Immortal Paladin-Chapter 012 Three Moves

012 Three Moves

Kang Shi stood before me, radiating arrogance.

His long, dark hair was tied loosely behind him, and his sharp, greedy eyes sized up the world as if it already belonged to him. His features were chiseled, his posture aggressive—he carried himself like someone who had never known defeat, who believed his place above others was ordained by fate.

The smirk on his lips widened.

“Three moves?” Kang Shi scoffed, amusement flashing across his face. “Fine! I shall indulge your delusion. You will regret your arrogance soon enough.”

One of his cronies—a rat-faced sycophant—sneered at me. “The Kang Clan’s martial cultivation is unparalleled! Fool, you would do well to surrender now and spare yourself the humiliation.”

I tilted my head slightly. “I have a name, you know.” Then I shrugged. “But enough talk. Show me what you can do.”

I wasn’t concerned.

As a maxed-level Paladin, my Constitution was near-unbreakable. Yet, to my quiet amusement, it wasn’t even my greatest strength. Constitution was merely second.

What was my highest stat? Charisma.

In Lost Legends Online, Charisma wasn’t just about charm—it governed persuasion, willpower, and the force of one's presence. For a Paladin, it dictated spellcasting, divine authority, and the weight of one’s words. And I had pushed it beyond its natural limits, using cap-breaking artifacts to elevate it to absurd levels.

But my ‘Immortal Build’? That was the true masterpiece.

It was a fusion of two extreme playstyles:

Heal/Drain Build: Endless regeneration and life-steal, making me all but unkillable.

Stagger/Barrier Build: Defensive buffs and stagger effects, ensuring I would never fall.

With my combat passives reinforcing my offense, I was an indomitable force of endurance and power. Of course, I doubted whether I was truly that indomitable… since this was xianxia… but still, there was a reason I could act so confident.

So as Kang Shi prepared to strike, I stood at ease, hands clasped lightly behind my back. My voice carried the weight of one who had walked through battlefields and emerged untouched.

"Glorious Defense."

There was no need to mutter the name of the skill.

It was simply for show.

Glorious Defense was a passive ability, strengthening my defenses in proportion to the feats I had achieved. Simply put, the number of main quest completed. And I had completed every main quest in LLO. It was a rite of passage for veteran players after all.

Tough was an understatement.

But for the sake of spectacle, I added another layer.

"Shield of Faith."

A translucent barrier shimmered into existence around me, its silver sheen casting a faint glow.

Kang Shi and his lackeys hesitated for a heartbeat. Then, his smirk returned.

“Let’s see if that faith of yours can withstand my fist.”

I remained unmoved. Hands still clasped behind my back, I inclined my head slightly.

“Come.”

Kang Shi’s grin sharpened. Lowering his stance, he coiled his energy, and his aura ignited in a blood-red hue.

"Fighting Spirit!"

Heat rippled through the air. Fire curled from Kang Shi’s lips as he exhaled, his entire body surging with violent energy. With a flick of his wrist, his clenched fist shifted into a knife-hand strike aimed directly at my throat.

“Soaring Phoenix!”

A fiery phoenix silhouette flared around his right hand, its blazing form twisting and coiling as he lunged.

It was a move meant to dazzle—designed to overwhelm opponents with speed, spectacle, and sheer aggression. For a fleeting instant, instinct screamed at me. A lesser man would have flinched.

But then—

Clink.

His strike stopped cold against my Shield of Faith.

Kang Shi’s smirk vanished, his expression twisting into sheer disbelief. His trembling fingers hovered mere inches from my throat, unable to push through the barrier. Then, realization struck, followed swiftly by anger.

With a snarl, he pulled back and shifted stances.

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“Fighting Spirit: Rising Dragon!”

Golden energy coiled around his leg like a soaring dragon as he launched into a vicious roundhouse kick. This was faster, sharper—an attack meant to shatter bones, a technique honed through years of cultivation. The force of his spin sent the air whistling.

But—

Clink.

