Chapter Fifty-Two: The Enemy Is a Battle Cultivator!

The force that accompanied this figure far surpassed Su Yi’s expectations. It was, without question, the strongest attack he had ever faced since strengthening his body. Even now, with his power having grown immensely, Su Yi felt with certainty that not even his formidable strength could withstand this onslaught.

At present, Su Yi’s physical might could contend with a peak-level, tenth-tier combatant. Even a full-force blow from such a fighter would not trouble him. Yet, faced with the gale-like pressure and the overwhelming power of this incoming strike, he felt a rare sense of helplessness.

This strength was far beyond that of a tenth-tier combatant. Could this be a true Combat Adept?

The furious wind whipped at Su Yi, nearly forcing his eyes closed. His clothes and hair were pressed so tightly by the force that they howled in protest, stretched to their limits as though about to be torn apart.

If he endured a hit of this magnitude, injury was inevitable. Realizing that the attacker cared nothing for his life, Su Yi’s eyes turned cold. With a clenched jaw, the indignation and fury of being so wantonly bullied erupted within him.

With a furious shout, Su Yi tensed every muscle in his body, mustering every ounce of strength. He spun around, harnessed the torque of his waist, and with all his might, sent his right fist crashing toward the assailant.

As their fists collided, a deep, muffled sound exploded in the air. A massive recoil surged back at Su Yi; his right arm trembled violently, pain shooting through it, and he staggered back more than ten steps before finally regaining his footing.

The attacker, in contrast, retreated only two or three steps before coming to a steady halt. Though they had exchanged just one blow, the victor was clear. Judging from the outcome, this man’s strength exceeded Su Yi’s by a margin.

“Oh?” The attacker was clearly surprised that Su Yi had managed to withstand his strike without falling. He cast Su Yi a searching look and let out a sound of astonished curiosity.

Su Yi pressed his still aching right arm, knowing it would be useless for the moment, and fixed his gaze on the man, his tone tinged with anger. “Who are you? Why did you ambush me?”

The man sneered, his earlier surprise gone, replaced by a mask of scorn. He narrowed his eyes and looked Su Yi up and down. “Heh, not bad. Able to block my strike—there’s something to you after all. No wonder you managed to injure my young master. Still, it’s just brute strength. Nothing impressive.”

“Young master?” Su Yi frowned, unconcerned with the taunt but inwardly alert. From the man’s words, it seemed he had come to settle a score for someone. Of all those he’d injured recently who might be called ‘young master,’ only Auben Yu, the fifth-tier combatant, and Liu Xuan, the third-tier, came to mind.

Could it be retaliation from their families? But the incident with Liu Xuan had occurred not long ago—surely the Liu family could not have heard and sent someone so quickly. If not them, then it could only be...

Su Yi’s expression darkened. He lifted his head, his voice low and grave. “Did Auben’s family send you?”

“It’s too late for you to realize that now,” the man replied with a chilling sneer. “If you dared harm a member of the Auben family, you must be prepared to pay the price.”

Su Yi flexed his slowly recovering arm, his own tone turning cold as he stared at the man. “So what do you want?”

“You’re coming with me to the Auben estate, of course,” the man announced, his arrogance unmistakable as he looked down at Su Yi. “I advise you not to get any ideas. You’re no match for me. I don’t know how a useless wretch like you managed to defeat Young Master Auben with brute force, but even if you can beat a fifth-tier combatant, to a Combat Adept like me, killing you is as easy as crushing an ant.”

Though irritated by the man’s words, Su Yi forced himself to breathe deeply and stay calm. Now that the man had revealed his origins, Su Yi recalled having seen him before—a Combat Adept often in Auben Shan’s retinue. Not that he knew him well, but the face was familiar. If memory served, this man was a twelfth-tier Combat Adept.

At first, Su Yi was unsure. He didn’t know every expert in Changling City, but hearing the man declare himself a true Combat Adept caused Su Yi’s heart to sink.

