"His movement is good, but I wonder about his strength?"
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu stood tall and proud. He looked at Ben, pointed to his own face, and said, "Come on, hit me right here. Don't hold back, I can take it."
Seeing this old man acting so boldly, Ben chuckled.
"Alright then!"
As soon as he spoke, Ben charged forward and unleashed the Dragon's Regret.
"Roar!"
A majestic dragon's roar echoed through the air.
From Ben's palm, a radiant five-clawed golden dragon formed, surging with pure energy as it roared toward the enemy.
Ben had used 60% of his power with this strike!
Upon witnessing this, the Fire Cloud Cthulhu's pupils contracted. He instantly regretted showing off moments ago. With no time to spare, he threw up his arms in defense.
"Boom!"
The golden dragon exploded on contact, shaking the ground. A deep crater formed where they stood, shattering nearby trees and plants.
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu was sent flying, slamming into the ground.
However, his body had been tempered through intense horizontal martial arts training. His defense was far superior to what Tian Can and Di Que had.
Even with Ben's 60% power, he wasn't killed. He was bloodied but still alive.
"Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms?" the Fire Cloud Cthulhu muttered, gritting his teeth. "How do you know that ancient lost technique?"
"Fire Cloud Cthulhu, are those your last words?"
Ben's voice was calm. "I know you still have the Toad Stance. You better use it now—next time I strike, you won't get another chance."
Hearing this, the Fire Cloud Cthulhu's expression shifted. He turned over and dropped into a low crouch, his palms flat on the ground, legs drawn up.
"Goo quack!"
A bizarre sound came from deep in his abdomen.
His chin swelled unnaturally, then rapidly contracted, repeating the process.
"Goo quack!"
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu now resembled a monstrous toad.
This was the Toad Stance, a martial art thought lost for more than a decade!
By using it now, it was clear he understood that Ben was no ordinary opponent—he had to go all-out just for a chance to win.
Then—
"Boom!"
He launched himself forward like a missile, shooting toward Ben with terrifying speed.
Even the air cracked with a sonic boom.
But Ben had anticipated this. He planted his feet and pushed both palms forward.
Shocking a Hundred Miles — a devastating technique from the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms!
"Roar!!"
A furious dragon's roar filled the air as the two collided.
Both men unleashed their full power. The victor would be determined in this single exchange!
"Swish swish swish..."
Amid the smoke, Ben stumbled back repeatedly. He finally steadied himself after ten steps.
His blood was surging, and his arms trembled from the collision.
However, compared to Ben, the Fire Cloud Cthulhu was in a far worse state.
He flew backward like a broken arrow, his face soaked in blood. He smashed through several trees before slamming into a hillside and collapsing.
In terms of destructive power, the Toad Stance was no match for the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms.
And Ben didn't just have martial strength—he had the Ancient Sword Blood Technique, further boosting his abilities.
While the Fire Cloud Cthulhu was in the middle phase of the Energies of Human, Ben had already reached the peak.
In martial arts, realm, and power—Ben outclassed him completely.
Had the Fire Cloud Cthulhu opted for evasive tactics, he might have dragged out the fight longer. But head-on? He stood no chance.
From the moment he was goaded into using the Toad Stance, his defeat was sealed.
Ben leaped high into the air like a divine eagle, then swooped down, channeling momentum into a palm strike.
A dragon-shaped energy image manifested behind him—Flying Dragon in the Sky, the second palm technique of the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms!
Even before the strike landed, its pressure bore down like a mountain.
Terrified and bloodied, the Fire Cloud Cthulhu dropped all pretense of pride and screamed:
"I admit defeat!!"
For all his bravado, he feared death deeply.
When threatened, he didn't care about saving face. Admitting defeat came easily.
Ben withdrew his palm and landed beside him.
He never intended to kill him—just force surrender.
After all, they had no real conflict. And the Fire Cloud Cthulhu still had value for the Son of Destiny.
[Congratulations! You defeated an Energies of Human martial artist. Martial Arts Points: 32,175. Temporary Psionic Points: 16,088.]
Ben grinned when he saw the prompt.
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu had given him quite the reward.
Still, Ben didn't let his guard down.
He knew the old man was vindictive and petty. Anyone who forced him to admit defeat would forever be on his blacklist.
Sure enough, Ben noticed the Fire Cloud Cthulhu's right hand slowly inching toward his waist.
Ben warned calmly, "Don't try anything stupid. Hidden weapons won't work on me. I'm in a good mood, so I'll spare you. But if you insist on dying, I can help with that too."
Dejected, the Fire Cloud Cthulhu let out a sigh and dropped the act.
He lay on the ground, staring up at Ben.
"Who are you… really?"
…
Later.
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu was back at the mental hospital, lying in bed with broken bones and wounds all over.
Ben had personally brought him back.
Now, with the martial duel behind them, both men were surprisingly calm.
"I really didn't think someone like you existed in the martial world," the Fire Cloud Cthulhu murmured, sounding hollow.
Then, after a brief pause, he added, "You need to be careful of the Six Gates. If they learn about you, they won't let you go."
Ben's ears perked up.
He had heard of the Six Gates more than once.
"Do you know them well?" Ben asked. "Can you tell me more?"
The Fire Cloud Cthulhu hesitated, then said, "It's fine. I was once part of the Six Gates. I didn't become a killer just to fight strong opponents—it was because of their orders."
"But later I had enough. I faked my death to escape and have been hiding out here ever since…"
Ben didn't care if that was true or not.
"What about their strength?" he asked. "Are there many experts among them?"
…
To be continued.
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