Chapter 119: Toshio's Entrustment

"......" Qin Xiaochuan glanced at Sikong Lang across from him, then looked down at Master Jinghai in his arms without a word.

"......Xiao...chuan... everyone... must fight... against time... but he..." Master Jinghai raised her arm, pointing a trembling finger at Sikong Lang. "...he became a deserter in that battle... abandoning all his pride... dignity... soul... and companions. You... you must never... walk that path... Xiao Chuan! You... you are not... alone... Do not forget... for whom... you... became... strong..."

Exhausting her last ounce of spiritual energy to hold on, Master Jinghai finally voiced her final hope for Qin Xiaochuan. As he watched her arm fall, Qin Xiaochuan felt her life force fade away completely. "Grand...mother..."

"If only someone with the mantle of the Spirit Wave Fist had appeared sooner, I wouldn't have had to witness such an ugly display from Jinghai," Sikong Lang remarked, his expression unchanging even as she died, as if the person before him were of no consequence. The emotions that once bound him had vanished into thin air during the reincarnation ceremony fifty years ago. "Those born for battle have only two paths: to become stronger or to die. She died the moment she chose to spend the rest of her life in sloth."

"Shut your filthy mouth, or I'll kill you right here!"

"I will say it as many times as it takes," Sikong Lang continued, seemingly intent on provoking him. "That thing lying there is nothing but a rotting stray dog!"

"You bastard!!!!!!"

Stung by the provocation, blood rushed to Qin Xiaochuan's head. Gently laying his grandmother down, he vanished from the spot in an instant, delivering a furious punch toward Sikong Lang.

Sikong Lang, wary this time, blocked the strike with his right palm. The sheer force of the blow, fueled by rage, pushed him backward. Digging his heels into the ground, he struggled against the momentum, finally stabilizing himself after sliding several meters. In the blink of an eye, he swung his right fist and struck Qin Xiaochuan in the face, sending him flying like a cannonball.

"Good punch! That's the best one I've encountered yet," Sikong Lang said, snapping his deformed middle and ring fingers back into place with a satisfied smile. "It seems the days of fighting at 100% power have finally arrived! Heh... hehehe! ...Hahaha!"

After crashing through countless trees, Qin Xiaochuan’s flying body was finally stopped by a massive trunk. He tumbled to the ground, but instead of rushing back, he sat there in a daze.

"You shouldn't be walking around yet!?"

Back at the martial arts tournament's medical wing, the injured fighters were receiving treatment. "Earth Envoy," whose bones had been shattered by Zhang Yang, was wrapped like a mummy and suspended in his bed. He was still obsessed with his defeat, muttering, "How could I lose to a guy like that? How could I..."

Hearing the nurse, Boss Ba—or rather, the "most beautiful fighter," Junfu—glanced at her. He straightened up, trying to feign health. Had Master Jinghai not held back, he would have been crippled. "I'm fine. I need to go out; I have something very important to deliver to two people. I'll be back soon!"

In a secluded part of Fairy Island, Fei Yan was training, his right hand fully recovered from his relentless Flame Killing Fist practice. Black demonic flames engulfed his fist as he slammed it into the ground, creating craters of varying depths. Dissatisfied with his strength, he leaped high and struck again. Ignoring the flying debris, a ruthless expression crossed his face. "Damn it... still not enough. I must master the Black Dragon Wave by tomorrow!"

While Fei Yan pushed his limits, Bai Ying, spurred by Hao’s challenge, stood in a quiet corner of the forest, mentally simulating a duel. He modeled his opponent's speed, movement, and strength, creating a phantom of himself to find a way to break through their defenses—a form of mental cultivation.

Yet, after countless simulations, he still found no weakness in Hao. Hao’s power, speed, and technique were overwhelming. "True form... perhaps only by regaining the power of my past life can I defeat this headache of an opponent. But to restore my former self, I need that smoke..."

"Damn it!"

As Bai Ying struggled, Zhang Yang rushed over, panting. "Huff... Bai Ying, found you! Have you seen Qin Xiaochuan?"

"No."

"That guy disappeared the moment he woke up. And Grandmother too—she said she had important business. It's almost dinnertime; why hasn't anyone come back? Seriously!"

"!!"

*One of you will die today.* Recalling Hao's words, Bai Ying realized something. "Could it be her..."

"Who's there!? Come out!"

Sensing a demonic aura in the nearby thicket, Bai Ying issued a warning.

"......It's me," Junfu replied, stepping out of the bushes in slippers. "I have something to discuss with you both."

"Who are you?"

Looking at the bandaged figure covered in plasters, Bai Ying and Zhang Yang didn't recognize him at all. He looked like a mummy; the person who did this to him must have held a deep grudge.

"Ahem..." Junfu coughed awkwardly and peeled a plaster off his face, revealing a handsome, albeit bruised, visage. Had he not been disguised as an old man or a clown, he would have been a striking man. Seeing their confused looks, he introduced himself: "I am Junfu, known as the most beautiful fighter."

"Junfu!?"

The guy who had been beaten to a pulp by Master Jinghai? Zhang Yang and Bai Ying were stunned.

"Hmph... there's no point in hiding it anymore," Junfu said with a bitter smile. "After seeing the gap between me and Master Jinghai, I'm nothing more than a clown."

*Don't say that; I thought you were a clown from the beginning,* Bai Ying thought. Remembering the white smoke that restored his past self, he quickly asked, "Actually, I have something to ask you."

Junfu didn't respond, instead saying, "I have two things to give you." He pulled two strange items from his pocket and handed them to Bai Ying and Zhang Yang.

Bai Ying received a device that looked like a round grenade, while Zhang Yang was given a hilt resembling a laser sword.

"This is?"

"These are the Fruit of the Past Life and the Spirit Gathering Sword. They were weapons I gave to the Little One and the Death Spirit Blade."

"!!"

"The Fruit of the Past Life is the fruit of the Time Flower found in the Demon World. The Little One turned it into smoke to help you revert to your former self during your duel. If you drink the juice directly, you might maintain that form longer," Junfu explained to the astonished pair. "The Spirit Gathering Sword absorbs the user’s spiritual energy and shapes it into the weapon they imagine. I made them, but they are still experimental. I don't know the side effects, so whether you use them is up to you..."

"Wait," Bai Ying said as Junfu turned to leave. "Why give these to us?"

"I fought Sikong Lang in the past, too..."

"!!"

"Back then, my name was the powerful demon warrior, Hanada."

"......"