"If this way of fighting doesn't work, you need to consider other strategies, Ethan. Think carefully about what kind of power you possess."
At the small pavilion, the sound of crunching echoed. A fresh batch of cookies had just come out of the oven, made by Agent Seven. Sylvia Blue and Entity 001 kept eating, while I was still pondering the recent battle. Ma Yongjie wanted me to think before continuing.
Shen Yan's words were spot on. Right now, I'm using a sword and gun combo, fighting at close range. My original plan was to keep attacking with the sword and, when I found an opening, strike with the gun on my back. But defense is a major issue.
Even with my dense Deathbane Aura, Ma Yongjie can still disperse it. My aura isn't strong enough to pierce his skin—this is a serious problem. And the Immortality Society, Xu Fu and the others, should be even stronger—far more powerful than Ma Yongjie.
Even if I use a massive amount of Deathbane Aura to obscure vision, Ma Yongjie, once he unleashes his power, can see clearly with his protruding, root-entwined eyes. He can easily track my position. Using Deathbane Aura as a distraction is pointless.
Suddenly, I remembered how Sylvia Blue blocked Ma Yongjie's attack. Her body didn't budge an inch. The force was so strong that she should've been pushed back, but at that moment, it seemed like the power split apart, surging past me on both sides.
This reminded me of the time in the world of sunlight, when the Wraithlord temporarily lent me his eyes. Everything I saw—the tiny particles that make up curse power, some big, some small—once their stability is destroyed, things get chaotic.
I smiled. The Earth Soul looked at Sylvia Blue with some dissatisfaction, then shouted.
"Sylvia, come with me. I have something to say to you."
Sylvia Blue answered with an 'okay' and stood up. The Earth Soul, looking annoyed, led the two of them behind the apartment building. I was a bit surprised by how close they'd become.
"Looks like you've thought of something. Go on, Ethan."
Ma Yongjie put down his teacup and stood up. I gave a grunt and floated into the air.
Facing Ma Yongjie, I still felt the same invisible pressure as always. Suddenly, I drew two Desert Eagles and pulled the triggers.
Bang, bang—the black bullets shot out. Ma Yongjie charged at me. Not a single shot hit; he dodged them all with ease. A flush of red crept up my cheek.
I had just figured out something in my mind—now it was time to put it into practice. Sure enough, Ma Yongjie suddenly appeared right in front of me.
"Triple Extreme..."
In an instant, my Deathbane Aura turned slightly red—the power of curse energy had greatly amplified it. Immediately, I let go and gripped Belle with both hands. When I saw Ma Yongjie's fist, I swung Belle at him.
High-density Deathbane Aura coiled around Belle. With a boom, I could fully withstand the force this time.
"It looks like you've grasped something, but you still can't control it yet, Ethan."
A sizzling sound filled the air; friction was so intense that wisps of blue smoke rose. My Deathbane Aura scattered to both sides, and Belle was still pressed against Ma Yongjie's fist.
"Any powerful force can be countered either by an even greater force, or—most efficiently—by finding its point of exertion and splitting it apart in an instant."
As Ma Yongjie spoke, he withdrew his fist. I didn't understand what he meant.
"Since you've grasped this, there's no need to keep using Surface Extremis. Next is Inner Extremis—a concept I realized during my bouts in the Forest of Desire."
I gave a soft 'oh' and swallowed. With a boom, Ma Yongjie and I separated—he landed more than ten meters away from me.
I've witnessed Inner Extremis many times—even recently in hell, I suffered from Xu Fu's Inner Extremis. If the Wraithlord hadn't been controlling my body, I might've already lost.
"Surface and Inner Extremis aren't about which is stronger. Many powerful people and Blue Wraiths can use both. Simply put, it's the difference between rigid and flexible force—like flowing water and solid rock."
Suddenly, I understood. I'd seen this kind of power countless times.
"Looks like you've seen it plenty. That's good. The Immortality Society's Inner Fist Extremis is a bit different, though—like how I easily blocked your Spectral Shotgun's bullets with my hand. That's Inner force. The main advantage of mastering their Inner Fist Extremis is being able to destroy from within, but only if the target's external strength is weaker than your own."
I nodded slightly. Ma Yongjie bent his body, looking ready to charge at any moment.
