Linfei's breath hitched as the massive serpent lashed its muscular body with a terrifying speed, a living shadow pulsing with Qi at the Third Level. The beast's coils whipped through the air, striking like thunderclaps aimed to crush and poison.
Linfei did not hesitate. Drawing deeply on his Third Level breakthrough, he slipped into the fluid stances of Iron Fist Boxing, his fists igniting with focused Qi. With each punch, his movement was precise—one moment a sudden lunge, the next a twisting sidestep, avoiding the snake's crushing strikes with a dancer's grace. His feet tapped lightly but swiftly, shifting weight and angle to keep his balance despite the serpent's overwhelming power.
Yet, the serpent's fangs found their mark. A savage strike grazed Linfei's arm, tearing skin and burning his flesh with venomous Qi. Another heavy coil caught him on the ribs, pain lancing through his body and forcing a stagger. Blood seeped through tears in his clothes—marking the fight's price.
But Linfei did not yield. Every injury sharpened his resolve. He tightened his breathing, clearing his mind, anticipating the serpent's movements with increasing clarity. His fists struck with thunderous force—each punch aimed at weakening tendons, disrupting the beast's balance. The Iron Fist Boxing techniques he had poured weeks into training now danced in deadly harmony with his Qi, exploding in bursts of light and power on impact.
The serpent struck again, a whirlwind of fang and scale, but Linfei twisted at the last moment, slipping past the lethal range. Seizing the opening, he lunged upward with a devastating uppercut—Qi surging into his fist like molten steel. The punch collided with the serpent's underbelly, the weak spot lining its vulnerable flesh.
A sickening crack rang through the clearing as ribs shattered beneath the force. The serpent writhed in agony, sent a deafening hiss through the forest, then collapsed. Its powerful heart slowed, then stopped.
Gasping for breath, Linfei drew his dagger and carefully harvested the choicest parts: the serpent's tough supple skin, prized by cultivators for its ability to increase physical strength and toughness when refined; and its razor-sharp fangs, potent ingredients for elixirs that could enhance Qi circulation. Both were treasures in the pavilion market, worth a small fortune.
With the deadly encounter behind him, Linfei wiped the blood from his wounds and felt the steady pulse of his Qi circulation strengthen—proof that every strike and every dodge, every injury sustained and overcame, had tempered his body further and deepened his control over the Iron Fist techniques.