5 Heavy Palm Combat Technique

Instantly, a strong aura of death surged towards them!

Aupin's expression was livid.

He quickly recalled that Violette had mentioned the Fire Venom Bees earlier in the day!

That Direwolf that Aupin had indirectly gotten rid of had once thrown a beehive into the camp, triggering a battle between the Fire Venom Bees and the rescue team. In the end, although the Fire Venom Bees were sent into a retreat, four rescue team members were stung and fell unconscious. Despite Violette's best efforts, she was unable to save them. They all died that very night.

From their vitality, although the majority of Fire Venom Bees were ordinary insects and only a small portion were Bronze-rank magical beasts, there were too many of them. Furthermore, they had fire venom.

Fire venom could be fatal!

"Sir, quickly leave. I have detoxification medicine!" Violette urged again.

Aupin looked at the girl blocking him, and his heart surged with warmth and gratitude.

Violette had never given up on him in the face of the blue-furred Direwolf's pursuit, never abandoning the unconscious Aupin. Now she was willing to stay behind and fight for Aupin's chance of survival.

Regardless of whether Violette was lying or if there really was such a potion but couldn't be misused on the rescue team members because of its rarity, Aupin had no reason to convince himself to escape alone while leaving a weak and delicate girl here to fend for him.

"Leave! I'll deal with these Fire Venom Bees…"

Aupin took a large step forward, stepping past Violette. Then he quickly leaned down and pulled out a thick piece of wood from the bonfire.

The front end of the wood was alight—a natural torch.

Aupin wanted to brandish the flaming torch to ward off the menacing swarm of Fire Venom Bees.

However, Violette hurriedly shouted when she saw Aupin's actions, "You can't use fire!"

"Sir Aupin, these Fire Venom Bees are not afraid of fire at all. In fact, they were attracted by our bonfire!"

Violette's words stunned Aupin.

Aupin trusted Violette, and then with a shake of his arm, he sent the torch flying high ahead.

The torch flew to the southeast for about fifty to sixty feet without immediately extinguishing.

The Fire Venom Bees were thrown into chaos, and soon, a small swarm of them lunged towards the torch.

There were more than ten Fire Venom Bees in this small swarm. Like moths darting into the fire, they threw themselves into the flames without any care for themselves.

Under Aupin's shocked gaze, the flames burning at the front of the torch quickly weakened. After a few seconds, it snuffed out.

As for the Fire Venom Bees that had darted into the flames, they flew into the air again and wobbled in midair. They appeared to be over-satiated after having a feast!

What kind of bees are these? They actually eat fire?!

Aupin didn't have the luxury of time to think, because the Fire Venom Bees that had swarmed towards the torch were only a very small number.

The majority of the Fire Venom Bee swarm were close to the couple.

Aupin gritted his teeth and dragged the girl as he retreated quickly.

"We can't escape! Sir Aupin, there has to be someone to lure them away." Violette had a look of despair.

She said hurriedly, "These Fire Venom Bees kill all life forms that are hotter than them. The higher the body temperature, the more they are targeted."

"Back when we encountered the swarm of Fire Venom Bees, it was that blue-furred Direwolf that brought a beehive over with its mouth, attracting the Fire Venom Bees to hunt us.

"We fended off the Fire Venom Bees and lost four guards and had nearly ten injured. That was how we resolved the Fire Venom Bee threat.

"I didn't expect there to be more Fire Venom Bees here!

"Sir, quickly leave. As long as I attract these Fire Venom Bees, I can buy you time!"

At this point, Violette shook her arm and wanted to break free from Aupin's grip.

But Aupin held her firmly, with strength so great that she could not break free.

The two of them kept retreating away from the bonfire, but the Fire Venom Bees didn't stop chasing after them.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

A large number of the Fire Venom Bees suddenly separated and darted into the burning bonfire.

But a small number of them approached the couple with fatal killing intent.

Aupin and Violette had no choice but to run to the edge of the bonfire's illumination range.

In front of them was the dark forest.

Aupin suddenly stopped.

They couldn't run anymore!

The forest at night was far more terrifying than during the day. Many ferocious predators would come out. In such an environment, human vision was greatly restricted.

In this situation, if Aupin and Violette charged into the forest, they were simply having a death wish.

In comparison, there was a chance of survival if they fought the aggressive Fire Venom Bees.

As Aupin cultivated battle aura and was a Templar, it was very likely that he was a Silver-rank lifeform. It was very dangerous for ordinary guards to resist the fire venom, but it was a different matter for a Silver-rank lifeform to resist the fire venom.

Although the situation was pressing and dangerous, Aupin did not lose his rationality and clarity of mind.

"Don't panic, we still have a chance!" he shouted and suddenly turned around to face the bees.

