Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted.

He remained silent, then forcibly suppressed the blood curse within his body, feeling the thoughts flowing in his heart. He confirmed that it was not something produced under the influence of the blood curse, but rather entirely the thoughts in Noriko's heart... Unconsciously, a smile appeared on the corner of Iori Yagami's mouth.

But this arc only lasted for a brief moment before disappearing completely, so much so that even Yuan Chen, who was standing in front of Iori Yagami, couldn't detect it immediately.

Feeling the desire originating from within himself, and gazing at Yuan Chen, Iori Yagami sneered after a moment:

"Shiranui School? Never heard of it."

His eyes were still bloodshot, and a mad glint still shone in them. Iori Yagami spoke succinctly:

"But if this is the way of life you desire, then I will grant your wish."

"Here we go again."

Seeing this, Chunli rubbed her temples and sighed, saying, "That Chen guy..."

"It's alright, I'm used to it anyway."

Hearing Chunli's words, Han Zhuli didn't seem to care much. After all, they had lived together for so long, and Han Zhuli already knew that Yuan Chen was the kind of person who was a battle maniac who couldn't stand a fight.

Upon arriving here for the first time, Mai Shiranui blinked curiously and asked, "Uh, what kind of habit? Is it A-Chen's personality?"

"more or less."

Han Zhuli shrugged and said, "For Yuan Chen, fighting is like food or even air. It doesn't need any reason; it's just a nutrient that he needs to take in regularly to survive, or rather, to maintain his health."

After saying this, Han Zhuli paused, then looked curiously at Chunli and the others beside her and said, "Although I don't know much about your previous situation... you must have fought quite a bit after you met, right?"

Upon hearing Han Zhuli's question, Chunli paused slightly, recalling the first time she and her father met Yuan Chen at Yuan Hanting. A helpless expression appeared on her face as she rubbed her forehead and said:

"Well... more or less, we did have a fight back then."

"As for feng shui... I don't really have any connection with it." Upon hearing this, Wu Jialouluo thought for a moment and said, "After all, I visited as a guest at the time, but we often sparred after that."

Although Tong Ang and Lao Yuan were present when they first met, Yuan Chen and Wu Jialouluo exchanged polite greetings. However, after settling in, their daily cultivation involved intense sparring and battles.

"I'm pretty much the same," Han Zhuli shrugged.

“There was also a misunderstanding about a dereliction of duty. I fought Yuan Chen with that person, but I lost. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, I moved here.”

After hearing everyone recount their experiences of first meeting Yuan Chen, Mai Shiranui blinked, then recalled her own first meeting with Yuan Chen at the dojo, and couldn't help but tap her forehead with her fan, saying, "So... that's how it is."

"What does it look like?" Han Zhuli asked, glancing at him.

"I also got into a fight... well, it should be considered a fight, a sparring match or something. I thought it was an enemy from my clan coming to challenge me, and then I started fighting with Yuan Chen."

"I was worried that I might be too rash and impulsive, leaving a bad impression... but after hearing what you all say, it seems like fighting with Yuan Chen is a very natural thing to do?"

"Pretty much." Han Zhuli nodded, patted Mai Shiranui on the shoulder and said, "Even if you don't bring it up, this guy will find a way to fight you sooner or later."

Han Zhuli remembered that Yuan Chen had many opportunities to explain that he was not a member of Yingluo, but because he wanted to fight, he simply remained silent, which even escalated the conflict.

Although she was somewhat annoyed, considering that he had attacked her without even listening to her, Han Zhuli didn't say anything.

"Anyway, just wait and see."

Han Zhuli tapped her rice bowl and said, "It's quite interesting to watch a fight while eating."

"Don't bang your bowl while eating," Chunli said helplessly. "Only beggars do that; it's very unlucky."

"Okay, I'll knock then!"

Han Zhuli was determined to go against Chunli.

Chun-Li, however, was not one to tolerate such behavior. She immediately threatened to deduct her allowance, which shut Han Zhu-Li up and make her admit defeat.

Meanwhile, Iori Yagami and Genji also arrived at the open space in front of the restaurant.

Looking at Yuan Chen, Iori Yagami did not adopt any starting stance. He simply put his hands in his pockets, slightly hunched over, his long red hair covering most of his face, and azure flames rising around him.

Although it is called flame, this azure flame does not feel as hot as a flame. On the contrary, it is more like the karmic fire of hell, bringing not warmth, but a cold end.

Even Iori Yagami's own life energy and vital essence swayed and flickered along with the ignited blue flames.

