Chapter 37: Show me your power! (2)

Wongggg!

"This is a separate temporary dimensional space I've managed to create a few years ago and is currently completely empty! Time will also moves slower for a bit so you can definitely let loose all your skill arts here without worry!" said the principal with a calm face as he clasped his hands behind back, exuding a proud face.

Bzzztt!

Flints of sparks were emanated out of their body as they began to suppress their cultivation states.

Boom!

Nascent soul realm early stage!

Golden core realm pinnacle stage!

Golden core realm late stage!

Golden core realm middle stage!

...

Foundation establishment realm early stage!

Boom!

They have finally suppressed their cultivation states all the way down to the level one of the foundation establishment realm!

"Alright, since the eternal maze will be fraught with danger, you will have to fight us three by yourself to familiarize with deadly situations!"

Psheww!

They leaped in simultaneously to surround Duan Li with a triangular formation.

"First, let us test your hand to hand combat capabilities! Ready yourself!" said the principal as their expressions turned serious and solemn.

Each began to lower down their stances to neutral as they slowly crept in to close at Duan Li's position.

Duan Li had also put himself on guard mode as he pushed his sense of alertness to the maximum level. He looked left and right as he gauged their distance.

"They are almost within 5 meters away from me.. at which they would most probably start their assault simultaneously.."

Just as Duan Li had thought along that line, Wang Guozhi had stepped into the 5 meters range as the latter suddenly dashed forward with a left punch to hit Duan Li's head from the side.

Bam!

Duan Li had managed to redirect that left punch by doing a hand sweeping motion using his right palm. This is one of the defensive stances that he learnt from his mother back then.

However, the moment he managed to divert the punch from Wang Guozhi away, Ling Yu came in from the other side as she threw out a left mid-kick to Duan Li's abdomen.

Bam!

Duan Li raised his left leg in that last moment to block her kick using his thigh, but it was at this moment that the principal had suddenly appeared right in front of Duan Li as the former slapped out a chopping motion to the right side of his neck!

Bam!

The hand chop was stopped by Duan Li's left palm crossing to the right as he exhaled in relief. However, the next moment he saw that the three of them smiled into a grin as he then realized that his movements were locked!

Pshew!

Pshew!

Pshew!

Three simultaneous attacks were launched from three different directions!

Because he had already used his right hand, left leg and left hand, there was only his right leg that was left standing on the ground supporting himself from toppling over.

Thus, when these three attacks came in suddenly at the same time targetting his right leg, his exposed abdomen on the center and his left rib, he dived straight into his mind to find the right combination stances to use against these three-pronged attack!

However, he was too slow as these attacks had already nearly landed!

Huuuu!

In a rush of panic, something exploded inside Duan Li's mind as his instinct and reflex changed quantitatively and his aura became sharp.

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

He dodged two of the attacks while blocking the other one as he rolled to the front, effectively escaping their triangular formation.

Seeming to not expect Duan Li to be able to escape from their encirclement and joint-attack, the trio was shocked.

"He escaped from our formation?"

"His reflex just speeded up all of a sudden!"

"What sharp instincts!"

They each thought similar things within their minds, feeling quite surprised. Looking towards each other, they nodded as the principal chuckled.

"It seems like we had underestimated you, this time we will go much more faster than before!"

Now, instead of locking themselves in a triangular formation, they ran around Duan Li in cricles with each in a random direction as they closed in.

Pshew!

The principal were the first to bolted in. He threw several punches and kicks. With the sudden increase in Duan Li's instinct and reflex, his reaction is now much more flexible compared to before, as he started to counter-attack instead of just being on the defensive.

Seeing that Duan Li had managed to put up a fight against the principal, Wang Guozhi dashed in to increase the difficulty as he joined the fray.

Pshew!

Bam! bam! bam!

"This boy.. to think that his martial arts is already to this extent.. how formidable!" thought Wang Guozhi in astonishment as he found out that Duan Li had now begun to attack them pre-emptively as well during the lapses between their stances.

Pshew!

Ling yu came in from the back as she threw a high kick aiming towards the back of the head of the pre-occupied Duan Li.

Bam!

Her kick was stopped by Duan Li using his right arm in an outside sweeping motion. To her surprise, Duan Li doesn't just stop there as the latter grabbed at her leg and using a circular momentum, he swung his body to the left as he flung Ling Yu towards Wang Guozhi.

Startled by the sudden change of rhythm in their assault, Wang Guozhi was left open on his right rib as he tried to catch Ling Yu. Using this opportunity, Duan Li threw out a kick towards that direction.

