Chapter 76: You Can't Define the Times, But I Will Reverse Them

Chapter 76: You Can't Define the Times, But I Will Reverse Them



The Pei brothers, Tiancheng and Youguang, leaned against the car, silent.

Are these guys really high school students?

"Youguang, are you sure your senior just started training a little over a month ago?" Tiancheng Pei asked his younger brother again, his eyes twitching.

"Is... is that right? I think so?" Youguang Pei replied hesitantly, now feeling uncertain himself.

Could it be that Brother Jing was just playing dumb and hiding his true strength all this time, and has actually been training in martial arts since he was little?

But the basic breathing technique I taught him was definitely his first time learning it...

There can't be a monster like this, who achieved this level in just over a month...

Tiancheng patted Youguang on the shoulder, his expression solemn. "Regardless, you must not sever your relationship with this man. Even if it's just an ordinary friendship, it might come in handy in the future."

"A man of his caliber... I've rarely seen anyone like him even in the Inner Ring. As long as he doesn't die young and doesn't resort to performance-enhancing drugs or implants, sticking to the path of ancient martial arts, he will surely become a Dragon Gate Master in the future, and may even attain a 'title.'"

Tiancheng Pei's eyes narrowed in thought. If this Master Xue can truly grow to attain a title, even the least prestigious 'Ten-Stage' title, that would be incredible...

The one who entered the Cang Court decades ago held ancient martial artists in high regard, and those with titles were always treated with respect.

Tiancheng's eyes glinted. Perhaps our Pei family can use this connection to indirectly associate with the Cang Court, the pinnacle of power in the Summer Lands! Even a minuscule connection would bring untold wealth and honor!

Tiancheng looked at Youguang earnestly and said, "The future of our Pei family rests on your shoulders."

Youguang was left speechless, his expression blank. Me? I'm just a good-for-nothing second-generation heir whom even my father looks down on. What future? What burden?

Before he could say anything, however, the situation in the field changed once more.

The Mountain Ogre, who had been swept away by Xue Jing's Seal Cloud Tail and embedded in the grassy slope, moved.

Its head, buried in the soil, struggled, and its arms braced against the slope to pull its head free.

"This punch..." The Mountain Ogre stood up, threw its arms wide, and roared to the sky, its voice so loud that a wild rabbit nearby bolted in fear.

It turned to face Xue Jing, its eyes alight with extreme excitement, like a lustful demon who had just discovered his ideal beauty.

"What are you waiting for? Continue!" The Mountain Ogre pounded its chest, the sound echoing off its muscles. "I spent so much money on this body, and if I don't take a few more hits, it would be a waste of money, right?"

"Come on, hit me!"

Xue Jing glanced at the left shoulder of the Mountain Ogre, the spot where his Seal Cloud Tail had struck. He had intentionally avoided aiming for the head as he did not want to kill.

The right shoulder, now slightly darkened, had a purplish bruise where he had struck, indicating the force of the blow.

The Seal Cloud Tail could burst the head of a cockroach monster, yet it seemed to have little effect on a human body. Although he had not used the Twin Fetal Power to amplify his strength, this man's body was exceptionally tough.

Xue Jing felt a sense of familiarity. During his mission to capture the Evil Woman's Crown, he had encountered a man named Zhu Yingkun, whose skin was abnormally tough, and his punches had barely caused any harm.

The feeling was similar now.

Xue Jing furrowed his brows and asked, "Implant?"

The Mountain Ogre was surprised. "Oh? I didn't expect an outsider like you to be so knowledgeable... Yes, it's an implant. My epidermis is layered with a 'B1 Protective Membrane,' a military-grade entry-level implant with excellent shock absorption, especially against the 'jinli' of you martial artists."

The Mountain Ogre grinned. "How about it? Are you tempted to get one yourself?"

Xue Jing shook his head, his tone unwavering. "How could a mere product of technology compare to a body tempered through countless trials and training?"

The Mountain Ogre clicked his tongue. "That's why you martial artists refuse to accept reality. The old era ended over two hundred years ago. Wake up! The times have changed!"

With those final words, the Mountain Ogre appeared before Xue Jing in an instant.

The Mountain Ogre extended his long, ape-like arms, and with a left and right clap, he struck towards Xue Jing's head.

A piercing sound, like a gale, whistled past Xue Jing's ears.

