章 79: The Silent Pact
Suspended in mid-air, a gust of night wind rustled the sleeve of my left arm, producing a sharp, crackling sound as it tore away, scattering delicate fabric like feathers. In that moment, my earlier confidence in repelling a formidable foe was replaced by a chilling sweat. Had the soft sword of the voodoo practitioner grazed my arm during our fierce exchange with Jack's silver spear?
In a state of alarm, I hastily examined my left arm, channeling my Platinum Glory and the unnamed martial arts technique to conduct a thorough inspection. Aside from a few fine streaks of blood, my worst fears of a severed limb were unfounded. If that strike had been a full offensive rather than a defensive maneuver... I shuddered at the thought; my arm would surely have been shattered, and perhaps half my body would have been lost as well.
Since returning from Demon Island, I had felt a surge of confidence in my martial abilities. Though I possessed only a single sword technique, I had begun to consider myself a master of the blade. Yet, the terrifying skill of this voodoo practitioner had shattered my self-assurance, leaving me reeling.
As I descended onto the school grounds, an involuntary chill crept up my spine—a sensation of dread. Reflecting on that encounter, I realized I had barely glimpsed the practitioner's swordplay; his speed had eclipsed mine by at least threefold. Even with the enhanced velocity granted by Ancient Moon, the disparity remained daunting.
To what extent could this man's martial prowess extend? And how bizarre were his voodoo arts? This formidable figure was merely one of the six ghosts under the command of Lord Guan; what right did I have to challenge such power?
When I first heard of Lord Guan's six ghosts, I had instinctively underestimated their strength, believing that with careful strategy, I could manage any encounter. My skirmish with the voodoo practitioner had indeed placed me at an advantage, forcing him to retreat.
However, the reality was that his strength far surpassed mine; he had merely been unaccustomed to my combat style. Should he return, enlightened to my methods, I would undoubtedly face dire consequences.
In that moment, every cell in my body was steeped in a profound terror. Some may tremble in fear, while others might succumb to madness; I seemed to belong to the latter. As that bone-deep dread reached its zenith, an icy power erupted within me. Thirteen days after my return to the real world, the confrontation with the voodoo practitioner had catalyzed a breakthrough in my unnamed martial arts technique.
Progress in my training: one hundred percent!
With a swift motion, I retrieved the axe from my spirit energy training card, its eyes rolling back as if it had endured a grueling ordeal. To my astonishment, in just a few days, I sensed a flicker of spirit energy emanating from the axe. It appeared to possess a solid foundation, lacking only a final push to achieve greatness, and had even managed to gain a breakthrough under the rigorous training of the ancient specter, surpassing the Wolf King's grasp of spirit energy.
I casually produced food and water from my spatial card. After the axe had caught its breath, it ravenously devoured the provisions. Once it had replenished its energy, I recounted my battle with the voodoo practitioner.
Upon hearing the details of our encounter, the axe's eyes gleamed with a fierce light as it said, "That was indeed the voodoo practitioner! That cloud of blood mist was his flying insect spell; once it attaches to a person, it can devour them completely, more fearsome than the legendary African army ants that can consume an elephant."
My ability to drive away the voodoo practitioner had significantly boosted the axe's confidence, and it answered my inquiries with greater ease. "The voodoo practitioner's skills are not the most formidable among Lord Guan's subordinates, but his swordsmanship is exceptionally refined. Without weapons, I could withstand seventeen or eighteen strikes from him, but with his sword... I wouldn't last a single blow."
Oh!
The axe's words shifted my perception of him. Even without that extraordinary swordplay, the voodoo practitioner's martial arts were formidable, rivaling my own enhanced abilities from the tenfold strength card and Ancient Moon.
Once, I had easily defeated the axe with a single strike, dismissing him as insignificant. In hindsight, I had underestimated him gravely. My earlier victory had been largely due to the amplification of my strength, which was beyond the reach of ordinary individuals. The axe, caught off guard by my unusual power, had never had the opportunity to truly engage with me. It is essential to remember that martial prowess is not solely determined by raw strength; many techniques allow the weak to triumph over the strong. I had practiced the Flying Flower and Sweeping Leaves technique as well as the Carefree Cave Palm, understanding the potency of mastering a single fighting style.
While the axe might not yet match my abilities, it was a valuable ally worthy of cultivation; I sensed it had the potential to be of great use.
With this thought in mind, I recalled a treasure well-suited for the axe. I tore the Holy Light Beetle from my person and tossed it to him, whispering, "In this brief time, you can learn to harness some spirit energy. I possess a weapon that aligns perfectly with your needs, and I shall also gift you two cards."
Initially, I had activated the Holy Light Beetle with mental energy; however, it could also be transformed into holy power using spirit energy, albeit with slightly lower efficiency, as spirit energy is a combination of mental and life force.
The other two cards were a spatial card and a communication card, both spoils of my conquests.
Upon receiving my gifts, the axe's face lit up with surprise, and under my guidance, it quickly familiarized itself with the uses of the spatial and communication cards.
Having never heard of Demon Island, the axe was unaware that such items were commonplace there. To him, the spatial card was a marvel, enabling him to prepare numerous supplies for future escapes. The communication card was even more convenient than a mobile phone—immune to battery failure, signal loss, and eavesdropping. The voodoo practitioner's appearance near Pan Lier's home suggested that for reasons unknown, she was becoming entangled in this conflict. Though I had not yet regarded her as a lifelong partner, I could not stand idly by while she faced danger.
I required a cache of weapons. With the spatial card, I would no longer fear police searches on the streets; with weapons in hand, I could join the fray. Despite the voodoo practitioner's might, he was not invincible.
Thus, I resolved to provide the axe with weaponry. I noticed he already possessed a handgun, but in the upcoming battles, a single firearm would hardly suffice.
While I lacked nothing else, I had an abundance of weapons, with several small arms cache cards, including armed helicopters and heavy tanks at my disposal.
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