Bam!

Urghh!

Wang Guozhi was forced to take a few steps back as he was hit on the right rib squarely, while Ling Yu had stabilized herself as she landed on the ground eight meters away, leaving only the principal himself.

"To think that he managed to counter-attack me on his blind-spot and creating a situation where Wang Guozhi was forced to leave a single gap in his defense which he specialized in.. this is already the battle prowess of an expert!" thought Ling Yu as she continued to witness the exchange between Duan Li and the principal.

Xiahou Yu whom was watching at the sidelines from the very beginning nodded as she agreed as well. Witnessing the battle prowess that Duan Li has, she couldn't help but to be awed as her gaze was filled with reverence.

"Maybe I should get him to teach me next time.." thought Xiahou Yu.

...

"Duan Li, never had I thought before that your martial arts was already at the pinnacle realm!" said the principal, his face showing a hint of excitement.

Bam Bam Bam!

They continued to trade blows as their speed of exchange was getting increasingly faster.

"It seems like.. I have begun to assimilate my martial arts prowess from my other self.." thought Duan Li as he began to grew familiar with movesets and combination stances used by the principal.

Before the assimilation, for every attack, he could only make out at least 12 stances to defend and 7 stances to counter. Also, because he had never fought in real battle before, he had just randomly pick any of them to use. That was why he found out that his movements were locked previously because it does not have any flow to it!

But now, with the assimilation of the countless battle experience from his other self, his instincts and reflexes are slowly improving by the second. Or it would be more suitable to call it as recovering!

Bam Bam Bam!

Pshew!

The principal did a last attack with a reverse roundhouse kick as he flipped backwards which Duan Li had easily dodged with the least amount of movements.

"Impressive! With this much skill in your martial arts, no one under the Qi condensation realm would be a match to you!" complimented the principal as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"But that sudden outburst of instincts and reflex of yours, if I had to guess, did it came from your memories?" asked the principal as he stroke his beard, feeling interested.

"En! During the fight, my body seemed to recall countless movesets and stances combination. Then, my body reacted to each assault automatically!" answered Duan Li with a nod.

"I see, that should've been the case. However, remember that the you now isn't from that timeline where you possess an indestructible body physique as an expert at the pinnacle of the immortal ascension realm. Thus, you musn't be reckless. Take a look at your limbs." pointed the principal.

Huh?

Ouchhh!

Duan Li could suddenly feel aching pains on all of his four limbs! He raised both of his arms up and then look down towards his legs as he saw many red bruises appeared.

Previously during the battle, due to adrenaline, he couldn't feel the pain, but now after relaxing himself, the pain was starting to bite at him!

Seeing Duan Li's contorted expression due to the pain, Ling Yu chuckled.

"Don't worry, pain caused by physical damage could be recovered pretty easily if one is a cultivator like us. Since you are already in the Qi condensation realm, your spiritual Qi should be enough to heal it. Let me impart to you the method." said Ling Yu as she began to explain how to heal his damaged body by using his spiritual Qi.

"Ahh yes, now I remembered, there is this way indeed. Okay, let me try it!" replied Duan Li as he sat cross-legged and drove his spiritual Qi around his body.

Shiinggg!

"Ahh my body had already fully recovered! Em! This is pretty convenient!" said Duan Li as he nodded.

"Y-you.. how have you recovered in an instant? You are way too inconceivable!" exclaimed the principal shocked.

Even Ling Yu and Wang Guozhi shook their heads as well.

If it were them, such minor injuries at the nascent soul realm, although wouldn't take too much time, would take at least a dozen of breaths in order to fully recover from such an injury.

Yet, for Duan Li to recover in just one breath?

Let me cut off your arm to see if it will grow a new one!

Hais..

"Thank you for going easy on me!" said Duan Li as he bowed towards the trio.

Naturally, they had gone easy on him even if they had suppressed themselves down to the early stage of the foundation establishment realm. If not, just with their enhanced physical body alone as a nascent soul realm expert, would already be enough to cripple Duan Li with a single blow.

That was why this time, the time-slowing down ability did not activate! Seemed like it would only happen when it senses threat that Duan Li couldn't handle.

"Don't be too formal, it is only logical and fair for us to do so. Even if you were of the immortal ascension realm before, right now, you are but only someone in the Qi condensation realm." replied the principal as he waved his right hand dismissively like a magnanimous expert.

"Now, let us test how proficient you are in the skill arts of a cultivator!"

...