Chapter 36: Sustaining War with War

"Well done!" Mu Tianfeng roared, advancing instead of retreating, raising both fists to counterattack Mu Tianhen. At this moment, he had summoned his meridian power, forming a protective aura around himself. With this powerful shield, he had no fear of Mu Tianhen's poisonous attack. He wanted everyone to see clearly that no matter the method, if strength is lacking, one must kneel before true power.

This time, he held nothing back, determined to quickly defeat Mu Tianhen. If Mu Tianhen dared to stand his ground, he would be courting death. Thus, Mu Tianfeng's counterattack was even more forceful than before. Wherever his fists passed, it seemed as if the air itself would be torn apart.

Witnessing this, everyone felt relieved, convinced that Mu Tianhen would soon be wounded and fall, to be punished and finished off by Mu Tianfeng right then and there.

"Brother, be careful!" Mu Tianxue cried out instinctively, her nerves taut. She squeezed Little White's ears even harder, causing the creature to yelp in pain, its tail shooting straight up.

Mu Tianhen felt the fierce attack approaching and knew that clashing head-on would bring him no benefit; he might even be injured. So, he shifted his position, angling himself to the side to prepare for dispersing the force.

Just then, their fists collided.

Bang!

A deep sound echoed as Mu Tianhen staggered back several steps, shock flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Mu Tianfeng's full-force strike to be so terrifying. If he hadn't prepared in advance, a single punch would have robbed him of his fighting strength.

Indeed, battling across realms was no easy feat. But within that punch, Mu Tianhen made a new discovery.

He clearly felt the powerful impact from Mu Tianfeng's fist inflicting considerable pain on his organs and meridians. Yet, because of this injury, the effects of the Infinite Heart Technique were automatically activated, rapidly repairing his internal wounds. His condition improved instantly.

That was the first revelation. The second, and most astonishing, was that after his injuries healed, his defensive abilities noticeably improved—meridians, organs, flesh, and bones alike.

"Tempering the body! This is what the Heart Technique refers to as body tempering!"

Mu Tianhen rejoiced, his understanding of the technique deepening.

Meanwhile, Mu Tianfeng saw that his punch had forced Mu Tianhen back. Though he hadn't inflicted real harm, it was proof enough that he could overwhelm Mu Tianhen. His confidence soared, arrogance written clearly across his face.

"Worthless! Take another punch!" Mu Tianfeng shouted, attacking once more.

This time, Mu Tianhen did not dodge like before, but met the blow head-on.

In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in fierce combat.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dense, muffled collisions resounded, each strike stirring waves of energy through the air, causing it to ripple continuously.

The clash between two true masters captivated the audience. No one dared blink, fearing they'd miss a dazzling moment, or lose the chance to learn from what they saw.

This battle weighed heavily on many hearts.

Little White, forgetting the pain in its ears, stared intently at both combatants, hoping its master would prevail. But every time its master was driven back by the opponent's fierce attack, Little White's heart raced with anxiety.

Mu Tianxue felt much the same, but with an added action—each time her brother was pushed back, she squeezed Little White's ears even harder, nearly twisting them off.

Mu Qianyuan and Mu Tianxiang were similarly conflicted. They worried that Mu Tianhen would lose, plunging the Mu family into the darkness of Mu Tianfeng's rule, soon to be crushed by rival clans. Yet, they also feared that if Mu Tianhen won, his demonic nature would erupt, leading to a fate even worse than Mu Tianfeng's—perhaps a massacre of the entire Mo family, destroying centuries of heritage in a single stroke.

They were torn, helpless, unable to decide what to hope for.

But there was nothing they could do; they didn't know what action to take. All they could do was watch, nerves taut.

The two fighters moved faster and faster—one advancing, the other retreating; one attacking, the other defending—their struggle fierce and unyielding. Each blow sent a tremor through the hearts of their onlookers.

At the same time, the crowd couldn't help but marvel at the vast gap between themselves and true masters. Neither fighter was someone they could contend with; they couldn't even withstand a single move.

As the battle raged, time flew by. Unbeknownst to all, a stick of incense's worth of time had already passed.

At this moment, Little White, whose ears were still being pinched, finally felt the sharp pain and cried out, urging Mu Tianxue to let go.

Unfortunately, all it could produce was a soft whimper, and Mu Tianxue could neither understand nor even hear it. All her attention was fixed on her brother.

Unlike Little White, who shared a special bond with Mu Tianhen and could sense his changes during the fight, Mu Tianxue could only judge the battle by what she saw.

Little White began to relax because it clearly sensed its master growing stronger during the fight. From never daring to face his opponent head-on, always retreating, he had now reached a balance of power. Moreover, his strength was still rising. It wouldn't be long before he could suppress his enemy. Thus, Little White no longer feared for his master, but instead pitied the unlucky opponent.

Mu Tianfeng, too, sensed Mu Tianhen's transformation.

At first, Mu Tianfeng had believed he could easily crush Mu Tianhen—within fifty moves, he thought, he could defeat him and humiliate him at will.

Yet to his shock, not only had Mu Tianhen not fallen injured, he was growing stronger, his counterforce increasing with each exchange. He could now withstand Mu Tianfeng's blows directly, retreating less and less.

In other words, this man could become stronger as the battle went on, and rapidly so. He was a true demon!

Mu Tianfeng began to panic, truly panic. If this continued, not only would he fail to defeat Mu Tianhen easily, he might not win at all. He might even be beaten by this "worthless" opponent.

"No! He is just trash! How could he possibly defeat me?"

Despite sensing Mu Tianhen's change, Mu Tianfeng refused to acknowledge it, clinging to his belief that Mu Tianhen was worthless and maintaining his sense of superiority.

Thus, Mu Tianfeng's attacks grew fiercer, expending large amounts of meridian power. He unleashed the Heaven's Pavilion Fist, a technique he had only recently learned, determined to win quickly.

Indeed, after employing the Heaven's Pavilion Fist, Mu Tianfeng gained a clear advantage, forcing Mu Tianhen to retreat repeatedly, unable to defend, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Worthless! Die!"

Mu Tianfeng roared, lunging forward, his fists creating phantom shadows, as if he possessed many arms—an intimidating sight.

Mu Tianhen, though wounded and suffering, did not evade, but continued to trade blows.

The heavier his injuries, the slower his recovery, but his strength grew even more after healing. After Mu Tianfeng unleashed the Heaven's Pavilion Fist, this effect became even more pronounced.

Moreover, as he was pushed back again and again, Mu Tianhen discovered new changes in his body.

PS: Special thanks to Sister Lily for recommending "Mythical Three Kingdoms," Dog One Year for "Lord, I Don't Want to Work Overtime," and Dog Dream for "Strange Tales: Seeking Longevity." Thank you!