Chapter 132: When the Small Ones are Beaten, the Big Ones Come Out!

After briefly comparing his own strength with his opponent's, Clark immediately decided on a strategic retreat as the most rational tactic, resolved to see it through unwaveringly.

Though magical rings are valuable, one must be alive to possess them.

This wasn't cowardice but strategy!

It's the last of the thirty-six stratagems! Moreover, Clark was confident that his rate of improvement was far beyond what the Mandarin could match. He was certain that in no more than a couple of years, he would grow strong enough to overpower his adversary and claim those ten rings for himself. However, the Mandarin, deeply influenced by Chinese culture just like Clark, knew too well the dangers of leaving an enemy alive.

Before Clark could finalize his retreat strategy, the Mandarin's ten rings glowed in turn, launching a series of deadly strikes towards Clark.

Facing the Mandarin's full assault, Clark dodged with all his might while drawing a portal to a distant desert in the void. Seeing the Mandarin block the portal before he could escape, Clark repeated his previous tactic, using the skywalking boots to move rapidly through the air and close in on his opponent once again.

Through the prior combat, Clark had a general understanding of the individual functions of the ten rings, managing to fend off the attacks with some insight. He wielded the vibranium cloak like a wheel, deflecting one or two less threatening attacks.

Only the powers of the rings on the Mandarin's left index finger and right little finger were daunting enough for Clark to avoid confronting directly. He wasn't sure why, but his instincts screamed that facing them head-on would bring dire consequences.

As the distance between them closed, Clark found it increasingly difficult to fend off the Mandarin's attacks, compounded by the Mandarin's combat skills, which were no less than his own.

Could Clark really break through the blockade and escape through the portal behind the Mandarin? The answer is...

Why would he bother with such a strenuous and thankless task?

As he approached within five meters of the Mandarin, Clark used a maneuver to disperse an explosive flame sent by his opponent, flipping backwards from his forward charge into an upside-down stance. Then, leveraging the skywalking boots, he created two magical arrays beneath his feet for propulsion, transforming into a streak of light plunging downwards.

The Mandarin, caught off guard, quickly realized the danger and pursued Clark downwards at full speed, firing a laser beam that missed by a fraction, as Clark easily dodged it.

The next moment, Clark was seen breaking through the canopy of a sequoia tree, entering another portal hidden beneath it.

The portal in the sky was merely a decoy; Clark's real escape route was cleverly concealed under the sequoia tree, unnoticed by the Mandarin who was focused on Clark himself.

Upon exiting the portal, Clark remained vigilant, moving several dozen meters away before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

As he was about to close the portal, an overwhelming sense of danger struck him. A wrinkled finger extended through the portal, emitting a terrifying beam of light that pierced Clark's body, leaving a three-inch wound.

Having landed a hit, the assailant seemed unwilling to let up. As the previous finger withdrew, another extended through the portal, sending a deadly shockwave towards Clark.

Still relying on his old tricks, Clark deflected it with the healing artifact and closed the portal completely.

On the other side, the Mandarin, with his hand halfway through the portal, sensed trouble as the portal began to shrink. He hastily attempted to retreat, but it was too late; as the portal closed, the Mandarin's ring finger was severed by the spatial force, dropping helplessly to the ground with the ring still on it.

Only then did Clark feel the excruciating pain from his abdomen, spreading rapidly throughout his body. Despite the agony, he quickly tightened his muscles to stop the bleeding, picked up the ring and the Mandarin's severed finger using the skywalking boots, and opened a portal to where Hill was.

The Mandarin, using the fire ring to cauterize the wound, was seething with rage. "Do you think you can escape my grasp? Naive!"

"As long as you covet that ring, I will find you."

Closing his eyes, the Mandarin began to sense the ring's direction.

The Mandarin's rings, originally high-tech artifacts from an alien spaceship wreck, were activated through his unique methods and Qi.

Indeed, he was a genius.

After years of bonding, he had left his spiritual imprint on each ring, allowing him to sense their location within a hundred miles.

Clark thought he had secured a treasure, not realizing he was holding a death warrant in his hand. The Mandarin quickly pinpointed the ring's direction, and from the strength of the signal, it was definitely within twenty miles.

However, he soon noticed the ring's position shift, indicating Clark was still on the move. If this continued, Clark would soon exceed the Mandarin's sensing range.

The Mandarin opened his eyes, not immediately pursuing Clark but looking up into the sky instead.

There, a black woman stared down at him with disdain.

Sensing her extraordinary presence, the Mandarin asked, "Who are you?"

Instead of answering directly, the woman said with a smirk, "I hear you're well-versed in Chinese culture. Then you must know the saying, 'Beat the small ones, and the big ones come out.'"

The Mandarin frowned, realizing this woman was related to Clark.

She confirmed his suspicion, "In our family, only I can bully our cowardly kid. Anyone else who dares touch him, dies!"

With that, the Mandarin was sent crashing into the ground, creating a human-shaped crater, while the woman stood where the Mandarin had been, wiping nonexistent dust from her shoes as if worried about soiling them with her kick.