Chapter 238

Lin Xiong's entire body emitted a continuous series of crackling explosions, like a string of firecrackers detonating inside him.

His alloy-cast body trembled unceasingly, humming and vibrating like a struck tuning fork.

The force of Qin Shi's fist traveled back and forth through him, leaving every bone numb and tingling, as if a violent electric current had passed through, a painful itch like ants gnawing.

Knocked back by a single punch, Lin Xiong's eyes revealed astonishment, as if he couldn't believe it:

"The 'Pure Rigid Whale Armor' combined with a Professional-grade specialized domain, yet it could be shaken, toppled? This kid, he's too fierce!"

Lin Xiong's body stiffened, hanging on the wall; only with great difficulty did he muster a bit of strength, dispelling the weakness that welled up unbidden.

He spread his palms, his broad latissimus dorsi tightening, pushing himself out of the metal wall bit by bit.

Feet back on the ground, he felt his legs go soft for the first time in ages, nearly unable to stand.

"The 'Pure Rigid Whale Armor' broken — I actually got to taste the 'rebound' property."

Lin Xiong shook his thick neck, grinned, and said.

Life force surged from within his hundred bones, like an oil well of abundant reserves; the vast vitality stored in every inch of flesh and blood, with his mortal body awakened, released wantonly outward.

Crash—!

The viscous air wave was compressed; Lin Xiong stood like a solid steel pillar weighing over a dozen tons, planted firmly in the room, his every gesture capable of cleaving space.

When life force condensed to its utmost, strands of deep blue radiance intertwined, transforming into a colossal giant whale leaping from the sea surface!

The tyrannical might of a Professional-grade expert was displayed without a doubt!

"Just now I was careless."

Lin Xiong clenched his fists, his expression grave.

"This is my true perfect state!"

He had to admit one thing: this youthful successor of the Nanhuang Dao Guan indeed had the capital to make him take him seriously.

Hard to imagine, a top graduate of Southwest United, a crack soldier of the Seventh War Corps' Wind Scythe Sequence Army.

Would actually need to muster twelve-tenths of his spirit to deal with an underage little brat?

Indeed as Top Scholar Wu Yong said.

Winning wouldn't be glorious either.

Lin Xiong, always called the "Top Scholar," finally understood the feeling others had watching him sprint for high scores.

The last time he personally witnessed this kind of cognition-shattering, unconventional "monster".

Was still at the War Corps' Great Competition, witnessing that "Imperial Capital Crown Prince" appear.

"The back waves push the front waves! The new generation's youth geniuses are truly strong without limit!"

Lin Xiong couldn't help but sigh; the other party becoming Tai'an Region's Supernova, selected for the Fire Seed Reserve List, was beyond reproach.

If placed in their cohort, he'd definitely get special admission to the Four Great National Universities, a hot commodity everyone would fight for.

"A Professional-grade expert's frame is just hard."

Qin Shi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lin Xiong whose momentum had climbed to its peak.

His fist was red, his joints ached; even with the Body Refining Furnace operating at full power, and using Hundred Aspects Refining Force to absorb the Professional domain's "rebound" property, he still couldn't topple the opponent in one sustained push.

"Domain! Life force domain, greatly weakening injuries caused by ordinary fists and feet! This is also one of the reasons Professional-grade experts can bore through small-scale battlefields — the vast majority of kinetic impacts get neutralized……"

Qin Shi's gaze flickered; his life magnetic field continuously enveloped Lin Xiong, combined with the Xu Kong Ancient Mirror's inner and outer reflection, he saw with incomparable clarity.

The opponent activated the 'Pure Rigid Whale Armor', like a colossal giant whale over a hundred meters long; life breath profound as the sea, vast beyond measure.

Every muscle of his body seemed covered in biological armor, indestructible!

"Must use a 'sure-kill technique' to end the bout."

Qin Shi concentrated his spirit; in the countless combat retrospections within his inner landscape, he had been beaten repeatedly, summing up insights through shed blood and tears.

