Chapter 23: Stranger

Zuo Jun's face was contorted, the pain so intense it felt as if his lower abdomen had split open and his intestines were severed. The punch sent him flying, and he crashed with a thud against the bedroom wall, which vibrated slightly.

Chu Feng's strength was twelve times that of an ordinary person; if an average person had taken such a punch, their internal organs would surely have ruptured, like being struck by a boulder, making it impossible for them to get up again. Zuo Jun landed on the ground, his body curled up like a shrimp. However, he was remarkably resilient, enduring the sharp pain and propping himself up with his hands, ready to spring up and counterattack.

Chu Feng showed a surprised expression. The force of his punch was immense; with a little more power, it could likely pierce through a person's body, proving fatal. Yet, his opponent had endured it and was still attempting to strike back.

Chu Feng was decisive. He strode forward with incredible speed, covering a hundred meters in just 2.5 seconds. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Zuo Jun, kicking down before the latter could even get up. With a loud thud, Zuo Jun's back took a heavy blow. He grunted in pain, his face contorted in agony, looking somewhat fierce. He remained sprawled on the ground, unable to rise.

He was infuriated and ashamed. How could a mere mortal possess such immense strength? Earlier, he had looked down on Chu Feng with disdain. Now, he had actually been injured by the other man and was struggling to catch his breath.

"You're asking for death!" he snarled, his body swelling. His bones cracked and popped within his flesh, as if his physique was about to expand.

Chu Feng didn't want his bedroom damaged, so he picked Zuo Jun up and threw him directly from the balcony into the yard. "Chu Feng, you've successfully enraged me! You'll wish you were dead!" Zuo Jun's cold voice echoed as he fell into the yard, having slipped from Chu Feng's grasp.

However, he underestimated Chu Feng's speed. As Zuo Jun leaped from the second-floor balcony, Chu Feng followed, delivering an aerial kick that landed squarely on Zuo Jun's back.

Thud!

When both men hit the ground, the yard trembled slightly, showing just how astonishing their power was. Zuo Jun lay prone on the ground, essentially having been stomped down by Chu Feng. He felt as if his bones had shattered from the impact, and the kick to his lower back was the most devastating.

"Pffft!"

He couldn't hold it in and coughed up some blood, staining the ground. This time, he was severely injured. Chu Feng was surprised. He had been holding back, worried about causing a fatality, but now it seemed his concerns were unfounded. Even with such heavy blows, the other party's life wasn't in danger.

Boom!

Chu Feng stood on Zuo Jun's body and stomped forcefully, with astonishing power. He felt he had been too conservative earlier; his opponent could clearly withstand his heavy attacks. Zuo Jun grunted, his body convulsing, but simultaneously expanding rapidly. At that critical moment, his form drastically transformed, allowing him to endure the blow. Even so, he felt miserable all over; his back felt as if it had exploded, leaving behind a bluish-purple footprint, and blood continuously flowed from the corner of his mouth.

With a roar, Zuo Jun rolled over, finally breaking free from Chu Feng. He leaped straight up, the ground quivering slightly, emanating an aura like an earthquake. Chu Feng gasped. Was this still a human? How could such a transformation occur in such a short time?

At that moment, Zuo Jun's body underwent a drastic change; his height, originally over 1.7 meters, shot up to about 2.8 meters. His clothes tore into rags, hanging loosely on his body. His exposed body turned earthy yellow, enveloped by a hazy yellow mist. This body was exceptionally powerful, with bulging muscles brimming with explosive strength. How could a flesh-and-blood human undergo such a massive change in so little time? His weight now was at least 250-300 kilograms, his sinewy muscles like coiled dragons, gleaming with a masculine, robust quality that presented a powerful visual impact. Clearly, he possessed unimaginable explosive power. How could he swell up so suddenly? Chu Feng couldn't understand it.

"Chu Feng, I admit I misjudged you, but you shouldn't have challenged an awakened being!" Zuo Jun's voice rumbled deeply, echoing like muffled thunder in the courtyard.

