Su Li sprang to his feet. Gao Shupeng, already cackling with laughter, activated "Spider Walk," but this time he didn't charge at Su Li—instead, he turned and lunged at the others.
In both speed and strength, Gao Shupeng was nearly his equal, and he also wielded several other Spirit Source techniques. How could someone like that be defeated?
"Brother Peng is invincible—you'd better just surrender!" Song Yuanqing laughed heartily at Su Li's disheveled state. "I get it now. That sword strike of yours can only be used once, right? If that's the case, you're no match for Brother Peng!"
The power of the "Dragon Rhinoceros Slash" had indeed unsettled him. Though he possessed the "Ink Jade Body," a Spirit Source technique that made him impervious to blades and arrows, he still didn't dare to fully withstand it head-on.
Mimicking Su Li, Gao Shupeng suddenly activated "Spider Walk," pouncing at Xu Haishui to take him out first.
Su Li had no choice but to do the same, intercepting the attack on Xu Haishui as he swung the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword.
Gao Shupeng grinned savagely. With his "Ink Jade Body," he feared nothing from Su Li's sword, letting it slash toward him while his left hand countered with a blinding white light.
Both possessed "Spider Walk," leaving Su Li unable to dodge. He could only activate "Silver Armor Cover" to defend.
With a thunderous boom, the white light exploded. Su Li grunted and tumbled backward again.
Gao Shupeng had the upper hand in their fight, blasting Su Li away twice in a row. Meanwhile, Song Yuanqing also held a steady advantage over Xu Haishui.
Though Xu Haishui could control fire, Song Yuanqing's "Ink Jade Body" was immune to his flames. Pressing the attack, he forced Xu Haishui into a steady retreat.
Gong Xiao, locked in battle with Fu Tianhua, had the upper hand but couldn't finish it quickly.
Luo Jun, Bai Wenwei, and Jin Sixing, however, were scoring consecutive hits against their opponents. Luo Jun, in particular, was a formidable fighter, teetering on the brink of a breakthrough. He fired off "Bone Hyperplasia" repeatedly. The three uninjured enemies could still defend, but the two wounded by Su Li's "Dragon Rhinoceros Slash" had no chance. Translucent finger bones shot into their bodies, and under Luo Jun's control, they swelled and expanded within. Amid their screams, they burst apart and died.
Luo Jun succeeded, killing two, and Jin Sixing quickly followed suit.
His ability was the Insect Gu Technique, allowing him to control tiny, ant-like gu insects that invaded the body. By the time the victim noticed, the insects had already taken hold. The man under Jin Sixing's control twisted his face in agony, fully possessed. With a sharp crack, he slit his own throat with his knife. Blood gushed out as he toppled backward, twitched a few times, and lay still.
Of the thirteen who had come, only Gao Shupeng, Song Yuanqing, Fu Tianhua, and two Level 5 Spirit Source users remained.
These two Level 5s were under siege from Bai Wenwei, Jin Sixing, Ling Tian, and Wang Xiaofei. It was clear they wouldn't hold out much longer, teetering on the edge of death.
Luo Jun suddenly turned, abandoning the attack on them, and charged toward Su Li.
He could see Su Li was in a bad way and wanted to help.
Gao Shupeng watched his subordinates fall one by one, leaving only five alive including himself, with the two Level 5s on the verge of death. Yet his face betrayed no emotion as he strode toward the fallen Su Li, intent on killing him as quickly as possible.
Of everyone present, only Su Li was a worthy opponent. Once he was dealt with, the rest were nothing.
Su Li got up from the ground, seeing Luo Jun rushing over to help.
"No need. Go help Gong Xiao. I can handle this guy alone." Su Li thrust the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword in his right hand into his own chest.
Hearing this, Luo Jun stopped immediately and turned toward Gong Xiao and Fu Tianhua.
He trusted Su Li. If Su Li said it, he had a plan.
Gao Shupeng stared at Su Li as the sword vanished into his chest like a magic trick. He raised an eyebrow, unsurprised by the weapon's transformation, and sneered, "You couldn't beat me with a rare Spirit Source weapon. Now you're putting it away—are you admitting defeat and ready to die?"
