The melee progressed rapidly. There was little difference in strength among the 3rd-Ranks, but after the first round of attrition, fewer and fewer of them remained standing.
Some lay in pools of blood, some leaned against corners, gasping for air, while others still tried to stand, their bodies no longer obeying their commands.
In the end, only two remained standing.
One was the burly 3rd-Rank peak man, and the other was a thin 3rd-Rank mid-stage cultivator who had been lurking in a corner, barely lifting a finger.
Both of them turned their gazes toward Jiang Lin at the same time.
They had witnessed the entire process of Jiang Lin taking down the two 4th-Ranks, but at this moment, Jiang Lin looked incredibly disheveled.
Covered in dust and gasping for breath, he could barely stand, managing only to support himself against the wall.
The two exchanged a glance and took a step toward Jiang Lin in unison.
Jiang Lin looked up, glancing at them and then at the center of the arena.
He knew the time had come.
He “struggled” to stand straight, holding his dagger in front of him in a defensive stance.
This only confirmed their suspicion that he was at the end of his rope, and they quickened their pace.
The burly man reached him first.
Swinging his iron club, he brought it crashing down toward Jiang Lin's shoulder.
The blow carried immense force, whistling through the air, clearly intended to end the fight in a single strike.
Jiang Lin tilted his head to dodge. The club slammed into the wall behind him, chipping off a shower of stone fragments.
He staggered two steps to the side, looking entirely like he had accidentally stumbled.
The burly man was about to pursue when he suddenly let out a sharp grunt, freezing in place.
His face instantly twisted into an incredibly complex expression, as if some indescribable sensation had suddenly overloaded his nervous system.
The iron club slipped from his loosening fingers, clattering heavily onto the floor.
He doubled over, clutching his stomach with both hands, his rugged face contorted into an expression never seen on him before.
Immediately after, an uncontrollable urge that completely overrode his bodily control surged from his abdomen, like a volcano that had brewed for countless years suddenly erupting without warning.
A dull, airy sound echoed through the arena.
What followed was a rapid, dense, and utterly unstoppable chain of sounds.
The burly man's entire body stiffened. His face turned the color of pig liver, and physiological tears even welled up in the corners of his eyes.
He collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball as if enduring a misery he would never wish to recall.
Standing a few paces away, the thin man hadn't even had the chance to approach Jiang Lin before he was dumbfounded by the burly man's sudden transformation.
Seeing the burly man in such agony, he glanced at Jiang Lin, hesitated, and ultimately chose to take a step back.
But it was already too late.
An indescribable sensation, like a violent impact, welled up from the depths of his abdomen, instantly sweeping through his entire consciousness.
Before he could react, his body uncontrollably transitioned from rigid stiffness to complete limpness.
Two long, relieved, and soothing sounds echoed in sequence through the empty underground arena.
Silence fell over the arena.
Only the two fallen 3rd-Ranks remained on the ground, twitching from time to time, letting out muffled grunts from their throats as if trying to speak but constantly interrupted by a far more powerful physiological demand.
Jiang Lin also “collapsed” onto the ground, leaning against the wall and panting heavily, looking utterly exhausted.
He even deliberately let his left hand tremble slightly, making it look like a natural reaction to complete exhaustion.
At that moment, the heavy stone door slowly rumbled upward.
The middle-aged man in gray robes stood at the entrance, followed by his two young assistants.
His gaze swept across the scene inside the arena.
Seeing corpses and wounded scattered everywhere, his eyes finally paused on the body of the disguised 5th-Rank man, before shifting to land on Jiang Lin.
“You're the only one left?”
His voice carried a hint of surprise.
Jiang Lin “struggled” to lift his head, replying in a weak tone,
“Y-yes, my lord.”
The gray-robed man stepped into the arena, walking in a circle around the disguised 5th-Rank's corpse, then glanced at the two 3rd-Ranks slumped on the floor, his brow furrowing slightly.
He bent down to inspect the corpse, confirming the man's identity, before straightening up to size Jiang Lin up with a fresh look of scrutiny.
“You took down all of them by yourself?”
