Chapter 125: The Youth in the Twilight

The air around Tang Tian began to tremble rhythmically.

The vibrations sent ripples through the air, and Tang Tian’s figure grew blurred and distorted.

There was no exhalation, no shout—only a silent punch.

The ripples swirling around Tang Tian were drawn toward his fist, rapidly converging upon it.

His fist, carrying countless ripples, struck the wall of mist soundlessly.

Clang!

The crisp sound was like shattering glass. The wall of mist collapsed and vanished into the air at astonishing speed.

The sudden disappearance of the mist wall took the Star Soul Snake completely by surprise. It had been poised to lunge, but its upper body abruptly recoiled, assuming a wary defensive stance.

Tang Tian felt a chill in his heart. An intensely frigid aura drilled into him through his fist. Even his Crane-Body Force could not dispel it immediately. It took a full three seconds before the Crane-Body Force finally dissolved the cold.

What terrifying chill!

Tang Tian stared fixedly at the Star Soul Snake. The Star Soul Snake stared back just as intently, and the two sides fell into a tense standoff.

“Go back for now.” Bing appeared behind Tang Tian.

At those words, Tang Tian slowly retreated. The Star Soul Snake also knew that Tang Tian was not to be trifled with, and remained where it was instead of pursuing him.

* * *

Back at the base, Tang Tian’s expression was ugly. He gave an unconvinced snort.

“I could have taken it down!”

“And then what?” A mocking look appeared on Bing’s face. “That was only the first Star Soul Beast you’ve encountered, and I can guarantee that it has other killing moves.”

“What killing moves?” Tang Tian looked up at Bing.

“I don’t know.” Bing’s expression became serious. “All of these Star Soul Beasts have absorbed fragments of ancient soul generals. Don’t underestimate those fragments. Their rank may be low and their contents scattered, but they often contain fragments of the martial techniques engraved in a warrior’s soul before death. Once these Star Soul Beasts absorb the fragments of those ancient martial spirits, they absorb those imprints of martial techniques as well.”

Tang Tian stared blankly. After a long while, he stammered, “You mean these Star Soul Beasts can use martial techniques too?”

“Exactly.” A look of reminiscence appeared on Bing’s face. “We encountered many of them in the past. Never underestimate the ancient warriors. Their martial techniques were not as intricate or varied as those of today; they were simple and archaic, yet their power was astonishing. Moreover, the bodies of these Star Soul Beasts are extraordinarily powerful. They can often unleash the full might of those techniques.”

Tang Tian still found it hard to believe. He muttered, “If I’d known, I would have tested it today.”

Bing glanced at him indifferently. “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of chances.”

“Why don’t you consider using Mechanism Battle Armor?” Sai Lei’s voice came from behind them. After sleeping, she had completely recovered. The bloodshot veins in her eyes had disappeared, and none of the dazed confusion from before remained. She was once again the shrewd and formidable Sai Lei.

Sai Lei in her normal state immediately made Tang Tian feel pressured, and gave him a headache.

The low neckline of her garment could barely contain her full, supple breasts, revealing a fiery and sensual charm. She casually smoothed the bangs from her forehead. Her clear, captivating eyes had regained their brilliance, glittering with an inscrutable light.

“The Mechanism Battle Armor here is excellent. If you’re dissatisfied with it, I’ve happened to gain some new insights recently. I still haven’t used the ancient soul pearl you gave me last time. I could try making a new generation of Mechanism Battle Armor!” A feverish light ignited in Sai Lei’s eyes. “You could use it in actual combat and provide me with feedback.”

Whenever that feverish light appeared in Sai Lei’s eyes, the pressure weighing on Tang Tian’s heart vanished at once.

“That won’t work,” Bing interjected, explaining, “This route was never a secret within the Legion. Many people used to take it, but the Legion expressly prohibited it. The route leads straight into the heart of headquarters, making it a security risk. But there were plenty of lazy people, and the ban was repeatedly violated. Many were punished. Eventually, the Commander stepped in and ordered the Mechanism Masters to set up numerous traps. Anyone operating Mechanism Battle Armor would be attacked.”

“Why not just seal the route completely? Your Commander had some strange ideas.” Tang Tian looked baffled.

“His ideas were always strange.” Bing spread his hands. “If you don’t rely on Mechanism Battle Armor and make it through by your own strength, you won’t be punished. The Commander believed such behavior deserved praise.”

“Then what are we supposed to do now?” Tang Tian looked at Bing.

“There’s no good solution. You’ll have to clear the route yourself.” Bing shook his head. “I can’t think of any particularly good method either. Fortunately, the base has remained intact. With your current progress, it will only take some time. But this is still the shortest route.”

Tang Tian silently clenched his fists.

* * *

Dusk.

Dusk in the Soul Region was unlike dusk on ordinary planets. The sky was a pale blood-red, while the evening clouds hung overhead like strands of crimson seaweed. An orange-yellow sun slowly sank as an amber full moon quietly rose.

Atop a towering stone pillar outside the base, Tang Tian rested his arm on his raised knee and gazed absently at the distant sky.

