Chapter Fourteen: Death and the Madman

Battle! Battle! Battle!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two fighters rampaged through the decrepit old building like a pair of relentless demolition machines.

Both were formidable, and either could shatter the worn red-brick walls with a casual punch, tear wooden doors as easily as ripping thin paper. The poor quality of the construction meant that even a moment’s inattention could send them crashing through the floorboards.

Yet it was this very structure that allowed Liu Tian to discover the weakness of his opponent, the one who called himself Mantis—not agile enough.

Whether it was the so-called evolution, age, or the martial arts he practiced, as the battle wore on, Liu Tian noticed that Mantis’s reactions lacked nimbleness, and his control over his strength wasn’t precise.

Liu Tian had never fought other martial artists and didn’t know if Mantis met the average standard, but it was obvious: whether in skill or in sensitivity of reaction, Mantis was no match for Liu Tian, who had undergone ten years of rigorous training under the Heavenly Way.

Thus, even though Liu Tian lagged behind Mantis in strength and speed, he could rely on the terrain to fight him to a standstill.

One round, ten rounds, a hundred rounds.

Countless wounds opened across Liu Tian’s body; the deepest had torn through the muscles of his left arm, leaving it temporarily useless. Yet for all Liu Tian’s injuries, Mantis could not escape unscathed.

His condition was no better than Liu Tian’s—aside from similar wounds all over his body, one gash on his face ran so deep it almost killed him outright, blood streaming down from his forehead, impairing his vision. In the deepening night, in the midst of such a fierce fight, this was a fatal error.

At my current strength, even with the advantage of the terrain, my odds against Mantis are no better than fifty-fifty.

If I want to kill him, there’s only one way—avoid his fiercest attacks and end the fight with a single decisive blow, striking his vital point before those impossibly hard hands can crush me.

Though his murderous intent surged through him, Liu Tian kept calm, thinking through his only path to victory.

He had to admit, Mantis’s incredible hands gave him a tremendous advantage. They lacked agility, but their hardness was such that even Liu Tian’s strongest blows could not deal a serious injury; instead, the recoil threatened to injure Liu Tian himself.

It was as if he were striking not human flesh, but the edge of a blade.

Liu Tian couldn’t help but speculate maliciously—given the properties of those hands, unless Mantis used his mouth or feet, he would be incapable of self-gratification.

Was this method of growing stronger truly evolution?

Yet there was no time for deeper thought amidst the intense combat.

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In a contest where both sides were evenly matched, focused, and fiercely engaged, openings could appear at any moment—especially for two fighters who had yet to master every aspect of their bodies.

Then, during a routine exchange, perhaps from overexertion or a momentary obstruction of vision, Mantis left himself wide open.

It was a fatal flaw. Could Liu Tian seize it?

Of course!

The first killing move of the Heavenly Martial Killing Way, the Heartbreaker Path, was designed to strike at the enemy’s vulnerable points. No longer wishing to drag out the fight, Liu Tian latched onto this chance with all his might.

Heavenly Martial Killing Way—Heartbreaker Path!

Grasping the opportunity, Liu Tian unleashed his full power, aiming for one of the body’s two most vital points—the heart.

Hit!

His lightning-fast punch struck before Mantis could defend, smashing through ribs and tearing into flesh.

But even with such a decisive blow, Liu Tian felt no joy. Mantis, who by all rights should have died instantly, did not perish; instead, his right fist clamped down on Liu Tian’s hand with powerful muscles.

At that moment, Liu Tian met Mantis’s gaze, and a surge of intent told him Mantis’s thoughts—my weakest defense is at the very moment of your strongest attack. You didn’t expect my life to be so tenacious, nor that my heart grows on the right side.

Now, fall. Now, die!

Mantis’s arms raised high, his shadow twisting under the moonlight, resembling a giant upright praying mantis, his arms transformed into terrifying scythes.

Praying Mantis Fist—Dual Direction Execution.

Wrong! The one who dies is you!

In the seeming deadlock, three source points vanished again. Liu Tian’s left fist, which should have been powerless, clenched. The torn muscle healed instantly, and his entire form surged with renewed strength.

At this moment, his power and speed no longer lagged behind Mantis’s, and his right fist, lodged in Mantis’s chest, locked him in place—

Again!

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Heavenly Martial Killing Way—Heartbreaker Path!

With a move that came after but landed first, the Heartbreaker Path struck Mantis’s right chest, sending him flying a foot back. Before Mantis could muster his last ounce of strength, Liu Tian’s freed right fist struck again.

Heavenly Martial Killing Way—Heartbreaker Path!

This was the final, strongest blow—the decisive strike to end the battle.

Hit!

The last Heartbreaker Path was like placing a bomb inside Mantis’s chest, blasting all his organs out his back. Mantis, physically reduced, crashed heavily against the wall, crushing his already shattered organs as red liquid painted the ceiling and walls.

Mantis’s final attack never landed.

Liu Tian turned to leave, but Mantis, despite his terrible injuries, still clung to life, staring at him with unwavering eyes.

“So… so strong!” Though his lungs were gone, Mantis struggled to speak. “Continue to grow as prey…”

“Who can understand what you’re saying?” Liu Tian frowned. To honor Mantis’s tenacious life, he stamped lightly, sending a broken stone flying like a hidden weapon, piercing Mantis’s brain and splattering the wall with another streak of gray. “With life this tenacious, are you an arthropod?”

Without another glance at the ruined Mantis, Liu Tian departed.

He did not bother to finish him off—without organs, brain destroyed, if Mantis somehow survived, Liu Tian would simply accept his misfortune. How had he ended up provoking such a monster…

Meanwhile, on the coastline, aboard a clearly advanced cruise ship, a man who had recently met Liu Tian gazed at the brightly lit city.

“What time is it?” Bai Cinan asked.

“Ten o’clock at night.” A burly subordinate with facial hair checked his watch and replied.

“He’s not back yet. It seems Mantis really is dead—he sought benevolence and found it, sought death and received it. If my master is willing to teach the Heavenly Martial Killing Way again, my junior brother cannot be as simple as he appears.” Bai Cinan raised his hand, making a slight gesture. The cruise ship ceased waiting in the shallows, heading straight for the deep sea. “Clearly, my junior brother has the potential to become my prey.”

“Keep getting stronger—then perhaps I’ll have a second option…”

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