At the same time, he exerted strength in his arm and pulled Violette behind him.

Clang!

With a soft hum, Aupin pulled the sword out of its sheath.

Most of the Fire Venom Bees were attracted by the bonfire. Aupin only needed to face a few dozen.

The firelight was weakening rapidly, but it still allowed him to see.

The Fire Venom Bees were right before him!

Aupin took a deep breath and stood up. He brandished the single-handed sword in his hand, producing cold beams.

Many Fire Venom Bees were struck by the sword. Some were halved, while others fell to the ground and flailed around. Some flew up wobbly after being struck.

With a weapon, Aupin's attacks were greatly augmented!

Each time Aupin struck the Fire Venom Bees, it felt like he had struck a fist-sized metal block.

The surface of the Fire Venom Bees was very tough, so he failed to slice through most of them.

Aupin's heart sank. The Fire Venom Bees were even more difficult to deal with than he had expected.

This small swarm of Fire Venom Bees was alarmed by Aupin and scattered with a buzz. Immediately, they flew down, swarming them from the left and right.

Aupin only had his sword. He didn't even have a shield, so it was very difficult for him to defend against the siege of the Fire Venom Bees.

In fact, even with a shield, it was very difficult to resist such an attack. The full-body armor was the necessary defense in this situation.

Aupin brandished his sword with all his strength, struggling in the precarious situation. The only fortunate thing was that almost all the Fire Venom Bees were attracted to him and had not attacked the girl behind him yet.

Suddenly, Aupin felt a numbing sensation at his waist, followed by intense pain.

"Sir!"

Amidst Violette's alarmed cry, Aupin used his empty left hand to reach into his waist and pull out a constantly shaking Fire Venom Bee.

The Fire Venom Bee was the size of a fist, it was very tough and had the weight of an egg. Aupin subconsciously used his full strength, wanting to crush it, but he did not succeed.

However, the moment he pulled out the Fire Venom Bee, its stinger remained deeply embedded in Aupin's waist. After the bee and its stinger was separated, the Fire Venom Bee in Aupin's hand quickly stopped moving and turned into a corpse.

Aupin threw it aside and continued fighting, ignoring his pain.

The chain armor was originally a net made of iron threads, and it had a very strong resistance to blade weapons. But against the venomous stinger, its effects were limited.

Aupin used the bracer as a shield to block his face while warding off the Fire Venom Bees' attacks.

As time passed, Aupin kept getting stung. Many Fire Venom Bees stabbed him one after another.

Will I die here? The situation was so dangerous that Aupin's heart sank to rock bottom.

Battle aura, I need battle aura! The young man shouted in his heart.

If he released his battle aura, he would be able to protect himself. Silver-rank battle aura would form a tight protective layer over his body, enough to resist the sting of these bees.

This was the best defense against the venomous sting; it was much more reliable than chain armor.

However, Aupin had forgotten how to utilize his Silver battle aura.

There was a problem with his incomplete memory. He couldn't utilize his powers!

"Silver battle aura! Damn it, come out!!" Amidst the perilous situation, the young man almost howled.

The bonfire had mostly weakened, and the young man's ferocious expression was difficult to hide.

At the moment of life and death, a brand new memory suddenly surfaced in Aupin's mind!

It was an autumn evening…

Aupin was in a study.

The study was dark. A narrow window in the stone wall to the side was the only source of light.

The brownish-red desk was made of high-quality wood. There was a quill stand on the desk with three snow-white quills on it. Beside the quill stand was an ink bottle.

Three oil paintings hung on the wall of the study. One depicted a golden farmland, another a dark-blue castle in the forest, and the last a lake and a half-naked noblewoman.

There was also an empty wall with only a hook but no oil painting.

"Aupin, my son, don't look down," a slightly hoarse voice rang out.

Aupin slowly looked up.

He saw a middle-aged man sitting behind the desk. He was thin, had a pale face, and had two straight and long drooping beards. He frowned slightly, exuding a cold aura.

Aupin immediately realized that 'he' had shifted his gaze, as if he didn't dare meet the middle-aged man's eyes. He looked at the only window.

The sky outside the window was filled with the afterglow of dusk, but it was gorgeous with its myriad colors.

"Why? It's been half a month. My son, you haven't made any progress in the Breath Holding Technique. You're still at your original level," the middle-aged man's voice sounded.

Aupin couldn't help but shift his gaze and stare at the bottom half of the desk in front of him, as if he didn't dare meet the middle-aged man's eyes.

The middle-aged man said in understanding, "I understand your feelings. You were never interested in the Breath Holding Technique. You find the clan's combat techniques weak, am I right?

"You believe that the bloodline of our Centum'pin clan can't bring you outstanding stamina, strength, or speed? Even now, we are still low-ranking nobles of the Empire now, right?"

