Joe swallowed hard and reached out to touch his forearm.
Sure enough, it was an iron ball, and the timing of its launch matched Ning Shiba’s prediction exactly.
The cold iron ball merely rolled across his arm, but it felt as though it had scraped away all his skin, leaving behind a searing pain.
But upon closer inspection, it was just a friction burn—hardly an injury.
“Not that hard after all…” Joe flexed his wrist and reset his stance. “Seems like treating the opponent as someone who could throw a punch at any moment makes everything much easier.”
Even as he said this, a cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Blocking that pitch-black iron ball had taken skill, but luck played an even bigger part.
Had the angle been just slightly off, the ball could have slammed straight into his chest—either crippling or killing him outright.
Comparing a high-speed iron ball to a “punch” wasn’t far off, except this punch was way too heavy.
“Lord Guan… is it because I revere you so much that you spared my life?” Joe stood up, clasped his hands in front of his forehead, and bowed respectfully. “Just following the rules—my apologies.”
The people pushing the cart quickly snapped out of their daze and seized the opportunity to advance rapidly.
“Wait…” Ning Shiba, still seated on the chair, suddenly spoke up. “Ninth Sis, don’t go too fast.”
“Huh?” Bai Jiu waved her hand, signaling the group to slow down. “What’s the matter?”
Ning Shiba thought for a second before answering. “As I guessed earlier, the ‘ball’ fires based on how far we’ve moved. Give Joe some time to get ready again.”
“Got it!”
The group slowed their pace slightly, waiting until Joe had firmly planted his feet in a horse stance before cautiously covering the next eight meters.
“Joe! Heads up!” Ning Shiba called out again.
*Thud!*
The wooden crate ahead spat out another black iron ball. Joe had planned to repeat his earlier tactic—reaching out to deflect the ball from below—but this time, the shot was off-course, veering sharply to the left.
Seeing that his right hand couldn’t reach the ball in time, Joe shifted his stance and thrust his left elbow upward.
He didn’t know which teammate the ball was targeting, but he had to knock it off its path.
*Thump!*
The collision between his elbow and the iron ball produced a dull, heavy sound. Even though Joe had tried to angle his arm to redirect the force upward, the pain that shot through his elbow was excruciating—like it was about to snap.
*Whoosh!*
Since Joe was so close to the ball, controlling its trajectory was nearly impossible. He had practically brute-forced it upward, sending the ball soaring high into the air. But from its arc, it still looked dangerously close to landing on the track.
“Hey!” Joe turned and shouted over his shoulder. “Watch out!”
The cart-pushers had been on high alert from the start, tracking the flying projectile. As they saw it climb into the air, they instinctively slowed their pace. When the ball began its descent, every heart in the group clenched.
Luckily, the landing spot wasn’t on the cart—just an empty stretch of the track.
“Twenty.” Bai Jiu suddenly frowned. “The track can’t be damaged. Do something.”
The group grasped her meaning instantly. If the iron ball crashed straight down, it would leave a crater in the icy track, hampering their movement regardless of whether the ball remained or not.
“On it!” Chou Ershi nodded, unzipping his leather jacket slightly before closing his eyes. “I need a gust of wind…”
“Hold the cart steady!” Bai Jiu ordered. “Ning Shiba, crouch down—you’re sitting too high. The wind might knock you over.”
As soon as she spoke, a faint breeze began to stir around them, catching even Joe’s attention from a distance.
Within seconds, the breeze swelled into a raging gale. The force was so strong that the others could barely keep their eyes open, heads bowed and one hand gripping the cart for balance.
Ning Shiba, perched atop the “Wooden Ox and Gliding Horse,” curled forward, wrapping her arms around her legs.
Bai Jiu sensed trouble and quickly shouted, “Focus your will!”
Chou Ershi kept his eyes tightly shut, visualizing the wind intercepting the iron ball midair. But the mental image was too abstract.
When wind blows, trees sway, leaves tremble, grass rustles, and flowers bob.
But how does an iron ball in freefall react to wind?
“Come on…” Chou Ershi gritted his teeth, muttering under his breath. “I’m ‘Gale’ Chou Ershi, damn it…”
As he murmured, the group felt the wind around them shift, converging toward a single point.
Chou Ershi realized he might have found a loophole—if he couldn’t stop the ball, he could at least destabilize it.
The iron ball’s path wobbled as the gust buffeted it, and Joe, after a second of thought, dashed toward its new trajectory.
“Damn, I almost forgot…” he muttered. “Our team’s got a ‘Terminator’…”
Chou Ershi continued manipulating the wind, forcing the iron ball to twist and turn midair. Though its speed dropped and its path altered, it still seemed destined for the track.
“No good… Ninth Sis, I tried…” Chou Ershi opened his eyes, confirming his fears—the ball had slowed but hadn’t changed course enough.
What he didn’t realize was that the slight deceleration was just enough. At that exact moment, a nimble figure positioned himself directly beneath the falling ball, raising his right hand to meet it.
The instant the iron ball touched Joe’s fingers, he softened his grip, letting it roll down his palm. As it descended, he crouched smoothly, guiding the ball into a controlled spin. The fluidity of his movements made it seem like they were watching an action movie.
After three full rotations, the ball finally lost all momentum, resting securely in Joe’s hand.
“Huh?!”
The group was utterly baffled by Joe.
From start to finish, they’d realized this man was nothing like they’d imagined. They’d assumed their earlier failure to defeat him was due to his ability to revive endlessly. But now, they wondered—even without his “Echo,” could an ordinary person ever take him down?
Joe didn’t spare the ball a glance, simply setting it down carefully before turning back to the group. “Push the cart. We’re burning time.”
Before anyone could react, he was already back in position in front of the “Warrior Star,” raising his hands in a Tai Chi stance.
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