The battle started fierce.
Both Nio and 3-1-2 met each other with their own strikes. As a layer of protection, Nio already deployed several chakra strings around his arm, ready to block any type of attack.
3-1-2 was definitely at an advantage. He was bigger and older, he was basically at his prime physically, and adding cultivation into that, he was vastly superior in physical stats.
Thankfully, if there was something Nio excelled at, it was versatility.
After exchanging a few probing strikes, both parties had already analyzed enough about each other.
'His martial arts are clearly just the ones they teach us before graduation, but to already master this much at this age, it is promising.'
'His fighting style is not that different from mine, but way more specialized to better fit his own way of doing things.'
That was to be expected, both of them were taught the martial arts meant for the Stygian clan, after all.
In the end, both of them stepped back, adjusting their stances and observing their opponent. The initial exchange was not as profitable as expected, both parties held back any type of techniques.
'He knows about my chakra strings, and he must've seen me killing the rabbits with a rasengan yesterday, otherwise, he wouldn't know of my involvement in the forest.'
Nio once again charged forward to engage in close-quarters combat.
His first strike was easily blocked by 3-1-2, but he was already expecting that. At the moment, his wrist was in the firm grasp of 3-1-2, so he couldn't get away. But the same was also true for 3-1-2.
Using the place where they were in contact, a.k.a. the wrist, he controlled his chakra to imbue itself around 3-1-2 and his clothes.
But it was not normal chakra.
He made a simple hand sign with his free hand.
It was Lightning chakra.
Several arcs of electricity revolved around 3-1-2, forcing him to let go of Nio and flex his qi to protect himself.
"Ugh."
His was attacked by surprise.
'This boy's bloodline is getting more mysterious as time passes.'
Thankfully, the last attack was not as damaging as the perpetrator was hoping for, and 3-1-2's timely use of his qi was able to temporarily suppress Nio with his cultivation.
'I will have to be fast, who knows what other tricks this kid has.'
Thinking that, 3-1-2 entered in a different stance, and once he did, Nio was able to feel the change.
'Is he performing a Martial Art?'
Martial Arts were different from martial arts, and although this sentence is quite funny to see, it was not incorrect. Martial Arts or Martial Techniques, were, according to Western belief, techniques that prompted the qi in one's body to reinforce it.
What 3-1-2 was about to unleash was a Martial Technique, meaning that 3-1-2's strength, which was already above his, was about to grow even stronger.
And then once again, Nio felt a change. A change in posture.
'Here he co-'
Even his thought was interrupted as 3-1-2 was already upon him, ready to strike.
"Shi-"
A punch—it was a simple punch, but reinforced with qi, and it was well executed as well, due to the mentality that the move must be well performed to actually be reinforced with qi, it turned into a devastating attack.
Thankfully, no bones were broken yet. However, Nio was sent flying at great speeds back into the forest.
Twisting his body mid-air, he swiftly landed sideways in a tree, using chakra to keep himself from falling. He looked up, intending to keep his opponent in his range of vision, just to find out that he had disappeared from the place he had been punched.
He felt a change nearby and reacted, jumping away from the tree.
3-1-2, who was ready to punch Nio from behind the tree, changed tactics, letting his reinforced fist tear through the tree and reaching his legs, grabbing them firmly.
"Shit!"
That was the only thing that he was able to say before being pulled back, destroying the tree in the process, letting it fall.
Still grabbing Nio's legs, 3-1-2 threw him back into the open space before jumping high above.
Nio landed on the ground with a hard thud, kicking up dirt and dust. Groaning from the pain, he looked up, his Sharingan eyes widening in surprise.
3-1-2 was high in the air, and once again readjusting his stance, he was about to perform a new martial technique as he was falling.
Before he could stomp the ground where Nio was, effectively killing him, Nio was able to conjure some chakra strings and pull himself away.
But 3-1-2 was not going to be so easily evaded. As soon as he landed, he redirected his movement, dashing in the direction of Nio, who was still being pulled.
Without hesitation he grabbed his face and smashed it into the ground. Unfortunately, he didn't hear the usual crunch of a skull splitting apart along with the brain it used to guard.
So, he prepared to finish things off.
Nio was not having it. Spreading his arms out in his opponent's direction, he conjured a rasengan out of wind transformation chakra.
However, his expertise over nature transformation was not quite there yet, so the Rasengan failed, blowing away several strong winds.
That had been the goal from the start.
'That should give me some space to breathe.'
He briefly touched the back of his head. It came back with blood. It was no wonder he was feeling slightly light-headed.
But he didn't waste any more time. He quickly looked up, this time he was NOT going to let him out of his sight.
"How incredible. You are already capable of using elements as well as creating constructs before even reaching Martial Beginner."
Noticing that his opponent was also taking a breath, Nio decided to capitalize on it.
As he was now, he had nothing that could save him from losing this fight, except reaching a breakthrough and stepping into the Martial Beginner Realm.
But he hadn't reached enlightenment yet.
A smile appeared on his face, and a sudden sense of excitement spilled out from his heart.
'Reaching the Martial Beginner means having access to Qi, which was born from the fusion of the several types of qi in his body with a method that comes instinctively to mind after enlightenment. Doing it without said method was just a recipe to have your own body explode. It was safer to just keep on fighting, hoping that at some point he would feel it.'
A crazy look locked onto 3-1-2.
'But, that's how losers think.'
Heaven and Earth Energy started converging onto his figure thanks to his [Android Physique], which was working at full to meet Nio's expenditure of the various types of qi.
Quickly bringing them into his Dantian and forcing them together without any idea what he was doing.
'More! I need more energy!'
Meanwhile, 3-1-2 was staring incredulously at Nio.
'Did he achieve enlightenment and is now trying to break through mid-battle? No, this method is too unrefined, like, there was no method at all. Is he trying to kill himself?!'
The various types of qi splashed against each other and instantly tried to back away from the others. Nio forced them together.
BOOM
In the same metaphysical realm where meridians existed, a sudden explosion of power resounded.
A shockwave blew away various pieces of dirt and rocks away from the place Nio was in.
In his Dantian, a golden-colored energy suddenly burst forth, quickly filling the various empty sections of his modified Dantian and it spilled onto his meridians, traveling through them at great speeds before bursting out of his body.
"What the actual fuck?!"
3-1-2 was preplexed.
"He actually brokethrough?"
Nio felt so good right now. The nerves connecting his eyes to his brain were much better now, so even though his cultivation progress did not affect the Sharingan themselves, there was still an enormous effect on their effect.
His muscles felt stronger, his bones more resilient, and he even felt more alive!
He briefly performed [Full-Concentration Breathing]'s training exercises. Ha! Even breathing felt easier!
Because his meridians became his chakra channels, even his chakra was flowing more freely now.
And he felt it, Qi. He felt his [Android Physique] adding it to one of the energies that it could infinitely produce.
He looked at 3-1-2, who was staring at him in a daze.
[Full-Concentration Breathing] + Qi Reinforcement + Chakra Reinforcement + Cursed Energy Reinforcement
His body swelled with power, ready to show off.
Without hesitation, he dashed at great speeds in the direction of the surprised Stygian.
************************************************************************************
[
Status:
Name: Nio/Nioo/9-1-1/Alex
Age: 14(32)
Cultivation: Martial Begginer Realm (Early)
Bloodline: Mortal Body of Chance and Change
Health: Injured
PHY: 252
SPE: 221
END: 315
INT: 178
CON: 176
Credits: 181
]
*********
Author's Note : Nio has finally reached Martial Beginner, the tides of battle are going to change.
Check out my other Novel : Unsealed Demonic Dragon Goes to the Academy