Chapter 547

Yang Ming no longer carried the faint madness he had displayed during their first meeting.

Instead, his stance was grounded and steady, every muscle in his body subtly tensed in vigilance.

"I already know you’ve entered the Path."

Kanzaki Rei raised an eyebrow lightly.

A condensed war spear rested loosely in his right hand.

Compared to Yang Ming’s posture, Rei appeared vastly more relaxed.

"And you still intend to stop me?"

"You already lost once before. You still want to try again?"

Hearing Rei’s question, Yang Ming suddenly laughed.

"Hahaha! Since when does a warrior retreat without fighting?"

"Before meeting you, I truly had never lost."

"But if one defeat alone were enough to leave me broken forever... then how could I possibly face the road I once walked?"

Yang Ming stepped forward.

The aura around him began rising once more.

"Losing once doesn’t mean I’ll lose again."

"If I know my skills are inferior, then I’ll simply work harder."

Yang Ming spread his stance apart.

Both fists clenched tightly.

The opening form of battle had already taken shape.

His gaze locked firmly onto Rei.

And yet—

Even though Rei stood directly before him, his figure felt strangely illusory.

As though he didn’t truly exist there at all.

The pressure Rei radiated now was far more terrifying than during their previous encounter.

Rei’s expression gradually became serious as well.

"Actually, if we’re being honest... the gap between us this time really is smaller than before."

The instant Rei’s words fell—

Yang Ming suddenly felt an overwhelming impact slam directly into his abdomen.

BOOM!

And Rei himself hadn’t moved an inch from where he stood.

「Azure Path — Path Three: Causality」

First the hit connects.

Only afterward does the strike occur.

A massive hole exploded through Yang Ming’s abdomen as his body was violently blasted backward.

His eyes filled with disbelief.

Smaller gap?

Where exactly was the gap smaller?!

During their previous battle, at least there had still been room to exchange offense and defense.

But this time—

He hadn’t even been given the opportunity to defend.

His feet scraped violently through empty space as he desperately tried to stabilize himself.

"The difference is... this time, I advanced Warrior to Level 7 first."

Yet Rei’s voice echoed directly into Yang Ming’s Sea of Consciousness like a pursuing ghost.

Yang Ming’s pupils contracted in shock.

Inside his own consciousness—

Another Rei had appeared.

The figure within his mind mirrored the exact same posture as the Rei standing in reality.

"You won’t need to face my Level 7 Mage class."

"Last time, using a Level 6 Mage against your Level 5 Warrior was admittedly a bit unfair."

"But this time... I can’t really be accused of bullying you anymore."

Yang Ming hadn’t spoken a single word aloud.

Everything was Rei’s telepathic voice directly entering his mind.

It was as though Rei had completely seen through his thoughts.

"Bullying me? Are you pitying me?!"

Yang Ming roared in fury!

SKREE—

At last, Yang Ming forcefully halted his body midair.

The destroyed flesh around his abdomen rapidly regenerated.

The healing was visible to the naked eye—

Even faster than Elarosa’s regeneration speed.

As expected of a being who could ascend to Level 9.

Despite currently only being Level 6, his regenerative capability already rivaled Elarosa’s at Level 8.

Tap.

A crisp step echoed through the void.

Rei’s figure instantly appeared beside Yang Ming.

Yang Ming immediately swung a horizontal punch!

The fist carried overwhelming momentum like a surging tidal wave!

Though merely a single punch, it felt like an entire army charging into battle beneath an emperor’s command.

BZZZZ—

Just before the punch reached Rei’s face—

Time stopped.

Within Rei’s eyes, all things became completely transparent.

At this moment, he possessed infinite time to think.

And then—

Time resumed.

Rei calmly drifted backward by half a step.

Facing Yang Ming’s sweeping right fist head-on, Rei threw a punch of his own.

「Imperial Path — Path Two: Emperor’s Might Torrent」

BOOM!

The instant their martial intent collided—

Rei himself seemed to transform into a sovereign king.

Golden authority radiated from his eyes.

His domineering fist strike instantly obliterated Yang Ming’s entire right arm.

The whole arm exploded into bloody mist.

For the moment, regeneration was impossible.

But Yang Ming’s first concern wasn’t the damage to his body.

It was Rei’s technique.

He’s learning from me!

Yang Ming instantly realized what Rei was doing.

Learning another warrior’s combat techniques during battle was something every genius warrior could accomplish.

And for those with monstrous comprehension—

The copied technique could sometimes become even stronger in their hands than in the original user’s.

Why did Yang Ming understand this so well?

Because he himself was exactly that kind of genius.

He constantly used other people’s combat arts in battle.

But Path Manifestation Techniques were different!

Even if someone could comprehend another’s Path Technique, there should still be a process.

At minimum, it should require gradual understanding throughout battle.

Yet here—

Before Yang Ming’s technique had even landed—

Rei had already mastered it.

Not only mastered it—

He had improved it and retaliated with even greater power!

And during that split-second moment of shock—

BANG!

BANG BANG BANG!

A chain of explosive impacts erupted!

Bloody mist burst endlessly from Yang Ming’s body!

"Losing focus in battle?"

"That’s a fatal mistake for a warrior, isn’t it?"

Rei stood behind Yang Ming, war spear in hand.

Even now, Yang Ming still hadn’t seen how Rei had attacked.

Yang Ming himself had intended to analyze Rei’s techniques and learn his Path Manifestation Arts.

But he couldn’t even perceive Rei’s movements.

"Don’t get arrogant!"

Yang Ming roared!

PAH!

The countless bloody holes across his body instantly regenerated.

His entire physique erupted in dazzling golden brilliance!

"Ten Thousand Battles Unbroken — Forge My Imperial Body!"

CLANG!

Yang Ming’s flesh reconstructed itself anew!

His body became far sturdier than before.

His blood and vitality surged violently.

Rei could clearly feel it—

Yang Ming’s physical durability had increased by at least tenfold compared to before his destruction.

Growing stronger through battle—

That was one of a warrior’s defining traits.

Many warriors became vastly stronger at critical health than they were at full power.

But in the very next moment—

BOOM!

Rei unleashed a sweeping kick directly into Yang Ming’s abdomen once again.

「Azure Path — Path Two: Resolution of All Things」

SHHK—

Instantly, countless cracks spread throughout Yang Ming’s body.

All of those fractures converged toward a single point—

The exact location where Rei’s shin connected with Yang Ming’s lower abdomen.

"Then let’s try this technique."

It had merely been a single kick.

Yet Yang Ming felt as though his entire body was about to shatter apart completely!

But it was precisely through this strike that Yang Ming sensed Rei’s Path.

"Don’t... underestimate me! I’ll break it for you!"

Yang Ming’s body shattered apart!

Resolution of All Things could destroy any defense.

Even a Rank-8 monster layered with countless defensive abilities would be instantly annihilated by this strike.

And yet—

Rei sharply sensed it.

At that exact instant—

Yang Ming’s Sea of Consciousness surged violently.

A completely new Path Manifestation Technique formed within his mind.

"Imperial Path — Path Fifteen: Reversal Collapse."

Path Fifteen?

Wait.

Are you cheating right now?

You’re only a Level 6 Warrior—where the hell did you comprehend a Path Fifteen?!

You’re seriously not just directly using a Level 9 Warrior’s Path Technique?!

SHHK!

Yang Ming suddenly thrust his palm outward.

The countless fractures covering his shattered body instantly spread along their original patterns—

And transferred directly onto Rei’s leg.

Then across Rei’s entire body.