Chubbs's expression hardened as the Gentle Poison lunged. He braced himself. Just as the fanged maw was about to close on him, he moved.
For a big frame, he was shockingly fast. He didn't retreat. He flickered sideways, a sudden blur, and darted straight *towards* Lilia.
Lilia blinked twice, stunned. *When had he learned* Jingdao *of this level?* She didn't stay dazed long. She jerked back, and the Gentle Poison curved in mid-air, coiling back on itself to bite at Chubbs from behind.
But Chubbs was moving in a straight, ruthless line. As the snake struck at his back, he extended his left palm behind him, not to block, but to *receive*. His right palm shot forward, aimed at Lilia's face.
Seeing the strange, open-handed posture, Lilia smirked. She thought he was going for a sloppy palm strike. She used a thread of **Shidow** to propel herself slightly backward, letting the Gentle Poison's fangs complete their strike at his exposed back.
But to her dismay, the venomous fangs connected not with flesh, but with the dark void that was Chubbs's left palm—the **Final Touch**. The biting energy was sucked in, redirected, and funneled through his body into the strength of his extending right palm, which was now aimed at her chest.
Chubbs had gotten better at manipulating the Final Touch. It still required closeness, but he was faster, more fluid.
The sudden, amplified burst of *her own attack* surging back at her panicked Lilia. She quickly released her control, causing the Gentle Poison construct to fade into nothingness just as the redirected energy was about to slam into her. She stumbled back in shock, about to speak, but Chubbs was already beside her.
His **Jingdao**-reinforced fist, solid and unadorned, went straight for her exposed side.
***CRACK-THUD.***
The impact was sickening. Lilia was lifted clean off her feet and sent flying several meters before landing with a hard, jarring thud on the moss.
Chubbs stood there, motionless and without a smile, looking at her.
The onlooking cultivators all wore different expressions. Some felt cold sweat trickle down their faces. The fat boy wasn't just for show. He *did* have skills. But most still wore faint, arrogant smiles. After all, once the initial surprise was gone, the fatty had lost his element of surprise and shown his trump card.
Ning, too, smiled, looking at Chubbs with genuine interest. "His **Jingdao** is so focused it is able to render space around his palms inert. It would not be surprising if he learns **Fendow** next in the future."
Lorel's smile grew brighter. She, too, thought it made sense. It was just a matter of time before Chubbs got even stronger.
Lilia pushed herself up, spitting a mouthful of blood. She looked at Chubbs with utter incredulity. *How was this even possible? How could she be losing against someone like him?* Anger and frustration boiled in her veins. She went all out.
Unleashing all her Qi in a wild torrent, she summoned the Gentle Poison once more. But this time, she managed to summon its core being—a massive, coiling figure with skin that rippled like molten scales. A viscous, shimmering liquid dripped from its fangs and flowed dangerously around its body. Born from the intent of a poison that made no sound and left no visible wound, she had created the **True Gentle Poison**.
Chubbs's expression became even more serious. He knew he wasn't like Gen; he couldn't use his **Jingdao** to simply tank an attack. He had to be careful.
"Bite," Lilia barked.
The True Gentle Poison didn't just move; it *slid*. In the thick, liquid air of the Spirit Isle, its scale-like skin seemed to find no resistance. It was so fast that Chubbs only felt a searing pain in his shoulder as he was lifted off the ground. The creature's fangs sank deep into his reinforced flesh. The blow had been too fast, too unpredictable. His **Jingdao** had been traversed before he could fully understand how to counter it.
Chubbs fought violently to free himself as his body was rocked through the air. The serpent lifted him high before slamming him down again, creating a large crater in the soft moss. Chubbs lay on the ground, his arm shaking slightly. He didn't feel searing pain, but a creeping numbness was spreading from the bite. He bit his lip, forcing himself up.
Lilia moved forward, the True Gentle Poison coiling around her like a macabre guardian. Chubbs's mind ignited. He needed to take advantage of the distance she had closed. His palm shot forward, the Final Touch pouring out.
But Lilia had gotten used to it. She ordered the Gentle Poison to coil around her. Its scale-like skin hardened as it connected with his palm. There was a grinding, shrieking sound as the serpent recoiled, letting sparks of conflicting energy bloom.
Without the use of both hands, Chubbs couldn't fully utilize the Final Touch, and Lilia understood that well. She waved a hand. The Gentle Poison lifted its head, its teeth clicking, and dove towards Chubbs's head, aiming to sever it.
On the observing side, Lorel and Ning tensed. The other trapped cultivators held their breath. Even Yun had a keen interest in the girl's technique now. At first, it had just looked bigger and faster, but in fact, it was far more complex. The speed came from a subtle application of **Shidow**, letting the being's skin *slide* and *glide* through space. In this liquid-air environment, it was the ideal setup for lightning-fast movement.
