I Take Life Seriously 72. The First Battle of the Demigods (Part 2)
By all accounts, their stealth technology was of the highest order—far beyond anything Earth’s current capabilities could detect. Yet, the computational power of Little Tyrant, Defender, and the War God satellite had undergone several rounds of optimization and upgrades, now infused with higher-dimensional energy and information. Thus, the moment Li appeared at the North Pole, his presence was already relayed to Zhang Mingjing.
...
“At last, he’s here!” Zhang Mingjing stood atop a wasteland, conversing with the five-dimensional space cognitive model. “Looking back, I still find the progression of this storyline utterly absurd. How did it come to a showdown with a demigod so suddenly?”
The five-dimensional cognitive model chuckled, “You ought to thank them. Without their appearance, you wouldn’t have ascended to demigod status so quickly.”
“That’s true!... If Zhang Yidao finds out, he’ll be absolutely thrilled.”
“Thrilled? More like envious and jealous, I’d say!”
“Indeed, attaining immortality has always been his dream. Should I tell him about my current realm?”
“Oh, spare him! If you do, he’ll rush here tomorrow and beg you to initiate him.”
“Uh! I’d gladly help him—I’m not that selfish.”
“I know, but if he comes, do you think he’d leave easily?”
“That’s true. I can’t let him and Xiao Nüxia risk coming here!... By the way, since only one opponent showed up, should I call everyone to join, or face him alone?”
“From the data on this fellow, he’s not necessarily stronger than you. You can go alone, and try to gauge his true potential. These data will be invaluable for optimizing the combat systems of Catherine, Jemily, Feathered, and Ascendant in the future.”
“Agreed! That’s what I thought as well.”
With that, Zhang Mingjing shot skyward; with a resounding boom, he broke the sound barrier, entering supersonic speed.
...
Forty minutes later, he met the demigod named Li.
Both hovered in midair, separated by a mere two kilometers, sizing each other up.
“Interesting! This Earthling is indeed a cultivator—his armor even bears the words ‘poor Taoist’,” Li said to the temporal monster code within him.
“He counts among the finest hardware on this planet, pity he’s not ours to command.”
“Hmph! How did he reach this realm?”
“I don’t have proof yet, but I suspect those ancient five-dimensional beings implanted a five-dimensional cognitive model in him, which explains his continual breakthroughs.”
“Just like you in me?”
“Exactly.”
“Hmph!... Today marks the end for him and his internal five-dimensional model.”
...
“Apart from his rather handsome appearance, there’s little I can read from him, though he seems to disdain me,” Zhang Mingjing remarked.
“Correct! These fellows are natural-born elites on their home worlds—arrogance is only natural,” the five-dimensional model replied.
“Should I launch an all-out attack, or play it slow with him?”
“Better not rush the initial exchange—stay cautious.”
“Alright!”
...
At that moment, Li transmitted a voice message to Zhang Mingjing. “Hey! Earth boy, what’s your name? Speak up—I never kill the nameless.”
“Damn, this guy’s banter sounds so Earth-like,” Zhang Mingjing thought.
“His cognitive model has reached the fourth dimension. Learning Earth’s three-dimensional expressions is trivial. It’s called blending in,” the five-dimensional model explained.
...
“So that’s it!” Zhang Mingjing mused, then responded to Li, “I am Zhang Mingjing. I too refuse to kill the nameless—tell me yours.”
“Hmph! No need. I never share my name with the dead,” Li replied, his tone dripping with contempt.
Zhang Mingjing scoffed, retorting, “Wow! Give you an inch of sunlight and you shine like the midday sun—how petty!”
No sooner had he spoken than Li, with a sonic boom, launched a kick at Zhang Mingjing—at five times the speed of sound.
A surge of energy raced toward Zhang Mingjing with lightning speed, but he shifted left by more than ten meters in a flash, dodging the thunderous kick.
Zhang Mingjing didn’t retaliate immediately, preferring to observe more of Li’s techniques.
Li’s attack was not a mere probe—it was intended to kill.
Yet, Zhang Mingjing evaded it with ease, leaving Li astonished.
Right after his failed strike, the temporal monster cognitive model within Li warned him, “Don’t underestimate him! This Earthling has dispatched many monsters, his combat experience runs deep.”
“Hmph! I slew plenty of cultivators on Rainbow Star. If you’ve chosen to cooperate with me, have faith.”
“Fine, fight as you see fit.”
...
