Chapter 356 - Lady Poison Strikes

The "Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill" originated from Shaolin, and therefore, Jin Gang could be considered half a Shaolin disciple. Before he studied the "Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill," his master had warned him that there was a Chinese martial arts technique, known as the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm," that he had to watch out for. This technique was a nemesis to Jin Gang's hard qigong style, as it did not rely purely on physical strength, but instead, on inner power. The "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm" could direct energy across the air, penetrate through flesh and damage the inner organs.

"So, what do you think of it?" Xiao Luo snapped as he lowered his guard and glared at Jin Gang.

"Impressive! The 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm' is not a simple technique to master. The art was lost to the martial arts world, so where did you learn it from?" Jin Gang replied as he slowly picked himself up. It was extremely rare to find one person out of hundreds of thousands who were suitable to practice this unique art. Even the present master of the Beggars' Sect could only get a passing grasp of its principles as he only had an unfinished book to study from. If even such a renowned master could not fully comprehend the intricacies of this art, Jin Gang wondered how Mie knew every single move.

"That's for you to find out!"

Xiao Luo waved the question off and replied, "Do you still want to fight?"

Jin Gang's face twitched in response to the challenge, and he eyed Xiao Luo, discreetly assessing his condition. It appeared that both of them had sustained similar injuries, albeit minor ones, but with the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm," Xiao Luo still had an effective weapon against him. His assessment did raise some doubts in his mind, leaving him feeling conflicted, but after further thought, he clenched his teeth and responded, "Yeah, let's do it!"

He intended to test the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm" to its limit against his "Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill," discovering ways to overcome his inherent weaknesses.

And, without another word, he made a quick dash toward Xiao Luo, taking care to guard against Xiao Luo's "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm." In an aggressive frontal attack, Jin Gang slashed his iron hands left and right, spinning his body and striking high, then low. He broke Xiao Luo's outer defense like a violent gust of wind and brought the fight into close-in combat. In a series of explosive blows, he threw countless punches, slaps, and clawed-hand strikes. But, at no time did Xiao Luo call upon the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm."

Xiao Luo backed away steadily, parrying the blows and countering the attack whenever he found an opening. Both fighters exuded an impressive martial bearing, and their fighting mettle was unsurpassed. But Xiao Luo appeared the steadier of the two, looking calm and genuinely excited by the exchange of strikes and counter-strikes.

The fight was turning out to be an all-out battle, and it was a sight to behold!

The "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palm" technique was extremely powerful, but it took a heavy toll on one's inner power. As this was not a life and death battle, Xiao Luo did not see any reason to utilize it for the time. His state of mind had strangely altered—from where there was a reluctance to fight in the beginning, he now found a sense of elation he had never experienced before.

POW! BANG! POW!

As Jin Gang continued with his relentless close combat tactics, Xiao Luo suddenly stopped retreating, and in a quick counter-attack, his hands struck out with lightning speed, instantly breaking Jin Gang's offensive. Jin Gang was taken by surprise, and as he stepped back, he was goaded by Xiao Luo's mirthless laugh.

The initiative was now with Xiao Luo, and he increased the ferocity of his attack, striking at Jin Gang with countless punches that immediately put him in full defensive mode.

But, Jin Gang would not be subdued, and both fighters went back and forth in attack and defense. Every exchange was punishing, but in the heat of battle, neither could feel the pain. As the duel intensified, the dry sandy surface showed emerging cracks, and a cloud of dust once again swirled around the fighters—evoking images of two fiery dragons locked in a fierce battle in the celestial heavens.

The NSA warriors who were watching from the roadside felt their throats dry up, and they could barely gulp down their saliva. Someone in the crowd asked, "Are they men or beasts?"

No one could answer him for that same thought had occurred to them. It was hard to say that the two were ordinary humans when they fought like feral beasts.

"Is that the true side of Xiao Luo?"

Ji Siying's lips trembled as she pondered the question. She could tell that Xiao Luo was thoroughly relishing the blood and gore, like a man addicted to violence.

Fu Yiren, stroking her green vipers as she observed the duel, suddenly stood up from the stone slab. "It's about time I put a stop to this fight."

At the very moment that Fu Yiren stood up, she vanished in a puff of mysterious vapor that coalesced into the form of a dark phantom. And in the next instant, she appeared between the two fighters as if carried by a strong gust of wind. She raised her hands at both men, unleashing her inner power, and a gush of purplish fumes emanated from her palms.

"Lady poison? What the…!"

Jin Gang yelled out, and he instinctively jumped back, like a cat with its tail caught, for he knew better than anyone about the effects of her poison.

Seeing Jin Gang's panicked reaction, Xiao Luo erred on the side of caution and backed off, holding his breath to avoid ingesting the strange fumes.

After the fumes dissipated, the three remained standing in a straight line with Fu Yiren in between the two of them. The fire in their eyes cooled, and along with it, their battle frenzy.

"Lady poison, just what are you doing here?!" Jin Gang scowled.

"The director does not wish to see either of you getting injured, so it's time for you both to stop," Fu Yiren said, in no uncertain terms, then she smiled cheekily and quipped, "I declare this match as a tie!"

"This is a matter between the both of us, stay out of it… leave!"

Xiao Luo snapped as he still felt the lust for battle, and he would not allow this woman to intervene.

Jin Gang gasped, for fearless as he was, and despite being a Grade-S warrior, he was still afraid of Fu Yiren's ability with poisons. She had once beaten him up in the past, and despite the embarrassment, he never once considered taking revenge as he had no effective way to counter her toxins.

"Cough, cough…"

Jin Gang winked at Xiao Luo discreetly, signaling for him not to provoke Fu Yiren.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch you… what did you say?" Fu Yiren responded, riled up over Xiao Luo's curt remark.

Fu Yiren gave Xiao Luo a coy smile when she spoke, but her glowering eyes told a different story—she would not take no for an answer.

Suddenly, Fu Yiren's green viper appeared from Xiao Luo's back. It hissed with jaws wide open baring its venomous fangs and looked like it was about to strike Xiao Luo's exposed neck.

Jin Gang gasped and immediately checked his body for the second snake, and only after he determined there was none did he let out a sigh of relief.

The crowd turned pale and was aghast at the sight of the venomous serpent crawling behind Xiao Luo's neck. They had not expected Fu Yiren to drop her pet viper on Mie.

Ji Siying panicked, and without a second thought, she ran up to plead with Fu Yiren. She shuddered at the sight of the snake coiled up on Xiao Luo's shoulder, and hurriedly turned to Fu Yiren, begging, "Ms. Yiren, we are all part of the NSA, please spare him and retrieve your snake."

Fu Yiren smiled coldly and replied, "Well, it's none of your concern, so you should get the hell out of here."

"Ms. Yiren, please, this is Mr. Mie's first visit to headquarter, and he is still learning many things, please don't…"

"Get lost!"

Fu Yiren's face took on a dark, grim expression, and she suddenly waved her left arm at Ji Siying, releasing a cloud of toxic fumes.