With a thud, the ground trembled slightly when he took a step, clearly indicating immense power. With a boom, despite his massive size, he wasn't slow. He leaped several meters in a single stride, instantly closing the distance. His palm, as large as a cattail fan, swung down, aiming directly for Chu Feng's head. If an ordinary person were hit by that, their entire head would likely be smashed and sent flying. He was truly enraged, disregarding the consequences, intent on crushing Chu Feng underfoot. The recent experience filled him with immense shame, which he desperately needed to unleash and erase.

Chu Feng, whose speed allowed him to cover a hundred meters in 2.5 seconds, swiftly sidestepped the massive palm and swung his fist towards Zuo Jun's waist and abdomen. He did this because he didn't know how heavy or powerful the opponent's punch was, opting to avoid its initial thrust. Zuo Jun, full of arrogance, didn't dodge. He tensed his waist and abdomen, preparing to absorb the punch, while simultaneously extending his large hand again, reaching for Chu Feng, intending to grasp him.

With a resounding thud, like a drumbeat, Chu Feng felt a slight numbness in his fist, while Zuo Jun staggered, retreating several large steps backward. A hint of pain flickered across his face. He never expected to still feel pain in his abdomen after transforming into this state. How much force did that man possess? It was important to remember that he was currently in a special, almost mythical state. In ancient times, he would be considered a top-tier martial arts master. Furthermore, he could continue to evolve, and in the future, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a god.

In recent days, his confidence had soared. He felt he had transcended to a sacred level, existing in a completely different world from ordinary people, like a distinct race. In fact, he had been unstoppable lately, subduing hungry tigers and killing fierce birds and monstrous beasts with his bare hands, sweeping all before him. Now, an unmutated mortal, merely in his normal state, had directly blocked him and could contend with him head-on. How could this not surprise him?

Zuo Jun's pupils contracted, growing colder. He couldn't allow this person to live; he would kill him, even if it meant being reprimanded later. As he clenched his fist, a hazy yellow aura, similar to his earthy-yellow body, surged from him, unleashing a violent energy.

After testing with a punch, Chu Feng was certain he could withstand the opponent's heavy blows. They were on the same level, and he had nothing to fear. Zuo Jun let out a low roar, his body seeming to expand another half-foot. He swung his palm at Chu Feng, powerful and fierce, like an unstoppable overlord. Such a massive and excessively strong body truly resembled that of another species. Chu Feng met him head-on, not backing down, and unleashed his full power. With strength twelve times that of an ordinary person, combined with his terrifying speed, his fists were capable of shattering boulders.

Bang, bang, bang!

The two exchanged blows. Chu Feng not only dared to trade punches with him but also frequently used his superhuman speed to get to his sides and back, launching fierce attacks. At this point, Chu Feng held nothing back. With a thud, after several exchanges, Chu Feng moved behind Zuo Jun and delivered a punch that sent the massive body flying sideways, crashing into the distance. Dirt splattered in the flowerbed as the nearly three-meter-tall behemoth crashed down with great force.

"Die!"

Zuo Jun was enraged and ashamed, his pupils icy cold, eventually turning a pale gold, similar to his skin. His entire body swelled once more, and his joints popped incessantly. Simultaneously, a hazy mist, like yellow earth, appeared on his right arm, and in an instant, his right hand greatly enlarged.

Boom!

He lunged at Chu Feng. His right hand was indeed extraordinary, now pale gold and as large as a millstone, many times bigger than his left hand. It slammed down, covering Chu Feng entirely beneath it. It was a terrifying sight: earthy-yellow gas exploded outwards, and a horrific aura filled the air.

Chu Feng was startled. As he swiftly dodged, he was strategizing. The boxing technique the yellow ox taught him hadn't been mastered yet. He ultimately resorted to that special breathing technique to adjust his strength. In an instant, Chu Feng swung his fist. He felt his strength more than double when combined with that special breathing technique, and he couldn't resist meeting the attack head-on.

