Chapter 686 Injured
Seeing how easily Chen Yang dealt with the formidable gray wolf in just three moves, the entire village was instantly filled with confidence.
Black Bear also felt a surge of fear at this sight. Although these weak martial artists posed no substantial threat to it, they were effectively delaying its advance. Now, Black Bear found itself unable to retreat. As the one who had dealt with the gray wolf approached, Black Bear became enraged.
A Zongshi-level Black Bear had reached the peak of its physical limits. Even Gong Renli’s蛊虫 (gu worms) could not penetrate its body. Coupled with Black Bear's frenzied attacks, the defensive line formed by the village martial artists began to crumble.
Chen Yang’s voice immediately rang out, “Fall back!” Chen Yang intended for them to hold off Black Bear, not to sacrifice their lives. Upon hearing this, the villagers quickly scattered to the sides, instantly clearing an escape route for Black Bear.
However, just as Black Bear, believing it was about to escape, took two steps, Chen Yang appeared before it. Facing Black Bear, Chen Yang uttered no words, nor did he use any internal energy. Instead, he closed the distance. Black Bear's expression clearly brightened. It knew that the gray wolf’s strength lay in its speed, while its own was in its physical power! In Black Bear's mind, no one could defeat it through sheer strength alone! This powerful martial artist before it, though he had vanquished the gray wolf, was now about to be crushed into a pulp by its paws.
“Chen Yang, do not engage in close combat with this creature!” Gong Renli shouted from a distance. He couldn't believe that Chen Yang intended to block the beast with his bare body. Gong Renli was puzzled; why wasn't Chen Yang using the powerful energies he had employed earlier? He was unaware that Chen Yang had exhausted almost all his internal energy in a short period, even with the amplification of his chaotic power. Using the Tianxing Secret Technique also consumed a vast amount of internal energy. Chen Yang knew that his remaining internal energy was insufficient to defeat Black Bear, and his only recourse was close-quarters combat. Chen Yang could clearly see that Black Bear possessed an incredibly powerful physique. But…
“Haha, relax, I want to see just how tough this guy really is!”
The moment the words left his mouth, Black Bear’s paw struck Chen Yang. Everyone expected Chen Yang to be sent flying like a broken kite. However, this did not happen. Instead, Chen Yang stood his ground, completely unfazed by Black Bear's blow. Chen Yang blocked with his elbow, and not even a speck of dust was disturbed. Black Bear’s massive body was thus held in place by Chen Yang!
Looking at the martial artist before it, Black Bear’s eyes widened in disbelief. It felt as if its paw had collided with the hardest substance in existence. Before Black Bear could react, it saw Chen Yang open his eyes. A chilling aura emanated from Chen Yang's gaze, and instantly, the world seemed to stir. After its body had been tempered by the furnace, and then refined again by chaotic power, Chen Yang’s physique had surpassed that of Black Bear. To ordinary martial artists, Black Bear's attacks were as terrifying as Mount Tai pressing down upon them, but to Chen Yang, they were barely more than an itch.
"Bang!" Chen Yang's fist moved with incredible speed. The onlookers only heard a muffled thud, and then the massive Black Bear was pushed back several steps. Amidst the stunned silence of the crowd, Chen Yang showed no hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he had delivered hundreds of punches, each one connecting with full force, without using any internal energy. Black Bear felt the pain on its body; this was the most brutal battle it had ever endured. Never before had anyone inflicted so much pain upon its physique.
Its primal beast power ignited, Black Bear roared and swiped its claws at Chen Yang. At this point, Black Bear no longer felt the pain; its sole objective was to tear the martial artist before it to shreds! However, what it never expected was that Chen Yang, instead of retreating from the swipe, would advance a step further. As Black Bear saw Chen Yang’s fist coming, its sixth sense warned it of immense danger. But it was too late. Chen Yang's fist whistled through the air, aimed directly at Black Bear's abdomen.
With a roar, Black Bear's vision went black, and it collapsed to the ground. Just as the crowd was about to cheer, Chen Yang’s fiery internal energy that had subdued the rat also began to fade.
“Protect Chen Yang!” the village chief immediately shouted. Having dealt with two monsters in quick succession, Chen Yang must be exhausted. If the rat were to launch a surprise attack now, the consequences were unpredictable. However, just as everyone expected the rat to charge, it simply stared at the mangled bodies of its companions, its eyes filled with shock and fear, remaining motionless.
Chen Yang, who had been about to pop two recovery pills into his mouth, smiled at this sight and put the pills away. Stepping past the villagers, Chen Yang approached the rat and examined it closely. The rat’s fur was lustrous, indicating that it was significantly stronger than the gray wolf and Black Bear. Yet, this rat was remarkably intelligent, choosing not to attack. Chen Yang couldn’t help but praise, “You are quite clever. Stay here and don't move. I will come back for you after I've finished dealing with things.” The rat nodded intelligently. The villagers, witnessing this, widened their eyes in disbelief that Chen Yang could command the rat.
Gong Renli excitedly approached Chen Yang and asked, “How, how did you communicate with it!”
“They have both achieved Zongshi; they are no longer ordinary animals. Besides, you can communicate with蛊虫 (gu worms), so why can’t I communicate with them?” Chen Yang's answer brought a wry smile to Gong Renli’s face. Gong Renli’s ability to control and communicate with蛊虫 (gu worms) stemmed from his constant cohabitation with them. In the eyes of the蛊虫 (gu worms), Gong Renli was essentially a giant nest and a companion, not to mention the unique cultivation methods of蛊虫 (gu worms). Yet, Chen Yang should have had no prior experience with any of this.
Seeing Gong Renli's bewildered expression, Chen Yang patted him on the shoulder. “Stop standing there stunned. I have something for you to do. Go and gather some medicinal herbs and bandages for treating injuries, the more, the better.” Gong Renli found Chen Yang's request rather peculiar. There were hardly any injured people in the entire village, at most just minor scrapes, so there shouldn’t be a need for so many herbs and bandages. A terrifying thought entered Gong Renli's mind. Could it be that Chen Yang himself was injured!