Chapter 103: Against the Tide

Chapter 103: Against the Tide

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Despite growing up in a city named after its port, Liu Jin does not have much experience with the sea. The ports best days were a thing of the past long before Liu Jin was born. From the moment the Vermillion continent was sealed away from the rest of the world, well over a thousand years ago, trade across the sea became impossible. No longer did ships loaded with goods sail across the ocean. Trade along the coastline still happened, but it made for a poor substitute. That the Storm Dragon Empire was up north did not help matters. The place is not known for its trade and commerce.

Or so had Old Jiang told him once.

That said, even if the port had been at his best, Liu Jin doubts he would have spent much time in it. Whenever he thinks back to his childhood, it seems to him he was always busy with something. The clinic. His training. The Xiao Sect. His marriage. The tournament. Every day brought something new. Time just seemed to slip through his fingers. Rarely did Liu Jin have both the time and inclination to visit the sea.

On the rare occasions where those two happened to intersect, Liu Jin would find himself staring at the tide. Beautiful though the horizon may be, interesting as some ships could be, Liu Jins eyes kept going back to the tide, soothed and enchanted by the water ceaselessly rising against the land.

As Liu Jin keeps dodging the mass of bodies trying to kill him, he cant help but think this must be what fighting the tide feels like. His opponents come from all sides. Most are in the mid-levels of the Nascent Realm, though a few are in the lower levels of the Spirit Realm.

Of course, when fighting against hundreds, few is a relative term.

They do not fight as a team should. Not at all as they fought before. There is no strategy to their movements beyond rushing at him as one giant mass. They are a sea of black coming at him as furious waves. If he kills one, dozens take its place. If he stops moving for too long, hell be overwhelmed. If he keeps fleeing, hell doubtlessly tire.

Liu Jin runs. Liu Jin jumps. Liu Jin kills.

Do.

Not.

Leave.

Me!

The shades tear their way through the forest. Dozens of small creatures flee as their homes are destroyed. The stronger Spirit Beasts attack the intruders. It provides a small reprieve, yet they never last long. There is nothing they can do against the horde.

The tide never stops. It just keeps rising, swallowing the Night Forest tree by tree.

The ocean seeks to swallow him whole.

~~~

Step.

Step.

Step.

Huang Shing cannot say he cares for feeling inadequate, yet, somewhere along the way, that has become a common state of affairs.

When exactly did it begin?

With Feng Zhi, his mind supplies. It all began with Feng Zhi. The older teen had imprinted that feeling on his body the day he took Yi Jiao from him. The shock was such that Huang Shing had left everything behind in search of power, desperately seeking to improve himself. He had found the scroll containing the Nine Dragon Slaying Palms and devoted himself to it. He had fought the pirates of the Nightmare Cove. He had beaten the One-Eyed Bear of Radiant Red Peak and survived Chen Guo of the Infinite Mountain Sect.

For a moment, Huang Shing had dared to believe he was strong.

Then, upon entering the Eternal Flame Clan, Huang Shing started remembering what being inadequate felt like once more.

Meeting Qing Jin, Lu Mei, and Bei Hong has been an eye-opening experience for him. It is not that he dislikes any of them. Far from it. If anything, Huang Shing is surprised at how much he has grown to like them over the short time theyve known each other. In them, Huang Shing can recognize the things he lacks and can only admire them for it.

However, that is also part of the problem.

They all have things he lacks.

Sighing, Huang Shing takes yet another step.

And almost runs into a wall. Its a close thing, but Huang Shing manages to bring his hands up just in time. He pats it a couple of times to confirm it is, in fact, a wall he is touching and not anything else. Once he does, a small frown appears on his face. As long as he keeps following the wall, hes bound to find a way out of this room. He might even find stairs and from there proceed to the top of the tower.

Alternatively...

Huang Shings fist smashes through the wall, once then twice, to create a hole big enough for him to walk through. The shortest path between two points is a straight line, isnt it? He remembers hearing something about that once. If he keeps breaking through the walls, hell make his way out. Then hell be able to make his way to the top of the tower from the outside without having to worry about all these illusions.

Thats smart, right?

Maybe.

Probably.

Hell have to find out!

Huang Shing is so busy feeling proud of himself, he doesnt feel the attack coming. Stars explode in his vision as a massive fist collides with the side of his head. The hit sends him all the way to the ceiling where his body ends up embedded for a few seconds before falling to the floor with a dull thud.

GET OUT!

He cant see it. He can barely feel it. Still, every instinct screams at him to dodge. Huang Shing rolls out of the way. As he does, he feels something massive passing through.

You dodged. Shouldnt have done that. Shouldnt have dodged. Shouldnt have seen! Shouldnt have seen!!!

An invisible assailant with Wong Shous voice.

Since Bei Hong had been following Qing Jin and Wong Shou from afar, his report had been spotty at best. Still, he had mentioned there had been something like this. Regardless, whatever Huang Shing is facing right now is clearly big, strong, and invisible.

It is nothing he isnt used to.

Just like the other! Just like the other! Just like the other! Stop. Looking!

His steps are like earthquakes. His roar is a storm. The power of this thing is easily in the Spirit Realm. Huang Shing may barely sense it, but his instincts scream the truth, and he had not gotten this far by ignoring them.

Huang Shing and his instinct are very cozy with each other.

If he were Feng Zhi, hed probably defeat this thing in one blow. If he were Qing Jin or Lu Mei, hed easily dodge it and let it tire itself out. If it were Bei Hong here, hed take the hits without a scratch.

He isnt them.

He is Huang Shing. He doesnt run or hide. He can only stand his ground and faces the giants charge head-on.

[Fourth Dragon Slaying Palm - Blooming Lotus]

Green Qi coils around his arms and legs as he drives his palm forward. As the beast comes at him, Huang Shing strikes with all his might. His palm glows a brilliant emerald, then crimson as he drives it into the giants body. The Qi around it blooms like the petals of a lotus.

The giant is blown back all the way to the other side of the room.

He gets up. Huang Shing senses it. The sense of threat is still in the air.

This fight is just beginning.

I have no idea who or what you are! Huang Shings fist strikes his palm. But Ive been feeling pretty down lately, so Im going to thrash you most thoroughly!

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