Chapter 156: Detected: Your DPS Fails to Meet Standard

When the man who had previously seemed ordinary except for his large frame took up a stance, the air around him trembled like boiling water, an ominous presence stirring to life—so intense that from her perspective, strange phenomena seemed to swirl about him.

Was it… the Big Dipper?

Interesting.

Huanhai's eyes lit up, and she softly uttered one word: "Good!"

She was a martial artist too, with her own pride, and naturally would not refuse a challenge.

According to Jia Ji's estimation, B-rank strength matched his current level; though Huanhai was old, her realm and cultivation base had only grown sharper, her spiritual power still terrifyingly potent.

"A worthy opponent."

His body shuddered violently; every muscle swelled explosively in an instant, joints cracking loudly, his physique transforming—his upper-body clothing suddenly exploded into tatters, drawing a "Whoa!" from Mudan.

A surging tide of blue aura burst forth; Jia Ji had no shame about hitting an elder—this was Huanhai!

Just not getting beaten was a success.

"What is this…?"

Huanhai, now barely half the height of Jia Ji after his Size-Enhancing Technique, exclaimed in surprise.

Something distinct from demonic energy or spiritual energy erupted from the punchmaster with the pointed head—blue aura blazed fiercely around him, radiant light flowing, and the seven previously illusory stars ignited one by one under the surge of power, forming a dipper shape.

She had never seen such a power, so unlike spiritual energy.

But there was no time left to ponder.

A thin veil of spiritual light covered Huanhai's body; when their gazes met, both pushed forward a palm simultaneously.

It looked like a normal palm-exchange sparring match—but the power contained in those palms was anything but normal.

Spiritual power and aura, two distinct forces representing their respective worlds, erupted and collided; their palms never even touched, still a foot apart, yet the two utterly different energies clashed violently.

Then, hundreds of streams of light shot outward in all directions, exploding into a blinding, massive sphere of light that radiated outward, shattering the void with such intensity it forced eyes shut.

"Such a wondrous nature of power…"

Though both were fist arts, the Big Dipper Divine Fist and the Spiritual Light Wave Fist… held decisive differences!

Though both were output-type powers, aura was born from the body, rooted in breathing techniques, specializing purely in endless destructive force—created solely to take lives.

Spiritual power, by contrast, leaned toward spiritual light—versatile, triple-layered, area-denial, mass-damage, high-tier universal enhancement—excelling in healing and defense alike, capable of countless impossible feats.

The nature of aura and spiritual power differed; though both could be cultivated through gradual practice and specific breathing, aura's growth relied more on the body, tied to the latent potential of every single cell—it was battle energy. Spiritual power, however, broke through by questioning the soul, relying on the body, but even more on a single thought.

Yet in some direction, they seemed to share another commonality—when burning one's will, both could unleash extraordinary power.

For the Spiritual Light Wave Fist, formidable spiritual power arose from a formidable mind and soul: "Mind surpasses all things; one spark of spiritual light surpasses all."

For the Big Dipper, boundless emotion could force the body to unleash boundless power.

If the two could merge… wouldn't that allow a second-level burst?!

"I understand completely…"

As the Secret Technique "Water Shadow Heart" activated fully, Jia Ji unconsciously smiled—but Huanhai was displeased.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

BOOM!!!

Huanhai applied more force; spiderweb cracks erupted violently from beneath their feet, stone slabs trembling like carpets, each one lifting and flipping—luckily, Mudan and Xuecai had already flown far away, or they'd have been caught in the blast.

The short figure, cloaked in indigo spiritual light, forcibly dragged the towering figure wrapped in ocean-deep blue aura upward from the ground—like two terrifying meteors crossing paths, leaving dual-colored trails, tearing through the air with an aura that terrified beasts and silenced birds, crashing violently into the mountain forest.

BOOM—

Blinding energy waves exploded with hurricane-force winds; trees fell, the earth shook, fissures split open, the air vibrated, and everything nearby was engulfed by a surging shockwave.

Within a hundred-meter radius, the battlefield had been utterly flattened; as their battle intensified, a scorching, wild hurricane roared skyward—if this had occurred in a city, it would have destroyed several streets.

Undoubtedly, this was the battle between the two strongest lives on the entire mountain.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Fists wrapped in spiritual light shot out like rapid streaks of cold light, striking Jia Ji's chest and both sides; the reinforced fists sent his heavy frame reeling back three steps.

"Strong!"

Jia Ji's body trembled, his footing unsteady, as if he might topple backward—but he took one deep breath, his leg muscles bulging fully, rooting him firmly in place—from hair to toe, every part brimmed with surging battle aura.

Huanhai's gaze sharpened, her heart shaken—he was immune even to Spiritual Strike Fist! Such durability…

"Pity—spiritual power may be powerful, but in raw force, it still falls short of our Dragon-Transcending Aura. In short… DPS is insufficient! Detection failed! Not enough!"

Though she didn't understand what he was saying, Huanhai's instinct told her it wasn't praise—the trash talk ignited a nameless fury in the master of the Spiritual Light Wave Fist.

"Insufficient? Then try this next!"

Huanhai's figure vanished instantly; the next moment, she appeared behind Jia Ji, spiritual power gathering at the tip of her index finger—a brilliant, visible glow radiating palpable danger.

Azure spiritual light condensed at her fingertip; as energy surged rapidly, the sphere expanded to the size of a human body, then, under the master's precise control, compressed until it shrank to the size of a basketball.

Though Jia Ji was tall, his reaction speed was by no means slow; sensing spiritual power gathering behind him, he adjusted his stance instantly, facing his opponent head-on, activating his ultimate offensive secret technique at full intensity…

It was fucking…

"Spiritual—Ball—!!"

Wind howled; Jia Ji stared at the incoming attack—one of this world's most lethal techniques—and clenched his fist. Facing such danger, he grinned with excitement.

(End of Chapter)