A different group was approaching from the opposite direction. More slavers returning from another hunt.
Their voices carried through the trees before they came into view.
"Nothing today. Can't believe we came up empty again."
"Boss is going to be furious."
"Hey! Stop them!" someone yelled when they spotted the three elves.
The twins' faces went pale with terror. Shen Yue's grip on his hand tightened painfully. Shen Xian made a small sound of fear.
They were surrounded. Fifteen slavers total converging from both sides. The trees blocked easy escape in other directions.
The leader stepped forward from the pursuing group. He was a large man with scars crossing his face.
His aura radiated power that made the air feel heavy and oppressive. Bone Forging Realm. Third realm. Far beyond what Shen Tianxu could handle in direct combat.
The man's scarred face split into a cruel grin that showed yellow teeth.
"Well, well," he said slowly. His voice was rough like gravel. "Fresh merchandise tried to escape. How convenient we found you so quickly. Saved us the trouble of searching."
Shen Tianxu's mind activated immediately. But now it wasn't just cold calculation.
There was emotion behind it. Determination. Protectiveness. And underneath it all, the relaxed confidence of Chen Xiao who'd always found a way through problems.
[Supreme Comprehension System: Analyzing Boundless Martial Body Art...]
System notifications flooded his consciousness while slavers closed in from all directions. The twins pressed against his back, trapped between him and the enemies.
But Shen Tianxu smiled slightly. Just a small curve of his lips.
'Let's see what this technique can really do,' he thought.
***
Hidden in a fold of space invisible to mortal eyes, Yue Lianxing watched.
She had concealed herself perfectly. Not even the most powerful of the real could detect her presence when she chose to hide. Watching the mortal world from this dimensional pocket required barely any effort.
She'd been observing since she left. Curiosity had gotten the better of her. How would he handle himself? Would he try to comprehend the technique immediately or would he run first?
What she hadn't expected was this.
Her eyes widened slightly behind her veil as she watched Shen Tianxu smile in the face of overwhelming danger.
'That smile,' she thought.
It was completely at odds with the situation. Fifteen enemies. One at Bone Forging Realm. He should be terrified.
Instead, he looked almost... relaxed?
'What is he thinking?' she wondered with growing fascination. Her heartbeat had quickened slightly. Completely unbecoming of her cultivation level and years of experience.
She told herself it was simple curiosity. Nothing more. But she leaned forward slightly in her hidden space, unable to look away.
---
[Supreme Comprehension System Activated]
[Analyzing Boundless Martial Body Art...]
The system interface appeared in Shen Tianxu's consciousness. Clean lines of information scrolling past his awareness.
[Structure Identified: 7 Realms Detected]
[Realm 1: Body Awakening - Foundation establishment, sensory enhancement]
[Realm 2: Muscle Tempering - Muscle fiber density increased, explosive power]
[Realm 3: Bone Forging - Skeletal structure reinforced, impact resistance]
[Realm 4: Organ Refinement - Internal organs strengthened, stamina increased]
[Realm 5: Blood Transformation - Blood purification, healing factor enhanced]
[Realm 6: Marrow Cleansing - Bone marrow optimized, life force elevated]
[Realm 7: Martial Body Realm - Transcendent Stage Beyond Normal Cultivation, body becomes perfect vessel]
[Combat Techniques: 5 Base Forms Identified]
[1. Flowing Inferno Fist - Fire-natured explosive power, overwhelming aggression]
[2. Tidal Crushing Palm - Water-natured overwhelming force, relentless pressure]
[3. Gale Shadow Steps - Wind-natured supreme movement, untraceable speed]
[4. Mountain Immovable Stance - Earth-natured absolute defense, unshakeable foundation]
[5. Thunder Piercing Edge - Lightning-natured weapon integration, devastating penetration]
The information crystallized in Shen Tianxu's mind instantly. Each technique's principles became clear as glass.
He understood how the energy should flow. Where the power originated. How to move his body to achieve maximum effect.
But the system wasn't finished.
[Analyzing Combat Applications...]
[Detecting inefficiencies in original technique design...]
[13 Areas of Improvement Detected]
[Initiating Perfection Process...]
[Correcting: Energy circulation inefficiency in Flowing Inferno Fist - identified bottleneck at third meridian point - 23% power loss eliminated through rerouting]
[Changing: Footwork angle optimization in Gale Shadow Steps - stance width increased by 3 centimeters, pivot point shifted forward 1.7 centimeters - 47% speed increase achieved]
[Enhanced: Power output formula in Tidal Crushing Palm - strike velocity synchronized with breathing cycle - force multiplier improved from 3.2x to 5.1x]
[Correcting: Stance foundation in Mountain Immovable Stance - weight distribution recalculated, center of gravity lowered 4 centimeters - stability increased 67%]
[Optimizing: Edge manifestation in Thunder Piercing Edge - energy concentration focused to blade edge rather than full weapon - cutting power doubled]
[Correcting: Hand formation error in Flowing Inferno Fist - fingers positioned 12 degrees differently - impact surface optimized]
[Enhanced: Breathing technique across all forms - oxygen intake increased 31% - stamina consumption reduced]
[Optimizing: Energy flow transitions between techniques - eliminated 0.3 second delay - combo execution seamless]
[Correcting: Footwork pattern in defensive movements - added counter-attack positions - defense becomes offense]
[Enhanced: Sensory integration with movement - reaction time decreased 0.4 seconds - prediction accuracy increased]
[Optimizing: Energy conservation during extended combat - power output modulated - endurance increased 89%]
[Correcting: Strike trajectory calculations - accounting for target movement - accuracy improved dramatically]
[Enhanced: Recovery time between techniques - energy circulation optimized - cooldown reduced 72%]
[Additional improvements implementing across all systems...]
[Technique Perfected Beyond Original Design]
[New Martial Arts Techniques Created Through Synthesis]
[New Technique 1: Void Severance Strike - Combines all five elemental natures into single devastating attack - requires simultaneous activation of contradictory energies - power output: catastrophic]
[New Technique 2: Phantom Mirage Body - Creates multiple solid afterimages through movement perfection - combines all footwork techniques - opponents cannot distinguish real from false]
[Total Comprehension Complete: 100%]
[Mastery Level: Transcendent]
[Note: Physical body still requires training to execute perfectly - current physical capability: 34% of perfect execution]
The entire analysis took three seconds. Three seconds where Shen Tianxu stood perfectly still while information flooded his consciousness.
To the slavers, it looked like he'd frozen in fear.
The Bone Forging leader laughed. "That's right. Stay still. Make this easy."
Five Body Awakening Realm slavers charged from the left. They moved in a loose formation, confident in their numbers.