Chapter 28: New technique Unlocked

The underground chamber shook with the force of the battle. Dust and debris fell from the stone ceiling as Commander Wu Jiang stood tall amidst the chaos, his robes fluttering unnaturally. His Qi surged in a whirlwind of stolen energy, a raging storm barely contained within his body.

Kai clenched his fists, his breathing steady despite the overwhelming pressure. Wu Jiang's power was immense—unnatural, even. The forced cultivation techniques he had used had given him a seemingly endless reserve of energy.

And worse? He was using it recklessly.

The two enhanced warriors had already been dealt with, but the fight was far from over. The Ironwood Chapter's mindless disciples still swarmed, their expressions blank, attacking in waves.

Liu Yue and Liu Yu were fending them off without lethal force, moving like twin whirlwinds amidst the chaos, disabling as many as they could.

But the true fight—the real battle—was against Wu Jiang.

Wu Jiang smiled, his voice rich with condescension.

"Did you think my warriors were my greatest weapons?" he asked.

His Qi exploded outward, the air distorting from sheer energy.

Kai gritted his teeth. He has way too much Qi—it's practically spilling out of him.

Liu Yu flicked her wrist, gripping the hilt of her sword. "Alright, then. We'll just have to do something about it."

Wu Jiang chuckled. "You foolish weaklings."

He raised a single palm.

BOOM!

A shockwave of pure Qi erupted, slamming into the trio. Kai and the twins were blasted back, skidding across the stone floor.

Kai's muscles screamed in protest as he pushed himself up. Even with his defenses, that attack had rattled him.

Liu Yue coughed, brushing blood from her lips. "His Qi flow is insane. He's using stolen energy like it's infinite."

Wu Jiang laughed. "I am infinite."

And then he moved.

Faster than a man of his size had any right to.

He appeared before Liu Yu in an instant, his hand coated in golden energy.

His palm lashed out—she barely ducked in time, his strike carving a deep crater into the stone behind her.

Liu Yu's eyes widened. One hit would've shattered my ribs.

Kai moved to intercept, but Wu Jiang twisted, his other hand snapping toward Liu Yue.

She reacted, forming a shimmering Qi barrier—

CRACK!

The barrier shattered like glass.

Wu Jiang followed up with a kick, sending Liu Yue hurtling backward.

Kai's eyes burned. He was too strong. Too fast.

No—not just strong.

Overloaded.

His Qi was too abundant, too chaotic. He wasn't just using stolen power—he was leaking it.

Kai's mind raced. If we keep going head-on, we'll lose.

He took a deep breath. Time to outthink him.

The Distraction Strategy

Kai's eyes flicked toward the twins. "We're switching tactics," he murmured.

Liu Yue wiped the blood from her lip, nodding. "Tell us."

Kai's voice was calm despite the chaos. "We need to keep him distracted. You two keep him engaged."

Liu Yu grinned. "While you do what?"

Kai smirked. "Find an opening."

Liu Yue's eyes flickered with understanding. "Understood."

Without another word, the sisters moved.

Liu Yu went on the offensive, darting toward Wu Jiang with lightning-fast footwork, her blade slicing through the air in a deadly arc.

Wu Jiang deflected with ease, but in that instant, Liu Yue struck from the other side, her hands weaving a complex formation.

"Phantom Chains!"

Silver Qi tendrils lashed out, wrapping around Wu Jiang's limbs—binding him momentarily.

Wu Jiang sneered. "Pathetic."

A single burst of Qi—he shattered the bindings.

But the twins weren't trying to hold him—just to make him waste energy.

Liu Yu struck again—Wu Jiang countered, his Qi surging in violent bursts each time he deflected their blows.

It's working, Kai thought. His Qi is burning faster.

Kai moved behind Wu Jiang, preparing for the perfect strike.

Kai struck, his palm slammed against Wu Jiang's back.

A direct hit.

Something unexpected happened next.

The moment Kai made contact, a strange pull surged through his body.

His Qi… wasn't just attacking Wu Jiang.

It was absorbing. He could feel Wu Jiang's Qi flooding into him—rushing through his meridians, overwhelming, intoxicating.

Wu Jiang snarled, his body trembling.

"W-What… what is this?!"

Kai's eyes widened.

What the… ?

A memory flashed—his battle with the Ghoul of Lightness. Back then, he had unknowingly absorbed a fragment of the Ghoul's absorption technique. He was using the Absorption technique now, without even trying.

Wu Jiang stumbled forward, his overwhelming Qi supply bleeding into Kai.

His once boundless energy… was draining.

Kai's heart pounded. He had the advantage. He knew he could only contain that much Qi. This Qi had to be released.

Wu Jiang gritted his teeth, trying to reestablish control.

But Kai wasn't giving him a chance.

He raised his hand, his Qi surging into formation.

Darkness rippled through the chamber as a crescent-shaped void formed around his palm, flickering between black and golden light.

"Celestial Eclipse: Obsidian Moon Reversal."

The technique activated.

Wu Jiang's own Qi, now absorbed into Kai, was turned against him.

The energy compressed—then detonated outward.

A crescent of pure destruction ripped through the air, slamming into Wu Jiang full force.

BOOM.

Wu Jiang screamed as his own power obliterated his body from within.

His Qi, unstable, imploded—

And he collapsed.

The Aftermath

The dust settled.

Wu Jiang's body lay still.

His Qi, once an overwhelming storm, had vanished.

Kai exhaled, his legs unsteady as the surge of stolen energy gradually dissipated. His meridians, overwhelmed by the influx of Qi, worked frantically to stabilize. It became clear—his current cultivation level couldn't retain such an excess of energy. His Qi circulation system lacked the capacity to store what he absorbed, forcing the excess to disperse. If he wanted to wield this ability effectively, he would have to use any absorbed Qi immediately, lest it slip through his grasp like water through cupped hands.

Liu Yue and Liu Yu slowly approached, breathing heavily.

Liu Yu nudged Wu Jiang's body with her foot. "Is he dead?"

Kai shook his head. "No. But his cultivation is ruined. His meridians have been severed."

Liu Yue exhaled. "Good. He deserves worse."

Kai looked around.

The mindless disciples were stirring, their vacant expressions clearing.

With Wu Jiang's energy gone, his hold over them had broken.

Wu Jiang's evil hold over Ironwood Chapter was over.

Kai exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

"Now," he muttered, glancing at the subdued disciples and prisoners, "let's clean up this mess."