Chapter 292 244: Breakthrough to the Second Realm of Cultivation

Chu Bamboo thought of Frieza from *Naruto*. He also remembered the previous timeline when this guy had lurked behind him and ambushed Huo Qiming.

'If he really didn't need anything to transfer injuries… then why would he bother doing something like that?'

'Couldn't he just hide somewhere and hurt himself?'

"Smart," Fifth said in admiration. He realized Chu Bamboo had clearly figured it out, not learned it by using the Omniscience Domain! However, this also suggested that even if his opponent truly possessed the Power of Omniscience, it wasn't yet complete.

As he pondered this, he suddenly clenched his fist and slowly placed his hand in front of him. "Control!"

Up in the sky, Eleven, who was barely floating, had a contorted expression, clearly resisting with all his might. Yet, at this moment, he actually performed the same action as Fifth.

"...Kill him!" Chu Bamboo's pupils contracted.

Huo Qiming understood in an instant and shot into the air.

Then, with a savage expression, Eleven tore open his clothes, revealing densely packed White Beads strapped underneath.

Then, a blinding white light burst forth.

Chu Bamboo felt a piercing pain in his head for a moment but quickly recovered. He instinctively looked toward Huo Qiming and saw that although Huo Qiming had frozen for an instant, he had once again tanked the attack with his Spiritual Garment, just like before, and was still charging toward Eleven at top speed!

Just as he swung his fist...

Fifth, who had appeared before him at some unknown point, calmly caught it. "Commander Huo, your fist! Not fast enough."

Huo Qiming took a deep breath as a faint Divine Light erupted from his body. He threw another punch, and this fist was also caught by Fifth.

"When will you understand... the gap between us?"

Fifth's voice was filled with mock pity as he spoke in a tone for coaxing a child, "I don't want to kill you here just yet! So, could you be a little more obedient, please?"

And then...

Huo Qiming gave a shake, his expression blank, and illusory arms began to extend from his back, one after another.

One, two, three… thirty-two!

The semi-corporeal arms all flexed their wrists, then clenched into fists!

"…" Fifth was silent for a moment. He tentatively loosened his grip, only to find that Huo Qiming had opened his fists into palms and was now gripping his wrists tightly.

"Ah!" Though Fifth's expression was hidden by his mask, his crinkling eyes and slightly awkward voice betrayed his true feelings. "...Could you not hit the face?!"

The next moment.

"Give Me Back My Beauty Fist!!!"

Amidst the roar, thirty-two fists rained down, kicking up a terrifying shockwave that forced Chu Bamboo to take an instinctive step back. The blast even sent the paralyzed Eleven flying through the air, slamming him into a metal wall. The rest of the shockwaves crashed against the other walls with a series of piercing, unending BANGS.

It was like a Tsunami crashing down!

"...Damn!" Chu Bamboo was stunned. He shielded himself with his arms, his hair whipping about uncontrollably. He realized that even if there was a power gap between Huo Qiming and Fifth... it probably wasn't as wide as he had first imagined!

'That's right.' Chu Bamboo realized he had been completely spooked by the Big Orange Cat, and it had thrown him into disarray. 'After all, if Fifth could have killed him so easily, why would he have bothered using my body to ambush Huo Qiming last time?'

'No wonder Huo Qiming earned the trust of the Heavenly Monarch in the Imperial Capital and was tasked with guarding Jinghai City, one of the three great financial and industrial hubs of the east!'

"...Watch out!" Captain Yang's sharp voice suddenly rang out.

Then, a wave of pressure grazed Chu Bamboo's face, and a trickle of blood ran down.

Realizing something, Chu Bamboo turned after a brief silence, his expression blank. He saw Li Kang, whose body was now swelling violently, sprouting black fur, with bat-like wings emerging from his back and his face twisted into a terrifying snarl.

Captain Yang was using all his might to pin Li Kang against the wall. Li Kang struggled, roared, and attacked, his nails grown long and sharp. They dug viciously into Captain Yang's body, producing the sound of metal striking metal!

Captain Yang's muscles were bulging, a clear sign he was using his full strength. Thick veins throbbed, and his exposed, formidable muscles were tinged with an unhealthy shade of black…

Of course, Captain Yang hadn't escaped the white light's effects entirely; he was just faring slightly better than Li Kang... Chu Bamboo's gaze swept over the captain's skin, and he silently counted three scales that had appeared. 'Those definitely weren't grown by channeling his power!'

"...Terrifying," Chu Bamboo murmured, turning his head back to the Fifth Apostle, who was getting the beatdown of his life. "Right, and there's that white light…"

'I just don't know if this white light is a derivative of Fifth's Divine Techniques, or some kind of Artifact.'

"Mr. Zhu, get out of here! Shit!" Captain Yang was drenched in cold sweat, and now even a few wounds had appeared on his body. "This guy… he broke through! Or rather, he was already on the threshold of the Third Realm… now he's actually in the Third Realm! He's still getting stronger."

"I… I can't hold him down much longer! You need to hurry…"

"...So. Why don't you kill him?" Chu Bamboo asked, walking over to Captain Yang's side.

Captain Yang froze.

"Is it because I'm here?" Chu Bamboo asked, his voice sounding like he was both muttering to himself and questioning Captain Yang. "Are you worried that if I see you kill Li Kang with your own hands… I'll hold a grudge? No, you should know I'm not that unreasonable… Are you worried that if I witness this, it will create a rift between us?"