To injure a Professional-grade expert, either use a same-tier property to condense a killing move; or find a fatal flaw and land a single sure hit.

"The 'Pure Rigid Whale Armor's' defense is extremely strong; even if weaknesses exist, I may not be able to catch them."

Repeated failures, repeated trial and error, made Qin Shi's experience fighting Professional-grade experts exceptionally rich.

The Dimensional Slash spell slot skill opened by the 'Xu Kong Meditation Method' has too long a wind-up, hard to land.

The Hundred Aspects Refining Force's wind-fire combined strike cannot pierce the whale armor's rebound.

Body Refining Furnace activating Second Stage, pushed to the utmost, might be able to contend a bit.

Thoughts flashing, thinking racing, Qin Shi decided to use the 'Soldier Optimization Combat Method'.

According to Lao Liang, this path personally opened by Qin Shuai has no threshold; the only requirement is a long health bar, able to endure the burn.

New Dongxia's second millennium, the stage when the Great Expedition War was most frequent and highest in intensity.

The 'Soldier Optimization Combat Method' cultivated by everyone in the Fourth War Corps, known as "health bar thick enough, even a Star God can be chopped for you to see"!

"Qin Classmate, from now on I may not be able to hold back."

Lin Xiong stepped forward; the giant whale leaped the sea, churning the atmosphere, momentum savage beyond description.

Whoosh!

Qin Shi didn't speak, merely mobilized life radiance, like blazing torches igniting node after node.

Light points converged, like stars, illuminating the hundred bones within, forming countless blood-colored vortexes.

The spacious training room was instantly filled by the two men's auras.

Ren You, standing in the corner, silently activated his Professional domain; as the Nanhuang Dao Guan's ninth-ranked True Disciple, he felt some lament.

He had thought Xiao Qin Shidi could let him briefly escape the tragic fate at the very bottom of the sect's food chain.

But judging by the current situation, he would soon be thrown far behind again, once more at the bottom.

"Talent so good it leaves everyone in the dust."

Ren You recalled the Martial Association Headquarters' evaluation of Qi Wuxiang in his youth.

"Let alone catching up and standing shoulder to shoulder, even glimpsing his back is hard as ascending to heaven."

As Old Ren considered, two utterly different breaths surged like tides, already covering most of the space, as if they would completely fill the vast room.

The pale blue radiance of Pure Steel Whale Armor and the blood-red brilliance of Soldier Slaughter Combat Method reflected each other!

As if half seawater and half flame, covering sky and earth, sweeping all directions!

"Hah!"

When the life nodes of Soldier Slaughter Combat Method shone brightly, burning to one hundred and sixty, Qin Shi's gaze suddenly fixed.

Already reached his limit!

The blood bar formed by stacking the values of the Four Great Limits could be called long and thick.

Yet it was only enough to simultaneously activate one hundred and sixty life nodes before breaking through the Hundred Point Threshold.

The blood-red vortex madly swallowed the rich radiance; even though Qin Shi's life force purity had reached the Second Dimension's "Sun Disc State," he still could not withstand the squeezing, his mortal body's bones gradually emptying.

"Such power, such wonder."

Qin Shi relaxed his whole body, his hand naturally hanging down, stepping out lightly.

His body tore through the air, leaving a visible solid afterimage.

With Soldier Slaughter Combat Method driving the mortal body, the might of Hundred Aspects Tempering Force was amplified by more than several times.

Qin Shi's step seemed slow but was fast, as if the void flashed, and in an instant he appeared before Lin Xiong.

The shrill, piercing wild wind dragon tornado followed closely behind, like a warplane soaring through the sky, tearing out a vacuum channel!

Qin Shi raised his hand, clenched his fist, and the surging, turbulent airflow was just completely swallowed by the punch eye!

As if opening a sluice to release a flood, booming loudly, terrifying power crushed over space, horizontally pushing toward Lin Xiong!

The metal floor shook, as if scraped by a blade sparking fire.

Layer upon layer, dense and thick white airflow, like dancing dragons and snakes, one after another bombarded Lin Xiong's solid domain!