This attack was incredibly fast, and the Mountain Ogre seemed to have employed some strange technique, manipulating the airflow around him, which left Xue Jing with a restrained and immobilized feeling.

However, Xue Jing's expression remained unchanged as he channeled his inner True Dragon throughout his body, instantly breaking free from the mysterious binding. He ducked his head, dodging the dual-clap attack.

"Pa!"

The Mountain Ogre's palms met above Xue Jing's head, creating a sharp, eardrum-piercing sound, followed by a burst of air radiating outward.

Xue Jing felt a sharp pain in his ears, and his head began to spin.

A sinister smile spread across the Mountain Ogre's face.

His hands had been modified to emit a special, disorienting sound wave when clapped together.

The technique, known as 'Gale in the Ears,' was designed not to make direct contact but to create maximum impact by clapping near the target, thus amplifying the effect of the sound waves.

"Young man, you fell for it."

Xue Jing felt his consciousness fading amidst the vibrating sound.

However, he remained calm and immediately activated his Level 5 Qizan Technique to gain control over his thoughts.

The powerful mental control granted by the technique also enhanced his concentration.

The resounding dragon's roar in his mind forcefully dispelled the dizziness, and Xue Jing's consciousness instantly cleared.

He balled his right hand into a fist, channeled his True Dragon's power into it, and threw an ascending dragon punch at the Mountain Ogre's chin.

"Bang!"

The Mountain Ogre flew into the air, soaring seven to eight meters high before beginning his free fall.

"What?!?" The Mountain Ogre's face was filled with shock and disbelief.

"How is this possible? This young man's mental fortitude is strong enough to resist my sound wave attack?!"

Xue Jing gazed at the Mountain Ogre in the air and said calmly,

"Times may have changed."

"But you—you do not represent the times."

Xue Jing raised his right hand and swung it gently, grazing the Mountain Ogre's chin as he landed.

Compared to the previous powerful punches, this palm strike seemed to have no force behind it, and it did not cause the Mountain Ogre's body to budge at all.

However, the Mountain Ogre, who had been full of vigor even in mid-air, suddenly rolled his eyes upward, fell to the ground, and twitched a couple of times before becoming still.

Among the myriad of martial arts techniques, this was—Gentle Force.

If your epidermis is tough, then I won't strike it; instead, I'll channel my force into your body and let it explode from within.

Even if your epidermis is incredibly resilient, capable of blocking most of the Gentle Force, it doesn't take much strength to knock someone unconscious.

A gentle tap on the chin is more than enough.

Xue Jing looked down at the Mountain Ogre, who was now sleeping like a baby, and muttered to himself,

"You do not represent the times, but I, will reverse them."

After showing off, Xue Jing stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"So, what does he want with me?"

Just as he was wondering whether to wake the Mountain Ogre up, a noise similar to a radio being tuned emanated from somewhere within the Mountain Ogre's body.

Then, a female voice spoke up.

"Mountain Ogre's consciousness has been interrupted. It seems he is no match for you."

It was a calm, deep voice.

Xue Jing's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"Please wait a moment. I'll be there soon," the female voice replied.

Xue Jing frowned and said, "You'd better hurry up."

"I won't keep you waiting—"

The female voice disappeared, seemingly having hung up the 'call.'

"Jing, is it over?" Youguang Pei shouted from a distance.

Although Xue Jing and the Mountain Ogre's fight had felt like a long time, it had only taken a few dozen seconds.

However, the Pei brothers, who had been spectating, had found it thrilling and captivating.

"Wow, that was amazing!"

Xue Jing reached out and grabbed the Mountain Ogre's black vest, dragging him over to the car and propping him up against the back tire.

"So, what did he want with you?" Youguang asked, puzzled.

As soon as he finished speaking, a light bulb seemed to go off in his head, and he blurted out, "Could it be some kind of official mysterious organization's test for newcomers, like in novels?"

"You know, where they showcase their power, means, and techniques to the newcomer, defeat them, and then tell them that if they join, they can possess those abilities too..."

Tiancheng Pei chuckled beside him. "You've been reading too many novels."

"I think it's pretty similar," Youguang said, scratching his head.

Xue Jing kicked the Mountain Ogre's foot and said indifferently,

"Hey, you're awake now, so get up."