He had just emerged from the Eighteen Bronze Men Chamber, drenched in sweat. Beads of perspiration dripped from his sharply defined chin. His rapid breathing gradually steadied, and the fury aroused by being mobbed by eighteen bastards slowly subsided.

The scene could hardly be called magnificent, yet it seemed to possess a power that soothed the heart.

In a daze, he returned to those years in Starwind City, to the monotonous, repetitive days of cultivation. Because he did not want others to mock him, he usually trained alone in some remote, uninhabited mountain wilderness. Qian Hui would often come to keep him company, but more often than not, he was alone.

Just like this—sitting atop a mountain, watching night fall bit by bit, watching the moon rise little by little and gradually brighten.

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze swept over, and someone appeared beside him.

“Hey, sitting here all alone—what are you brooding about?” Sai Lei sat down beside Tang Tian with complete nonchalance, teasing him. “A godlike youth like you doesn’t look like someone with worries.”

“What could I possibly be worried about?” Tang Tian came back to himself and broke into a hearty laugh.

“Give me a break!” Sai Lei rolled her eyes. “You’re thinking about Qian Hui, aren’t you? Don’t blame yourself so much. You’ve already worked very hard…”

“Yeah, I miss her a lot. I wonder how she’s doing? But I’m not too worried. Qian Hui has always been stronger and smarter than me. I have complete faith in her.” A look of remembrance appeared on Tang Tian’s face, but immediately afterward he turned toward Sai Lei and pulled a face. “Girl, do you think a godlike youth would be the sort of person to blame himself? Ha! And that line about how I’ve already worked very hard—that kind of thing doesn’t suit me!”

Sai Lei stared at him. “Doesn’t suit you?”

The last rays of the setting sun illuminated the young man’s proud, unruly face. He clenched his fist, bent his thumb toward himself, and declared with boundless arrogance, “A godlike youth is destined to become the strongest martial artist! How could words like ‘you’ve already worked very hard’ possibly exist in my dictionary?”

Whether it was the glow of the setting sun or the boy’s brazen confidence that pierced her composure, Sai Lei was momentarily dazed. Her long eyelashes lowered, concealing that clear and enchanting world within her eyes.

She snorted. “Arrogant fool! I’ll just wait and see how far you can go.”

Then her tone shifted. “So what were you thinking about all alone up here?”

Tang Tian was caught off guard by the question. “What was I thinking about? Actually, I don’t know either. I just remembered the days when I used to cultivate.”

“Back when you cultivated?” Sai Lei immediately became interested. “You must have been amazing back then! Were you always first in school? At least among the top three?”

Tang Tian scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. “My grades used to be terrible. I repeated several years.”

“You repeated several years?” Sai Lei froze, utterly convinced she had misheard him. Her expression was as though she had seen a ghost. “No way! What kind of school did you attend? Was it so formidable that even someone of your ability could only repeat grades? Good heavens! There’s actually a school that powerful in this world, and I never even knew about it! You have to tell me!”

“Ahem!” Tang Tian had no idea how to explain it. Besides, having the dark history of his past fall into the hands of a dangerous person like Sai Lei would be far too risky. He put on a solemn air and said, “I’ve rested long enough. I’m going to start cultivating!”

With that, he immediately rose and fled.

“Hey, hey, hey! You can’t leave before you finish! That’s not fair! Leaving me hanging halfway is the most annoying thing ever!”

Sai Lei, her mind filled with gossip, shouted after him unwillingly.

Tang Tian ran even faster.

* * *

Whoosh!

Tang Tian punched forward.

Countless rippling waves converged upon his fist, as though his fist were pulling along a great bundle of fine threads.

Tang Tian stopped. His face was covered in sweat, and vapor billowed around him, yet he remained oblivious. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed intently on his fist.

The moment his inner true force stirred, his fist clenched.

Those fine ripples appeared once more, and the surrounding air began to tremble visibly. He carefully sensed the vibrations. His exceptional instincts made him acutely sensitive to every minute change around him. His understanding of vibration was far deeper than before.

He was improving almost every day, but this time he felt that he had reached a bottleneck.

True force.

These fine ripples were all formed by the vibration of true force. Tang Tian had devoted a tremendous amount of energy to studying the vibration of true force, and his progress had been significant. But now, he had reached a bottleneck.

True force was like a string, and its vibration was the source of the tremors.

Yet the thickness, resilience, and hardness of that string all determined how much vibration it could withstand.

That was precisely Tang Tian’s problem at present. His true force could no longer endure stronger vibrations. He needed to make it denser, stronger, tougher, and thicker before he could explore any further.

The time had come.

Tang Tian found Bing and explained his thoughts.

“Uncle, let’s begin. I’ve wanted to experience ancient martial techniques for a long time. Using battle to nurture battle—that sounds like something a true expert would do.”

Another voice cried out within Tang Tian’s heart.

Qian Hui, here I come!

The God of War Who Never Lost, Chapter 125: The Youth Beneath the Evening Sky — End.