Joints creaked, indicating that the joint surfaces and cartilage pads were undergoing intense friction. Cultivators exerted force primarily through mana, rather than the physical body. If one's joints were creaking, it pointed to the brink of collapse of the external Gang Qi, reaching the point where relying on one's physical body was the only option!
Surprisingly, this fellow's physical body... No, it was the move used against Fa Xiong!
Facing Wang Qi's punch, which lacked imposing power and was merely forceful and heavy, there was a timeless truth: when there isn't a decisive difference in Daoist knowledge between opponents, "pure strength can suppress technique." Sun Sheng had no doubt that such a punch, if landed on him, could kill him outright!
He was not the kind of cultivator who talked tough but lacked real combat skills. On the contrary, his battle experience was extremely rich, so at this moment, he decisively chose to retreat.