fire, a harsh snap rang out—he twisted the shotgun into a mangled knot. His right fist was already raised.
"Sixfold Extremis..."
My eyes widened as Deathbane Aura erupted from all directions, but the moment it neared Ma Yongjie, it was instantly repelled.
Just as I thought I was about to take a direct hit, Ma Yongjie caught his own punch with a thunderous impact. Two immense forces ripped out along my sides, shaking the ground.
"How about we join in the fun?"
A cascade of white hair drifted on the air, carrying a sweet fragrance—Sylvia Blue stood before me, one hand gripping Ma Yongjie's fist.
I glanced awkwardly at Sylvia Blue, while Ma Yongjie looked displeased.
"Sylvia, don't interfere. I..."
Sylvia Blue pouted, letting out a soft 'Oh.' My body fully recovered as she released Ma Yongjie's fist, then bounced away, clearly dissatisfied.
"That little girl is strong—I've never seen a body of such strength before."
Ma Yongjie muttered, and I felt my cheeks flush.
"Let's continue."
With that, I turned and called out again.
"Sylvia, just watch quietly. Don't interfere."
Ma Yongjie lowered his fist and looked at me.
"Ethan, you're too stubborn. If you can't win, you should run. In a direct clash, my punches are far faster than yours—if you try to defend, you'll never make it in time."
I let out a weak sound, looking even more embarrassed at Ma Yongjie as he sighed helplessly.
"That split-into-snakes move was impressive. For a moment, I couldn't locate your Ghost Soul—you only got grazed. But then you tried to take the hit head-on. Your Deathbane Aura is high quality, and though I can't pierce your body, the impact still hurts you."
I muttered an 'Oh,' replaying the sequence in my mind. I was just taking hits the whole time—not only was attacking impossible, even defending was nearly out of reach. Ma Yongjie's hands were incredibly agile, switching between hard and soft at will. I remembered Xu Fu using this technique before, but I never understood it. Now, though, I was finally beginning to glimpse the secret behind their strength.