"So cool! Xiao Qin Shidi!"

In the Control Room, Eighth Senior Sister Jian Yuzhu, responsible for the video recording, clenched her fist and waved it fiercely, very excited.

"Third Senior Sister, look! This punch, at least could knock Little Ninth's face black and blue! Xiao Qin Shidi, officially promoted from Old Tenth to the ninth of our Door!"

Old Yu smiled serenely, showing no emotional fluctuation.

Xiao Qin Shidi wanted to break through the Professional Barrier again, even crossing the great gap between life forces.

This level is not enough!

"Unless Xiao Qin Shidi's life force is sublimated to the extreme, entering the Third Dimension, Crystal State."

Old Yu dared not be certain whether Qin Shi could do it.

Soldier Slaughter Combat Method was indeed formidable, but used "burning the blood bar" as the price.

"Powerful! This kind of fight is powerful!"

Lin Xiong's eyes were blazing, not dodging or avoiding, his mortal body operating Pure Steel Whale Armor, hard-eating Qin Shi's punch.

The large hand opened, pushed forward, receiving the fist edge with his palm!

Boom!

The instant fist and palm collided!

Both figures froze!

Sinking down together without prior agreement, stepping deep pits into the smooth, flat, seemingly one-piece metal floor!

Earth shaking and mountains trembling!

The entire Training Room seemed about to be toppled by a flood, plunged into violent shaking!

"Pain! To break a trace of Pure Steel Whale Armor's top defense, letting me taste the flavor of pain!"

Lin Xiong grinned, showing white teeth:

"You are enough to be proud."

His palm was as if pierced by a sharp blade, thick tough skin tearing, fresh blood pumping out and spraying.

Although Qin Shi's punch was fierce beyond words, Lin Xiong still steadily blocked it head-on.

Next, only needing to activate the "Rebound Characteristic," Qin Shi would be defeated.

Even if walking the Old Martial Arts path, breaking through the Four Great Limits, with a sturdy body, but ultimately could not compare to proper horizontal training hard arts.

Moreover Lin Xiong mainly cultivated Pure Steel Whale Armor, almost reaching the "War Body" realm.

The limit damage he could withstand, once rebounded back, would surely heavily injure Qin Shi, completely ending the "match."

"Counted as working for Old Jiang, only that later this kid's injuries are too heavy, Nanhuang Dao Guan surely won't hold me responsible?"

Lin Xiong's thoughts flickered, Specialized Domain characteristic already fiercely activated, as a Professional Army of the war corps, never having the habit of holding back against enemies.

"You are happy too early."

Qin Shi's mental wave suddenly rang out, before that peerless rebound force could counterattack, he launched an offensive again.

Qin Shi, who had just given his all, actually still had energy left?

Such a change not only left Old Ren watching in the corner stunned, but also made Jian Yuzhu and Old Yu in the Control Room show looks of surprise.

"Xiao Qin Shidi hasn't reached his limit yet?"

……

……

"Soldier Slaughter Combat Method truly is Marshal Qin's handiwork! Not stopping until my blood bar is burned to only a trace!"

After Qin Shi broke through the Four Great Limits, his life force accumulation was almost inexhaustible, he for the first time tasted being "completely drained and squeezed dry."

The hand that formed the punch eye tightly grabbed Lin Xiong, root after root of pitch-black large tendons like pythons madly bouncing, bright red blood pumping from the bone marrow, sticky and heavy, rolling drop by drop, like mercury spilled on the ground.

Finally the skin instantly turned red, like being cooked, because of the unrestrained release of life breath, forming strange patterns like flower branches and vines.

The perfection of power and beauty!

Three Stages unfold!

The next instant.

As Qin Shi's breathing and Breath boiled completely, the countless blood-colored vortices condensed from Life Nodes shattered in an instant!

Dong!

The atmosphere of the entire Room trembled, rings of Ripples appeared, hundreds upon thousands, linked front to back, producing terrifyingly extreme destructive power!

