Yang Zhai activated the Earth Release Ka. The air around Yang Zhai began to distort as if it were being burned. An invisible aura was being released from the ground.
As long as I stay close to the ground, I can use this aura anyway I want, just like how the Blood Demon Ka worked. However, there is a fatal flaw. I cannot jump too far away from the ground, otherwise, the aura would scatter away into the air.
Besides this, using the KA constantly would keep on damaging it, eventually getting destroyed because of the void rays.
Yang Zhai considered.
Many small, invisible two-meter spheres formed around him, and after that, they began to reduce in size, compressing the air in them.
Many small, invisible spheres, each about two meters in diameter, formed beside him. As they began to shrink in size, the air trapped inside them started to compress, increasing the pressure within each sphere. The rapid reduction in volume created a tense, almost palpable energy, as if the very air around him was being squeezed into an invisible vise.
These spheres were reduced to only a fraction of their original size.
After that, he did the same, but this time with only the aura released from the earth. A four-meter sphere filled with aura formed and began to compress. Once it was reduced to a size of one meter, Yang Zhai stopped it.
Next, two additional two-meter aura spheres formed. They were compressed and wrapped around his arms, legs, and vitals. He completed all of this in just a few seconds while maintaining a safe distance from Jun Haru.
Meanwhile, Yang Zhai activated the Aurora and the aura began to travel towards his left arm, freeing it from the toll and allowing it to move freely.
"Brother Tzu, why are you not fighting, even I, who is not a body cultivator, am ready to engage in a close combat, so why are you hesitating?! Let's have a go at it!" Jun Haru shouted excitedly as he chased Yang Zhai.
What does he mean? Isn't Tzu Yu a Mastery Path cultivator? Why would he engage in close combat? And why is this kid forming spheres? Shouldn't he be summoning beasts by now?: Mu Kang was confused. The battle had just begun and he already had many questions in mind.
He could sense the spheres being formed by Yang Zhai.
Yang Zhai didn't mind Jun Haru and kept on doing what he was doing.
After a while,
"Everything's ready, let's go…" Yang Zhai muttered and turned around abruptly.
"Uh… good, let's go!" Jun Haru was surprised but this shock turned into excitement in a mere second.
Even though Jun Haru was a wind path cultivator, he was opting for close combat, and his confidence had been boosted.
As for Yang Zhai, even though he had done body cultivation, he was not at all a match for a rank 5 body cultivator. It could be proven from the fact that his body could hold the strength of one hundred and three bulls, but his overall strength was mere that of thirty-three bulls.
The moment Yang Zhai felt that something was not right with the kas, he had put a stop to using body path kas that could modify his body, except for Seraphic Aura Ka, even though he was still using other kas for now. However, he would dedicate one to two hours daily to training with the Brown Dacite, the Dar, and the Sap Water.
The right fists of both Jun Haru and Yang Zhai collided.
I must use the right amount of strength. A rank 5 cultivator would have the strength of at least 14 bulls, accumulated after advancing five ranks. Let's say he gained extra strength from cultivation methods, and after combining with the torus, his body should be even tougher now. So, I should use strength equivalent to 20 bulls: Yang Zhai contemplated before attacking.
As such, he only used the strength equivalent to 20 bulls. However, neither of them was pushed away; it was as if the strength from both sides was equal.
They both came to a stop and went at it again. This time around, Yang Zhai used the strength that matched twenty-one bulls' strength, but the result was the same.
"That's interesting," Yang Zhai muttered.
He took a step back and then attacked again, but the force behind his fist was that of twenty-five bulls now.
"No… there's something wrong here, even after I increased my strength, the result is the same…" Yang Zhai was confused, his eyes narrowed.
He tried it with twenty-seven next time, only to see the same result.
There is no way Jun Haru is also holding back his strength and releasing the same amount of strength as I. Even if he is holding back, he would need to predict my moves in order to release the same amount of strength: Yang Zhai's brain was constantly at work, trying to figure out what was happening here.
Yang Zhai decreased his strength to twenty bulls…
The same happened again, and nobody was pushed back.
After a few minutes, the fight continued. For cultivators, this much time was enough to die tens of times.
However, there was not even a bit of progress made during the fight.
Yang Zhai's eyes narrowed as he felt something strange
There was silence around him…
Why was there silence…
This silence was eerie…
Yang Zhai gave a quick glance at the others, but didn't see any expression on anyone's face…
"Something is definitely wrong here." Yang Zhai distanced himself from Jun Haru and looked around.