Pfft!

Blood splattered as Chu Feng's fist pierced straight through the millstone-sized palm. The sight was astonishing, even to Chu Feng himself.

"Ah..."

Zuo Jun screamed, his face turning pale. He staggered backward, blood continuously streaming from his hand. His joints inside his body cracked and popped, and his body began to shrink, as if deflating. In a short time, he reverted to his normal height. The earthy-yellow mist surrounding him dissipated, and he became utterly dispirited, collapsing onto the ground and continuously moaning in pain.

"Is this the power you use to look down on mortals? Nothing special." Chu Feng walked closer and looked down at him.

Fear welled up in Zuo Jun's heart. He knew he had made a terrible mistake, his estimation completely wrong. How could this person before him be a mere mortal? Although he hadn't displayed the characteristics of an awakened being, he was absolutely terrifying. His heart pounded with fear that Chu Feng would kill him.

"How many of you are there in total? What is your purpose in coming to Mount Taihang? Tell me everything you know, from beginning to end," Chu Feng said calmly. Although he had some suspicions, he still had many doubts that needed verification, hoping to extract information from the other's mouth.

Initially, Zuo Jun was terrified and feared being killed, but when it came down to it, he became defiant, clamping his mouth shut and refusing to say a single word. Chu Feng didn't hold back, delivering a heavy punch to his nose. Even a slight injury to this area was painful, let alone such a strike. The pain was excruciating; Zuo Jun's vision blurred, his nose tingled with acidity, and tears, snot, and blood flowed together, almost causing him to faint instantly. He still didn't speak, his mouth tightly shut, biting hard on his lip.

Just then, the yellow ox poked its head out mischievously from a room, then slowly ambled towards them. It had indeed been obedient, staying hidden in the room. But Chu Feng suspected that the creature was only so obedient because it wanted to watch the show; if he really needed it to hide, there probably wouldn't be much hope! Chu Feng didn't want the yellow ox to be discovered, so he immediately punched Zuo Jun's nose and eyes three more times, carefully controlling his strength. This made Zuo Jun cry out in pain and close his eyes.

"This is really troublesome," he thought, feeling a headache. This guy was so stubborn, refusing to speak even if it meant death. How should he deal with him? Killing him directly felt difficult. After all, he was a modern person and had never experienced killing before; for a moment, he couldn't bring himself to do it. But letting him go would surely lead to big trouble. Imprisoning him might not be safe either. If Zuo Jun went missing, his companions would certainly search for him, and others might also come here. After all, someone had once asked them to look after Chu Feng. If they were to arrive one day and discover Zuo Jun imprisoned, it could lead to even greater problems.

"How can I solve this problem? If only he could forget what happened today," Chu Feng muttered to himself.

Hearing this, the yellow ox slowly ambled over, unhurried, and wrote two crooked words on the ground: "Simple."

"You have a way?" Chu Feng asked, surprised.

The yellow ox raised its head, looking proud.

"Then quickly solve it," Chu Feng urged, delighted.

The yellow ox leisurely walked up to Zuo Jun, gave him a brief look, and then suddenly extended its hooves. With two loud thuds, it forcefully stomped on Zuo Jun's head twice.

"Gently, you'll crack his skull open!" Chu Feng was startled and quickly tried to stop it. He knew how powerful this ox was and never expected it to stomp on Zuo Jun.

Zuo Jun first shrieked, then promptly passed out. But even in his unconscious state, he was still twitching, foaming at the mouth, and shaking his head uncontrollably.

"What kind of solution is this?" Chu Feng questioned.

The yellow ox, once again slow and deliberate, leisurely wrote on the ground. The words were still crooked, but this time they were three: "Lost memory."

"You... you're ruthless!" Chu Feng was at a loss for words. This Ox Demon King was indeed no benevolent creature; just two stomps had caused someone to lose their memory.