He knew his current strength was around the tenth-tier. Recently he had begun to show signs of stepping into the ranks of the Adepts, but he was not one yet. Eleventh-tier Adepts were already too much for him—facing a twelfth-tier was a daunting prospect.

If it came to a head-on clash, he would surely suffer. Su Yi wondered if there might be another way.

Seeing the flicker of uncertainty in Su Yi’s eyes, the Adept let out a cold laugh. “Trying to play tricks in front of me? Just come quietly, or you’ll suffer for it.”

Go with you? Su Yi scoffed inwardly. Once in the Auben family’s hands, who knew if he’d ever walk out alive? He’d crippled Auben Shan’s only son’s right hand—surely they weren’t inviting him over for tea.

A sudden gleam flashed in Su Yi’s eyes. He stomped his right foot down hard, sending such a powerful shockwave through the ground that cracks radiated outward. Using the rebound, he launched himself sideways toward the nearby wall.

As he was about to crash into it, he stomped again, leaving cracks in the masonry and borrowing the force to vault upward toward the roof.

Su Yi’s movements were swift and unexpected. By the time the Adept reacted, he was already airborne. Furious, the man shouted, “You’re seeking death!”

Even as the words left his lips, the Adept shot forward with blinding speed, leaping into the air. His right fist, wreathed in fury and murderous intent, thundered toward Su Yi’s chest like a bolt of lightning.

Damn! Su Yi’s heart clenched. He’d hoped to escape by catching his opponent off guard, but the man’s reaction and speed were astonishing. In an instant, he was upon Su Yi, who, suspended in midair, had nowhere to run or dodge—truly a perilous situation.

With no other option, Su Yi gritted his teeth, crossed his arms before his chest to protect his vitals, and tensed every muscle, relying on his body’s toughness to withstand the blow.

The Adept’s figure loomed larger in Su Yi’s eyes, his face contorted in a cruel, vicious grin. In a voice as cold as winter steel, he intoned, “Mountain-Cleaving Fist!”

Su Yi’s expression changed dramatically. A combat technique!

There was no time for defense. An immense force crashed into Su Yi’s chest, and he was sent flying like a puppet with its strings cut, smashing into the ground and skidding across it before coming to a slow halt.

His blood churned violently within him; every bone felt shattered, his chest was as though torn open, pain so intense it nearly stole his breath. The brutal impact with the ground left him on the verge of vomiting blood—his entire body wracked with agony.

He felt as though he lacked even the strength to rise. At the same time, he was shaken—was this the true power of a Combat Adept?

Coughing weakly, he forced the blood rising in his throat back down and glared at the Adept standing not far away, his heart ablaze with rage. Since regaining his strength, Su Yi had sworn never again to be so helplessly abused, never again to let anyone trample him.

Yet here he was, once more crushed and humiliated, rendered nearly powerless to resist.

No! He would never allow this to happen again! He was no longer the cripple whose combat energy had been destroyed. Anyone who dared oppress him—must die!

A surge of murderous intent welled up in Su Yi, so deep and fierce it nearly blinded him to the strange undercurrent that mingled within. Clenching his teeth, he slowly forced himself upright, his right hand unconsciously resting on the Black Dragon Tendon wrapped around his forearm.

Seeing the murderous, venomous glare in Su Yi’s eyes, the Adept sneered, entirely dismissive. In his eyes, Su Yi posed no threat. What use was rage from a clown? It would only make his defeat more laughable.

The Adept strode up to Su Yi, wore a cruel smile, and suddenly reached out to clamp a hand around Su Yi’s neck, lifting him slightly off the ground. His voice dripped with scorn as he hissed into Su Yi’s ear, “Hah! Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! A wretch like you dares play tricks on me? People once called you a genius, but to me, you’re nothing! Even if you are a tenth-tier combatant, I could snuff you out with ease. Remember—beneath the Adepts, combatants are nothing.”

(First update! Flowers, please!)

Martial Ascendancy, Chapter 52: The Enemy is a Combat Adept! — End of Update.