Lin Xiong's face changed in horror; he discovered that the Mortal Body's Hundred Aspects operating the Pure Steel Whale Armor, from outside to inside, began to spiral out of control, as if intensely affected by that trembling force.

Tough Skin, solid Bones, firm flesh... as if an Invisible giant hand had forcibly stuffed them into a blender!

Ka!

Lin Xiong seemed to suffer an auditory hallucination; a crisp, clear shattering sound suddenly rang out, transmitting into his ears.

That arm of his floated with fine dense cracks; this was not Skin and flesh receiving injury, but Flesh Vitality being severely damaged, as if shattered and annihilated!

The surface instantly turned charred black!

Fortunately, Qin Shi's offensive only lasted less than a few tenths of a second, equivalent to unleashing a "half move."

Otherwise, half of Lin Xiong's body would have collapsed, utterly beyond saving!

The atmosphere calmed, the residual waves dissipated.

The Chamber fell dead silent; even a fine needle dropping to the floor could be heard.

"You've stepped into the Professional Realm?"

Lin Xiong's throat bobbed; Professional-Grade Expert instinct told him that if the other party hadn't stopped in time, he would very likely be dead.

That heart-palpitating terror of having brushed past the gates of hell froze his whole body, cold air rising straight up his back.

"No, but soon."

Qin Shi's entire body's Hundred Aspects had been squeezed dry, not a shred of strength left; speaking was somewhat difficult.

So he spoke concisely:

"Probably tonight, or tomorrow."

Lin Xiong examined his own left arm; that terrifying charred black color had spread to the Shoulder, nearly rushing past the Neck, straight to the skull.

It looked like Skin scalded, but in reality it was partial necrosis of Flesh Vitality.

The fatal wound that Professional-Grade Experts find most impossible to repair and compensate for!

"What's this move of yours called?"

Lin Xiong carefully put down his arm, afraid of shattering it by touch.

Good thing this kid didn't use a killing blow; otherwise, at minimum he'd have to sacrifice an arm, process retirement on the spot, end his military career.

Spread the news, a dignified War Soldier of the Seventh War Corps Wind Scythe Sequence Army, disabled because he couldn't beat a High School Student.

This joke would be huge, enough for people to gossip about for a lifetime!

"Hundred Aspects Refine Momentum, Move Like Thunder."

Qin Shi stood swaying; he too had a flash of inspiration, comprehending the Heart Intent Imagery of Move Like Thunder from within Swift as Wind, Invade Like Fire, combining it with the Soldier Conquest Combat Method, successfully piercing through Lin Xiong's Professional Realm!

"Lao Liang was right. Clashing with Corps War Soldiers, must end quickly, especially using weakness to strike strength; at most three moves, must press the winning hand, Activate the killing technique."

Hundred Aspects Refine Momentum?

Lin Xiong silently memorized it, then said:

"Very much looking forward to your 'spar' with Old Jiang. He's among the very top in the Wind Scythe Sequence Army; if you can win, all major War Corps will open their doors wide to welcome you."

Qin Shi acted as if he hadn't heard; if he truly took the War Corps path, it would inevitably be following Lao Liang's connections.

Maybe he knows some Company Commander or Battalion Commander or something, that counts as having backing.

As for higher up, Regiment Commander and Division Commander?

Qin Shi didn't dare think.

With that kind of background.

How could Lao Liang have retired miserably, stripped of medals, unable to even get Disability Subsidy.

"Professional Realm, already formed."

Waiting until Lin Xiong left, only then did Qin Shi stop maintaining appearances, falling backward.

The Nanhuang Dao Guan's Active Consciousness Entity Xuan Ming caught him in an instant, preventing a fall.

Qin Shi, seemingly exhausted to the extreme, closed his eyes; within his Mortal Body, a real and tangible "Rhombic Crystal" slowly emerged.

It was like a second heart, thriving and "growing" inside flesh and blood; all Inheritance seemed like stars surrounding the Sun, slowly rotating, overflowing with Light Radiance.

This is the thing Professional-Grade Experts dream of.

The "Perfect Core" that achieves Great Unity of flesh and Spirit!

(Chapter End)