Chapter 787: Zhang Fei's Path Towards Mastery

“These guys really don’t know their limits!” Zhang Fei flashed in front of the immortals he had tossed aside, and with a mighty sweep of his spear, he cleaved them in half at the waist.

Through their continued clashes, Zhang Fei had already noticed that these people had an astonishing vitality. Some, even after receiving fatal blows, could reform themselves from a cloud of white mist and return to their original form.

However, no matter how resilient they were, it was a joke to Zhang Fei. He didn’t care how bizarre their appearances or abilities were; Zhang Fei had no fear.

If one strike wasn’t enough to kill them, he would simply strike again. And if that still didn’t work, he would obliterate them until nothing was left. Zhang Fei firmly believed that there were no unkillable opponents, only those he couldn’t defeat—like Lü Bu. Zhang Fei had unwavering faith in this truth!

“Hmph, just one left now,” Zhang Fei muttered to himself, gazing up at the sky.

In the empty sky, under Zhang Fei's piercing stare, a black-robed Daoist was forced out from the void, squeezed out by the overwhelming killing intent Zhang Fei projected. Zhang Fei had already mastered controlling his aura of killing intent.

“As expected of Zhang Yide.” The black-robed Daoist didn’t seem particularly surprised after being forced out. He simply looked at Zhang Fei with calm eyes.

“Who are you?” Zhang Fei asked warily, sensing the subtle pressure emanating from the man, indicating that he was no weaker than Zhang himself.

“You don’t need to worry about who I am,” the Daoist replied, waving his hand slightly. The Daoists Zhang Fei had previously killed all turned into wisps of smoke and were reabsorbed by the black-robed man. This sight made Zhang Fei even more cautious.

“Are you scared, Zhang Yide?” the Daoist taunted with a smile.

“Scared?” Zhang Fei sneered. With a mighty roar, he launched himself directly toward the Daoist.

Throwing a powerful punch, the sheer force of it was almost visible, distorting the air and creating a funnel-like shape. At the center of this funnel was the clearly defined imprint of Zhang Fei’s fist.

“Boom!” With a casual flick of his sleeve, the Daoist deflected Zhang Fei’s punch. The massive force of the punch crashed into the lake behind him, causing a large section of the water to collapse inward before exploding violently.

“I want to see just how tough you are!” Zhang Fei laughed as he closed in again, his fists aiming for the Daoist’s chest. He had no intention of holding back, especially after being provoked like this. Zhang Fei always believed that when faced with a challenge, it was better to strike first and ask questions later.

Besides, Zhang Fei was sure this man wasn’t some benevolent figure. Killing him would be a service to the people!

This time, the black-robed Daoist sidestepped Zhang Fei’s attacks, quickly darting dozens of meters away. After having deflected Zhang Fei’s earlier punch, he had already realized that Zhang’s brute strength was not something he could take head-on.

“Hahaha! Let’s see how strong you really are!” Zhang Fei shouted, stomping fiercely in mid-air. Instead of relying on the typical airborne techniques of inner energy masters, he used raw power, shattering the air beneath him and propelling himself forward at astonishing speed. He appeared next to the Daoist in an instant.

With a powerful kick, Zhang Fei slammed into the Daoist’s waist. The impact produced a sharp, audible crack as the Daoist’s body bent at an unnatural angle. Zhang Fei, not waiting for a reaction, reappeared behind the Daoist and landed another heavy punch. The Daoist’s body exploded into a mist of blood.

“Trash!” Zhang Fei sneered, scuffing the remains with his foot before striding away.

This was a technique Zhang Fei had developed after his defeat at Lü Bu’s hands and years of rigorous training in Xuzhou. Although Lü Bu hadn’t yet experienced it firsthand, Zhang Fei had perfected it as a countermeasure for his rival.

Any human body has its limits, and Zhang Fei had discovered a method to precisely strengthen each muscle. He had even achieved some enhancement at a microscopic level.

Although Zhang Fei’s body wasn’t fundamentally different from other inner energy masters, when he activated this secret technique, every muscle in his body would naturally engage its defenses.

This meant that, at that moment, Zhang Fei’s durability far exceeded the limits of the human body.

Of course, this method consumed an enormous amount of inner energy, but there was no denying its effectiveness. When Zhang Fei activated this technique, his enhanced physical abilities, combined with his inner energy, made him a match for legends like Xiang Yu, capable of battling titans.

This was also why Zhang Fei immediately chose to provoke his opponent upon realizing that the Daoist might be stronger than him. Whether it was the Daoist’s apparent ability to resurrect his clones or the pressure from his real body, Zhang Fei knew that if he didn’t end the fight quickly, he would be in serious trouble.

Thus, as soon as Zhang Fei leaped into action, he wrapped his inner energy around every muscle in his body, activating the secret technique he had honed for so long.

Without giving the Daoist time to react, Zhang Fei unleashed his full combat power, combining unimaginable strength, speed rivaling that of Dian Wei, and the raw power of an inner energy master. In just two punches, he obliterated his opponent.

“Turns out, just coating my muscles and bones in inner energy isn’t enough to fully unleash my power without injuring myself.”

Zhang Fei flexed the arm he had used to deliver the final blow, noticing that many of his muscles had torn. Although these injuries were minor and would heal quickly for an inner energy master, they still indicated that this technique couldn’t be sustained for long periods.

“Unlike Dian Wei, who’s permanently strengthened his body by refining inner energy into every fiber, my temporary enhancements still fall short. Even though I can boost my strength for a short time, using it to fight a true expert…”

Zhang Fei reflected silently. He had earned a reputation as someone who was both bold and thoughtful, and he realized that the Daoist he had just killed wasn’t truly a master. While the Daoist’s strength was on par with his own, his lack of battle experience and awareness made him no match for someone like Zhang Fei. Against someone of equal rank, this Daoist would have to rely on numbers to be effective; one-on-one, he stood no chance.

“Well, I’ll continue improving slowly. But if I could achieve the same permanent body reinforcement as Dian Wei, while maintaining my own inner energy… someone like that Daoist wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”

After fully understanding Dian Wei’s physical prowess, Zhang Fei couldn’t help but admire his rock-solid muscles. And that was without inner energy. If Dian Wei added inner energy to his strength, there would be no equal in battle.

Realizing this, Zhang Fei gained a deeper appreciation for Xiang Yu's legendary might. He was a warrior whose sheer physical power made him invincible, capable of crushing anyone with just a fraction of his strength.

“Maybe I should focus on strengthening just my arms?” Zhang Fei mused, considering Dian Wei’s method of body refinement. An odd thought occurred to him—who said body refinement had to be an all-or-nothing endeavor? Couldn’t he just reinforce his arms?

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