“Just luck...” Jiang Lin's voice was raspy and weak. “They fought among themselves first, and I was on the sidelines... taking advantage of it.”
The gray-robed man fell silent for a moment, clearly not entirely buying this explanation.
A 3rd-Rank early stage cultivator, no matter how good at seizing opportunities, couldn't possibly survive a free-for-all to the very end, let alone take down two 4th-Ranks.
Yet the facts lay right before his eyes; this thin, destitute-looking fellow was indeed the one standing, while everyone else was down.
He was about to speak when his gaze suddenly locked onto the two 3rd-Ranks still twitching on the ground.
Their faces had turned a bizarre color, their features contorting as if locked in some unwelcome negotiation.
The gray-robed man's brow furrowed, then suddenly smoothed out as a spark flashed in his eyes.
“Your technique...” He stared at Jiang Lin, lowering his voice. “That move—where did you learn it?”
Jiang Lin was inwardly surprised, but his face betrayed nothing. He replied in a dazed, uncomprehending tone,
“Which move... does my lord mean?”
“The move that made those two unable to stand.”
The gray-robed man gestured with his chin toward the two figures sprawled on the floor, his eyes burning as he stared at Jiang Lin.
“I've been watching from outside the door. That technique applies targeted strengthening to the path of internal energy circulation. It has a clear direction and a specific target. Though it looks quite underhanded, it couldn't be more perfect for a situation like this. Where did you learn it?”
Jiang Lin was even more astonished.
He hadn't expected the man to pay such close attention to this specific move.
He could only maintain his bewildered expression:
“I... I learned it when I was scraping by in the Saintas Kingdom. An old vagrant taught me. He called it 'Bowel Strengthening'.”
“Saintas Kingdom.” The gray-robed man repeated the name in a low voice, the light in his eyes growing even brighter. “Indeed. I knew the style of this move matched certain rumors from over there. Do you know of Boulder City?”
Jiang Lin's heart skipped a beat, but he had to keep playing dumb.
At the same time, he wondered if he should silence all of them if his cover got blown.
“I've heard of it. A remote border town, right?”
“A notable figure emerged from there.”
The gray-robed man lowered his voice, speaking with a knowing tone that only insiders would understand.
“They say a young man named Jiang Lin popped up there a year ago. Somehow, he joined a secret cult and was even rumored to be some kind of Holy Son. The kid is exceptionally talented, particularly in... well, unorthodox methods.”
He paused, casting a glance at Jiang Lin as if trying to confirm something.
“It is said that he developed this strengthening technique specifically to boost bowel motility, causing opponents to instantly lose their ability to fight.
“It's incredibly insidious, but undeniably effective.
“Quite a few adventurers in Saintas have suffered because of it. Rumor has it that once he makes a move, his opponents lose all combat capability on the spot, without even a chance to pursue.”
Jiang Lin kept his expression neutral, but inwardly, his mind was beginning to fracture.
He had absolutely no idea that the technique he developed had actually spread so far.
It had even reached the Twilight Kingdom, which was an unknown distance away from the Saintas Kingdom.
What's more, his name as the originator had been passed down in perfect detail.
“I think I might have heard of him.”
Jiang Lin could only brace himself and play along.
“There are even more ridiculous rumors.”
The gray-robed man grew excited, and his chatter increased.
“They say the kid doesn't just use this move against enemies. Sometimes, he even uses it at the negotiating table, leaving his opponents with absolutely no peace of mind to discuss terms.
“Some say he uses it on officials he dislikes, utterly humiliating them in public.
“I also heard that he likes to target the rear and give them a good blast.
“After catching the eye of the secret cult's higher-ups, he was directly taken in as a core disciple, and then the Pope hid him away so outsiders couldn't see him.
“Probably because they were afraid his reputation would ruin their image if it got out.”
Jiang Lin's cheek twitched.
He was a brilliant man of peerless reputation; he was absolutely not that kind of person.
But right now, his identity was “Drake,” a destitute traveler who had fled from the Saintas Kingdom.
He couldn't deny the existence of the story, as that would make it look like he knew too much about the inside details.
He had no choice but to bite the bullet and play along.