Chubbs bit his lip, trying to step back with his **Jingdao**. But the Gentle Poison was too fast. Given it could bite through his **Jingdao** before it fully reinforced, if he was hit, he would certainly die. This skill was a perfect counter for **Jingdao** users.
However, Chubbs didn't give up. He couldn't. All this while, when Lorel and Gen were absent, he had worked. He had opened his **Sea Acupoint**. He wanted to be helpful to his master, to his friends, to his lady Lorel, and be more than just the fat boy.
Chubbs unleashed his **Shidow**.
He didn't manipulate the air. He manipulated the Qi *on his own body*.
Just as the Gentle Poison snapped down above his head, Chubbs's figure vanished.
The moment he reappeared, he was behind Lilia. But he had changed.
His figure was leaner, as if he had done some impossible exercise in the past few seconds. Not exactly thin, but streamlined. The excess mass had been redistributed, coiled in dense, powerful rings around his calves and thighs. This was it his new skill The Lightning Baloon.
Seeing the transformation, Lorel was struck silent, releasing a held breath in surprise. *He used* Shidow *to… manipulate his own body?*
Ning smiled, a real one. "To compensate for his lack of inherent speed. His mastery of the Wheel of Manipulation is beyond comprehension. Even I would not be able to do something like this."
They were not the only ones surprised. Every cultivator observing was stunned. Even Yun took another serious look at Chubbs now—not as the fat boy, but as a force to reckon with. As the most experienced Wheel masters present, they all knew how hard it was to use Manipulation for such a feat. It was one thing to manipulate Qi or the environment. To mutate one's own body on the fly was something reserved for elites, for Pillars like Black-Green Wood and his kind.
Then Chubbs lifted his arm. The excess mass coiled back from his legs, flowing up and around his arm, reinforcing it. He unleashed a piston-like fist.
The impact was terrifying.
The True Gentle Poison coiled again to block, but it was obliterated. Chubbs's fist crushed through the construct, the force of the blow landing squarely on Lilia's back.
***SNAP-CRUNCH.***
A breaking sound echoed in the clearing. The impact sent her biting the ground once more, this time looking even more pitiful than ever. She spat a huge mouthful of blood, forcing herself to roll over, looking at the approaching Chubbs with pure fear in her eyes.
In her mind, a single thought screamed: *Would she really be killed at the hands of this person?* How had he become so strong? So lean? So… not what she remembered? She had so many questions, but Chubbs was emotionless as he got closer, his fist getting ready to finish the job.
Lilia's face darkened, then her voice softened, cracking with a desperate plea. "Chubbs… please. Don't do that. I know I was harsh back then, but it was because I was worried about what people would say of us. But now… I am willing to give us a chance?"
Chubbs's fist slowed, not because he believed her, but because, after all, he was still just a sixteen-year-old boy who had never been acknowledged by her. This brief moment of hesitation was enough.
Lilia, unable to walk, crawled back a few inches. Her voice, though weak, carried across the clearing. "What do you all think will happen if he wins? That girl and the swordsman are as strong as Yun. They will butcher all of you and get out of this place alive. But if you take him out… that's one less problem. One free spot."
Her words hit the other trapped cultivators like a bucket of ice water.
Chubbs's face darkened as he moved towards her, but the other cultivators stepped forward. Not because they cared about Lilia's fate, but because she was right. From this fight, it was clear Chubbs was a danger. If they had to counter the absurd aura of Ning, Chubbs, and that angelic girl, their chances of survival were on a razor's edge.
Lorel and Ning stepped out instantly, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Chubbs, their auras flaring—pink domination and sharp, silent intent.
"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Lorel's voice rang out, clear and furious. "Chubbs won, fairly. And now you want to take advantage of his wounded state?"
Ning's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "A cultivator without honor can never have a steady martial heart. It is a pity," he stated, his eyes cold.
Lilia spat another mouthful of blood, looking at Chubbs now. Not only did he look different—almost handsome—he also had so many powerful people around him. She forced out her final ploy. "Killing me has no guarantee that all of you will be able to escape the island. Perhaps just one person will leave. But if *I* make a spirit deal… you will all know the conditions to leave. *All* of you. Alive."
"Why would we trust you, viper?" another cultivator cursed at her.
Lilia bit her lip, the taste of copper thick in her mouth. "In my state, I have nothing more to lose. My back is broken. I cannot walk. Without a proper healer here, I am doomed anyway." Her eyes, however, blazed with venomous spite. *I will not let this fat thing go unpunished.*
Yun considered her words for a minute. She wasn't totally wrong. Killing her did not guarantee *how* or *when* the island would open. And if he missed his chance, someone else might take advantage. But if she made a spirit deal on her own… everyone would win. And the price would be a single life—that of the fatty. It was an efficient deal.
He turned his empty eyes towards Lorel, Ning, and Chubbs. His voice was flat, devoid of malice, which made it all the more chilling. "This is nothing personal."