Even just wielding this flame causes Iori Yagami to feel a pain originating from the depths of his bloodline—this pain that accompanies the power is also part of the blood curse.

The reason why the descendants of the Yagami clan have short lifespans is also due to this—the Azure Flame consumes not only Qi and Will, but also, literally, the lifespan of the user.

However, it is precisely because of this severe cost that Azure Flame, while not as destructive on paper as Crimson Flame, possesses abilities far exceeding those of Crimson Flame in other aspects.

For example, right now, just by the aftershocks of the emanating Azure Flame, Yuan Chen can feel his body instinctively sending out warning signals.

Thinking this, Yuan Chen also held the golden flame of life in his hands, and the vigorous life energy spread outwards along with the leaping flames—this should be the first time Yuan Chen has released the flame of life with all his might.

Unlike when he treated Shiranui Hanzo and Han Zhuli before, Yuan Chen is now truly revitalizing his body through the Flame of Life.

As his body was fully activated, the life force rippled through the air, causing Iori Yagami to feel a strange tremor... Although he didn't know if Yuan Chen did it intentionally, Iori Yagami could feel that his body's pervasive pain lessened considerably after touching this rippled 'life force'.

Even the mental erosion brought about by the blood curse, the mad blood originating from the ancestors, has cooled down considerably.

This caught Iori Yagami's attention, and he subconsciously turned his questioning gaze toward Yuan Chen.

Yuan Chen simply assumed a fighting stance and said calmly, "Go ahead and do whatever you want."

Upon hearing this, he remained silent, then Iori Yagami nodded.

"Then you'd better be prepared."

This was likely the first time Iori Yagami had warned his opponent before a fight, hence the noticeable awkwardness in his voice. Seemingly aware of this awkwardness, Iori paused slightly, a strange displeasure rising within him, before coldly saying:

"I have no idea what it means to hold back. If you come here with the mindset of friendly competition, you might as well die here."

Yuan Chen didn't care about this, and simply took out another coin from his pocket and showed it to Iori Yagami.

After receiving Iori Yagami's knowing gaze, the coin was tossed high into the air.

Volume 1: Chapter 155 - Yuan Chen, WIN!

The coin landed, and before the sound of metal hitting the ground had even faded, the two figures had vanished from their spots simultaneously.

As the azure flames swept across, Iori Yagami's body transformed into a blur as it plummeted toward the ground.

Like a wild beast, Iori Yagami did not choose to charge in a straight line, but instead attacked from the side with a whooshing sound, his figure as elusive as a ghost.

Yuan Chen remained silent, and at the moment of impact, he landed heavily on his foot. As the ground cracked, Iori Yagami, who was already close to Yuan Chen, seemed to sense something and suddenly turned to the side. Then, Yuan Chen took advantage of the force of the stomp and threw a punch. Like a powerful crossbow bolt, it grazed Iori Yagami's face, leaving a white mark. He then swung his right hand like a hammer, sweeping it from below and hitting Iori Yagami's ribs.

Clenched fingers, a slightly thin palm enveloped in a bluish-purple flame—External Style: Dream Bullet.

The game's versatile ceiling, a common component of Iori's combos, although it is rarely used for restraint in the game due to its range, but a game is a game after all. Like now, after breaking into the inner circle, it can dodge and counterattack according to the situation.

At the moment of impact, the cold, azure flames on Iori Yagami's fist suddenly erupted and transformed into a powerful force that slammed into Yuan Chen's body.

But just as Iori Yagami unleashed the full power of his Azure Flame with his fist, Yuan Chen, though clearly struck by the punch, only paused for a fleeting moment, barely even a snap of the fingers.

The next moment, Yuan Chen's spine and shoulder suddenly exploded with power, and then he delivered a powerful elbow strike to Iori Yagami's head.

Sensing Yuan Chen's astonishing speed of counterattack, a look of seriousness flashed in Iori Yagami's eyes.

Although the Dream Bullet is just a seemingly simple swing punch, it can often unleash a violent attack on the physical, mental, and nervous levels simultaneously through the burst of Azure Flame Power at the moment of impact.

This sudden burst of multiple types of damage is precisely why the Yagami clan chose to worship Orochi as a god—when the Akane clan was clearly no match for the Kusanagi clan, only by taking such an unconventional approach could the Yagami clan turn the tide!