Then, the five-dimensional cognitive model told Zhang Mingjing, “When that temporal monster code shattered and dispersed, each fragment carried a different energy, so the strength varied. The elders of the five-dimensional space have records. Based on the power in that demigod’s kick, I calculated the energy level of his internal code—at most, it’s a mid-tier category.”
“Damn! You never told me this in detail.”
“You never asked, and it’s not really important.”
“How is it not? If the strongest energy codes create demigods, wouldn’t they be many times more powerful?”
“Exactly! But they’re rare, and the universe is vast—they may never find hosts.”
“Sounds like you’re foreshadowing a future plot twist!”
“Don’t overthink—focus on the enemy.”
“Does Earth have any of these high-energy codes?”
“No.”
“Damn! That worries me more. If one appears in the future, I’ll have no experience to deal with it!”
Just then, Li launched five consecutive kicks, each at five times the speed of sound.
With a thunderous crash, Zhang Mingjing didn’t dodge this time but raised an energy shield to block.
“What?!” Li was stunned, muttering, “This kid can’t be underestimated.”
He then unleashed more than ten kicks on the spot, energy blasts streaking at Zhang Mingjing at seven times the speed of sound.
Again, Zhang Mingjing stood his ground, countering with ten kicks of his own—the Heavenly Crippled Leg technique—sending a barrage of energy forth.
Their attacks collided in midair, detonating in violent explosions.
Zhang Mingjing’s kicks had reached the limits of his Heavenly Crippled Leg technique.
He finished, his legs tingling and trembling.
Li, however, had not reached his limit.
The five-dimensional cognitive model discerned Li’s advantage lay in his legs, advising Zhang Mingjing, “His main strength is concentrated in his legs—he excels in leg techniques. Don’t compete with him there, or you’ll truly be left crippled.”
“What should I do then?”
“Use your flying sword.”
...
Li indeed continued his barrage of kicks, each unleashing energy at seven times the speed of sound toward Zhang Mingjing.
Zhang Mingjing, right after Li’s kicks, launched a dozen beams of light swords, which not only pierced through Li’s energy but shattered it, then surged toward Li.
The distance between them was just two kilometers. Suddenly, seeing the fierce light swords break through and rush at him, Li was startled.
He quickly conjured an energy shield to block the swords.
Both operated at seven times the speed of light, making the entire exchange instantaneous.
Zhang Mingjing’s light swords pressed against Li’s energy shield, trapping him and threatening his life if he moved.
“This kid really has some skills,” Li gritted out.
The temporal monster code within him sneered, “It’s nothing. Just follow my lead, and you’ll put him in his place in no time.”
“Alright! I’ll do as you say.”
As soon as Li agreed, he stopped struggling; the temporal monster code had shifted the force exerted by the light swords on his shield into another space-time.
“Heh heh… petty tricks,” Li boasted, dismissing Zhang Mingjing’s swords and taunting, “Earth boy, show me what else you’ve got! Let me amuse myself.”
...
“It must be the temporal monster code shifting the attack,” Zhang Mingjing muttered.
“That’s its specialty—let it show off before its demise!” the five-dimensional model laughed.
“You sound like you have an idea. Spill it.”
“I won’t.”
“Why not?” Zhang Mingjing was baffled.
“Every time it’s me. Your own model, already at four-dimensional level, is just decoration. It needs the chance to sharpen itself.”
“Damn, you’re calling me lazy again, aren’t you?”
Just then, Li began kicking at the light swords pressing against his shield. The energy seemed to strike the swords but they remained unmoved.
“Idiot, what are you doing?” the temporal monster code berated.
“Kicking these swords away!”
“I’m casting the shifting technique on the shield to move their attacks. If you attack the swords, you hit the shield, and your force is shifted as well—how could it be effective? You’re wasting energy.”
“Oh, I see!... But are we just going to be trapped here then?”
“To kick these swords away, you’ll need to coordinate with me. When I tell you to kick, do so; I’ll halt the shifting technique at that instant, so you’ll connect with the sword.”
“Alright!”
“Try kicking one first.”
Li obliged, following the code’s guidance, and kicked at a light sword. Indeed, as he struck, the temporal monster stopped the shifting technique, and the sword was knocked away.
But this process was observed by Zhang Mingjing and the five-dimensional cognitive model, who understood the cause.
Zhang Mingjing immediately devised a counter, smiling, “I’ve got a way to handle their trick.”
Without delay, he ordered Little Tyrant to launch two attacks at Li’s energy shield.