Martial artists can never be ultimately insulted.

Looking at Iori Yagami, who still seemed to flicker like a ghost even in his animated eyes, Yuan Chen also calmed his mind and sat down firmly.

The next moment, Iori Yagami closed in, his ten fingers like hooks, and swung fiercely. At first, Yuan Chen was able to keep up with Iori Yagami's rhythm and block the claw strikes one after another. However, as the azure flames surged, the azure flames in the trajectory left by the claw strikes began to erupt slowly, and with the continuous attacks, they outlined a rain of fire drawn by the ten fingers.

Left slash, right flick, upward chop, downward sweep, straight thrust, horizontal tear—flames erupted from the remaining force of the Azure Flame. Each claw's angle was completely different from the previous one. The Azure Flame's claw marks overlapped in the air. Before the old afterimages had dissipated, new afterimages were already pressing on top of them. Countless blue-purple arcs of light wove into an impenetrable net in Iori Yagami's hands, and Yuan Chen, who was in the middle, could clearly feel that this net was closing in.

Star rating?

No, Yuan Chen could clearly feel that the continuous azure flames, accompanied by claw strikes, were tearing his flesh and blood while also constantly eroding his consciousness and nerves. Even though he was forcibly activated the moment he was hit by the golden flames, the airtight combo still prevented Yuan Chen from gathering his essence, energy, and spirit into a single bundle.

While pondering, Yuan Chen also made a decision. His pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints in an instant, and two bright red streaks appeared from the corners of his eyes as a blood-red color spread instantly.

As Yuan Chen's energy became fully concentrated, flames also enveloped his body. He forcefully activated his flesh and nerves to drive his body to flash continuously in this dense rain of fire. His hands also turned into afterimages, striking with the edge of his palms at the moment Iori Yagami made each claw strike, intercepting the opponent's wrists, elbows, and forearms.

Just before his fingertips touched his skin, he deflected the claw strike, shattering the remaining sparks in the air.

Even so, with the eruption of Azure Flame, the claws that were deflected still left long, thin wounds as they grazed Yuan Chen's arms, shoulders, and ribs.

Just then, as if sensing something, Iori Yagami suddenly grabbed Yuan Chen's arms with both hands and tightened his grip before Yuan Chen could react. Yuan Chen then clearly felt the fire marks that were still on his body oozing out chilling rays, as if the karmic fire of hell seeped from the surface of his skin into his bones.

The next moment, the flames that had condensed between Yuan Chen's arms suddenly erupted, and the explosion sent Yuan Chen flying backward.

But just as Yuan Chen's feet left the ground, looking at Iori Yagami, who was once again lowering his body and trying to rush towards him to end the battle, Yuan Chen's eyes showed no panic whatsoever.

Just as his body was about to be completely overturned by the impact, Yuan Chen's legs shot out like two steel whips, crossing in mid-air and locking onto Iori Yagami's head and neck.

The muscles on the inside of his thighs and the shinbone of his lower leg formed a closed lock. He exerted force in his upper body, twisted his waist, and used the momentum of being blasted away to swing like a steel whip. His whole body twisted 180 degrees in mid-air, literally lifting Iori Yagami's body off the ground. With the centrifugal force of the rotation, he was thrown into the air, and then, with his own weight, he slammed hard into the ground!

Taboo Type: Snake Bites

His back slammed into the concrete ground, and a muffled thud erupted from the old street in the old town. The flames scattered in all directions upon impact, and for a moment they transformed into a dark purple fire lotus, but then vanished like fireworks.

As he got up from the ground, Yuan Chen's hands were torn open, and blood dripped down his fingertips in a continuous stream.

Looking behind him, he saw a crater nearly two meters in diameter, cracked at the edges, and extending beyond the light source.

He collapsed in the middle, his eyes already unfocused.

Yuan Chen, WIN!

Volume 1: Chapter 156 - The Reincarnation of the Eight Heroes

After finishing the battle and briefly assessing Iori Yagami's condition, Yuan Chen used the Golden Flame to activate his wounds and prevent them from worsening before turning and walking towards the shadows outside the lamplight.

"Achen? What are you going to do?" Chunli asked with some concern.

"Going to the toilet."

Yuan Chen pointed below and calmly said, "The dissolved transverse muscle striations are stored in the bladder. If they are not expelled, they will affect the body's recovery."

