Immortal Path Space

Chapter 12: Outsmarting the Masked Man

In the days that followed, Wang Hong devoted his daylight hours to practicing marksmanship, followed by meals, cultivating internal energy, and spending his evenings immersed in study within the space.

During this period, the Academy experienced several incidents of unidentified individuals infiltrating, all of which were discovered by the Academy patrol teams and either dealt with on the spot or captured.

To address this, the Academy increased the personnel for patrol and vigilance. The patrol teams were composed of students with considerable strength, coupled with the collaborative techniques of battle formations, making it difficult for ordinary Acquired martial artists to contend.

Through this learning phase, Wang Hong gained a certain understanding of Medicinal Herbs. The ginseng, astragalus, and purple mushrooms in his space were all beneficial for cultivating internal energy. As for the methods of consumption, there were various options such as brewing them into medicinal soup, making medicinal pills, pairing them with food for medicinal cuisine, or infusing them into medicinal wine. Each method had its merits and drawbacks.

At this moment, Wang Hong was fully absorbed in simmering a pot of soup. Earlier that day, Zhang Tie Mao and the others had gone hunting in the mountains and brought back a large piece of wild boar ribs, which they generously gave to Wang Hong. He also dug up a more than forty-year-old astragalus from the space and stewed it together with the pork ribs. Astragalus had a mild nature, known for invigorating the spleen, replenishing qi, and nourishing the kidneys, making it ideal for medicinal cuisine.

The edges of the pot lid were emitting a steady stream of white steam, indicating it had been simmering for about an hour. "It should be ready to eat," Wang Hong lifted the lid, revealing a milky white broth bubbling with rich meat aroma and a faint medicinal fragrance. The scent of astragalus was not overpowering, ensuring that the medicinal cuisine retained the original flavor.

Wang Hong selected a rib, grabbed it with his hands, blew on it a few times, and then took a hearty bite. "Mmm! The bones are tender, and the meat is succulent," he exclaimed. He swiftly finished the meat and even sucked the broth from the bones, creating a satisfying sound. After consuming the meat, he crunched the bones, releasing the marrow with each chew.

Just as Wang Hong was enjoying his meal, a hoarse voice interrupted, "Kid, you're eating quite luxuriously. How about showing some respect to your elders and sharing a sip with this old man?"

Startled by the sudden voice, Wang Hong looked towards the source and saw a figure dressed in black night clothes, a masked face, and a gleaming single-edged sword in hand, standing at the doorway.

Wang Hong's heart tightened. How did someone manage to sneak into his home? The intruder was likely an Acquired martial artist, and despite Wang Hong reaching the Acquired realm, he lacked any practical combat experience, especially with his recent initiation into marksmanship. Confidence was nowhere to be found in facing this masked man.

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"Kid, don't be nervous, and don't harbor any ideas. I'll ask you a few questions, and you just need to answer honestly," the masked man said, gesturing with the sword.

Suppressing his fear, Wang Hong forced a smile. "Please go ahead with your questions. I'll truthfully answer anything. Honestly, I've always admired heroes and great figures like yourself. If there's anything you need, feel free to instruct me, and I'll make sure it's done properly."

Seeing Wang Hong willing to cooperate, the masked man relaxed a bit, thinking, "This kid knows how to behave. It's not bad for a twelve or thirteen-year-old not to wet himself in fear. I'll let him die more comfortably later."

The masked man pulled up a chair and sat at the doorway. "I heard that not long ago, an immortal descended here. Is that true?"

Wang Hong confirmed, "It's true. Thousands of people witnessed it. The Immortal Master could control flying swords, turning them into several zhang in size in the air. With a gentle point of his hand, he could shatter giant rocks. In the end, the Immortal Master sat on the flying sword and disappeared like a flash of lightning." Wang Hong spoke while slowly sipping a bowl of soup.

The masked man's pupils contracted, revealing inner turmoil. "What was the purpose of the Immortal Master's visit? Did he leave any treasures, like Immortal Pills or manuals for Immortal Techniques?"

After moistening his throat with a sip of soup, Wang Hong continued, "The Immortal Master came to recruit disciples for his immortal sect. He used a magical tool to inspect everyone and eventually accepted a disciple. As for Immortal Pills, there were indeed some." Wang Hong refilled his bowl with soup and paced around the room as he spoke.