“Indeed...”
His tone sounded highly hesitant.
“I did hear that vagrant mention him. He said some people within the secret cult whisper that the man's malicious fun is legendary. He supposedly develops all kinds of bizarre moves specifically targeting unguarded areas, and he especially loves watching his opponents make fools of themselves.”
The gray-robed man nodded in deep agreement.
“I've studied this move for a long time, but I could never grasp the essence of it.
“It requires extremely precise power control—strengthening the target area without damaging other parts.
“The direction must be pinpoint, and the force must be just right. Any excess would cause internal damage, turning it into a mere damaging attack and losing that... well, effect of making the opponent collapse without a fight.”
His tone carried the excitement of someone who had finally met a fellow connoisseur.
Jiang Lin maintained his exhausted expression, but his mind was racing.
The implication behind the man's words was already glaringly obvious.
He wanted to learn this move.
Jiang Lin didn't mind teaching him.
Although the move seemed insidious, it was actually just a special application of the strengthening technique.
If someone else learned it, it wouldn't have any negative impact on him.
Moreover, if he could secure a “backer” within the secret cult, whether temporary or long-term, it would benefit his subsequent actions.
“If my lord is interested...” He spoke slowly, his tone laced with just the right amount of caution. “I can try to write down and organize the things the vagrant taught me.”
The gray-robed man's eyes lit up, but his expression quickly reverted to its usual calm composure.
He nodded and said in a businesslike tone,
“Very well. Recover from your injuries first, and I will have someone arrange a private room for you. The church needs talent like you. Work hard, and you will be well rewarded.”
He paused, adding,
“By the way, what happened to that vagrant you mentioned?”
“I don't know.” Jiang Lin shook his head. “He left after teaching me, saying he was heading north. I've never seen him since.”
The gray-robed man nodded and didn't press further.
He turned and walked toward the exit, pausing just as he reached the doorway to say without turning around,
“Get some rest. In a couple of days, I'll send someone to teach you the basic rules of the church.”
The stone door closed behind him once more.
Sitting against the wall, Jiang Lin listened to the muffled groans of the two still-twitching 3rd-Ranks and breathed a sigh of relief.
He hadn't expected the move to be recognized, much less that his reputation had spread so far, but the outcome was quite favorable.
The man's interest in him outweighed his suspicion, buying him some much-needed breathing room.
Over the next two days, he could steady his footing, observe the internal workings of this secret cult outpost, and then decide on his next step.
Standing up from the floor, he brushed the dust off his clothes, stretched his stiff shoulders, and walked over to the two 3rd-Ranks still on the ground.
They were still groaning softly, their bodies twitching occasionally, clearly not yet recovered from the shock.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
He murmured quietly, then ignored them and pushed open the stone door.
The stone door slowly slid shut behind him, emitting a dull, scraping sound.
Jiang Lin walked back along the narrow corridor he had come from. As he stepped out of the church's side door, the afternoon sunlight hit his face with a pleasant warmth.
He squinted, standing on the steps of the porch for a moment to let his breathing gradually return to its normal rhythm.
A young man wearing a short gray jacket emerged from the side corridor. Holding a ring of iron keys, he walked up to Jiang Lin, sized him up, and spoke with a casual, routine tone,
“Follow me. I'll show you to your quarters.”
Jiang Lin followed him across the courtyard behind the church and into a two-story stone building.
The interior of the building was dimly lit, with over a dozen identical wooden doors lining both sides of the corridor.
The young man stopped at the end of the second floor, unlocked a door, and stepped aside.
“You'll be staying here from now on. Someone will come tomorrow morning to teach you the rules of the church. Don't wander around...”
Jiang Lin nodded and stepped inside.
The door clicked shut behind him.
The room was small, containing a narrow bed, a table, a chair, and a wooden basin with a pitcher of clean water in the corner.
The window faced north, offering a view of the hazy gray outline of distant mountains.
He stood by the window for a moment to ensure no one was watching before sitting down on the edge of the bed, reviewing the events of the day in his mind.
The gray-robed man's primary point of interest was that strengthening technique.
...
Rate on N.U.