Hearing Yuan Chen's words, Chunli breathed a sigh of relief, and then reminded him, "Be careful."

After quickly expelling metabolic waste from his body, Yuan Chen returned to the restaurant to recuperate. Once he was certain that his injuries would not worsen, he began to eat to replenish his life energy and accelerate his recovery.

Seeing Yuan Chen begin to overeat, Chunli and the others were not surprised. They knew that Yuan Chen was replenishing the materials he needed to replenish his life energy, so they handed over the large amount of food they had prepared.

Unlike others, Yuan Chen does not require life-saving techniques to convert the nutrients in food into life energy when he eats.

Or perhaps, the so-called "life cuisine" was originally a training method that Yuan Chen devised to better understand life energy.

Now, as Yuan Chen's strength improves and his understanding of life energy deepens, the help he can get from making life-giving dishes is very limited. It has changed from a training method to a simple habit or hobby.

In situations like now, where there is an urgent need to replenish life energy, even eating raw vegetables is no different from consuming life-giving food for Yuan Chen, since both are converted into pure energy within his body.

Watching Yuan Chen begin his binge eating right after the fight, Han Zhuli blinked and, recalling Yuan Chen's fighting style, said, "Speaking of which, you seemed to have used some fancy tricks I'd never seen before?"

"Fancy skills? In what aspect?" Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen raised an eyebrow and looked at Han Zhuli.

Han Zhuli then said, "It's that strange posture, the way the qi flows, and the sudden appearance of a ring of blood vessels around the eyes... Is it related to feng shui?"

Han Zhuli asked curiously, "The 'liberating eye' of Feng Shui?"

"more or less."

Upon hearing Han Zhuli's question, Yuan Chen nodded and said, "However, it's not the visual enhancement achieved by the Wu clan through liberating the human body's limitations, but rather the enhancement achieved by directly activating the optic nerve and redundant mechanisms related to the eye with life energy. Depending on the intensity of activation, the effects will vary."

Yuan Chen pointed to his eyes and said, "Activating the eyes to the maximum extent like this will drastically increase the pressure on the eyeballs. The capillaries will keep rupturing, which is secondary. If this continues, there is even a risk of short-term blindness."

"So it's just temporary blindness, right?" Upon hearing this, Han Zhuli clicked her tongue and said, "With your animal-like stamina and recovery ability far exceeding that of animals, you should be able to recover in no time as long as you stop."

"Pretty much." Yuan Chen nodded: "Although it was my first time trying it, it felt pretty good. If I train and strengthen my visual tolerance in the future, the cost should be reduced even further."

"Even so, isn't that a bit too outrageous..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Fengshui, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but complain:

"It's one thing that studying my eyes led to the evolution of a Feng Shui engine that can comprehensively enhance Qi and physical condition for Zhuli, but now it seems that Brother Yuanchen has directly awakened a technology that our clan has barely mastered after more than a thousand years?"

"The mechanisms are different, and if we really want to calculate it, liberating the human body from limitations is still a more common approach."

Yuan Chen didn't take Wu Fengshui's words to heart.

Techniques similar to liberation, which involve exchanging physical limitations for a surge in power, exist in many martial arts styles. For example, the Divine Possession of the Two Tigers style involves overloading the heart to accelerate blood pumping, thereby gaining power far exceeding normal levels and removing the body's own limitations.

As a consequence, it will severely increase the wear and tear on the user's heart.

"As for the Wu clan, although liberation is indeed their trademark, if we really want to talk about it, their physique that can adapt to liberation and will not be harmed by the removal of the limiter is probably the most important thing."

Yuan Chen said, "For example, Grandpa Wu Huili, when he was young, frequently removed his human body limiters, and as a result, he is still quite healthy to this day."

Upon hearing this, Wu Fengshui nodded in understanding.

Han Zhuli, standing to the side, couldn't help but interrupt, "Hey, hey, hey, what about me? What's with that weird pose of yours?"

Han Zhuli has yet to actually see Yuan Chen use the Sangji Assassination Fist.

Even in their first encounter, they used striking techniques primarily based on Muay Thai and simple throwing techniques.

In subsequent sparring sessions, Yuan Chen rarely used the Sangji Assassination Fist, so rarely that even Han Zhuli had no recollection of it, assuming it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision by Yuan Chen.

