"Die!"
Liu Chang'an's roar came from the gut. He exploded forward at a speed he'd never reached before. Muscles coiled, every fiber honed for one final strike.
This was his strongest punch. Failure was impossible. He would bury the Shaolin heir's secret here and now.
Thunder condensed at the tip of his fist—years of tempering, decades of practice poured into that single blow. The air itself seemed to harden. Pressure waves rolled outward with the wind, making the world tremble.
Liu Chang'an's eyes gleamed. With his boosted talent he'd grown stronger—this was SS-rank [Frog Might] in all its glory. This strike contained everything he had.
Chen Xiao didn't have time to be surprised.
Jiang YunHan shouted, "Watch out!" but it came too late. The fist cut like lightning toward Chen Xiao's skull.
Then—at the very moment the wind was about to touch his head—something cold met it.
An invisible layer. A quiet release of force. A ripple spread calmly from behind Chen Xiao, diffusing into the arena like a stone's wave across a still lake. The violent impact stalled, swallowed by silence. Only the far-reaching afterwave remained, witnessing how the collision had been neutralized.
The punch had been shattered as simply as that.
Jiang YunHan stared—what trick was this? Was Chen Xiao even human?
The little monk blinked in awe. "Chen Xiao, are you Gaara?" He looked like he'd stepped into an anime: sand defense, absolute shelter, the whole dramatic thing.
But the truth was more direct. Chen Xiao's All-Things-Water wasn't an automatic shield. It obeyed his will. One of its uses was to take soft, deep water and form an invisible, flawless barrier—fluid defense defeating hardness.
It stopped most attacks. It was elegant, cunning, and Chen Xiao controlled it perfectly.
Liu Chang'an paled. Fear cut through him; the secret was gone. He didn't care about the Shaolin heir anymore—he wanted to live. He tried to pull back.
Then, the invisible ripples solidified. They moved like living roots—vortices that shot out and braided around Liu Chang'an's retracted fist. They slithered up his arm and locked around him, then hauled his whole body like an iron anchor.
"Shit!"
Liu Chang'an hadn't expected Chen Xiao's power. He gritted his teeth and poured strength into his arm. He was going to rip it off.
Chen Xiao wouldn't allow it. With All-Things-Water he was offense and defense at once. Coupled with Tyrannosaurus-level muscle, he could go through anything.
He twisted his waist and snapped a kick. Liu Chang'an was sent flying backward.
Chen Xiao sneered, cold and casual. "So impatient."
Liu Chang'an spat blood, teeth broken, collapsed. "Chen Xiao… I know things. Spare me—" he begged.
Chen Xiao slapped him, knocking out three more teeth. "I don't need your secrets. I'm the apocalypse's master now. You tried to kill me. Not my fault you lost."
He pressed his foot down, ending it.
A gentle chime in Chen Xiao's ear: [Evolution Points +90]
Not bad. Liu Chang'an was worth more than he expected.
He let the body go and turned to the little monk's innocent face. No sorrow—just business.
"Little monk—aren't you sad? He escorted you all the way." Chen Xiao dusted his clothes, casual as ever.
"Why should I be sad? What is sadness?" the monk answered plainly.
Chen Xiao nearly punched him at the calmness. "Do you know what they planned to do to you in the capital?" he asked.
The little monk nodded. "Of course."
Chen Xiao's eyes hardened. "You still want to go? You want to die?"
The monk shook his head. "If my existence can relieve the pain of the people, I will not refuse."
Chen Xiao stared. What a death wish. "Fine then—go die on your own."
He called to Jiang YunHan, "Let's go. Back to the warehouse."
The monk looked worried. "Chen Xiao, I don't know the way. You have to take me to the capital."
At that, a seed of calculation sprouted in Chen Xiao's chest.
This boy wasn't ordinary. In his past life he'd been among the world's top combat power—top twenty. His potential was limitless. If Chen Xiao could snatch and mold him—train him—he could climb the ranks fast. Even without turning him into a war machine, placing him in the top fifty wouldn't be hard.
Chen Xiao's grin sharpened. "Alright. You come with me."
The monk's face brightened, then grew serious. "Chen Xiao, my existence is a key piece set by Chang'an Temple—"
Chen Xiao cut him off, covering the boy's mouth. "You're no piece. We'll be the ones playing the game. Come with Brother Xiao—eat well, live well."
The monk hesitated. "I can't eat meat or drink wine. It violates Chang'an Temple precepts."
Chen Xiao rolled his eyes. "You heard of the old saying? 'Meat and wine pass through the intestines, the Buddha remains in the heart.' You're a monk who left the temple, not still bound there. What precepts are you following now?"
"But—"
"But what? Ever tasted fragrant lamb slices?" The monk's young face betrayed temptation. He put his palms together and swallowed.
Chen Xiao seized the opening. "Here's the deal: come back to the warehouse with me. I'll show you the joys of the mortal world. Monks are supposed to experience life, right? Purify the heart by stepping into the chaos."
"Brother Xiao will take you there—help you achieve Mahayana Buddhism in one go. Reasonable, yes?"
The little monk pondered, images of food and warm human life flooding his thoughts. At last he nodded, voice small: "Then I will follow my free heart and enter the world with you, to temper my resolve."
"Only promise me one thing," Chen Xiao said, rubbing his temple. "After that, you send me to the capital. You'll go save—whatever you claim to save."
Chen Xiao covered his mouth, helpless. "No problem. You don't have to be dramatic. Taking you is saving the world, okay?"
The boy's eyes shone. Chen Xiao let out a short laugh—opportunist and father-figure in one.
They left the arena together.