Chapter Eighty: Pain No Longer Hurts

Luo Chen did not consider himself arrogant. In any case, he would never miss a chance to earn more money.

The Butcher shouted angrily, “If you can hit me—even just touch the hem of my clothes—I’ll concede defeat, and all the gold coins here will be yours!”

Delighted, Luo Chen replied, “Good! It’s a deal!”

The Butcher continued, “Pick a weapon, any one you like!”

Luo Chen smiled, “No need. My bare hands will suffice.”

Bare hands? The students below were even more shocked. Luo Chen’s audacity was simply off the charts! Joanna nearly wanted to rush onto the stage and curse him out—was he insane? Just stepping up to fight an instructor was already courting death, and now he was going to do it unarmed? She could barely believe his recklessness.

The Butcher’s face darkened. “I hope you don’t regret this decision.”

He pulled out a stopwatch and pressed the button. “The countdown begins!”

Meanwhile, Luo Chen was secretly communicating with Nicole in his mind. “Nicole, start collecting data.”

“Yes, Master!”

With a scrape of his foot, Luo Chen shot toward the Butcher like a cannonball.

Ellie and Joanna watched in astonishment. Having tutored Luo Chen often at Weston Academy, they were familiar with his abilities. In just over a month, Luo Chen’s lightfoot technique had improved remarkably. His speed was noticeably faster than before the break.

However, they didn’t believe that merely improving his speed would allow him to gain any advantage over the Butcher.

The Butcher flicked his hand, and his deadly long whip lashed out like a venomous snake.

Luo Chen showed no fear. Instead, he wrapped his hand in battle aura and reached for the whip.

The Butcher had said that even touching his clothes would count as a win. So, if Luo Chen could control the whip, the Butcher wouldn’t be able to use spirit techniques above level five. Since techniques below level five couldn’t launch ranged attacks, the Butcher would be forced into close combat. That was Luo Chen’s true aim in provoking him.

But the Butcher quickly saw through Luo Chen’s plan. He sneered inwardly—did the boy think grabbing his whip would be so easy? With a flick of his wrist, the whip changed direction, as agile as an extension of his own arm.

But in that instant, Luo Chen’s palm suddenly enlarged several times over. No matter how cunningly the whip changed course, it was caught.

Level Two Battle Technique—Great Hand Seal!

What was even more surprising was that the massive hand seal began to clamp down.

“Bravo!” Joanna couldn’t help but shout. Now she understood why Luo Chen had abandoned a weapon. If he’d chosen one, his skill could never compare to the instructor’s mastery of the whip. Instead, the Great Hand Seal, with its broad range and flexibility, gave him a far better chance of catching the elusive whip.

A surge of energy from the whip forced the giant hand open, and then the whip slipped away like an eel.

“Ah, still a bit lacking,” Ellie said regretfully. Luo Chen’s move was clever, but not yet fully mastered. Otherwise, the instructor’s whip would have been caught. But the instructor’s experience was undeniable—his control of energy was perfectly timed, his technique flawless.

The students in the audience were amazed. As top graduates from various beginner martial academies, they could appreciate the nuance. None of them had thought the Great Hand Seal could be used in such a way.

This was one of Luo Chen’s breakthroughs over the break, too. While fishing in Dragon Pool, his mutated Great Hand Seal had proven immensely useful.

The Butcher’s eyes narrowed. He’d underestimated this cunning boy; he’d nearly slipped up. But did Luo Chen really think these little tricks would defeat him? Impossible!

This time, he would not be careless. Prepare to die!

His whip lashed out again, but this time, rather than attacking directly, it danced two meters in front of Luo Chen, shifting and weaving in dizzying patterns. It seemed poised to strike at any moment, but was also coiled and ready, the skill on display breathtaking.

Thrown off by this distraction, Luo Chen’s judgment faltered. He couldn’t predict when or from what angle the Butcher would attack. The psychological pressure mounted, and at last Luo Chen couldn’t resist, launching another Great Hand Seal.

Heh, the boy’s still too impulsive, the Butcher thought. As Luo Chen attacked, the Butcher deftly twisted his whip tip, dodging the hand seal’s range and snapping the whip across Luo Chen’s chest.

Agony! It hurt, a fierce and biting pain spreading from the point of impact. Luo Chen sucked in a sharp breath. No wonder Shazuo had rolled around on the ground in agony from this.

But he could endure!

To train his contrarian thinking, Luo Chen relived his parents’ murder every day in Nicole’s virtual realm. What pain could compare to witnessing your parents die before your eyes? None. Having long grown accustomed to such soul-rending agony, Luo Chen had developed a powerful immunity to pain. Thus, the Butcher’s strike was bearable.

From a mental fortitude standpoint, Luo Chen’s spiritual strength had increased greatly, making his will far more resilient than most.

Since the pain couldn’t bring him to his knees, that was enough. Luo Chen gritted his teeth, enduring the agony. He didn’t even bother using his spirit energy to dispel the invasive blue energy—he’d seen it in Shazuo before. It would soon dissipate on its own, not worth the energy to remove.

So, Luo Chen leapt high, rushing at the Butcher again.

The Butcher was stunned. His pain attack had failed! By rights, Luo Chen should have immediately used force to dispel the energy and numb the pain, yet he moved as if nothing was wrong, his agility unimpaired.

The Butcher was incredulous. Like a viper, his whip circled behind Luo Chen and struck again.

Luo Chen dropped from the air, but as soon as he hit the ground, he bounced toward the instructor once more. Now, not just the instructor but everyone present was dumbfounded. Was Luo Chen made of stone, immune to pain?

Twice in a row unable to incapacitate his opponent, the Butcher’s calculations went awry. Luo Chen was already closing in; the Great Hand Seal struck again.

The whip couldn’t be withdrawn in time, but the Butcher remained calm, reversing the whip handle and tapping Luo Chen’s hand. Level Two Battle Technique—Single Yang Finger!

The two traded blows and separated. Both were at spirit level four; the Butcher could use the pinnacle of level four power, but his move had been rushed. The result: a stalemate, neither gaining the upper hand.

Using the whip as a finger didn’t count as direct physical contact, so the Butcher hadn’t lost.

Luo Chen cursed his luck—so close! The instructor’s experience was formidable, his reactions swift. Otherwise, Luo Chen would have succeeded.

But the instructor’s face was anything but cheerful. Damn, what was wrong with this kid? Even his signature technique had no effect! Though he’d used only level four spirit energy, not his true strength, the Butcher was certain: no novice should be able to endure such pain.

Could it be he truly felt no pain?