In the Arena Below.

  Watching the bload-soaked berserker still rushing at him as if injected with chicken blood, Jin Tiesha gasped out a curse.

  “Jaja, so persistent. Man, I hate these idiots with thick skin…”

  Seriously, is this baldie sick? Why can’t he just lie down? He’s just making both their lives hard!

  To take this beefy egghead down, he had tried almost everything.

  Razor-sharp slicing gales, penetrating wind bullets, even a few tempest for the brute impact.

  Yet none of his wind spells proved useful.

  It’s not that they weren’t effective. They just weren’t very lethal against the other’s tempered skin.

  At most, they left bone deep wounds. But even that required a direct hit.

  How hard is it to do that? Very, especially with that shield as cover.

  It was even harder before – when the musclehead was still wearing thick, meteorite-iron armor!

  He managed to peel all that off, but that was extremely taxing, even for someone at his level.

  After that, Jin Tiesha thought he could cut this baldie down, but he just won’t fall!

  Now, his meridians felt the strain and even his spells were running on unrefined Qi...

  His opponent should be in no better condition. But...

  “Can’t go on like this…” Jin Tiesha gritted his teeth and took a breather from casting…

  Seeing the chance, the bald Jia Hu immediately squeezed the gap closer! When the range was right...

  Stomp! A foot anchored to the ground and a twist around threw his battered round shield out like a discus!

  Whoosh! Jin Tiesha flashed a step to the side, letting the discus narrowly zip past...

  The miss was not outside of anyone’s expectations. But…

  Jin Tiesha’s eyes narrowed when he sensed the ignited talisman tagged under the surface of the shield.

  Delayed Explosive Tag! That’s a high-grade talisman! What a waste!

  Boom! Flames melted the iron shield into oblivion, and the world around him went up in flames!

  His magic tool’s barrier kept all the fire out, but the explosive force still sent Jin Tiesha flying back!

  But that was it. Getting out relatively unscathed like this was common for a cultivator at his level.

  Unfortunately, that explosion was only the start!

  The berserker was waiting just outside, his fist reeled back with flames roaring to life all over his knuckles!

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  “Sun Lion Fist!” Jia Hu punched forward with everything he had!

  Fwoom! The flaming fist detonated outward, manifesting into a fist purely formed from fire that expanded while it shot forward!

  The fist of fire grew larger and larger in Jin Tiesha’s eyes, transforming into a flaming comet that dwarfed the size of a human!

  Trapped mid-air without a stable footing, a hit was almost guaranteed!

  Size isn’t everything, but this level of upper-grade fire technique…

  It wasn’t something his measly mid-grade barrier can completely block!

  Doomed?

  Of course not.

  Foundation realm cultivators weren’t limited to casting a single spell!

  The same applies to the usage of magic tools.

  Better yet, it wasn’t impossible to do a combination of both!

  Hence, if a single barrier can’t do the job, then...

  Jin Tiesha twisted his body mid-air, his leg snapping wide-open like a scissor to kick upwards.

  Wind Style: Dragon Rising Steps!

  Immediately, an updraft of air currents reached towards the heavens, forming a wall of wind!

  Just a heartbeat after, the enormous fist of fire slammed right into the wind wall!

  Fwooom! The wall blocked the fire, but it did nothing to quell it...

  The fire rode the wind up to the heavens, igniting the entire wind wall and transforming it into an inferno pillar!

  The scorching heat and flames licked away at Jin Tiesha’s last line of defense...

  It didn’t take long for that glass-like barrier to shatter, but it bought him enough time to get away with the flaps of his robes barely singed.

  “Jaja… ha... Not even close.”

  But before Jin Tiesha can relax, the berserker burst out right through the curtain of fire like a demon reborn!

  Blood boiled into steam, and the berserker’s blood-slicked body was ignited by flames…

  But the inferno red-eyed demon ignored all injuries and lunged at Jin Tiesha with teeth baring like a rabid dog!

  True ruthlessness earned the berserker a chance, finally letting him get a punch in!

  Yet Jin Tiesha’s sneer was sharp enough to cut glass. Surprise? A foundation builder caught off guard?

  Unthinkable.

  With spiritual sense active, no foundation builder will be caught off guard by these smokescreen tricks, no matter how unexpected they were!

  Then… how did this berserker manage to get close? Because he let him!

  Why? Isn’t it obvious? He knew the other was running on fumes!

  After unleashing that high-level technique, even a sack of pills can’t help a Qi Refiner recover enough energy for any significant blow in a short time!

  This baldie literally had nothing but his fists!

  But will a foundation builder be afraid of a Qi Refiner’s bare fists? Jaja, what a joke.

  Since that’s the case, it’s time to end this!

  Jin Tiesha easily parried the incoming blow, only to have the punching fist twist around to shackle his wrist.

  Unfazed, Jin Tiesha’s own palm flared with Qi and struck out, ready to trade a blow!

  Slap! The Qi-coated palm smashed right onto the broad chest!

  “Emff…” The berserker leaked a muffled grunt, bleeding from his mouth.

  Even then, his hand didn’t forget to snap onto the wrist of the attacking hand.

  Once that was done, a savage grin surfaced on his bloodied face. “Gotcha!”

  Failing to yank his cuffed arms out from the searing iron grips, Jin Tiesha frowned and his knee shot upward for a low-ball move!

  Bam! Tap. Baam! Legs traded blows, the exploding force ruffling his breezy robes!

  But that didn’t last long.

  Once they got too close for comfort, their legs got locked together with neither gaining the upper hand!

  Jin Tiesha had to admit: this direct descendant of the Jia Clan’s main lineage was no joke.

  Sure, he himself had the inherent advantage of a foundation builder’s baptized body.

  Even then, there was no way to beat this musclehead in a contest of brute strength!

  But Jin Tiesha still wasn’t afraid.

  Those who have done their homework will know that the confidence of foundation builders didn’t lay in brute strength alone!

  After a cultivator established their foundation, a trademark ability is gained: Qi externization!

  Palms, legs… basically wherever Qi can circulate, Qi can be equipped like a second skin.

  Hence, a foundation builder’s basic attacks was never as simple as a physical hit.

  Every blow was laced with Qi that can penetrate bone-deep, leaving internal injuries that is enough to kill in the long run!

  Jin Tiesha had to admit: this musclehead was really tough to tank even a hit from him.

  But endurance had its limits. It won’t be long before his internal injuries give in!

  Still, Jin Tiesha didn’t like the idea of hugging this cornered beast and waiting it out.

  Unlike the other, Jin Tiesha still had Qi reserves to mold another spell!

  And there was an all-too-common spell just perfect for this situation: Fire Style: Torch Blowing Technique!

  Jajaja! He wants to see just how this bald brute will fare when his head gets roasted inside out!