Chapter 113 Equivalent exchange

Words : 867 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Everyone from school 12 had their own problems but it would not be an exaggeration to say Noah faced the biggest one of them all. One thing Master Anng always said: Chi followed its own path. Not complicated formulas. Not impossible techniques. Just pure, focused intention. Noah's body was failing. Diana's dead zone crushed down, nullifying every potential movement. But chi wasn't just movement. Chi was survival. 'Breathe,' he told himself. 'Just breathe.' His lungs were struggling. Oxygen transfer becoming difficult. Blood flow restricted. But chi didn't need perfect conditions. It needed focus. 'I'm not escaping,' he realized. 'I'm surviving.' The distinction was critical. His muscles, locked and cold, received minimal chi support. Not to move. Not to fight. Just to prevent total cellular death. Diana's dead zone was absolute. No momentum allowed. No spatial repositioning possible. But survival? That was negotiable. One breath. Then another. Chi flowing like the gentlest river. Supporting. Maintaining. Existing. And somewhere in that process, Noah realized something profound. Survival wasn't about dramatic escape. It was about refusing to give up. Noah understood survival wasn't about dramatic movements. It was about finding the smallest possible advantage. His first attempt failed spectacularly. A rush of chi toward his leg muscles—hoping to create some microscopic advantage—resulted in immediate muscle spasms. The dead zone crushed down harder, each attempted movement punished instantly. Diana watched, almost amused. 'Too eager,' he chastised himself. 'Master Anng always said chi is a river. Not a battering ram.' His body trembled with the failed attempt. Oxygen levels dropping. Muscles cramping. The dead zone's pressure intensified with each failed strategy. Diana circled him, her movements unhurried. Confident. "Interesting," she mused. "Most would have given up by now. But you? You're still trying to find a way out." Noah's breath came in shallow gasps. Each intake of air became a calculated effort. 'Think. Don't panic. She's nullifying momentum. But momentum isn't just physical movement. It's energy transfer. And energy... energy can be subtle.' His first attempt had been too aggressive. Like trying to force a river through a narrow canyon. Chi required precision. Subtlety. This time, he'd be the riverbank. Not the water. Noah closed his eyes. Focused on his breathing. Not trying to move. Just... existing. 'Chi follows intention,' Master Anng's voice echoed. 'But intention isn't always about action. Sometimes it's about survival.' 'That means it requires effort.' That was the first crack. He shifted slightly, just enough to create resistance, and monitored the response. The force constricted instinctively, counteracting his movement. But something else happened too—her fingers twitched. It was minor. Barely a flicker. But Noah didn't miss details. 'So, it does cost her something.' He didn't celebrate the discovery. Not yet. Information without application was useless, and he didn't know how much she had in reserve. The worst thing he could do was assume she was running on fumes and push too hard, only to find out she had enough left to crush him outright. Patience. He let the realization settle without acting on it. Instead, he kept guiding his chi, reinforcing his body against the strain while gathering more data. Her grip was still firm, her presence still commanding, but something had changed. Small things. Subtle things. Her breathing, for one. It wasn't as steady as before. At first, it had been even, controlled—just like her technique. Now, though, there was a fraction of hesitation between breaths. A delay. Noah filed it away. Then there were her hands. He caught the slightest tremor along her fingertips when the weight shifted again. It wasn't visible to the average eye, but Noah's perception had always been precise. The movement wasn't a reflex—it was strain. 'She's spending more energy the longer this continues.' That was the second crack. Noah let time work in his favor. He didn't force an escape. Instead, he adjusted his breathing again, extending his endurance while she was forced to shorten hers. He maintained his internal circulation, reinforcing his structure rather than fighting hers head-on. The pressure remained, but it wasn't quite as suffocating as before. Minutes passed. Then her fingers twitched again—this time more noticeably. The tremor was stronger, and she adjusted her stance, redistributing her weight as if compensating. 'She's feeling it.' Still, Noah didn't react. He wasn't eager to push yet—not when he didn't know her threshold. But the signs were clear. She wasn't invincible. The dead zone had limits. The weight she pressed on him wasn't infinite. He just needed to outlast her. Time was on his side. 'That doesn't make any sense,' he thought. Noah's patience had limits. He couldn't afford to wait forever. Diana was no fool—she'd eventually realize he was stalling, playing the long game, and once she did, she might stop toying with him altogether. There was no guarantee she wouldn't just crush him outright the moment she felt something was off. The fact that she hadn't yet was interesting in itself. 'Why hold back?'

Chapter 113 Equivalent exchange

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