Chapter 18: After the Cleanup

Moreover, this cultivation technique from the Immortal Realm was not something he was experimenting with for the first time. Earlier that morning, Zheng Furen and his four lieutenants had provided him with a perfect opportunity to warm up. The results had been nothing short of spectacular—Zhang Pu still felt a lingering sense of exhilaration from it.

Yet, when Gao Lixia’s opening attack failed and she began to display her skills in Sanda, Zhang Pu suddenly changed his mind. He no longer wanted to end things as swiftly as he had with Zheng Furen’s gang that morning. He wasn’t just interested in having a bit of fun with Gao Lixia, the undisputed queen among the students; more importantly, now that he had been reborn on Earth, he wanted to study some of the martial arts unique to this world.

It was common knowledge that Earth also boasted its share of legendary martial artists. Zhang Pu was curious to understand why, despite reaching heights revered by mortals, these masters could progress no further when compared to the cultivators of the Immortal Realm. In the Immortal Realm, once someone reached the equivalent level of a martial arts grandmaster on Earth, they could continue their ascent, ultimately achieving true immortality. But on Earth, the grandmasters inevitably hit a wall. Despite their continued exploration, it was as if some invisible barrier prevented them from taking that final step; their entire lives would pass, and the word “immortal” would always remain beyond their grasp.

Was this limitation truly just a matter of Earth itself?

Zhang Pu was desperate to know the true reason behind this. And if, as fate would have it, he was destined to be the only cultivator on Earth, he couldn’t help but wonder: Would it be possible, through extraordinary effort, to find some unique method to help those he loved—be it family, lovers, friends, or brothers—so that they, too, could one day become immortals alongside him?

After all, even if his loved ones by some stroke of luck became the revered grandmasters of Earth, in the end, they would still be bound by mortality. He himself might ascend to become an immortal, but those he cherished would have no such fate... That thought filled Zhang Pu with an uncontrollable sorrow deep inside.

Hadn’t he been reborn in this life precisely to mend the regrets of his past? Why should there be any more regrets this time around?

So he resolved to give his all. Perhaps, one day, he could allow his loved ones to follow him down the path of cultivation.

Meanwhile, Gao Lixia’s Sanda techniques were in full display, yet after all this time, she hadn’t managed to so much as brush the hem of Zhang Pu’s shirt. By now, Gao Lixia was convinced that something uncanny was at play. She recalled Zheng Furen’s hesitant words from earlier, and all doubts vanished from her heart: this new student, Zhang Pu, was a true master. Regardless of any rumored connections to the school administration, his fighting skills were top-notch, and she herself was nearly at her limit.

As anxiety beat in her chest, Zhang Pu continued his study of her Sanda, observing the depth of her techniques.

Just as Zhang Pu was debating whether to bring this farce to an end, Gao Lixia suddenly whipped her braid through the air behind her head, sending it flying like a deadly weapon. “Not bad!” Zhang Pu praised aloud. It was fortunate he was her opponent—anyone else might have been caught off guard and suffered for it. Her braid, wielded with the skill of a Sanda master, could do real damage.

Zhang Pu mused that this must be Gao Lixia’s trump card—her final, desperate move, reminiscent of the last trick of a cornered beast.

But seeing that even her last resort had failed, Gao Lixia wasted no more time. She called out to her followers, summoning them to join her in a coordinated attack on Zhang Pu.

“So, it’s time?” Zhang Pu laughed inwardly.

He had to admit, this fight had gone on long enough—he’d only indulged it to catch a glimpse of the martial arts on Earth, but he really had spent more than enough time playing with Gao Lixia.

With her gang joining the fray, Zhang Pu finally unleashed his Shadowless Hands technique in full.

In an instant, the air was filled with cries of pain.

The climax was especially impressive—if only someone had been there to record it up close. With one clean, decisive move, Zhang Pu brought this farcical episode to an abrupt end.

He grabbed Gao Lixia’s braid with his Shadowless Hands, turning her entire body into a weapon and sending her hurtling at the half-bald boy in her group, knocking him flat onto the ground. Gao Lixia herself was left writhing in pain, unable to get up.

“How do you feel now, Boss?” Zhang Pu said as he approached her fallen form.

“I... I...” Gao Lixia was at a loss for words.

“Weren’t you all looking for trouble with me?” Zhang Pu pressed.

“No… I wouldn’t dare…” Gao Lixia trembled, still reeling from Zhang Pu’s final display that had seemed almost supernatural to her. “From now on… I’m no longer the boss in front of you…”

Zhang Pu glanced at the sky. Dusk was near, and he couldn’t be sure no one would come by soon. This time, he had focused more on technique than brute force, unlike the heavier hand he’d used with Zheng Furen’s group earlier, when he was still unfamiliar with his reborn strength. Though Gao Lixia and her crew were all down, Zhang Pu estimated their injuries weren’t as severe as those suffered by Zheng Furen and his four lieutenants. They wouldn’t need his help to recover; they’d be able to get up on their own soon enough.

“Good!” Zhang Pu declared, preparing to leave. He addressed Gao Lixia and her followers: “Tomorrow morning at school, hand over your protection fees to me. Don’t forget!”

Without another word, he walked away, leaving Gao Lixia and her gang in stunned silence.

To Zhang Pu, the punishment he’d meted out was no different from what he’d given Zheng Furen and his crew—after all, they were cut from the same cloth. There would be more to come if they dared cause trouble again; he had other lessons in store for them yet.

In his previous life, he had suffered too much at the hands of bullies for being weak, especially from campus tyrants. Now, Zhang Pu loathed bullying with every fiber of his being. Secretly, he vowed that, having returned to campus in this new life, he would do his utmost to change such things. A crusade, almost, to bring justice to this world.

Soon, Zhang Pu returned to his rented room. He grabbed a quick meal from a nearby fast-food place, then began refining some small medicinal pills in his room. These were intended for Zheng Furen and his four lieutenants, but if Gao Lixia’s group was still in pain tomorrow, he might spare a few for them as well.

With the unique pill-refining techniques of the Immortal Realm, he didn’t need any special equipment for something so simple. After all, these were nothing more than minor pills, not the legendary great elixirs.