"The Immortal Pill is truly miraculous. Just smelling it after opening the bottle can make you feel a surge in power. Our Old Dean took one, and his strength improved significantly; even his white hair turned black. As far as I know, there's one more Immortal Pill, but unfortunately..." Wang Hong's excitement grew, and unconsciously, he walked closer to the masked man, who was now two feet away. The masked man was getting interested; this kid was building up suspense. Instinctively, he asked, "Unfortunately, what?"

"Unfortunately, someone else had it for dinner!" As Wang Hong uttered these words, he splashed the soup bowl in his hand towards the Masked man's eyes.

At the same time, an Iron Spear appeared in his hand, swiftly thrusting directly towards the Masked man's chest. This move, involving quickly retrieving weapons from the space and immediately engaging in combat, was something Wang Hong had practiced for a long time.

The Masked man, still processing the words "someone else had it for dinner," hadn't fully reacted when a bowl of soup came splashing towards him. Despite his extensive combat experience, the Masked man hastily waved his left arm to block, simultaneously swinging the single-edged sword from bottom to top. Seated in the chair, he could only lean a few inches to the left in his rushed evasion.

Wang Hong's close-range attack with the spear was lightning fast. Just as the spearhead was about an inch away from the Masked man's left chest, the sword's deflection and the slight evasion caused a "pu" sound as the spear pierced more than three inches into the upper right part of the Masked man's chest.

Wang Hong intended to capitalize on his success, pushing the spearhead forward. Although the Masked man, despite his injury, reacted quickly, retreating and swinging the sword along the spear shaft towards Wang Hong's hand. Helpless, Wang Hong could only rotate the spearhead in the wound and quickly retract it, pulling out a large chunk of flesh and blood.

Wang Hong lunged for another quick attack, seizing the opportunity while the Masked man was weak, offering no time for recovery, and securing the doorway to prevent any escape.

Knowing that he hadn't hit the heart, Wang Hong was aware that the Masked man wouldn't die immediately. However, he had undoubtedly punctured the lungs, allowing air from the outside to enter the chest. In a maximum of two quarter-hours, the Masked man would lose consciousness. Additionally, with the lungs rich in blood vessels, a significant loss of blood would hasten his demise. Wang Hong only needed to stall him, waiting for him to faint, to claim victory.

Having practiced spear technique for only three months, Wang Hong's true strength was considerably less than the Masked man's. Currently, he could only exploit his existing advantage, launching rapid attacks, consistently targeting vital areas and forcing the opponent to defend.

Initially, Wang Hong's swift attacks were fueled by nervousness, as it was his first time engaging in a life-or-death struggle, especially against someone with far superior martial skills. However, with each passing moment, he became more adept at maneuvering, deepening his comprehension of the "Thunderous Spear Technique."

On the other hand, the Masked man was growing increasingly infuriated, reflecting on his years of experience as he found himself in a dire situation today.

At first, he didn't take the seemingly twelve or thirteen-year-old boy across from him seriously. Even if he started martial arts training in the womb, how much skill could he possibly possess? He had let his guard down just a little, and that slight oversight had cost him dearly.

The Masked man grew weaker as the battle progressed, feeling his breath becoming more difficult. Exhaling was easy, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't draw in the outside air.

His limbs grew increasingly feeble, unable to exert force. His eyelids became heavy, and all he wanted was to enjoy a good sleep.

Biting down on his tongue, the Masked man forced himself to focus, determined to take someone down with him even if he died.

Wang Hong's move, the "White Snake Spits Venom," aimed at the Masked man's abdomen. This time, the Masked man didn't dodge. The spear directly pierced his abdomen, the tip emerging from his lower back.

The Masked man's eyes turned bloodshot, revealing a crazed expression. Gripping the spear with his left hand, he lunged forward, slashing the single-edged sword towards Wang Hong's neck. He seemed intent on taking both of them down together. Wang Hong hastily let go, leaping backward, but the blade still left a long gash on his chest.

The Masked man, using his last strength, continued pursuing Wang Hong. The room was too small for a proper escape. After a few steps, Wang Hong suddenly had another Iron Spear in his hand. Simultaneously, he executed a move known as the "Retreat Horse Spear." The Masked man, caught off guard, was pierced through, feeling an icy chill through his heart.

The Masked man collapsed on the ground, convulsing for a moment before finally succumbing to death. As he lay dying, he couldn't fathom how this spear had appeared out of nowhere.

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