The main reason is that Yuan Chen is already too familiar with the Sangji Assassination Fist, and there is no need for him to continue to improve it.

In other words, if you want to improve upon your existing level, the precision of your moves is secondary; what's more important are things like Qi, intention, and energy conversion.

Similar things cannot be improved through practice like technical skills. Sometimes, a sudden insight gained through analogy is more effective than continuous hard work.

While eating and chatting, a moment later, Iori Yagami, who had been lying unconscious on the restaurant floor, seemed to sense something and trembled slightly before opening his eyes somewhat dazedly.

Looking around, Iori Yagami was slightly taken aback. Upon seeing Yuan Chen, a flood of memories rushed into his mind, and he immediately recalled why he had appeared here.

Upon seeing that Iori Yagami had woken up, Yuan Chen reached out to greet him. However, Iori Yagami completely ignored him and immediately stood up from the ground, hurriedly touching his pants.

He breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there were no signs of his belt or zipper being torn off, and that there was no unbearable discomfort or swelling in his buttocks as if a foreign object had been inserted.

Seeing that Iori Yagami had woken up and was engrossed in his pantomime, Yuan Chen remained silent for a moment before finally asking, "What... are you doing?"

Upon hearing this, Iori Yagami paused slightly, a hint of stiffness appearing on his face. However, he quickly masked these emotional fluctuations with simple indifference, maintaining a blank expression as he said, "Check the wound."

Although Iori Yagami's voice remained as cold and stern as ever, anyone could clearly sense a slight worry and unease in his expression.

"There are no wounds on your buttocks," Yuan Chen reminded him. During the fight, Yuan Chen did not focus his attacks on Iori Yagami's lower body.

"Just in case," Iori Yagami replied decisively.

Han Zhuli, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't help but laugh out loud while leaning back in her chair.

Yuan Chen didn't take it to heart, and simply explained that what was stored in his bladder at the time was metabolic waste fluid from the dissolution of rhabdomyolysis, and that he didn't get a good time while fighting.

"I'm not a masochist, so the more I fight, the more fun I get... Well, okay, fighting is fun, but it's not exciting enough to give me that kind of thrill."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's explanation, Iori Yagami raised an eyebrow slightly, then asked, "Then why does it get even more bulging at the end?"

"Because the damage is constantly increasing, the metabolic waste is increasing," Yuan Chen said succinctly.

"What if your bladder is full?" Upon hearing Yuan Chen's answer, Iori Yagami's eyes also revealed a hint of curiosity.

"And the stomach and intestines, or secrete directly through sweat glands, or urinate directly." Yuan Chen shrugged, not showing any displeasure at Iori Yagami's question.

Similarly, neither Yuan Chen nor Iori Yagami took the matter of urinating to heart.

Although it may sound a bit shameful, martial artists are among the most pragmatic people in the world. When they are not fighting, it's fine. Whether it's cultivation, training, or enjoyment, it's all a personal hobby. As long as it doesn't affect what other people want to do, it doesn't matter.

But when it comes to fighting, all that's left to think about is how to win.

For those who strive for strength, shame does not belong to the victor.

"Have something to eat."

Yuan Chen ladled out another portion of food from a pot and handed it to Iori Yagami, saying, "Life-giving cuisine, something like medicinal food, can accelerate your recovery from your injuries."

Upon hearing this, Iori Yagami had no doubts, because if he really wanted to do something to him, he could have done it all while he was still unconscious.

However, Yuan Chen did not do that. On the contrary, he was in a very good condition and his injuries were less severe than he had imagined. After a simple sensory examination, he found that his body, especially his hands, still bore very obvious traces of the golden flames, indicating that Yuan Chen had already treated him.

As he scooped up a spoonful of warm porridge and put it in his mouth, a hint of surprise flashed in Iori Yagami's eyes as the refreshing saltiness and sweet aftertaste fermented in his mouth.

As he swallowed, feeling the warm currents flowing from his abdomen throughout his body, Iori Yagami fell into a brief silence before nodding and saying, "It tastes good, thanks."

"You're welcome." Yuan Chen shook his head, not taking it to heart, and then looked at Iori Yagami and said, "So, do you know anything about Shiranui Town?"

"...That's quite a straightforward question." Iori Yagami glanced at Yuan Chen.