Aupin was silent.

The middle-aged noble sighed deeply and stood up. He circled the desk and walked to Aupin's side. "Come, follow me."

The two walked out of the study, walked down the dark corridor, and passed by the mottled stone walls before arriving in the castle's garden.

The light of the setting sun scattered across the garden.

The garden was clearly neglected, and it was in shambles.

The only thing that caught one's attention was a large tree in the middle of the garden.

The tree branches were leafless and they meandered into the sky. A portion of the tree roots were exposed above the arid ground, and they were entangled in knots. The tree trunk was filled with parasol-like "leaves".

With a breeze blowing, the "leaves" on the tree trunk moved with the wind, producing rustling sounds, making it appear vibrant.

Aupin's father, a middle-aged noble, led him to the tree.

"Watch carefully!"

The middle-aged man shouted and suddenly, Golden battle aura surged out from his body.

The Golden battle aura was far more majestic than the Silver battle aura. Black Iron-ranked battle aura was even more incomparable. The Golden battle aura surged out and stirred up a strong gust of wind.

The young Aupin was forced to take a step back by the wind as he involuntarily narrowed his eyes.

Under the strong wind, the parasol leaves on the tree trunk flew up, instantly revealing their true forms—they were a large group of Tree-Winged Butterflies.

"Combat Technique—Centum Pin Wind!"

The middle-aged man suddenly pulled out his sword.

This sword was not a cutlass, but a long rapier.

The rapier in the middle-aged man's hand kept striking out. As its speed was too fast, it directly formed sword shadows. The tip of the rapier was enveloped in battle aura. Instantly, golden sparks bloomed in dazzling fashion!

The Tree-Winged Butterflies were swept up by the violent wind and struck by the golden sparks. They fell to the ground one by one.

A few seconds later, the ground was covered in a layer of "parasol tree leaves". Of the hundreds or even thousands of Tree-Winged Butterflies, not one had successfully escaped!

"A-amazing!"

Aupin exclaimed and was flabbergasted. Looking carefully, he was shocked to find that the heads of each and every one of the butterflies had been pierced.

The middle-aged noble man's sword technique was actually so precise!

"Cough, cough, cough." The middle-aged man put away his sword and broke out into a fit of coughing. His face turned pale.

"Do you still think our Centum'pin clan is weak?"

Aupin shook his head hard.

"Every noble clan has its own heritage, not to mention that our Centum'pin clan was once a great noble clan in the south! Centum Pin Wind is our clan's signature combat technique and one of our heritages. But outsiders rarely know this secret.

"Managing a clan requires strategy. Sometimes, we need to keep a high-profile, baring our fangs and brandishing our claws like ferocious beasts. But sometimes, we need to be low-key and dormant. Just like now, our Centum'pin clan needs to show weakness and lower our presence."

After a pause, the middle-aged noble continued, "Do you know what the basics are in order to utilize the Centum Pin Wind?"

Without waiting for Aupin to answer, the middle-aged noble said, "It's the Breath Holding Technique."

"Ah?" Aupin was surprised.

"Only by enduring and accumulating strength can you unleash amazing strength. The Breath Holding Technique can let us restrain our breathing, making it difficult for outsiders to sense us, or it can underestimate our battle aura cultivation. At the same time, the Breath Holding Technique has the effect of accumulating strength. Only by cultivating the Breath Holding Technique to a high level can you cultivate Centum Pin Wind and other combat techniques. It can be said that the Breath Holding Technique is the cornerstone of our clan's combat techniques. Aupin, you are the heir to my Centum'pin clan. You must practice it well."

"I understand, I will work hard, Father!" Aupin's eyes shined brightly, he was very excited.

The memory flashed through his mind and almost instantly, Aupin returned to reality.

He stared at the Fire Venom Bees before him, his eyes brightening.

Combat Technique—Centum Pin Wind!

This time, it was a completely different sword technique.

The previous hacking, sweeping, and slashing movements had all disappeared, leaving only one attack—stabbing.

He kept stabbing!

Sizzle…

The front part of the sword pierced through the air like countless arrows before stabbing into the Fire Venom Bees in the air with incomparable precision.

Aupin used a rather unique strength technique. The sword tip formed a blurry shadow in the air, like a faint curtain of light!

"This is?!" Violette looked up, her face filled with shock and surprise.

Aupin's counterattack gave her hope.

"As expected of you, Sir!" Violette blurted out, cheering for Aupin.

One Fire Venom Bee after another fell to the ground. The Centum Pin Wind combat technique was quite effective against these bees.

"Sir…" Violette, who had been well-protected, looked at Aupin's back. Her eyes reflected the weakening bonfire and sparkled with a bright glow.