My mind raced with all sorts of strategies, but none seemed to work. All I could do was concentrate my Deathbane Aura on the surface of my body. Gradually, a layer of black tortoise-shell patterns appeared on my skin.
A look of surprise flashed in Ma Yongjie's eyes, then he gave a cold smile. I could sense a murderous intent radiating from him.
With a boom, Ma Yongjie shot toward me like a cannonball. I didn't hesitate—Belle in my hand slashed repeatedly, sending waves of Deathbane Aura at him.
Bang, bang—I stared wide-eyed. Every wave of high-density Deathbane Aura I unleashed was scattered without exception.
With a boom, a fist appeared before me. Without thinking, I heard a crack—red chains instantly shot out from my shoulders and wrapped around Ma Yongjie's fist. I leaped back, a buzzing sound filled the air as curse power amplified my Deathbane Aura to its maximum.
The Deathbane Aura on Belle vibrated slightly. But then I felt a massive suction force—suddenly, I was pulled right in front of Ma Yongjie. The space around him twisted violently, centering on his body.
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Suddenly, Ma Yongjie roared. The instant his feet touched the ground, his fist swept past Belle in my hand and struck my left chest. I felt the force again—my body nearly torn apart in an instant. Without thinking, I swung Belle at him.
With a swish, Ma Yongjie's fist was sliced open, blood splattered. But I couldn't muster any strength, and my body began to bulge. A tremendous force exploded inside me. With a thunderous crash, I was tossed around in the air like a leaf in autumn, then slammed into the ground.
I immediately got up. Ma Yongjie's sliced-open fist slowly fused back together—a real headache, dealing with a body like his.
"If you want results in a short time, you have to strike here."
Ma Yongjie pointed to his own head. I clutched my chest, blood spilling from the corner of my mouth. I wiped it away and stood up—the Deathbane Aura within me was overflowing. In just a few seconds, I had fully recovered.
Earlier, I had fallen for a technique like this from Xu Fu. Even though I saw it clearly, I was still caught and struck in an instant. My strength collapsed, but now, in my mind, I was starting to understand what this Fist Extremis truly was.
A ghostly green glow lit up in my hand. Suddenly, I raised my revolver and fired all six rounds in quick succession. In an instant, I released my grip and swung both arms—blades of black wind appeared around Ma Yongjie, slicing toward him. My whole body became a streak of black meteor, charging forward. If I didn't attack, nothing would be resolved. That was the clearest thought in my mind.
Bullets shimmering with green light reached Ma Yongjie, and I was already right in front of him. The wind blades on both sides, under my control, pressed in, sealing off all his escape routes.
Suddenly, Ma Yongjie's left hand moved in a circular motion in front of him. He caught all six bullets without missing a single one and tossed them behind him. He then twisted his body, nimbly dodging several wind blades. I swung Belle at his head, but in a flash, Ma Yongjie arched backward in midair to evade.
With a swish, Belle grazed his face. I immediately saw his tightly clenched fists aimed at me—I had to retreat. But in the corner of my eye, two black shadows flashed by. With a bang, Ma Yongjie clamped my head between his feet, and in that moment, my vision spun wildly.
He hurled me away, flipping me through the air. As I landed, Ma Yongjie suddenly sprang back like a coiled spring, launching himself at me. Just as I steadied myself midair, his fist was already upon me.
Immediately, I felt a powerful suction force. The space around me twisted and distorted—there was nowhere to dodge. In that instant, Shen Yan's teachings flashed through my mind.
Bang! I took a solid punch to the chest, and was instantly sent flying. With a crash, I slammed into the ground. My raised hand twisted unnaturally, creaking loudly.
"Looks like you finally understand."
I gasped, nodded, and thanked him. This technique is designed purely to break the opponent's strength—even using their own power against them.
Just now, when the force in my chest was struck, I instantly redirected that energy to my left hand. The result was obvious—when my right hand twisted, the disrupted Deathbane Aura immediately dispersed.
It's incredibly tricky—a technique like this is impossible to defend against. Once your combat strength is destroyed, you can't mount an effective defense, and what follows is the blow from Surface Extremis.
"This is the Fist Extremis of the Immortality Society—balanced in both offense and defense, a truly perfected power. Qingyuan, remember this: if it weren't for..."
"If this weren't just practice, I'd have already lost—maybe I wouldn't even be able to get up."