Chapter Twenty-Two: Encountering Onizuka Again

Though the fixed polar day and night were gone, the length of day and night in Antarctica was still longer than in most places. If one counted both the hours of darkness and light as a single day, a day in Antarctica would exceed thirty hours.

Awakening from sleep, Hua Feng felt that after a night’s rest, the exhaustion from climbing had faded. He gazed at Xiao Meng, sleeping soundly in his arms, unable to bring himself to wake her. He watched her, as she used his arm as a pillow, and after a while, Xiao Meng slowly stirred. When she opened her eyes, she met Hua Feng’s gaze. For a moment, their eyes lingered, and both couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“What’s so fascinating about me? Haven’t you had enough after seeing me every day?” Xiao Meng pulled the blanket tighter over herself, making sure Hua Feng was warm as well.

“Even seeing you every day isn’t enough. Our Xiao Meng only grows more beautiful the more I look at her…” Hua Feng said, and suddenly brought his lips to hers. Their eyes met at a closer distance, weaving together, and happiness overflowed in the misty morning light. Unconsciously, Hua Feng kissed Xiao Meng more passionately. Lacking experience, they clumsily explored each other's mouths, not quite knowing what to do, but the intimacy only drew their hearts closer.

After a while, Xiao Meng responded to Hua Feng’s kiss, and in the cold cave of Antarctica, the two experienced their first deep kiss. At length, their lips parted.

Half an hour later, Wang Yue and Shuang Ning had also risen, and even after breakfast at nine, daylight had yet to arrive in Antarctica. Hua Feng estimated that sunlight wouldn’t come until around one o’clock in the afternoon, as the snow continued to fall ceaselessly, seemingly without end.

Yet within Hua Feng’s barrier, light shone brightly. With his body’s capacity to balance the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—Hua Feng gathered a portion of his fire attribute energy at the top of the barrier for illumination. Though Wang Yue and Shuang Ning were surprised, they weren’t overly astonished, given Hua Feng’s usual air of mystery.

Perhaps influenced by the slowly rotating Taiji diagram above the barrier, Wang Yue suggested they go outside and practice a set of Taiji boxing to warm up before heading to the cold mountain. Hua Feng, Xiao Meng, and Shuang Ning agreed—it was early, and some exercise seemed wise.

“Let’s go!” Guided by Hua Feng, Wang Yue stepped out of the barrier. Amid the swirling snowstorm, he began to practice Taiji boxing, while Xiao Meng and Shuang Ning watched from the side.

Moving in harmony with his thoughts, Wang Yue’s form flowed effortlessly, like clouds and water. Hua Feng, observing, couldn’t help but praise him inwardly.

Hua Feng soon joined, easily entering the realm where man and fist became one. With every movement, snowflakes gathered, swirling like a whirlwind with his fists. Gradually, the snowball condensed, shrinking from over two meters in diameter to just ten centimeters. With a forceful gesture, the snowball compressed into a transparent ice sphere.

“Go!” Hua Feng shouted, and the compressed snowball, carried by the force of his punch, flew toward a nearby ice wall, punching a hole straight through.

A cry of pain rang out, “You brat, how dare you ambush me!” A middle-aged man, covered in snow and ice-encrusted white clothes, leaped out, two swords at his waist, his frame rugged and powerful.

“Ambush? Heh… is that so? I think you’ve been spying on us for some time, old man.” Hua Feng retorted, sizing up the white-clad figure thirty meters away. “A ninja? Why are you following us?”

“Hmph… Yes, I am a ninja. As for why I’m tracking you, that’s none of you little brats’ business,” the white-robed ninja sneered.

Hua Feng had sensed someone tailing him the previous day, but couldn’t pinpoint the source of that faint aura. Now it was clear the ninja had concealed his presence—a simple feat for someone skilled in stealth.

Wang Yue, seeing the man’s unruffled demeanor, was annoyed, but surmised their opponent must have something up his sleeve.

Xiao Meng, meanwhile, grew anxious for Hua Feng, feeling the man’s strength and suspecting he was even more powerful than Hua Feng.

Shuang Ning gripped Wang Yue’s hand tightly, her face tense as she watched ahead.