His Gentle Force palm strike had been unrestrained, but he was not yet proficient in using it, and most of the force had been dissipated by the Mountain Ogre's epidermis. Only a small amount had seeped into his chin.

And so, although Xue Jing had knocked Mountain Ogre unconscious, the injury wasn't severe.

At this moment, Xue Jing immediately realized that Mountain Ogre had woken up when he detected a subtle change in his breathing rhythm.

"...'

Mountain Ogre opened his eyes and stopped pretending to be unconscious.

He felt embarrassed and rubbed his chin, turning his head slightly as he said, "...That really hurt."

"Don't beat around the bush, get to the point." Xue Jing said.

"Well..." Mountain Ogre looked at the Pei brothers, Tiancheng and Youguang, and said, "You two, go take a walk somewhere else."

The Pei brothers glanced at each other and nodded without saying a word. They walked away.

After they had walked a distance, Mountain Ogre continued, "Actually, that little fatty was right. I do come from an official organization, and we do want to invite you to join us, which is why I..."

Before he could finish, Xue Jing interrupted with a shake of his head.

"I'm not interested in joining any so-called official secret organization—especially not now."

Xue Jing looked at Mountain Ogre. "After seeing you, I'm not very satisfied with your organization's style, and I have no intention of joining."

Why couldn't they just invite him straightforwardly? They had to go around in circles like this.

Even if they had invited him properly, he still wouldn't have joined. He was content with his current life, focusing on his martial arts training and occasional containment missions to upgrade his divine skills. It was all very comfortable.

Why would he want to join some official organization?

Mountain Ogre scratched his head. "Don't rush to refuse. There are some issues I admit. Because our branch is specifically responsible for handling abnormal events related to the 'Borderlands,' the danger level is quite high, and the pressure can be intense, so our style of operation tends to be more unrestrained."

"But there are also many benefits. For example, the B1 Protective Membrane I have implanted is a military-grade implant that ordinary people with money can't access. You've felt its effects, and just this one implant can match two to three decades of your martial arts training."

"We can also provide various banned drugs that have been proven safe. As long as you join us, you will become stronger at a speed beyond your imagination."

Mountain Ogre stood up and dusted off his military pants.

"You may think you're a genius, and I admit that. I've looked at your records, and it's impressive that you've been able to defeat me after only practicing martial arts for a little over a month. If we're just talking about talent, there are only a few people I've met who can compare to you."

"But you'll soon discover that humans have their limits... Your rapid progress will suddenly slow down at some point, and the closer you get to the limit, the slower it will feel, until eventually, it stops completely."

Mountain Ogre spoke with deep meaning, "At that time, you will understand how limited the old martial ways are."

"That feeling of reaching a point where you absolutely cannot move forward will drive you mad. Even the most resolute person, upon realizing that there truly is no path forward, will fall into despair."

"The flesh of native humans is just that boring..."

Xue Jing listened and smiled.

"You're right, but I refuse anyway."

"I find it more interesting to use my pure native human flesh, what you call a 'mortal vessel,' to beat up your bunch of cyborgs and genetically modified people."

He said quietly.

Mountain Ogre rolled his eyes.

"Fine, as long as you're happy. One day, you'll realize how ignorant you are right now, and you'll understand how rare this opportunity is."

At this moment, Mountain Ogre's expression changed, and he reached behind his ear and pressed something.

After a while, he looked up at the sky and pointed in a certain direction.

"The captain is here. Look over there."

Xue Jing followed his finger and looked toward the horizon.

In the clear blue sky, with only a few drifting clouds, there was a tiny black dot, like a drop of ink on an oil painting, gradually growing larger.

Xue Jing focused his incredibly sharp static vision and clearly locked onto that black dot.

It was a person.

A woman wearing a black tight-fitting tactical suit, flying through the air without the aid of any machinery.

Xue Jing's eyes widened in surprise.

Flying, defying the pull of gravity—this was one of humanity's ultimate dreams.

"How about it?" Mountain Ogre saw the flash of surprise on Xue Jing's face and couldn't help but speak up proudly.

"Even if you had a hundred or a thousand times more talent, and even if you practiced martial arts for a hundred years, you still couldn't fly or escape the pull of gravity. You'd still just be an ordinary person."

"But implants can!"

"The 'Anti-Gravity Implant·Dragon Wing Device' from Nantian Heavy Industries!"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end