Chapter 64
“Sigh, I can’t reach it.”
Chun Ma extended his hand, only for the string to go further away.
The shadows kicked his hand away and attacked him right in the head.
Chun Ma immediately assumed a fetal position to defend against his vital organ:
‘When did I become so weak?’
A thought emerged in his mind: ‘They are me, with every single thing copied from my strength to my behaviour to even the experience I have learned.’
He slowly let go of his hand, and the leg swung, slamming into his head in one fluid motion.
Bang!
Blood dripped from his forehead, gradually covering his face and entering his parched lips.
“This blood…” Chun Ma murmured, his tongue tasting the metallic warmth. “It feels so warm.”
For a moment, the world fell silent, an eerie stillness ringing in his ears, as if time itself had paused.
The shadows moved so slowly they seemed like snails, no, even slower than that.
Chun Ma’s gaze fixed on the string dangling before him, so close, yet just out of reach.
“I… I understand now.”
His blue pupils brightened, gleaming like stars. “This string is nothing but a trick of the mind, a false hope, an illusion that is binding me.”
He looked at his own fist in his blurry vision:
“There is no shortcut to power. You must work hard for it. This string was the illusion of my mind that bound me instead of a chance to break through.”
Chun Ma revised all his fights till now with closed eyes, not only of him fighting these shadows, but every fight till now.
It not only went to the fight with that necromancer but also to the memories of Drayken, where he fought with numerous opponents with his fist.
Every angle and every direction was being quickly analysed in his head. He created a problem where he could have fought more efficiently and found a solution to that problem.
It was a slow and tedious process, but he was completely immersed in this, his mind taking on a trance-like state as he blankly stared ahead with his vision blurry and crimson.
“I see. I understand it all.”
Chun Ma uttered a single sentence and looked towards the fists and kicks that were all aimed towards him and could reach him anytime, as the most optimal way for him to fight came to his mind.
An image gradually formed in his mind; this image was blurry and very hard to see, but he could feel it, as if it was a part of him itself.
He opened his bloodied mouth:
“Is this my Will?”
Chun Ma blinked, and he went back to Martial Space, where there were shadows that surrounded him from all sides, attacking him.
The entire place resumed its course, and time started to flow freely without any resistance.
Chun Ma was still in his fetal position, and the fists and kicks quickened almost immediately.
But Chun Ma didn’t panic, despite the buzzing head and blurry crimson vision.
Just when the kick was about to land, an invisible hand caught it. The shadow tilted its head in confusion.
“Will is the manifestation of your power.”
Countless invisible kicks and punches countered the punches and kicks from the shadows.
Then Chun Ma took a step forward. The power from the Du Mai meridian surged, fueling his Will as it spread outward, just a few inches beyond his body, but that was enough to completely defend against the shadows’ attack.
“Die.” Chun Ma pointed with his palm. An invisible, blurry giant appeared behind him, its face indistinct but exuding an unspeakable coldness beyond comparison.
The giant simply raised its leg and stomped on the shadows like ants before a god, crushing them completely in mere seconds.
“The Will of the body is the most efficient way to use one’s body to fight the opponent. When it reaches its peak, it will materialize into existence.”
A blue prompt appeared in front of Chun Ma:
[You have managed to externalise “Will” with your own hard work]
[You have earned the title ]
…
Your Will will be indomitable and eternal. It cannot be suppressed, nor can it be oppressed.
…
Just looking at the title, Chun Ma was thoughtful for a moment before quickly shaking his head:
“I will leave this contemplation to the main body.”
Anyway, more shadows appeared in front of Chun Ma. Now, this number had increased to 128, and…
All of them had “Wills” of their own.
Chun Ma made a bitter expression.
“This will take some time, won’t it?”
The giant behind him gazed coldly at all the figures before more giants materialized behind the shadows, each equal in power to his own.
“Let’s see what my limits are.”
Chun Ma focused on a single shadow, disregarding the others’ attacks. The giant behind him engaged in a battle with the shadow giant.
Chun Ma clashed head-on with his shadow counterpart. They were evenly matched, but he began to gain the upper hand and was about to strike.
However, the other shadows quickly closed in, their giants attacking him from all sides.
“Ahhh—!”
He cried out in pain, every fiber of his being screaming as, in an instant, his body broke down. The image behind him was shredded to pieces, and he vanished from Martial Space.
When he opened his eyes to the real world, he let out a violent roar, his bloodshot eyes reflecting the sheer agony. The pain was overwhelming.
He thrashed around, biting his own hand in a desperate attempt to regain his sanity, trying to suppress his roar.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally calmed his turbulent heart and stood, letting out a sigh.
“Sigh, I have finally reached the Third-stage Martial Realm.”
If anyone in the martial world knew of his progress, they would likely vomit and die from sheer shock at the unimaginable speed of his advancement!
Just then his ears twitch as he heard some rustling noises from outside…