Su Li grinned but said nothing. He crouched slightly, activated "Spider Walk," and charged.
Gao Shupeng also entered "Spider Walk," his muscles swelling.
They collided instantly. With his "Ink Jade Body" and "Demon Muscle" strength, Gao Shupeng met Su Li fist for fist. In the rapid motion of "Spider Walk," their bodies blurred, exchanging dozens or even hundreds of blows in an instant.
A relentless barrage of thuds rang out. Gao Shupeng had his "Ink Jade Body," and Su Li had his "Silver Armor Cover." Both took dozens of hits and clashed fists countless times.
Explosive power erupted as both roared. Though Gao Shupeng's left hand's white light had explosive force, Su Li's "Silver Armor Cover," derived from the near-invincible Silver Armor Beast, could withstand it. As the "Demon Muscle" boosted his strength and speed to terrifying levels, Su Li's armor could now counter the white light's blasts. Even when hit, he only staggered back without falling. His punches, while unable to harm Gao Shupeng's "Ink Jade Body," clearly overpowered him. The gap in strength grew more apparent.
Soon, each of Su Li's punches made Gao Shupeng wince in agony, as if he could barely endure.
Worse, his heart pounded violently, sweat pouring from his forehead like he'd been pulled from water. He gasped for breath, his stamina clearly draining. His strength, speed, and reflexes were declining, unable to keep up with Su Li.
"This can't be... I have all his abilities, even stronger ones. Why is he stronger than me, with better stamina?"
Gao Shupeng's face darkened, a growing panic and breathlessness setting in—signs of exhaustion. Yet Su Li showed no fatigue, his punches growing fiercer, forcing Gao Shupeng to keep blocking.
With a deafening crash, Su Li's right fist met Gao Shupeng's again. Gao Shupeng screamed, his right arm recoiling as if shocked. He released his grip. Though the skin of his "Ink Jade Body" was unharmed, the bones inside his right hand were fractured and twisted, leaving it grotesquely deformed.
"Impossible!" Gao Shupeng roared, stumbling back, staring at the advancing Su Li in disbelief.
He had copied Su Li's "Demon Muscle" and "Spider Walk," and even had the "Ink Jade Body" Su Li lacked. So why, in a direct clash, was Su Li's hand intact while his own bones were shattered?
"Surprised? I've reinforced my bones. Have you?" Su Li grinned, throwing another punch—simple, unadorned, yet packed with the peak of his strength and speed, driven by "Demon Muscle" and his sixfold-enhanced muscles.
With a boom, Gao Shupeng tried to dodge, but his legs felt leaden and unresponsive. He couldn't evade. The punch landed squarely on his chest.
His chest caved in, ribs cracking audibly. Gao Shupeng flew backward, crashing hard, blood gushing from his mouth.
The "Ink Jade Body" made his skin impervious to blades, arrows, and even fire, but it couldn't protect his bones and organs inside.
This punch, penetrating skin and muscle, shattered his chest bones, the impact rattling his internal organs.
"Why is your stamina..." Gao Shupeng lay on the ground, mouth full of blood, eyes wide with disbelief.
Right—he hadn't reinforced his bones, while Su Li had. So when their fists met, Su Li's bones held, but his shattered. And stamina?
"Demon Muscle" doubled stamina consumption, draining it faster over time. Both used it, so why was he exhausted to death while Su Li seemed tireless?
Su Li strode closer, smiling faintly. "Because I've reinforced my heart to boost stamina. Looks like you haven't done that either."
Gao Shupeng was stunned. This guy had reinforced both bones and his heart?
He had reached Level 6 with six total reinforcement chances. Even one each for bones and heart used up two. How was his strength still so terrifying, surpassing his own?
Gao Shupeng had reinforced his lungs once and muscles five times. That was why he was so powerful, nearly unmatched at his level. But now, facing Su Li, he found himself outmatched in stamina, bones, and even strength.
"This can't be. You've reinforced your heart and bones—how can you still be stronger than me? You're lying! Why—"
His heart raced. Could it be... that this guy was a Level 7, far beyond Level 6?