Light Fortress
Chapter 362 - 53 The Post-Wave

Chapter 362: Chapter 53 The Post-Wave

Wind Snow swirled above the highway, as an invisible domain expanded.

Gao Tian stood with an umbrella, looking towards Bai Chen.

This young successor of the Bai Family, not even thirty, had already become the chosen successor designated by Mr. Shan of the prison. Without any accidents, a few more years and upon Mr. Shan’s retirement, Bai Chen would take over the position of "Grand Judge."

He would be the youngest Grand Judge in the history of the federation.

Yet, whether it was by strength, character, background... by all measurable standards, Bai Chen was the best choice for the prison, bar none.

This era had given birth to countless geniuses, like the myriad of stars in the night sky.

It’s just that some were still striving to rise.

Some had already hung high in the firmament.

The emergence of two geniuses, Bai Chen and Bai Xiu, had made the Bai Family "shine brilliantly" among the five major families, making the other three families, except for the Gu family, seem somewhat dim in comparison.

"I heard you’ve just passed the twelve-level Deep Sea trial not long ago," Gao Tian said with a smile. "It’s just that the federation’s title has not come down yet... so you don’t have an official title."

He earnestly congratulated, "... Congratulations."

Bai Chen smiled.

It seemed that Gao Tian was friendlier than he had imagined; at the very least... he was willing to chat with him for a bit, which also indicated that he was willing to turn a blind eye to the matters in Snow Forbidden City.

The next moment, the man holding the umbrella softly spoke, smiling as he asked, "Now that you are titled, beating you up wouldn’t be considered too much of a bullying, right?"

Bai Chen’s pupils slightly constricted.

The man before him suddenly moved.

The two were tens of meters apart... for top Transcendents, this truly was a distance that could be covered in an instant. But in an equal-level confrontation, where speed and perception were already maximized, even a "surprise attack" would hardly be effective.

Bai Chen violently raised his hands, taking a defensive stance.

The next moment.

A mountain suddenly appeared before him—

That original smooth white shirt, due to the rapid movement, instantly wrinkled and flew, the fluttering ponytail and tie trembled with a whipping sound of tearing, the man’s hair scattered, with only a pair of eyes shining a dim glow.

After drawing his fist back, the whole person was like a full moon longbow.

This fight was very straightforward and simple.

Because both knew... what the other wanted to do.

Gao Tian, having gathered his strength, threw a punch at Bai Chen—very straightforward and forceful!

Bai Chen, who had read the other’s intentions early on, did not retreat, nor did he dodge. Instead, he chose to take it head-on... not because he didn’t want to retreat, but because the previously calm Extraordinary Domain suddenly became murderous.

He had to take it.

He must take it.

"Bang!"

The invisible force was struck through.

Great snow outside the domain was shattered, creating a faint snow mist that spread out a hundred meters around.

And Bai Chen, who took the punch head-on, was lifted off the ground, his large Judge’s robe flying in the air; he felt himself being launched... and it seemed like his consciousness had left his body.

Bai Chen’s pupils constricted.

He saw himself passing through someone’s back, followed by feeling the piercing cold wind, and the gaze of the man who had thrown that punch and now stood with a drawn back fist.

The next moment.

Spiritual power quickly gathered back, and he returned into his "flesh." Then, he fell from the sky... that punch had actually sent him flying ten meters away.

Both arms were numbed by the shock, without sensation.

What caused Bai Chen the most "heart palpitations" was that after taking that punch, it seemed as if he had... experienced soul departure?

"I heard that a ’Judge’ can dominate the creatures of the material realm, and that all living beings cannot escape your judgment," Gao Tian said with his hand in his pocket, softly speaking. "Someone with such ability is indeed the most suitable for the Grand Judge’s position. But why didn’t you use the ’Judge’ just now? Were you afraid of hurting me?"

Bai Chen fell silent.

Looking at his arms slowly regaining sensation... no one knew better than he did what had just happened. Before the ’Judge’ even manifested, a tremendously powerful spiritual power had already dispersed it.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to use it.

It was that he... simply couldn’t use it.

"The ’new wave’ entrusted with the hopes of countless people, don’t hold back against me,"

Uncle Gao said with a smile.

The next moment.

He vanished from the spot once again!

In an instant, Bai Chen summoned the "Judge", and a ghastly white shadow loomed behind him, seeming to be an ancient God holding a scythe. But before the shadow could fully form, it was dispersed by an invisible spiritual force!

Uncle Gao’s fist heavily struck in front of Bai Chen’s arms. This time, Bai Chen clenched his teeth and withstood the immense force, instantly stepping into a huge crater—

But what was familiar happened once again.

Bai Chen clearly saw "himself", even if just for a moment... he was certain his spirit had been knocked out of its original shell, only to return to the flesh in the next instant.

What greeted Bai Chen then was a barrage of punches like a violent storm!

Every punch from Uncle Gao was simple, equivalent to him telling Bai Chen... exactly where the next hit would land, whether it be the head, chest, or forearm. Despite informing the opponent, it made no difference, for these were attacks that couldn’t be dodged. With every blow Bai Chen took, he felt a tremor in his spirit.

He stood firm on the ground, not moving an inch.

But his soul was repeatedly knocked out and sent flying—

The shadow of the "Judge", too, was shattered and scattered each time it tried to coalesce.

The final punch.

It hovered an inch from Bai Chen’s face.

Uncle Gao pulled back his fist, his expression calm.

And a second later, Bai Chen’s flung consciousness barely made it back into his body.

He looked at the fist only a centimeter from his cheek with a somewhat unsettled soul... In an actual fight, a second is already enough to determine victory or defeat, life or death.

However, the gap between him and Uncle Gao was certainly not just that one second.

"Your foundational skills are not bad," Uncle Gao commented blandly. "In the end, it all came down to your body’s instinctive reactions to fight back... It seems Mr. Shan has personally taught you the body techniques."

Bai Chen listened intently, though all he heard was a buzzing noise in his ears.

He slightly grimaced, the repeated spiritual disconnections from the recent combat meant that he hadn’t even noticed the "pain" before being forced out of his body. Now, regaining control over his body, he burst into an intense and dense pain all over, with hundreds of small and large aches.

He only caught Uncle Gao’s last sentence.

"Do you understand now?"

Bai Chen fell into contemplation.

He felt the dense pain, the resonance between matter and spirit... and suddenly had an epiphany. He understood why he couldn’t summon the "Judge".

Each disconnection of his spirit was akin to losing control of his physical body.

Even though coalescing only required an instant, that instant is a continuous process. Being interrupted... meant "coalescing" had failed.

Uncle Gao found every moment in which to strike.

And each of his strikes was a perfect preemptive move.

"I... understand now."

After a long while, Bai Chen muttered, "Matter and spirit are inseparable... I can’t do without either, my spiritual power still needs tempering..."

"No, you haven’t understood,"

Uncle Gao shook his head.

He slowly said, "Changye is always like this, the new wave pushing the old. Every young man thinks he’s invincible. Now, you’re unbeatable among the younger generation in Snow Forbidden City, standing at the forefront of the new wave. Many years ago... I was like that too, perhaps even standing a bit higher than you."

Bai Chen was stunned.

Now he truly didn’t understand.

"The reason I intervened is actually very simple,"

Uncle Gao said: "Stopping my car in the middle of the night and disturbing my young lady was indeed a very impolite thing to do."

...

...

(Requesting a monthly ticket, there’s another Chapter at noon)