“Because you are not someone who will be bound by family destiny.” Yuan Chen slowly poured two glasses of beer, then gestured slightly to Iori Yagami.

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Iori Yagami raised an eyebrow slightly, then nodded. Seeing this, Yuan Chen handed him the beer. After a brief silence, Iori Yagami said, "..."

"I don't know anything about Shiranui Town."

As he spoke, he was also thinking. Although he seemed rebellious, eccentric, and arrogant, Iori Yagami was actually very calm. After hearing Yuan Chen's question, he calmly and slowly explained the information and guesses he knew.

“Our family changed its name from Yagami to Yagami more than 660 years ago. According to what you said, the attack on Shiranui Town happened more than 1,000 years ago. At that time, my family had not yet accepted the blood of madness and was still using the crimson flame, not some strange flame.”

"However, if Shiranui Town at that time really possessed a martial art that allowed ordinary people to control the energy conversion of crimson flames, then the people who attacked Shiranui Town should also be remnants of the Orochi lineage."

Iori Yagami said, "Although our three families sealed Orochi and his Eight Orochi warriors' souls a thousand years ago, Orochi's bloodline was not severed. The remaining bloodline continued to try to revive Orochi for the next two hundred years. It was only after our three families relentlessly hunted and killed them that these remnants with Orochi's blood gradually disappeared."

"Judging by the timing, the people who attacked Shiranui Town should be the surviving descendants of Orochi's blood."

"So, this feud was actually settled a long time ago, right?"

Upon hearing this, Mai Shiranui, standing to the side, said with a complicated expression, "After all, the remnants have already been hunted down and killed by your ancestors."

"More or less." Iori Yagami nodded, glanced at Mai Shiranui, paused, and then added:

"Although I don't know much about the lineage of the Shiranui school, the grudges related to Orochi are all from a thousand years ago. I personally think there is no need to be bound by such things from the past."

"Actually, it's alright." Hearing Iori Yagami's suggestion, Mai Shiranui didn't seem to care too much, and instead said:

"Because this history is too far removed from me, not to mention me, even my grandfather, or even my grandfather's grandfather, probably didn't know much about it. Rather than a family history, it's more like a legendary story."

"But it's still necessary to be careful."

Hearing the reactions of these two current heirs of ancient families, Yuan Chen, while drinking beer, said:

"After the Yagami family changed its name to the Yagami family, the infiltration of the blood of madness caused a loophole in Orochi's seal. If I remember correctly, although Orochi's own consciousness was still dormant within the seal, the souls of the Eight Orochi Generals had already broken free of the seal and completed their reincarnation."

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Iori Yagami paused slightly in his eating, then looked up at Yuan Chen, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty: "Are you sure?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Yuan Chen shrugged.

Looking at Iori Yagami and Yuan Chen, Chun Li sighed helplessly, "I think this gentleman is curious as to why you would tell him such information, Yuan Chen."

As she spoke, Chun-Li looked at Iori Yagami again and said, "The reason is that A-Chen simply felt that this way he could fight someone worth fighting."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen gave a thumbs up and said, "Indeed."

Volume 1: Chapter 157 - The Visit of Wang Ma and Others

Hearing Chunli easily express her thoughts, Yuan Chen didn't take it to heart. Instead, he looked at Chunli with surprise, gave her a thumbs up, and said:

"Oh, as expected of Chun-Li, she understands me so well and easily said what I was thinking!"

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Chun Li's face showed a hint of helplessness, and then she couldn't help but rub her temples as she said:

"There's no need to understand this at all. Anyone can easily sense it. In fact, it would be better if you restrained yourself a little more occasionally."

"You've already restrained yourself quite a bit." Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen shook his head and said, "I usually hold back when I hit people."

Upon hearing this, Chunli rolled her eyes at Yuan Chen, but didn't say anything more.

Meanwhile, Iori Yagami remained silent after learning about the Eight Orochi Generals, seemingly deep in thought. He then took out his phone and said, "I'm going to make a call."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Chen nodded, then thought for a moment and said, "The Kagura family?"

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Iori Yagami was slightly taken aback, but considering that Yuan Chen even knew about the reincarnation of the Eight Heroes, something that even he, as the heir of the Three Sacred Treasures family, didn't know, he simply nodded and said, "Yes."