Chapter 84: Fierce Battle! Transformed Hedgehog
Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Fierce Battle! Transformed Hedgehog
Hearing Hua Liusha’s sigh, Zhu Ge said nothing.
Because it was true.
"Let’s go!"
...
"RUSTLE, RUSTLE..."
Zhu Ge pushed off with his feet, dashing swiftly through the woods.
This "Incense-Lighting" technique truly was a masterful pick by the Raincoat Fisherman.
He could achieve a speed far beyond what he was previously capable of without even using up a single strand of Blood Qi.
Now, his feet were like the flames used to light candles and incense, nimbly treading upon the dirt and leaves.
Each step covered several meters!
It lacked the explosive burst of the Xu Family Rain Swift Fist, which could cover dozens of meters at once.
However, its low energy consumption made it perfect for long-distance pursuit or escape.
’The Raincoat Fisherman’s personal selection, indeed!’
Thinking of this, Zhu Ge smiled and shook his head.
"Brother, what are you mumbling about?" Hua Liusha asked in his mind. "You look so silly!"
"I was just thinking about all the cultivation techniques the Raincoat Fisherman prepared for himself—for escape, defense, and close combat. He never even got to practice them, and now they’re all mine!"
Zhu Ge grinned. "Isn’t that something to be happy about?"
"Yes! Yes!" Hearing his words, Hua Liusha also laughed in his mind.
"No matter how domineering that Raincoat Fisherman was, he was still no match for my Brother Zhu in the end. Hee hee, my Brother is the best, or else I wouldn’t have... Watch out!"
Before Hua Liusha could finish, her tone changed abruptly.
Zhu Ge frowned. Maintaining his forward momentum, he swayed left and right as his Blood Qi erupted.
"WHOOSH!!!"
Three long spines suddenly shot out from the distance, aiming for Zhu Ge’s ears, neck, and knees.
However, with that slight sway, his body moved like a wisp of smoke from wind-blown incense, and he unexpectedly dodged all three spines.
"THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!"
The three long spines pierced through a large tree by his side and vanished into the ground.
But Zhu Ge had no time to worry about the three spines; he was already looking in the direction they had come from.
’Is that the hedgehog?’
Zhu Ge thought of the hedgehog that had been taking potshots at him from a distance last night. He couldn’t help but snort. "You spent all of yesterday sneak-attacking me from the shadows, and now you have the gall to chase me down?"
"Perfect. I hear roasted hedgehog is delicious. You’ll do for dinner!"
Zhu Ge’s figure flickered and vanished, like a candle flame snuffed out.
Blood Qi flooded his feet. With a light push, he crossed dozens of meters.
At the same time, he made a tearing motion with his hands in the style of the Rain Swift Fist, propelling his body forward another hundred meters.
A combination of techniques!
He believed this was exactly what the Raincoat Fisherman had envisioned.
The Rain Swift Fist was a technique for the hands; "Incense-Lighting" was for the feet.
Used together, the effect was far greater than the sum of its parts.
The Raincoat Fisherman had undoubtedly intended this combination for escape.
But for Zhu Ge, what could be used for escape could also be used for the hunt!
"WHOOSH—"
With a rustle of leaves, Zhu Ge instantly arrived at the spot where the spines had been fired, just in time to see a hedgehog turning to flee.
The hedgehog was as large as a big dog and entirely jet-black. The long, dark spines on its back emitted a faint, eerie glow.
"You—how are you so fast?!"
The hedgehog’s voice was surprisingly youthful, like that of a young girl.
Her voice was filled with sixty percent shock, thirty percent confusion, and ten percent dread.
And ninety percent panic.
"You were so slow yesterday!" the Hedgehog Girl shrieked. Even as she spoke, her four short legs were scurrying, carrying her away into the distance.
But to Zhu Ge, she was far too slow.
"Stay right there!"
Zhu Ge snorted. With a light push of his toes, he instantly caught up to the hedgehog and thrust out his palm.
Wrathful Vajra Palm!
His palm, wreathed in Blood Qi, erupted with a golden light.
His palm, already hardened by the Great Sun Glaze Body, became virtually indestructible when augmented by his Blood Qi and the Vajra Palm.
"BOOM!!"
"CRACK!!!"
The hedgehog shrieked as it was sent flying, crashing through seven or eight large trees.
These were trees that a strong man would need to hack at for a long time to fell, yet the hedgehog’s body snapped several of them in its path.
"PTHOO!!" The hedgehog hit the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. Its two pitch-black eyes instantly turned red as a faint rumbling began to emanate from its belly.
The Demon Heart!
"I’ll kill you!!!" the hedgehog shrieked. The spines on its back began to ripple like a wave, emitting a chilling RUSTLE, RUSTLE sound as they prepared to launch.
However, before the hedgehog could finish its threat, Zhu Ge was already upon it.
"Brew Tea!"
Zhu Ge formed a sword finger with his right hand and slashed viciously from left to right, aiming for the space between the hedgehog’s eyes.
Tea Swordsmanship—Brew Tea!
If his finger made contact, the hedgehog’s eyes would be slashed open.
But at that moment, an astonishing amount of Demon Qi erupted from the hedgehog, forming a pitch-black shield that blocked Zhu Ge’s sword finger.
However, this defense meant its long, black spines could no longer be fired.
"POP!"
The shield was instantly pierced by Zhu Ge.
"Impossible!!" the hedgehog cried in terror. "You’re just a mortal Martial Artist! How could you, with a single finger..."
But while it was wasting its breath, Zhu Ge’s sword finger was already jabbing forward again, aimed squarely at the hedgehog’s beating black Demon Heart.
Tea Swordsmanship—Pour Tea!
Blood Qi spiraled around Zhu Ge’s fingertip like a drill bit, forming a vortex of air at the tip.
Zhu Ge didn’t know much, but he knew one thing for certain: you don’t get distracted in a fight.
A lion hunting a rabbit!
He had no time to waste on the hedgehog’s nonsense, with its "impossible" on one side and "how could you" on the other.
The only good enemy is a dead enemy. He had to go all out!
Besides, this hedgehog was a real pest, always taking cheap shots from the sidelines. An enemy like this was much better off dead.
And the Tea Swordsmanship was the most lethal of all the cultivation techniques hand-picked by the Raincoat Fisherman, far surpassing the others in killing power.
"WHOOSH!"
The hedgehog was thoroughly spooked.
Seeing Zhu Ge’s utterly ruthless and decisive demeanor, it cut the chatter. Dozens of streams of Demon Qi burst from its Demon Heart once more, forming another pitch-black shield.
"BANG!!!"
But the shield was once again popped by Zhu Ge’s finger.
However, the hedgehog used the force of the blow to launch itself backward, creating a large distance between them.
"AHHHH! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!"
The hedgehog roared madly. The long spines on its back, fueled by Demon Qi, finally shot forward in a volley that resembled ten thousand arrows loosed at once.
Seeing this, Zhu Ge didn’t let his guard down.
Waist and Horse Skill—Standing Stake!
Xu Family Rain Swift Fist—Sky Rend!
He instinctively unleashed two martial skills.
He dropped into a low stance. His last two strands of Blood Qi erupted—one to stabilize his lower body, the other to power his fists.
"BAM! BAM! BAM!!!"
A series of sharp impacts rang out. Zhu Ge batted away dozens of the long spines, but many still broke through his defense and stabbed into his body.
Fortunately, Zhu Ge was a Body Refining Martial Artist. The strikes were painful, but none were fatal.
However...
"Very good. You actually hurt me."