No longer able to restrain himself, Tear-Drop Child's deranged grin nearly reached both his ears. His tear tattoo erupted in a golden-blue light before quickly disintegrating. Though, rather than disintegration, it was more like parts of the tear tattoo were leaving the skin of his face and molding into the shape of a small pair of bells.
"You think some jingle-jingles will actually work against me?" Knox Falazar asked laughingly. "How about you start taking out magical hairbows and chanting to transform into a Magical Girl as well?"
Tear-Drop Child—clearly not a fan of Knox's jokes—finished converting his tear tattoo into a golden-blue pair of bells. They were very simple in design, seemingly nothing special about them.
However, as much as Knox outwardly mocked the bells, he knew better than anyone not to underestimate an opponent whom he knew next to nothing about.
"Fate-bearer," Tear-Drop Child said as his aura skyrocketed in immensity, scaring away anyone within a ten-mile radius. "Don't blame me for killing you and stealing your Fate Value—" he paused ever so briefly as his figure blurred along with his bells.
"—Blame yourself for being too weak!"
OUNG!
The bells suddenly transformed into two giant hammers the size of buildings. Tear-Drop Child wielded them in his small hands, swinging them around almost too effortlessly. The space between the hammers and Knox shattered, with the buildings and any stragglers in the surroundings being blown hundreds of meters away.
Under the gravity of Tear-Drop Child's attack, the area was cleared out. No houses. No buildings. No vegetation.
The once-prosperous area became a barren wasteland—and did so in a mere instant.
"Quite impressive," Knox praised as he felt the tips of his hair burn due to the absurd level of energy being radiated by the hammers. "For a Child of Water Dick or whatever, you're definitely strong."
"!!!!"
"HOW DARE YOU!!!!" Tear-Drop Child erupted in rage, his once excited expression replaced with a twisted and scrunched-up mess. "DO NOT SPEAK OF THE WATER DEITY WITH YOUR DIRTY MOUTH!!!"
"Damn, dude," Knox said while digging out the earwax in his ear. "Can't you quiet it down? Some of us would like to have decent hearing in old age, ya know?"
Acting as if the indescribably powerful hammers plummeting straight toward him didn't even exist, Knox yawned. Then, with a bipolar flip, his expression frosted over. His sudden surge in murderous intent expelled the initial power of the hammers.
He then took a step forward, activating a technique he had acquired nearly a year ago:
"Thirteen Perfections, First Perfection: Step."
For a moment, time seemed to come to a complete stop. And in that moment, Knox's foot moved forward by one pace. Yet, in that one pace, he bridged the gap between himself and Tear-Drop Child.
He had his black Intent Sword in hand, already in the process of slashing down. However, with a cold snort from Tear-Drop Child, his trick was seen through. A large hammer shot toward him from the right side, and, unable to dodge in time, he was hit directly in his side.
*Crack, Crack!*
A few of Knox's ribs broke as he went barreling tens of miles away. He flew beyond the wasteland point, returning to circulation, with his bruised body creating holes in dozens of buildings.
Eventually, he came to a stop—tumbling and smacking into a thick brick wall—but by then, most of his body had been reduced to shambles. The civilians around him looked at his pitiful state with a mixture of alarm, fright, and… pity.
'Damn,' Knox thought, feeling more annoyance than pain. 'I absolutely abhor when people look at me like that. Tsk! I really feel like smashing someone's head in now.'
He wanted to leave behind being pitied everywhere he went, but now this middle-aged kid bastard was forcing him to endure the very same sh*t.
"W…What a f*cker," Knox muttered through bloodied teeth as he glared at the blonde-haired kid who appeared out of nowhere, hovering in the sky with his two hammers like some sort of god. "Fine, then, if you want to play, then let's play."
A mysterious energy seeped out of Knox's body, spreading over all his limbs and bones before working to restore them. This was the Second Perfection of the Thirteen Perfections Qi Condensation Cultivation Technique—Restore.
The Thirteen Perfections Cultivation Manual was more than just something meant to improve cultivation. It was also a moveset—one that could only be realized after the practitioner reached the Secret 13th Stage of Qi Condensation. And though one had to be ridiculously talented to be capable of exceeding the normal Qi Condensation Realm stage limit of 12, with all the Affinity Points Knox had been absorbing in the last 11 months, he was able to achieve it by prolonging his time in the Qi Condensation Realm.
Knox even took things a step further than the 13th Stage of Qi Condensation, and he wondered if this powerful enemy of his would possess what it took to bring it out of him. But who could say for sure?
"Listen, kid," Knox said as he rose up like a broken corpse doll. "I could've broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm months ago, but do you know why I chose not to?"
Tear-Drop Child stared blankly at him, not the least bit interested in what he had to say. He only wanted one thing from Knox—his Fate.
"Well, whatever," Knox said, irritated. "The point is that I'm not even in the Foundation Establishment Realm, yet I'm still better than you, who's in the Nascent Soul Realm. My suggestion for you—if you want this to go quickly—is to roll over now and let me poke some holes in you. It'll be easier for us both that way."
He flashed a benevolent smile, trying his best to help this poor fella understand just how f*cked he was.
Yet, Tear-Drop Child—no longer finding Knox's commentary necessary—burst forward at many times the speed of sound. Hundreds of people—mortals and cultivators alike—died.
But he didn't seem to care a single bit.
And neither did Knox.