Chapter 188: Whistling
Although his skills were in the poisonous arts—the way of ambushes and sneak attacks—that didn't mean his close-quarters combat ability was weak.
On the contrary, from working with poisons day and night, his body had long been steeped in toxins, making him physically stronger than the average Ancient Martial Artist. He could even hold his own against a typical expert at the Late Stage of Innate.
When his first move failed, Zhang Yue attacked again. His strikes were vicious, each fist whistling through the air.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The two figures darted through the dense forest, moving as fast as a gust of wind.
The longer Zhang Yue fought, the more horrified he became. 'This kid looks so young, but his strength is far beyond my expectations!'
But his attacks only grew faster. He could feel the pressure mounting; he had to end this fight quickly.
"HRAAAGH!"
Zhang Yue roared and charged forward. With a vicious gust of wind from his fist, he was instantly beside Lin Feng, his punch aimed straight for Lin Feng's face.
Lin Feng sidestepped the attack. He raised a stick he had casually picked up to block Zhang Yue's wrist, then swept it across his opponent's shoulder, sending Zhang Yue staggering back several steps.
He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and charged at Lin Feng again. He had to kill this man, or he'd never be able to quell the rage in his heart.
Lin Feng didn't move. He simply watched Zhang Yue quietly.
"Damn it! Are you toying with me?"
Zhang Yue finally lost his patience. He leaped into the air, tapped his toes on a treetop, and used the momentum to dive at Lin Feng once more.
At that moment, Zhang Yue's aura surged to its peak. The skin on his right arm bulged, and a green, venomous liquid began to ooze from his elbow.
His speed skyrocketed. He shot down from above like a cannonball, aiming a heavy punch at Lin Feng's chest!
"This is my newest poison, Snake Blood Powder! This one punch will be enough to take half your life!"
CRACK!
With a sharp crack, Zhang Yue's jaw dropped. His pupils dilated as he stared in disbelief at the man before him.
"You... You actually caught my fist!"
he cried out.
'Although my poison isn't as potent as my senior brothers', it's not something an ordinary person can touch. Especially when I'm using my full power, even a Martial Artist at the Late Stage of Innate wouldn't dare to block it head-on. And yet, this guy caught my wrist with his bare hands!'
"Heh. You should use things like this less. It's too dirty,"
Lin Feng said with a slight smile. He twisted his stance, putting force into his lower body, and swung the long stick in his hand, striking Zhang Yue squarely in the abdomen.
He bent his arm, forming a claw with his fingers, and grabbed Zhang Yue by the neck. With an over-the-shoulder throw, he slammed him to the ground.
"Agh... Who in the world are you?"
Zhang Yue clutched his throat, unable to believe he had lost. 'How could anyone catch my attack so easily?!'
"Does it matter who I am?"
Lin Feng knelt, placing his palm on Zhang Yue's shoulder. The power in his hand seeped through the skin and into his opponent's body.
Zhang Yue felt the energy within him thrown into chaos, as if it was about to collapse, but he still held on.
'Hmph. Trying to control me with poison? How absurd!'
Lin Feng sneered internally as a tyrannical power erupted from him. He was about to deliver the killing blow, but Zhang Yue was no simple fool.
A man who could use the Red Flame Fruit as bait to lure countless Ancient Martial Artists to their deaths, turning them into fertilizer for the Red Flame Tree, would hardly be without a few tricks up his sleeve.
Suddenly, Zhang Yue's left hand shot out. He was holding several pills, which he immediately shoved into his mouth.
CRUNCH!
Lin Feng's brow furrowed. Zhang Yue had actually crushed the pills with his teeth and swallowed them.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Feng's iron-like fist shot toward Zhang Yue's neck!
He had to finish Zhang Yue before the drug took effect and prevent any unexpected complications.
BANG!
But in the next instant, his fist didn't land on his opponent's neck as he'd expected. Instead, it was caught.
"Heh heh. Kid, did you really think I wasn't prepared?"
Zhang Yue sneered as the energy in his body erupted. A powerful aura burst forth from him!
The veins on his arms bulged, making them look as if they were forged from steel!
BANG!
Lin Feng and Zhang Yue's fists slammed into each other with a tremendous crash.
Lin Feng was sent flying back several meters before he could steady himself. The web of his thumb was numb, and the flow of his Inner Strength was obstructed!
'Such potent poison arts!'
His expression darkened. The power of this poison had indeed exceeded his expectations; he had actually been put at a disadvantage.
"Kid, let's see how many more of my attacks you can take!"
Zhang Yue shouted coldly, his body blurring into an afterimage as he shot toward Lin Feng. His fists carried a biting wind, and he followed with a fierce roundhouse kick aimed at Lin Feng's body!
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. 'I didn't expect him to be this strong. It looks like I'll have to use *that* technique.'
BANG!
Lin Feng's fist collided with Zhang Yue's foot. This time, Lin Feng didn't retreat an inch, and neither could Zhang Yue's leg advance. They were evenly matched!
"How can this be?"
Zhang Yue's eyes widened in disbelief.
He knew the power of this poison better than anyone. It was an indiscriminate attack that even a Martial Artist at the Late Stage of Innate would fall victim to.
His attack had failed this time, but he wasn't flustered. He still had even more powerful techniques!
"Die!"
A strange smile touched his lips as he struck out with both palms, hitting Lin Feng.
Lin Feng's body was sent flying. Zhang Yue was using the Dragon-Catching Hand, intending to cripple Lin Feng's arms.
'Hmph. You rely on such crooked, unorthodox arts, yet you dare to fight me up close?'
Despite facing the ferocious Zhang Yue, Lin Feng didn't panic, even though his opponent was now slightly stronger than him.
But Zhang Yue's trump card, his swarm of poisonous insects, was already neutralized. Furthermore, he had sustained some injuries while fending off the other Ancient Martial Artists. Lin Feng still had a chance to win.
"Get on the ground!"
Zhang Yue roared, stomping his right foot on the ground as his figure shot forward.
BOOM!
The ground cracked open, sending dirt flying everywhere. He shot forward like an arrow released from its bow, reaching Lin Feng in an instant.
Zhang Yue's hands shot out like eagle talons, grabbing Lin Feng's head and trying to slam it into the ground.
"Haha! You want to pin *me* to the ground? Are you even worthy?!"
Lin Feng suddenly shouted, his hands grabbing Zhang Yue's arms with lightning speed as he leaped into the air.
Caught off guard, Zhang Yue was thrown off balance. As he landed, Lin Feng stuck to him like glue, his left leg whipping around to strike Zhang Yue's waist.
BANG!
Three kicks in quick succession. Lin Feng's movements were so fast that Zhang Yue had no time to defend. He was sent flying into a tree trunk, and the color that had just returned to his face drained away, leaving him pale once more.
But thanks to the strange pills he had taken, these injuries were not a problem for him.