Chapter 434 Overcoming Oneself
"Come on, the second round of fighting begins!"
A low growl squeezed out from his bloodied throat.
Kneeling amidst the blood and rubble, Jemin used his remaining right arm to push himself up, ignoring the horrific hole in his left chest and the excruciating pain that felt like it was tearing him apart.
He staggered, but didn't stop, dragging his broken body, and charged towards the time remnant trapped in the elemental vacuum!
Each step he took left a footprint on the ground, a mixture of blood and dust.
But as Jemin's pulsed, his body also changed in sync.
At the edge of the wound, charred and carbonized tissue rapidly sloughed off, and pink, vibrant granulation tissue, like the wildest vines, grew and spread wildly at a visible speed!
The bones emitted a subtle yet dense "crackling" sound as the fractures were filled by new bone tissue that shimmered with a pale golden luster.
Muscle fibers intertwine as if they were living beings, covering the bones, while blood vessels, nerves, and skin regenerate rapidly, concealing the writhing flesh beneath.
Driven by the pressure of life and death and a clear will, the Body Tempering Method operated with unprecedented efficiency.
The new organization is generated with a higher resistance to energy, and the energy flow path is automatically adjusted to better resist similar attacks.
When he rushed to the afterimage of time, his staggering steps returned to normal, and the terrifying wound that had once rendered most level-four wizards unable to fight for a short time had actually been completely regenerated!
The skin on the newly grown left chest and arm is still slightly pink, but the structure is complete, and it even faintly reveals a more resilient texture than before.
A surge of power coursed through his limbs and bones once more. Although his spiritual energy was greatly depleted and his internal organs still ached slightly, his fighting ability had returned!
The afterimage of time opposite seemed to flicker with a very subtle change in its cold eyes.
Without hesitation, it abandoned the ruins of the Great Light Image behind it, which was already destroyed and was still emitting blue smoke. It clenched its fists and assumed the most basic close combat stance.
The next moment, the two figures collided violently like comets hitting the earth!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Thump!
The muffled thuds of fists and feet striking each other, like heavy war drums, exploded in the deathly silent ruins of the temple.
This is the most direct form of violent catharsis.
Jemin threw a straight punch with all his might toward his opponent's face. The afterimage flashed to the side, and his left elbow, like a scorpion's tail, viciously struck Jemin's newly formed left rib.
Jemin twisted his waist and lowered his shoulders, using his newly grown left arm to block, while his right leg moved like a blur, sweeping low across his opponent's lower body.
The afterimage slightly raised its knee and precisely intercepted the attack. The two men's shinbones collided, producing a dull thud that made one's teeth ache.
They each took a half step back, then immediately pounced on each other like magnets!
Their combat techniques are exactly the same!
The way they exert force is exactly the same!
Dodging and prediction are done simultaneously!
The two are like the same person inside and outside a mirror, engaging in a cruel dialogue about "self" that transcends words.
Every punch reflects an understanding of one's own weaknesses, and every kick is aimed at the opponent's most vulnerable point.
Sweat and blood splattered with the violent movements.
Initially, Jemin was clearly at a disadvantage.
The newborn's left side coordination is still insufficient, and the energy previously consumed also affects power and endurance.
The afterimages attacked like a whirlwind, precisely seizing upon his every slight hesitation and weakness.
A heavy punch grazed Jemin's cheekbone, making him see stars; a tricky knee strike landed on his side, almost causing him to lose his breath; and a chop to the neck almost struck his newly formed neck, but he narrowly dodged it by turning his head, leaving only a burning pain.
Jemin retreated step by step, his body covered in new bruises and wounds, and his breathing became increasingly heavy.
But as time went on, the tide of the war began to turn subtly but firmly.
The "adaptive evolution" of the body-strengthening method was catalyzed to its extreme in this physical struggle with the "self"!
Each successful strike of the afterimage, landing on Jemin and causing damage, would cause the Body Tempering Technique to faithfully record the force, angle, and energy characteristics of the attack, driving the body to make targeted adjustments.
The cheekbone, struck by a heavy punch, undergoes a process where the subcutaneous bone microstructure becomes denser and more elastic during regeneration.
When the abdomen is hit by a knee, the arrangement of muscle fibers subtly changes, forming a more effective cushioning and dispersion structure.
The skin's resilience and fascia strength in the neck area threatened by the hand chop are enhanced.
More importantly, the adaptive evolution of the body-strengthening method also affected Jemin's control over his own body, forcing him to reach a new level in this synchronous battle with the "mirror image".
Under immense pressure, his thinking speed gradually became faster than his opponent's, his skills and moves became more perfect, and even his ability to predict the situation became stronger.
His movements began to show subtle changes.
No longer exactly the same moves as the mirror image or following established routines, the knowledge of fighting techniques obtained from the Great Dao Library was quickly absorbed.
When blocking, at the moment of contact, there will be a very subtle tremor in the wrist, which is contrary to the conventional angle of force application, and cleverly deflect part of the force.