Hua Feng, Wang Yue, and Xiao Meng exchanged a glance, their eyes communicating silently. Then, together and in a flash, they split in three directions, encircling the ninja in a triangle. Strike first—this tacit understanding had been forged through their time together. Though their foe was strong, Hua Feng thought, as long as they coordinated well, victory was possible.

Shuang Ning’s abilities leaned toward the metal attribute, so, as per their previous training, her role was to probe for weaknesses and prepare to strike, observing from the side.

“Heh… you think you can trap me, Onizuka? You underestimate my strength!” Onizuka laughed.

Though the five were shocked to encounter the notorious Onizuka of Fortress 798 again, there was no time for reflection.

Ignoring Onizuka’s contempt, Hua Feng shouted, “Taiji Formation, activate!” He channeled his true energy, spinning a Taiji-shaped disc of snow. Wang Yue and Xiao Meng activated their formations as well, and three compressed Taiji ice plates swiftly trapped Onizuka within.

This simple Taiji formation had been devised during training at the Feilong Camp—a collaboration of three or more, combining the waxing and waning of Taiji, the interplay of yin and yang, and the five elements. It contained the mysteries of the Eight Trigrams, designed specifically to entrap enemies.

“You think you can trap me?” Onizuka bellowed with laughter. Despite his bravado, the high-ranking Yuan King-level Onizuka was inwardly shocked. From outside, the formation seemed unremarkable, but within, he was battered by wind and thunder, sometimes engulfed by blades and fire, caught in illusions that blurred the line between reality and fantasy. Though fearless, he found escape difficult. Relying on his vast cultivation, Onizuka drew his swords and, willing to expend his energy, slashed swiftly toward Hua Feng, Wang Yue, and Xiao Meng.

After clashing head-on, the illusions faded. Hua Feng felt a shock in his chest—he was wounded. Xiao Meng, her cultivation strong, paled as well. Wang Yue’s face was ashen, sweat beading on his brow as he struggled to maintain the Taiji diagram. Shuang Ning rushed forward, injecting her own energy into Wang Yue, helping him steady his turbulent qi and blood.

Seeing the formation about to break and their group facing injury, Hua Feng stabilized the formation, reciting loudly, “Emptiness is yin, substance is yang. In the interplay of emptiness and substance, one advances and retreats freely; stillness is yin, movement is yang, movement like the swift wind, stillness like grass by a stream, balanced motion and stillness—this is Taiji. Black is yin, white is yang, know white and keep black. Seal!”

Golden runes flew from Zhang Yu’s mouth, gathering upon the three Taiji diagrams, restoring them from their cracked state to perfect wholeness.

Seeing himself about to be completely sealed within the Taiji formation, Onizuka gritted his teeth, spat a mouthful of vital blood onto his sword. Nourished by his blood, the sword shone brightly, and Onizuka merged into the blade. Man and sword as one, he struck desperately at the opening of the soon-to-be sealed formation.

Strengthening the formation had nearly exhausted Hua Feng, and now he felt a surge of pressure—it seemed the formation would break. Wang Yue and Xiao Meng felt it too.

“Xiao Meng, Wang Yue, don’t linger—fall back quickly!” Hua Feng shouted. At his warning, Wang Yue, Xiao Meng, and Shuang Ning retreated swiftly.

A thunderous explosion followed. A blood-soaked middle-aged man, dragging a broken sword, flew high in the air. Looking battered beyond belief, Zhang Yu saw it was indeed Onizuka.

“Water-Kan Ice Seal Slash!” Onizuka’s voice rang out.

Hua Feng, Wang Yue, Xiao Meng, and Shuang Ning joined forces to block the attack, which radiated a chilling aura. When the shockwave pushed them back over three meters, they regained their senses to find Onizuka had disappeared.

“A water-element ninja, Xiao Meng, this mission is getting interesting,” Hua Feng said with a wry smile.

“That little devil sure runs fast,” Wang Yue joked, feigning ease. He stood, brushed the snow from his clothes, and walked toward Hua Feng and Shuang Ning. “Xiao Feng, I have to admit, that little devil is pretty skilled. Are you all right?”

“We’re fine—Shuang Ning’s energy is a bit depleted, but that’s all,” Hua Feng replied after checking on Xiao Meng and Shuang Ning.