His eyes narrowed as he saw others smiling, including Mu Kang, Lei Feng, Shi Kim, and Sha Ban.
As for Jun Haru, he was unaware of this as he was fully focused on Yang Zhai. He dashed at Yang Zhai again.
I cannot lose my focus for a mere moment, he isn't someone who can be defeated easily even though I am prepared… he is a dangerous person: Jun Haru thought.
The fight continued.
Don't tell me these three were sent by Mu Kang? I thought I could use them… but they were actually working for Mu Kang… don't tell me he wanted this fight to happen? Otherwise, there was no reason for him to fear me, especially in his own place. And here I was thinking he was being protective of Jun Haru.
He is more cunning than he appears to be. He must have planned everything the moment he saw me. I was just a part of his scheme, I am sure even if Jun Haru was just a rank 4 early stage, Mu Kang would have let me fight him.
Yang Zhai had these thoughts in mind.
Master Kang is really cunning. He cunningly used those three kids to manipulate this Tzu kid around. Now, we can break Jun Haru's final link to the outside world as well as evaluate Jun Haru's strength and mindset: A guard contemplated while smiling and looking at Yang Zhai.
Yang Zhai punched Jun Haru with full strength only to be disappointed. He saw no result.
As for Jun Haru, he was fighting as if enjoying the best moments of his life. He was smiling even though he was in a fight.
I need to figure out quickly what is happening here; otherwise, I would run out of void rays and fall victim to Mu Kang's scheme, which I think I already have. Yang Zhai was unable to understand what was happening to Jun Haru.
He was not affected by any of Yang Zhai's attacks.
Jun Haru is not using his full strength yet. I can sense that he hasn't become a body path cultivator but is still having a close-range fight with me, even though he is a wind path cultivator. He is clearly enjoying it as if a child has been given a toy.
I am constantly losing my void rays as well as stamina, I need to figure out what's happening. No choice left, I need to use these aura balls right away.
After thinking, Yang Zhai threw an ice spear at Jun Haru, jumped back, and ordered the Earth Release Ka to move the aura balls it had created towards Jun Haru.
Many of them came together and travelled towards Jun Haru.
The air itself seemed to shatter—KER-RACK-KER!—as the spheres ruptured in rapid succession. BOOOOM-BOOOOM-BOOOOM! The explosions overlapped, a thunderous wall of force! The air tore itself apart, and FWUMP-FWUMP-FWUMP! The shockwaves slammed into everything in their path.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM… the echoes blended into a continuous roar, fading into a low, endless RUMBLE…as the energy dissipated into chaos.
Dust rose into the air, and nothing was visible in a mere second.
The aura spheres had been compressed to the best of Earth Release Ka's ability, so the moment they hit Jun Haru, they released strong waves, and many loud sounds were produced as a result.
Yang Zhai observed all of this from a distance.
The dust subsided.
Tzu Yu, do you think you can bring about a change just by going with a powerful attack…: Mu Kang considered.
He was snickering while looking at Yang Zhai.
The dust had just subsided when Yang Zhai saw Jun Haru dashing at him.
Yang Zhai stepped back slightly and kicked Jun Haru's hand from the side, deflecting his punch. As soon as Yang Zhai's feet touched the ground, he swiftly aimed a kick at Jun Haru's abdomen. Yet, Jun Haru stood firm, unmoved by the strike.
Jun Haru paused, then spun around to counter with a powerful kick. Yang Zhai leaped backward, raising his arms to block, but the impact of Jun Haru's kick was too strong. The force sent Yang Zhai flying across the ground. He skidded for a moment before twisting his body mid-air and landing firmly on his feet.
I would have to say, even though this kid is a Mastery path cultivator, he is quite good at close combat: Mu Kang was impressed by Yang Zhai's fighting style.
Both Yang Zhai and Jun Haru came to a stop.
"Why aren't you using wind path? Did you convert to body path or something?"
"It's just that… just that I am enjoying this new strength, that's all!"
Jun Haru was panting from excitement.
Yang Zhai looked at this silently.
He then ordered the remaining spheres to attack Jun Haru.
They all struck Jun Haru again. Just as before, he was unscathed.
"Brother Tzu, no matter what you do, you cannot do anything to me… You should have realized it by now."
"Are you sure?"
"What do you mean by that, uh…"
A loud sound came and he was sent flying.
He vomited blood and fell on the ground with a thud.
!|!*****!*****!|!