But now, before the azure flames could erupt, Yuan Chen immediately launched a counterattack. He was like a monster with an invincible body that didn't stiffen when hit. Before Iori Yagami could fully unleash his power and retract his remaining strength, he delivered an elbow strike towards Iori's head, forcing Iori Yagami to raise his other hand to defend immediately.

Even in the heat of the moment, Iori Yagami still managed to deflect the force as much as possible, since Yuan Chen's attack was only impulsive, not premeditated. In Iori Yagami's estimation, even if he suffered some damage, it would only be minor, superficial wounds.

But as Yuan Chen's elbow strike landed, accompanied by a loud 'bang!', Iori Yagami quickly realized that his guess was completely wrong.

Despite having already tried to deflect the force, that elbow strike was like a heavy sledgehammer striking a city. The moment it hit, Iori Yagami's forearm slammed against his face. No matter how much force he exerted in his lower limbs and waist, his center of gravity still shifted uncontrollably to one side, and his upper body was completely shattered!

Without a word, Yuan Chen instinctively wanted to throw a punch to follow up, but immediately afterward, he felt a cold, sharp impact erupt from his ribs. His skin ripped open, blood splattered, and a seven-centimeter radius of muscle around the area where he was hit lost all feeling, as if it had been sliced ​​off out of thin air. Only the skin and flesh at the edges continued to radiate an unbearable, even horrifying, neuropathic pain, which was still 'horrifying' even for Yuan Chen.

Yuan Chen's head went blank for a moment, and his eyes glazed over. Yagami seized the opportunity and swung his right leg—Outer Style: Thunder Axe Yin: Death God!

But just as Iori Yagami raised his right leg, the familiar golden flames surged again. Along with the bulging veins on Yuan Chen's forehead, he suddenly twisted his body, taking advantage of the impact from his ribs, and threw an upward hook punch.

Sensing something was wrong, Iori Yagami immediately stopped his axe kick and transformed it into a downward interception kick aimed at Yuan Chen's fist. But when the fist and foot collided, Iori Yagami felt as if he had stepped on not a fist, but a bomb that was about to explode—or rather, had already begun to explode!

An astonishing impact surged from the fist, golden flames raged, and muscles and energy erupted with a tearing buzz. The punch was delivered with such force that it forced Iori Yagami, who was trying to launch a combo while the flames were engulfing him, to step on Yuan Chen's fist and leap backward to create distance.

Upon landing, feeling the throbbing pain in his soles—as if he had stepped on a large firecracker—and the stiffness and soreness in his ankles from the excessive impact, Iori Yagami fell silent for a moment. Then, he took a deep breath and looked at Yuan Chen, saying:

"Are you... really human?"

When attacked by a martial artist, the circulation of internal energy is disrupted. Even if the martial artist can counterattack in time, the effect is often minimal because they cannot strengthen their energy. Therefore, the best option is to follow the original flow of energy to transform the attack into an internal defense and deflect the force.

Although such a theory may sound cliché, the reason why this principle has been passed down is because it is the final conclusion drawn from a large amount of practical data.

Now, forcibly breaking free from the chaotic cycle at the moment of being attacked is like rushing in at Zhuo Ai only to find that the other party had brought a chastity lock, and instead of looking for the key, just pushing the lock open...

Whether it can be pushed open is a minor issue; the real problem is whether the flesh will rot into a mess while it's being pushed open.

This would also work on the meridians and muscles, but... judging from this, Yuan Chen is completely unaffected by the impact? Even the circulation of internal energy is completely unaffected?!

Yuan Chen remained silent, but moved his body a couple of times, and then, in everyone's sight, his manhood suddenly sprang up several inches.

Looking at Yuan Chen's bulging muscles, Iori Yagami's eyes first flashed with confusion, then turned into an unconcealable fear.

This fear, and even the madness and bestiality that erupted from his bloodline due to the blood curse, were suppressed for a moment before he was able to hold back, and then his eyes were filled with a firm fighting spirit.

We absolutely cannot lose.

By using life energy to forcibly dissolve the damaged muscles and transform them into liquid, which is then stored in the bladder to be expelled after the battle, Yuan Chen realized that Iori Yagami must have misunderstood something.

However, sensing the increasingly intense look in Iori Yagami's eyes, as if saying 'I have a reason not to lose,' Yuan Chen ultimately chose to remain silent.

Although there were some problems in the process, as long as they can play freely, it's a good thing.

Thinking it over, Yuan Chen then assumed a fighting stance again.

Although the ribcage was slightly damaged from the forced recovery, the damaged muscles have already regenerated under the influence of the golden flames. In just half a minute, they will be able to regain the strength that normal muscles should have.

