Chapter 144: Don

"Damn, how do Fire Wu Warriors all move like they have qinggong, leaping across rooftops and even flying?!"

That was exactly why Jia Ji had said earlier that adding him made no difference and losing him made no difference.

These Fire Wu Warriors who leap high and vanish without a trace, along with Red World Apostles who teleport at will, were terribly unfriendly to someone like him, used to jogging slowly with Beidou.

This time, we killed Faliaguni only by ambush and assassination; if he'd had even a little more caution, even two Jia Jis couldn't catch him.

There are so many Red World Apostles worldwide; their combat power may not be high, but their skills in hiding and fleeing are better than one another.

If it were Jia Ji, his movements would be so loud he'd be detected before he even got close—he'd crush the roof just by jumping, leave giant craters and hundreds of cracks on the ground, the ultimate environmental destroyer with brute force.

All of this is because he lacks the secret art of lifting Qi and lightening the body.

Before acquiring his exclusive external aid, "Water Shadow Heart," Jia Ji had once seen Sao Sa of the Phoenix Fist use the rare speed-enhancing art "Phoenix Hudu Kuai Tian."

Back then, however, he was still far from that level; no matter how hard he watched, he could only grasp surface details.

After obtaining the "Water Shadow Heart," within the infinite time loop created by Liang Chunri, he imagined countless duels against the Holy Emperor in his mind, observing the "Ultimate Star Cross Fist" and especially the "Phoenix Hudu Kuai Tian" hundreds and thousands of times.

He might know this technique better than Sao Sa himself did back then.

But the Phoenix Fist is the strongest top-tier fist art of Nan Dou; it's not easy to copy—because his Dragon Transformation Qi doesn't align well with the Phoenix Fist, his habitual striking patterns conflict with it, and even subtle differences in his trained body make him unsuitable for using it.

So although Jia Ji had figured out some aspects of "Phoenix Hudu Kuai Tian," he had never been able to properly use it from start to finish.

Phoenix, wings, extreme speed, flame…

Just linking these words together immediately brings to mind the Destroying Phoenix… oh, the first association is definitely a perfect match with Xia Na.

The Holy Emperor had to simulate Phoenix wings with his arms, but Xia Na could directly manifest a pair of flame wings herself—she looked far more Phoenix-like than Sao Sa ever did.

At this point, Jia Ji felt a pang of regret: why hadn't La Ao and Sao Sa kept fighting to unleash the ultimate art, "Heaven-Soaring Cross Phoenix," so he could have copied it and practiced "Phoenix Wing Soaring"?

"My Qiyuezhe is no longer human; time is forever frozen in the present. Is it still meaningful to keep training?"

Xia Na had the same doubts as Alastor; she hadn't asked for other Nan Dou fist arts in the group precisely because of this—purely in terms of hand-to-hand combat, her lifelong honed techniques were absolutely on par with Nan Dou fighters who lacked Dou Qi, and she couldn't enhance her physical strength through ordinary training.

Learning them would only waste time.

Besides, slicing through steel with your fingers? That's not a Fire Wu Warrior anymore!

Hearing this, Yu Er wore a confused, "WTF is going on?" expression, utterly unable to follow their conversation.

"Don't worry—I say you're suitable, so you are."

Jia Ji patted his chest and assured her.

Through his own experience, he vaguely understood what "Existence Power" truly was—warping the world.

Humans whose Existence Power was drained vanished completely, forgotten by all, yet the traces they left behind didn't disappear—they became distortions in the world.

In fact, the amount of "Existence Power" a human possesses constantly changes depending on their position, status, and circumstances.

Generally, as one ages and grows weaker, their connection to the world fades, and so does their Existence Power; but some are born with extraordinary potential—their very birth carries immense significance, or they will later perform unparalleled feats, and thus their quantity far exceeds ordinary people's.

As an outsider who could leave at any moment, the world couldn't determine his future or predict the impact he'd cause, so he existed on the boundary of "Are you there? Yes, I am"—neither fully present nor fully absent.

His Existence Power was barely more than a torch about to go out—he couldn't use it for combat or cast any Zai Zai Fa.

But Xia Na was different—she was a "Noble One," her capacity sufficient to support the manifestation of the Heavenly Punishment God; the power she could wield was incomparable to ordinary Fire Wu Warriors.

"Try using Existence Power to activate 'Phoenix Hudu Kuai Tian' through the method of Zai Zai Fa!"

Zai Zai Fa—free and unbound.

The general term for all miraculous phenomena caused by "Red World Apostles" and "Fire Wu Warriors" freely manipulating Existence Power.

That is, a method to force the world to change according to one's will.

If miracles can be summoned, then there's no reason a Zai Zai Fa named "Phoenix Hudu Kuai Tian" can't be created!

"I've seen the speed achieved by stacking one layer of art; if you can stack three or four layers, or maintain it permanently, that hunter back there could've been killed the instant you saw him… I know every energy flow node and critical burst point by heart—creating it isn't impossible."

"Hmm, it's definitely feasible."

Zai Zai Fa didn't exist from the start—it was created by Zai Zai Masters.

"But…"

As the Heavenly Punishment God who had watched his Qiyuezhe grow up, he naturally understood Xia Na's level in Zai Zai Fa.

"Don't worry—I know someone who can help… Hey, they arrived fast."

Jia Ji suddenly looked toward the distance; so did Xia Na and Ban Jing You Er.

A fluctuation of time-stopping "avi" came from that direction.

"It's the aura of a Fire Wu Warrior."

Xia Na said grimly.

"When two Fire Wu Warriors meet, it rarely ends well."

Alastor affirmed this—he'd seen too many cases of Fire Wu Warriors fighting over prey; some hotheads even refused to communicate and attacked immediately.

Not all Fire Wu Warriors are allies.

Usually, if one Fire Wu Warrior is in a city, others will avoid it; if someone forcibly intrudes, you know their nature.

"Don't say things that harm unity! Let me go deal with that guy!"

Blocking Xia Na with a raised hand, Jia Ji leaped away in several bounds, racing swiftly from Ban Jing You Er's home toward the Yuzhi Super High Tower—where exactly lived the teacher who could make up for their lack of Zai Zai Fa: the "Elegy Reciter," Machonlin Duo.

(End of Chapter)