When dodging, the body tilts at an angle one or two degrees more than the mirror image predicts, causing the attack to miss by a hair's breadth.
When counterattacking, the combination of muscle groups exerting force is fine-tuned, resulting in a slight but crucial advantage in speed or explosiveness.
These changes are so subtle that they are almost imperceptible in high-speed combat.
But over time, the effects gradually become apparent.
Jemin's retreating strides were decreasing, the trembling of his arm after blocking was lessening, the frequency of his counterattacks was increasing, and his accuracy was slowly climbing.
On the cold face of the afterimage, lines resembling "confusion" seemed to appear for the first time.
Its attacks remain fierce, but that sense of control, that "complete anticipation," is fading.
It "sees" Jemin's movements, but Jemin's actual physical reactions sometimes deviate slightly from its built-in "combat model".
This deviation can be fatal in a life-or-death struggle.
"Bang!"
For the first time, Jieming used his newly grown left arm to solidly block the powerful palm strike from the afterimage, his body only swaying slightly.
Previously, the same attack would make his entire arm go numb.
laugh!
With a cunningly angled kick, Jemin got a half-beat to the back of the knee of the supporting leg as the afterimage tried to lift it.
Although most of the attack was neutralized by the opponent's tense muscles, it successfully interrupted their continuous offensive.
The balance of power began to tip toward Jemin at a visible speed!
He fought with increasing confidence and courage.
The newborn body is perfectly coordinated with the original parts, and even appears more explosive due to "evolution".
His eyes were sharp as knives, capturing every fleeting pause in the afterimage caused by "confusion".
finally……
In a fierce close-quarters grappling match, Canxiang's fierce swing missed its mark; his old strength was exhausted and no new strength had been generated, leaving his center slightly open.
Jemin seized this fleeting opportunity that he himself had created!
This time he didn't use any complicated techniques.
He simply channeled all his strength, along with the pent-up breath in his chest, into his right fist.
Twist your waist, thrust your shoulder forward, and your fist strikes like a dragon!
The simplest, most direct, and most unstoppable straight punch!
Thump!!
The punch landed squarely on the center of the Time Remnant's chest.
With a dull thud, like a thunderous crash against solid rubber, Jemin's fist pierced through his opponent's chest.
The afterimage of time suddenly stiffened, and for the first time, its eyes, identical to Jemin's, clearly reflected a complex emotion that seemed to be a mixture of astonishment and relief.
It looked down at its sunken chest, then looked up at Jemin, whose mouth was bleeding but whose eyes burned with intensity.
Without any intention of communicating with the other party, Jieming suddenly exerted force with his other hand, smashing the head of the time afterimage as well.
The next moment, its form, along with the tattered gray robe it wore, began to become blurry and transparent.
Like a holographic image with a poor signal, it flickered violently twice.
Immediately afterwards, along with the surviving clones of the black giants in the distance, the remains of the Great Light Phase, and even the bloodstains belonging to the clones scattered on the ground...
Everything created or reproduced by the afterimage of time vanishes silently into the air, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser.
It left no trace, as if it had never existed.
Only Jemin, covered in blood and panting heavily, but standing ramrod straight, remained, standing alone in the center of the now completely vanished temple.
And just as he defeated the mirror image, before his breath had even calmed down.
The space in front of him seemed to have been gracefully lifted by an invisible hand.
A dark crack with tranquil starlight flowing along its edges quietly unfolded once more.
The unassuming figure of Artorias the Starforger stepped calmly out of the crack.
His gaze swept over the rapidly healing wounds on Jemin's body, and as he felt the body within him becoming noticeably more solid and powerful, an undisguised expression of approval appeared on his face.
“Congratulations,” he smiled gently. “Overcoming another version of yourself is always the most difficult leap in cognition and will. You did very well, even better than I expected.”
Upon hearing this, Jemin forced a smile, revealing a mixture of exhaustion, pain, and understanding.
Upon hearing this, he immediately understood that Artorias had probably already located this timeline.
The reason they didn't intervene immediately was probably because they were observing and waiting, waiting for him to complete this "mirror trial" and unleash his deeper potential.
However, feeling the body that had clearly reached a higher level, the body tempering technique that had greatly increased its adaptability and recovery ability to damage, and the spirit and will that had become more refined after the life-and-death battle, this smile also carried a sincere gratitude.
"Thank you for the opportunity, Your Excellency." After catching his breath, Jemin bowed respectfully.
He knew that without Artorias's external restraint and final permission, he wouldn't even be qualified to enter this trial, let alone benefit from it.
Artorias waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the world around him, which was gradually becoming unstable, like a faded canvas:
"This makeshift prison is about to collapse. We should leave."
He gestured and then stepped into the crevice, leaving the area.
Without the slightest hesitation, despite the still somewhat painful pain in his body, Jemin decisively stepped forward and crossed the spatial rift through which starlight flowed.
Behind him, the "Mirror Corridor" timeline, constructed by the spherical will in its final frenzy, collapsed and vanished silently, as if having completed its final mission, ultimately returning to nothingness.
(End of this chapter)
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