Even so, recalling his state when he was struck by the Azure Flame, Yuan Chen couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly.

Besides physical attacks, the eerie flames also damage consciousness and nerves. It can be said that once hit, unless one possesses the same energy conversion or has sufficiently strong physical attributes, one will suffer a severe blow.

All I can say is that Orochi's Blood is something special. After being enchanted, although it adds many debuffs, the benefit is that it gives the pure physical damage build Crimson Flame two additional damage modes. For those who value victory and defeat above all else, it is enough to make them give everything.

Meanwhile, feeling Yuan Chen's gaze, Iori Yagami also felt a genuine sense of pressure.

Yuan Chen's powerful physiological values ​​were one thing, but on the other hand, the golden flames also gave Iori Yagami a headache.

The comprehensive enhancement of physical attributes allows for a powerful counterattack without regard to the impact of being hit, and although it's not entirely certain...

But the parts damaged by the Azure Flame seem to have fully recovered? Has the recovery speed also been enhanced? In other words, there's no such thing as a prolonged battle; it's either a quick victory or being slowly worn down—

No, it's not about grinding them to death.

Iori Yagami quickly realized the error in his assumption.

Recalling Yuan Chen's elbow strike, which was clearly just a temporary counterattack but had completely shattered his stance and almost sent him flying, Iori Yagami quickly realized that this instantaneous, super-powerful enhancement meant that if his condition was even slightly below Yuan Chen's normal level, then this guy could instantly defeat him by ignoring his defenses through several times the enhancement.

It boasts full-time invincibility, automatic counterattack, immunity to status ailments, high attack and defense, agility and speed, automatic health regeneration, and enters the execution phase when its status drops to around 80%. Once hit, it ignores defense and instantly kills the target...

Realizing Yuan Chen's many abilities, Iori Yagami couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache... no, not just a headache, Iori Yagami even felt somewhat relieved.

At the same time, Iori Yagami was certain that this golden flame was no ordinary flame, and that his ancestors had never seen it before.

Iori Yagami had every reason to believe that his ancestor would never have forgotten to record it, even if he had only seen it once.

In fact, once someone has met the Kusanagi family, it is absolutely impossible for them to still be nostalgic for them.

No wonder this guy didn't use the Crimson Flame even though he had mastered it... Iori Yagami asked himself honestly, if he were to choose, even if the Azure Flame didn't have the curse from the Blood of Madness, Iori Yagami would choose the Golden Flame without hesitation.

While pondering, Iori Yagami's actions did not falter at all.

Staring intently at Yuan Chen, Iori Yagami's body surged with azure flames, and his scarlet eyes were filled with solemnity.

For Iori Yagami to defeat Yuan Chen in a short time is nothing short of a pipe dream.

unless……

Realizing the current situation, Iori Yagami's eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly made a decision and took a deep breath.

The next moment, he loosened his fists, and as his slender index fingers spread out, the azure flames around Iori Yagami also extinguished in that instant, but it did not stop burning—or perhaps, it merely stopped burning on the surface of his body, but rather burned from the depths of his flesh and blood, from the depths of his soul.

As he tilted his head back, the madness in Iori Yagami's eyes gradually spread. Although his appearance remained unchanged, the subtle changes in his torso muscles and posture made it clear that Iori Yagami's state was completely different from before.

To be precise, it doesn't resemble the posture that a normal human would exhibit.

Immediately afterwards, a roar that was completely unlike that of a human came from deep within Iori Yagami's throat. At the same time, the cold afterglow of the blue flames overflowed from the corners of his eyes, mouth, and between his fingers, as if his whole body was being devoured by his own flames from the inside out.

Immediately afterwards, she raised her eyes to look at Yuan Chen, her cold rationality staring at Yuan Chen's figure. In the instant her body's center of gravity was lowered, a layer of blood-red color erupted around her, and she moved as if she were teleporting, rushing to Yuan Chen in an instant. Accompanied by many afterimages, the cold blue flames left a conspicuous trail.

Forbidden Style 1211 - Eight Maidens.

The instant Iori Yagami displayed his abnormal state, accompanied by surging golden flames, a ring of blood vessels burst around Yuan Chen's eye sockets. The dense life energy forcibly activated the redundant nerves that should have been dormant, and the enormous burden caused the capillaries in Yuan Chen's eyes to rupture continuously due to overload. However, with the blood-red stain, Yuan Chen's dynamic vision and consciousness were pushed to their peak in that instant.