Tian Fei’s fist had originally been aimed straight at Jiang Fei’s head, but Jiang Fei used Tai Chi to deflect the force. Though he couldn’t completely neutralize the blow, he managed to redirect its trajectory—shifting it from his head to his chest.
The punch was overwhelmingly powerful. Jiang Fei barely had time to raise his arms in defense, and coupled with his already inferior strength compared to Tian Fei, his guard was instantly broken. The fist landed squarely on Jiang Fei’s chest—right on the vital acupoint known as the Danzhong point.
If this punch had landed cleanly without interference, Jiang Fei would undoubtedly have been in serious trouble. He might have been sent flying, knocked unconscious, or worse.
But at that moment, the faint traces of the Beiming Divine Skill within Jiang Fei’s body spontaneously activated.
Boom!
The sound of the impact was deafening, like stone splitting apart.
Jiang Fei had braced himself for excruciating pain. If only I’d known this muscle-bound brute was such a monstrous fighter, he thought bitterly. I shouldn’t have been so careless. I should’ve drawn my sword from the storage space earlier and finished him with the Nine Swords of Dugu. Or better yet, splurged on a Li Xunhuan-style throwing dagger from the system shop.
He truly hadn’t expected this hulking man to be so formidable. After all, Jiang Fei had already upgraded to Level 4—his physical attributes were four times that of an average adult male. By all accounts, he should’ve been at the peak of human conditioning. Yet this brute was completely overpowering him!
Just as Jiang Fei was wallowing in regret, convinced he was about to suffer a humiliating defeat, something bizarre happened.
The moment Tian Fei’s fist struck his chest—despite the thunderous impact—Jiang Fei felt… nothing.
No pain. No discomfort.
What the hell? His eyes widened in disbelief. How can such a devastating punch feel like nothing? Am I numb from shock? No—my body didn’t even budge!
When he looked up, he saw Tian Fei staring at him with equal astonishment. The man’s bull-like eyes were wide, his face twisted in horror as if he’d seen a ghost. He had been certain this punch would either kill Jiang Fei outright or leave him grievously injured, unable to fight.
But reality defied expectations.
The instant Tian Fei’s fist connected with Jiang Fei’s Danzhong point, his arm went limp, his strength draining away as if leaking out of him. He felt hollow, like a broken windsock.
This was no ordinary punch—it was a Qi Fist, infused with the internal energy Tian Fei had painstakingly cultivated over years. A single strike could fell an ox. Since mastering this technique, he had never met an opponent who could withstand it.
Yet today, the unthinkable had happened.
Tian Fei tried desperately to pull back, but it was too late. His hard-earned internal energy—the product of over a decade of training—was now flowing uncontrollably out of his body, straight into Jiang Fei’s.
What kind of sorcery is this?!
Meanwhile, realization dawned on Jiang Fei. His initial shock and regret melted into exhilaration. This must be the Beiming Divine Skill at work!
By sheer chance, Tian Fei’s redirected punch had struck Jiang Fei’s Danzhong point—the very spot where Beiming energy was stored. Though Jiang Fei had only just begun practicing the skill (still at Level 0), he had one critical advantage: unlike the arduous foundation-building described in martial arts novels, he had mastered the basics instantly by absorbing the skill manual.
His internal energy might be weak, but the framework was already in place.
Yes! It has to be the Beiming Divine Skill!
Focusing inward, Jiang Fei sensed a warm current trickling into his Danzhong point, swirling in his energy sea. It was slightly suffocating, but unmistakably real.
This brute actually has internal energy? Jiang Fei’s mind raced. Does that mean genuine martial artists with cultivated Qi exist in the real world?
The questions multiplied, but they couldn’t dampen his excitement. His earlier fury toward Tian Fei evaporated, replaced by a predatory gleam in his eyes.
To Tian Fei, that gaze was terrifying—like a wolf eyeing prey or a lecher ogling a beauty.
“L-Let go of me!” Tian Fei stammered, his voice trembling as his energy continued to drain.
“Not yet,” Jiang Fei said brightly, tightening his grip.
In a world where true internal energy masters were vanishingly rare (he hadn’t encountered a single one in the Central Martial Arts Hall), stumbling upon one was a miracle. Absorbing this man’s energy would give Jiang Fei’s Beiming skill a significant boost, saving him months of grueling training.
And he had zero moral qualms about it.
This man had tried to kill him. Had set a trap that claimed over twenty lives.
He deserves this.
“P-Please!” Tian Fei begged, his body shaking. Normally, his sheer physical strength would’ve allowed him to break free easily. But under the Beiming skill’s effect, he was powerless.
Less than thirty seconds later, Jiang Fei released him—Tian Fei’s energy was completely drained.
“That’s it?” Jiang Fei frowned, disappointed. The giant of a man collapsed, trembling, his eyes wide with terror.
Unbeknownst to Jiang Fei, he had narrowly avoided disaster. If Tian Fei’s energy had been more abundant, Jiang Fei’s fledgling Beiming skill might have backfired, rupturing his meridians and killing him.
“W-Who are you?!” Tian Fei gasped.
Ignoring him, Jiang Fei focused on circulating the newly absorbed energy through his Ren and lung meridians before returning it to his Danzhong point. The stifling sensation vanished, and the energy became permanently his. He could already feel the difference—his internal energy had grown noticeably stronger.
Pulling up his status screen, he checked the Beiming Divine Skill entry.
It worked!
The skill’s progress had jumped from 0.001/15 to 0.4/15—equivalent to half a year’s worth of training in one go.
Smiling, Jiang Fei crouched beside Tian Fei. “You already know who I am.”
“W-What did you do to me?!” Tian Fei roared, his voice ragged. “My internal energy—gone! What kind of demonic technique is this?!”
Jiang Fei blinked. Internal energy?
Wait—he called it ‘internal force’ , not ‘internal energy’.
In traditional martial arts, internal force (neijin) referred to the refined power cultivated through disciplines like Baguazhang or Xingyiquan, distinct from the fantastical neili of wuxia novels.
Did the system classify his internal force as absorbable energy?
If so, this changed everything. The Beiming Divine Skill wouldn’t be limited to fictional settings—it could tap into real-world martial artists’ energy, drastically speeding up his progress.
The implications were staggering.
This is basically a cheat code!
