Chapter 115: Revenge, Revenge

"Niu Wuji, hurry up and finish off that Tier 3 demonic beast, move it!"

"Boss, stop rushing me! I'm not as strong as you; handling a Tier 3 beast is already pushing my limits!"

"Stop complaining. I'm doing this to train you! You're my underling; how can you not even take down a single Tier 3 beast? It’s embarrassing to even talk about."

"Boss, I’m sorry, alright? I’ll finish it off right now, okay?"

"..."

Throughout their journey out of the Dark Swamp, Wu Tian rarely had to intervene; usually, Niu Wuji, Old Li, and Li Qingqing handled the fighting. Unless they encountered a beast they couldn't manage—though with Xiao Hui providing such formidable support, the three of them were more than capable.

After another day of travel, Wu Tian's group finally reached the edge of the Dark Swamp, where they had first entered. From this point on, they were free from the dangers of the marshlands.

"Phew... I've been on edge for days. Finally, we don't have to worry about this godforsaken abyss of a swamp anymore!" Niu Wuji let out a long, relieved sigh.

"If it weren't for Xiao Hui leading the way, I suspect it would have taken us ten times as long," Old Li nodded in agreement.

"Of course! Big Sister Hui is amazing," Li Qingqing said, hugging Xiao Hui's arm with a smile.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Impressive, truly impressive! I never expected you to survive this long in the Dark Swamp, let alone walk out unscathed. I must say, you lot have incredible luck!"

At that moment, a familiar voice drifted over. The large man carrying a giant axe from before emerged from the woods, looking slightly surprised.

Seeing the fat man, Wu Tian’s excitement surged. *Damn it*, he thought, *I couldn't beat you last time, but after leveling up twice in the Dark Swamp and acquiring the Dark God Armor, I can finally get my revenge.*

"You really have persistence, waiting here for us for so many days," Wu Tian said, unruffled and confident.

"Actually, I was just about to leave. I didn't expect you to come out now. Were you hiding in some corner of the swamp waiting for us to leave?" the fat man asked with a mocking grin.

"Don't get cocky! My boss isn't the same as he was a few days ago. Taking you down is easy now!" Niu Wuji, unable to stand the man’s arrogance, flared up in anger.

"Oh, oh, oh? You went inside and came out different? Let me see what’s different. You look just as weak as before, still that same brat who scurried away in a pathetic panic," the fat man sneered, waving his giant axe. "Brat, I let you escape last time, but this time, you're a dead man!"

"I won't be running this time, because *you* are the one who is dead. But before you die, tell me one thing: who hired you to kill me?" Wu Tian asked, narrowing his eyes.

The fat man raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Sorry, I can't tell you that. But I can give you a hint: it’s people from your own Qitian Sect—the Imperial City headquarters, no less."

Upon hearing this, both Wu Tian and Niu Wuji were incredulous.

"Boss, it seems you don't have much connection to the Imperial City headquarters of the Qitian Sect, right? Why would someone there want you dead?" Niu Wuji asked in surprise.

"I don't know," Wu Tian shook his head, unable to make sense of it.

"Alright, enough chatter. I need to get going to grab some food, so, drop dead!" The fat man gripped his axe tightly and cracked his neck.

"Little Niu, you wanted to see the power of a divine artifact? I’ll show you now!" Wu Tian curled his lip and gestured with his finger toward the fat man. "Hey fatty, come here, strike me right here!"

Seeing the insulting gesture, the fat man erupted in rage. "You bastard! How dare you look down on me? Grandpa is going to show you the consequences of underestimating me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the fat man lunged forward. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Wu Tian, swinging his man-sized axe with a fierce, whistling gale of wind.

"Die, brat!" Seeing Wu Tian standing still, the fat man assumed the fight was over.

*BOOM!*

A massive, ringing impact echoed out. The fat man's axe was blocked outside of Wu Tian’s body. The sheer force caused the ground to cave in, yet Wu Tian remained completely unharmed.

Everyone present was stunned, including the fat man himself.

"This... how is this possible?!" The fat man stared at Wu Tian in disbelief. Even if that wasn't his full-strength strike, it should have at least done *something*.

"That... that is just way too powerful! He blocked such a heavy blow! Old Li, pinch me, tell me if I'm dreaming!" Niu Wuji said, eyes wide.

"Ouch!" Suddenly, Niu Wuji felt a sharp pain in his arm and shot a resentful glare at Old Li. "Old Li, what are you doing? Why did you pinch me?"

"Wasn't it you who told me to pinch you?"

Niu Wuji was speechless. "I just wanted to know if this was real."

"It is indeed real. The Young Master completely blocked that blow without suffering a single scratch," Old Li confirmed with a nod.

"Fatty, why are you standing there? I’m still standing right here, keep swinging!" Wu Tian had activated his Absolute Defense, but it only lasted for thirty seconds, so he wanted the fat man to keep attacking—preening in front of his enemy felt immensely satisfying.

"Damn it! I don't believe this!" The fat man raised his axe again, this time pouring almost all of his True Qi into the strike.

Another loud boom rang out. The axe was blocked again, the impact even more violent than the last. The ground within a ten-foot radius around Wu Tian was torn up, yet Wu Tian stood perfectly still, not a single mark on him.

"Weak, truly pathetic. With this little bit of strength, you want to kill me? You're just humiliating yourself!" Wu Tian threw the fat man’s own words back at him.

Hearing the disdain, the fat man’s face darkened. He raised his giant axe and sneered, "Since you dare to look down on me, Grandpa is going to get serious now!"

The axe spun rapidly in his hands, a massive amount of True Qi condensing around it. Suddenly, the spinning stopped, and he brought the axe down on Wu Tian without warning. Even before the blade arrived, Wu Tian felt the crushing pressure, causing trees ten feet away to tremble.

*BOOM!*

This time, the axe struck Wu Tian, but instead of cutting him, the fat man was sent flying like a cannonball. He soared several yards before crashing heavily to the ground, sliding another dozen meters before finally coming to a halt and vomiting a large mouthful of blood.

Seeing this, the already shocked Black Tiger team was even more bewildered. They couldn't fathom, even with their toes, how their second-in-command had been rebounded and injured by his own attack.