His foot stopped short, hovering just before my face.

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Not even close.

Kang Shi froze. His entire body tensed as the truth settled in. He couldn’t break through.

Panic flickered in his eyes.

With a sharp breath, he leapt back, his retreat far less composed than he intended. He nearly stumbled before regaining his footing.

I remained where I was.

Unmoved.

“That’s two moves already,” I said, my voice steady, as if we weren’t even fighting. I met his gaze and slowly lifted three fingers before folding two of them, resisting the urge to leave the middle one up.

In the end, I left only my index finger raised and waved it lazily in the air.

“One more move, Young Master Kang.”

Kang Shi’s fists clenched, frustration and humiliation warring on his face. Then, something shifted.

His anger tempered into resolve.

“I have shamed my clan with such a lackluster performance,” he muttered, his voice taut with emotion. “But do not mistake this for the limits of my Kang Clan’s Fighting Spirit!”

His eyes burned with renewed determination as they locked onto me.

“What is your name, unknown cultivator?”

I exhaled through my nose. “I’d rather not say.”

A small smirk curled Kang Shi’s lips, though his gaze remained sharp. “I see… so you refuse to offer respect until the very end.” He shook his head. “It is my failing for not recognizing Mount Tai. But hear me—by the end of this, I will have your respect, your name, and, if necessary… your head!”

He straightened, pressing his fists together before slowly drawing them apart. His qi surged, heavier, fiercer than before.

“No more underestimation. Now—prepare yourself.”

Huh. He wasn’t as overbearing as I first thought.

I resisted the urge to yawn.

For a brief moment, I considered using a defensive reflection technique—just to be a little shit and let him punch himself into oblivion. But no… Better not to spill any blood. Another reason why I raised Shield of Faith in the first place was so that Kang Shi wouldn’t accidentally hurt himself from my innate reflect passive.

“Show me what you’ve got,” I said, lazily gesturing him forward.

Kang Shi dropped into a deep squat stance, arms spread wide, fists clenched. His muscles coiled like steel cables, his qi surging erratically.

“I shall pour my vital qi—my very life force—into this final strike!”

Wait. Vital qi?

Did he just say life force?

This guy was insane.

No… not insane. Young. Barely twenty, still brimming with reckless ambition.

Before I could stop him, he continued, his voice thick with conviction.

“This technique—I devised it to counter Lu Gao and surpass him! But you… you will serve as my test instead!”

Oh, come on. I was just trying to eat dinner.

Kang Shi took a sharp breath, then snapped his fists open, spreading his fingers like ox horns.

“Fighting Spirit: Trampling Ox!”

The floor shattered beneath his feet as he surged forward like a human battering ram. His hands elongated into the shape of horns, his entire body transforming into a projectile. The sheer force of his charge ripped up the floorboards, sending shards of wood flying in every direction.

Boom!

His full-body tackle slammed into my Shield of Faith, unleashing a shockwave that rocked the entire inn.

Great. Now I had to compensate the innkeeper.

…Or maybe I could just make Kang Shi pay for it.

A moment passed.

Then another.

I stood exactly where I had been. Unmoved.

Kang Shi stared at his hands, his expression crumbling from disbelief to sheer horror.

“How?!” he choked out.

His palms—carrying the weight of his strength, his qi, even his vital energy—hovered mere inches from my skin.

He had given everything.

And it still wasn’t enough.

Kang Shi stumbled back, his fists clenching, his breath ragged. And yet, rather than fear, I saw something else in his eyes.

Determination.

“I understand now,” he murmured, voice hoarse but firm. “You are of a higher realm than me.”

Finally. Took him long enough to figure that out.

“But I cannot let this stand.”

…What now?

Please don’t tell me you’re about to call your father. That would be such a shame, considering how hard I worked not to kill you.

Kang Shi straightened his back, drawing in a deep breath. His qi steadied, his posture exuding renewed resolve.

“You have received three of my strikes! Now, I shall receive three of yours!”

I blinked.

What?

