Even though greatly diminished, this fighting style was still an immensely powerful technique. Zhao Ruikong stepped onto the trunk, leaping six or seven meters high in a single flurry. It happened so fast that the two figures in the treetop hadn't even recovered their senses before Zhao Ruikong slapped down twice, sending them tumbling from the branches. They appeared outwardly uninjured, but the sight of their rolled eyes made it clear that those two palms had knocked them senseless.

As Zhao Ruikong engaged, Zhao Fukong in the distance reached for his throwing knives, but Zhao Likong intercepted him with a hand. The sturdy young man laughed heartily, "Since even the little girl has chosen a one-on-one fight, and here we are not only considering a swarm tactic but also using hidden weapons? That's a bit much... Everyone, go! Even if we just take down one of them, at least it'll let the brothers vent some frustration!" Not far away, Zhao Yingkong was gripping several stones—her defense against Zhao Fukong's throwing knives. Now that Zhao Fukong wasn't using them, she was content to hold the stones, though Zhao Likong's words made her constantly roll her eyes. This man was simply shameless.

It was clearly an ambush, a surprise attack, hidden weapons, and surrounding them—he would use any means necessary. If she hadn't been standing by without interfering, Zhao Fukong would probably still be using his knives. Yet, listening to him now, he claimed to be fighting honorably? How utterly shameless.

Regardless, they had engaged in this kind of sparring numerous times before. Although they were split into different groups, they always held back a bit of strength; after all, this wasn't a real assassination or duel. Beyond securing food, the motivation was more about getting back at each other and having some fun. That was why Zhao Yingkong was calmly observing the fight from the sidelines.

By now, Zhao Ruikong had dealt with two members of the attacking group. She stood in the treetop, smiling toward Zhao Likong, her meaning perfectly clear. Zhao Likong, in turn, laughed and met her gaze without evasion.

Simultaneously, more than ten figures burst from the undergrowth. These shadows converged on the great tree where Zhao Ruikong stood, surrounding it from all directions. Zhao Ruikong chuckled and leaped down the trunk toward a man and a woman charging head-on. They paused in surprise but met her advance fearlessly. Just then, Zhao Ruikong snapped her fingers once. The girl among the pair instantly changed expression, lunging fiercely onto the boy's back from behind. In that fleeting moment—a mere blink—Zhao Ruikong was upon the boy. He had no time to dodge; thwack, Zhao Ruikong struck him full in the face with a straight punch, knocking him out instantly.

"Be careful! This girl has started using mental control! Everyone, unlock your Gene Locks to the maximum extent! At least that might slow down her mental influence!" Zhao Likong shouted loudly.

However, it seemed to be a little too late. In a short span, five girls were completely subdued. The remaining boys were either knocked unconscious by her single punch or knocked out by a punch from one of the girls she controlled. In mere seconds, only a few boys remained conscious. Aside from the boys, all the attacking girls had been subdued by Zhao Ruikong.

Zhao Likong sighed in resignation. He turned sideways toward Zhao Fukong and said, "Forget it, I guess I’ll step in to fight... Just don't use those throwing knives casually, Zhao Yingkong won't go easy on you, and your close combat is far too poor. Just stay here..." With that, he laughed and charged toward Zhao Ruikong.

Zhao Ruikong watched the muscular youth charge towards her at high speed, chuckling, "Zhao Likong, you’ve fought me several times. While your brute strength can indeed counter my subtle techniques, your muscle-bound brain can't withstand my mental control. Are you really going to fight me?"

"Fight!" Zhao Likong declared with feigned bravado, "Why not? Come and control me then!" As he spoke, Zhao Likong had already covered more than twenty meters. His charging stride was so fast that each footfall covered ten meters beyond. Moreover, the muscles all over his body bulged, each one rigid like iron strapped to his frame. He didn't wait to reach Zhao Ruikong; from seven or eight meters away, he hurled a devastating punch. The fist grazed the bark of a large tree in front of him, and with a dull thud, it actually caused the bark to explode outwards. The concussive wave, carrying shards of bark, swept toward Zhao Ruikong.

Zhao Ruikong instinctively squeezed her eyes shut while simultaneously snapping back to alertness. Just as she thought, This is bad, another gust of violent wind struck her. This gust was far more ferocious than the previous punch's wake. The little girl hissed an accusation of shamelessness, stomping her foot and leaping backward.

"What's shameless? Hahaha... All is fair in war, and the same goes for a fight!" Zhao Likong heard clearly. He roared with laughter. His punch struck the ground where Zhao Ruikong had just stood, the immense force driving downward and actually gouging a small depression into the earth. Not letting this rare advantage slip, he used the momentum from punching the ground to push off and charge toward Zhao Ruikong again.

One pressing forward and the other retreating, they covered ten meters. Zhao Likong's power was truly formidable; he paid no mind to any obstruction along the way. The trees, at most the thickness of a bucket, could hardly halt his wild, powerful fists. Furthermore, Zhao Likong wasn't just strong; he employed footwork suited to his power, and his striking points were swift and direct. Thus, his strength wasn't limited to just his terrifying physical might; his rapid, direct fighting style was also supreme.

Zheng Zha watched carefully from the side. Zhao Likong was indeed extraordinarily gifted. That massive divine strength was innate, and after unlocking the second stage of his Gene Lock, abandoning small, evasive movements, he poured his entire being into raw power. That strength had become exceptionally monstrous. This reminded Zheng Zha of the situation long ago when fighting the Indian Team; there had been a muscular man on that team, but that man's ability fell far short of Zhao Likong's. The degree of Gene Lock unlocking was one factor, and the combat style perfectly suited for overpowering subtlety was the other. In summary, Zhao Likong was actually quite a fearsome opponent. Zheng Zha had done a comparison: if he were to fight Zhao Likong without using "Explosion" or "Destruction," without unlocking the fourth stage of his Gene Lock, and without using the Submerged Dragon Transformation, his chances of winning stood only between sixty and seventy percent.

Zhao Likong was just that powerful. He relentlessly pursued Zhao Ruikong with attacks. Even with Zhao Ruikong's speed and subtle evasion skills, she couldn't escape the range of his strikes. Once she lost the initiative, in a close-quarters fight where their base strength wasn't vastly different, Zhao Likong, with his brute-force-over-finesse approach, held the advantage.

(I can’t rely on close combat alone; it’s too much of a disadvantage. His fighting style is perfectly tailored to counter me... I have to use spiritual power. Although after unlocking the third stage of the Gene Lock, I can't fully control him, I can at least connect to his consciousness and perceive his next move, right? Just like when I fought him before...) Zhao Ruikong made up her mind. She snapped her fingers with one hand, instantly connecting her consciousness to Zhao Likong’s...