10: Chapter 10 Grief
Ten minutes later.
Li Hao and two other sect members rushed over together.
The three of them were filled with anxiety.
Li Hao, in particular, was consumed by self-reproach.
If it hadn't been for the time spent helping him treat his injuries, the three of them wouldn't have been delayed for so long.
That Xu Tai was wildly ambitious and exceptionally cunning.
Having been delayed this long, he had likely made his escape long ago.
However, several roars heard midway through their journey lifted their spirits.
Because that was the voice of Elder Wang Yue.
"Quick, it's Senior Brother Wang's voice! He's intercepted that vile creature; let's go support him!"
Li Hao's face was pale, but he couldn't hide his joy.
Senior Brother Wang Yue's skills were among the best of their group.
At least half of the scars on Xu Tai's body had been inflicted by Senior Brother Wang Yue.
"Yes, let's hurry and support him. Senior Brother Wang Yue is kind-hearted; we can't let that ambitious wolf scheme against him again!" another Elder, Qing Tong, shouted with a stern expression.
As soon as these words were spoken,
Li Hao and the other were instantly startled.
Over the past two days, they had witnessed another side of Xu Tai.
Cruel, sinister, cunning, and heartless.
"Go!!!"
Li Hao shouted urgently.
The three then quickly followed the sound.
The three arrived in a hurry.
"Eh!?"
Seeing the figure standing in the distance, Qing Tong was immediately overjoyed: "Elder Wang Yue!"
From their perspective, they could only see Wang Yue standing there.
"Wang Yue, are you alright?! Where is that wolf cub Xu Tai?!"
Li Hao shouted from a distance.
A few minutes ago, they had still heard Wang Yue's angry roars.
Arriving to see only Wang Yue standing there, they thought Xu Tai had escaped.
"I'm fine!"
Hearing the commotion behind him, Wang Yue turned to glance at the three and said in a low voice, "Xu Tai has been killed!"
"Killed by someone?!"
"How could that be...!?"
Li Hao and the other two looked at each other in shock.
For a moment, they couldn't wrap their heads around it.
Wang Yue beckoned them over.
The three approached.
They immediately saw a figure slumped on the ground facing the sky, mouth covered in blood, and chest caved in.
It was indeed Xu Tai.
"This... this..."
Li Hao and the others' eyes widened.
They hadn't expected it to truly be Xu Tai.
"Senior Brother Wang Yue, just... what exactly happened here?!"
Qing Tong pressed, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Seeing their incredulous expressions, Wang Yue paused before explaining the sequence of events.
"Killed by a single punch!?"
Li Hao looked horrified.
Seeing this, Wang Yue didn't explain further, but silently used his longsword to lift the clothes on Xu Tai's chest.
The chest was caved in.
A fist print was clearly visible in the center.
"It really was one punch!!!"
Seeing this scene, Qing Tong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
With their experience, they could naturally see the power behind this punch.
They had no doubt that this single punch had killed Xu Tai.
Because there was only this one fatal wound.
It was precisely this fist print.
"To think such a person exists in this world; could it be that we are just ignorant and ill-informed!?"
With a sigh of lament, all four present fell silent.
Especially Wang Yue, who had actually seen Ji Yebai.
In today's world, technology is advanced, and one can witness strange and difficult events from all over the world.
It was exactly because of this,
That for today's Martial Forest, there was less and less mystery.
Coupled with the prevalence of ergonomics, the limits a normal person can reach have already been measured.
Just like the boxing champion Mike Tyson.
A single punch delivering eight hundred kilograms had already surpassed people in the Martial Forest.
But even with Tyson's immense strength, they didn't believe he could produce the same kind of fist print found on Xu Tai's body.
Xu Tai had practiced martial arts for many years and was in his prime.
His bones were sturdy, and his muscles were firm.
His ability to take a hit was no weaker than a professional boxer.
A punch from Tyson landing on Xu Tai might result in a broken sternum.
But it would absolutely not reach the point where the chest caved in so deeply that a fist print protruded from the back, clearly visible to the eye.
"Internal Strength!?"
Looking at such an injury, Li Hao seemed to think of something and suddenly looked at Wang Yue.
Having personally witnessed the Sect Head's Internal Strength explode and snap a tree trunk, he realized there truly were things in the world that surpassed limits.
And now, this obviously illogical injury made him subconsciously think of this point.
"Internal Strength!?"
"Is it really Internal Strength?!"
The two Elders, including Qing Tong, also clearly changed expression.
They had only learned of the existence of Internal Strength from the Sect Head last month, and now they were seeing it!?
The three immediately turned their heads to look at Wang Yue.
Wang Yue nodded silently and sighed softly, "You guessed correctly, it is Internal Strength."
In a world without Spiritual Qi, if a Martial Artist polishes themselves for years, there is a chance of birthing a sense of Qi.
But it stops there.
It is impossible to birth Internal Energy.
This breath that acts upon the inside of the human body is known in the Martial Forest as Internal Strength.
"Internal Strength..."
Receiving Wang Yue's confirmation, Li Hao and the others fell silent.
According to what Wang Yue said: a young man, superhuman strength, ghost-like speed, and Internal Strength.
All of this left them with mixed emotions.
Having practiced martial arts their entire lives, they considered their skills decent.
It's the twenty-first century; although practicing martial arts has little use and no place to be applied,
They had persisted for a lifetime—who among them didn't do it out of love?
Those who didn't love it had long since been unable to endure the loneliness and left the mountain.
And now?
A Realm they hadn't reached after a lifetime of hard training had been achieved by a young man.
Furthermore, his strength far exceeded theirs.
This directly caused a surge of bitterness in their hearts.
"Sigh!"
Li Hao let out a sigh and said somewhat despondently, "Clean up this wolf cub Xu Tai and take him back to await the Sect Head's disposal!"
"Yes, let the Sect Head handle it!"
The several of them became somewhat silent.
Duan Xuewen is dead; who knows how much grief the Sect Head will suffer.
More importantly, even though Xu Tai is dead, the spiritual plant was taken by Ji Yebai.
Most likely, it won't be coming back.
Because of this wolf cub Xu Tai, the Songhe Sect has truly suffered a catastrophe.
...
Evening.
Songhe Sect.
The sect was filled with a solemn atmosphere.
In the main hall lay two corpses.
They were Duan Xuewen and Xu Tai.
Sect Head Duan Zhengtian stared blankly at this scene.
Only after a long time did he weakly wave his hand, dismissing everyone.
Lowering his hand, his figure was hunched, as if he had aged and withered in an instant, looking nothing like the radiant man who had cultivated Internal Strength a month ago.
Li Hao, Wang Yue, and the other two watched this scene, their mouths opening as if to speak, yet they didn't know what to say.
Finally, they exchanged glances and could only offer their condolences.
Then they closed the door and left.
*Pfft!*
Once everyone had left, Duan Zhengtian could no longer endure it.
In an instant, old tears streamed down his face.
"My son!"
"It was your father who harmed you!"
Tears as large as beans fell, soaking his clothes.
He felt such hatred!
He hated Xu Tai's wild ambition.
But he hated himself even more.
He hated why he had to buy the spiritual plant.
He hated why he had to make such a big show of it, to the point where Xu Tai was seduced by greed and committed such a grave mistake.
"My son!!!"
"It was your father who harmed you!!!"
At this moment, Duan Zhengtian could no longer hold back and wailed in pain.
Outside the house.
Listening to the sounds of mourning from inside the door, Li Hao and the others remained silent.
"Sigh!!!"
Finally, with a sigh, Li Hao shook his head and walked away with staggering steps.