His followers exchanged uneasy glances, shifting uncomfortably between their Young Master and me. Their loyalty was visibly wavering.

Kang Shi stamped his foot, his voice booming like some righteous war hero.

“I will not move! Strike me three times, and I shall not budge!”

Was this guy an idiot?!

I opened my mouth, trying to talk some sense into him.

“There’s no need. You’ve already acknowledged my higher realm—”

“I REFUSE!”

Huh?

I turned to Kang Shi’s lackeys, half-expecting them to talk some sense into him.

But the moment my gaze swept over them, they flinched and quickly averted their eyes.

Come on, guys. Dissuade your Young Master.

Sheesh. They were clearly torn—questioning Kang Shi’s decision might be seen as disloyalty, but if I got serious, I could probably kill him.

I sighed.

Even if I held back, my strike would still hurt. Too much restraint, and Kang Shi would scorn me. But anything beyond that risked shattering his bones—or worse.

And that ran contrary to my goal. Not spilling blood.

I made up my mind.

“How about this?” I proposed. “One move—just one. But I get to use a weapon.”

Kang Shi’s eyebrows twitched upward.

“Hmph. I am a generous man, and I acknowledge your strength. Fine! I grant you permission to wield a weapon.”

I was tempted—oh, so tempted—to just cast Divine Word: Rest and knock him out on the spot.

No way he had the resistance for that.

But no. He’d call it a cheap trick. Kang Shi looked like the type to take offense at anything that wasn’t brute force.

So instead, I inclined my head slightly.

“I thank you for your generosity.”

Then, without hesitation, I reached for the table beside me—

And ripped off one of its legs.

Crack!

Silence.

Kang Shi’s lackeys stared, dumbfounded.

Even the innkeeper, peeking from behind the counter, looked like he wanted to protest—then wisely kept his mouth shut.

I didn’t bother drawing a real weapon from my Item Box. Too risky. If I used any of my enchanted weapons, I might accidentally turn Kang Shi into a smear on the floor.

No. This was fine.

I took a slow, deliberate step forward.

Then another.

The wooden planks groaned beneath my weight as I advanced, gripping the broken table leg in one hand.

The tension in the room thickened.

Kang Shi’s lackeys gulped. The inn workers shrank back.

Stopping a few feet before Kang Shi, I raised the wooden leg and exhaled.

I needed something flashy. Something overwhelming. Something that felt dangerous… but wouldn’t actually kill him.

And so, in a calm and measured voice, I invoked:

“Thunderous Smite.”

The moment my weapon struck the floor—

BOOM!

A blinding explosion of silver-white radiance erupted from the impact.

The entire inn shook as light engulfed the room, flooding every corner with holy brilliance.

People screamed, shielding their eyes.

Kang Shi flinched, momentarily stunned by the sheer force of the display.

And in that moment of distraction—

I cast Divine Word: Rest.

Silent. Instant. Unstoppable.

Kang Shi swayed—his body trembling—

And then, he crumpled to the floor.

Unconscious.

To everyone watching, it would seem as if he had simply collapsed under the sheer weight of my martial prowess.

The light faded.

Kang Shi’s lackeys blinked, rubbing their eyes as they struggled to process what had just happened.

Then, one of them whispered, hesitant—

“…Young Master Kang?”

Another took a cautious step forward—then froze in terror.

“H-He’s down!”

I dropped the broken table leg. The top was completely charred, still sizzling from the remnants of my attack.

Then, before panic could set in, I spoke.

“Take him away.”

The lackeys stiffened, standing at full attention.

“And,” I continued, voice calm but firm, “tell him not to bother my follower, Gu Jie, ever again.”

My words hung in the air, heavy with finality.

Then, after a moment of consideration, I gestured at the ruined floorboards.

“And make sure he compensates the innkeeper.”

I turned on my heel—

And without another word, walked out of the inn, leaving Kang Shi’s men to scramble over their defeated Young Master.

“Oh man, I just wasted another Ultimate Skill just this week alone… It’s too expensive for my liking…”