Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 330: Ruining Reputations

Gloomily, Jack headed for the empty fields outside the villagea rugged, alien landscape filled with nothing but highly compressed stone. It was almost completely flat, save for natural stone obelisks that rose from ten to ninety feet in height, resembling extremely thin hills carved by the extreme gravity.

Even exiting the village wasnt easy. As a peak D-Grade, Jack could naturally fly, but doing so in this gravity would quickly tire him out. Thankfully, his opponent didnt fly eitherthey just walked.

Jack himself, though not particularly fond of the incoming battle, led the way. He was a cultivator of the fist. No matter what he did, he did it with all his heart.

This should be good enough, his opponent, the stunningly beautiful woman, said after a while. They werent too far out; just a couple miles. For C-Grades, this was nothing.

Jack turned around and raised a brow. Arent we too close to the village?

You overestimate yourself. This place is nothing like the planets youre used to. If you can demonstrate even one percent of your strength, I will be surprised.

Suit yourself.

Jacks feet came to a stop, and his body turned completely to face her. The womans friends stood some distance away, as did Brock and the Sage. The brorilla was excited as if about to watch a good show, while the Sage seemed to be concentrating on something.

I never got your name, Jack said, cracking his knuckles.

You never deserved it. But no matter. Ley Vice.

Jack nodded. He couldnt care less about her; he just wanted to know the name of the first person he would defeat in the Black Hole Church. His fiery spirit was rousing; already, his heart was filled with fighting spirit, and his fists itched to be buried in her face.

He hadnt fought seriously in six months. Only now did he realize that hed missed this feeling.

As the two were poised to fight, the Sages voice suddenly rang in Jacks brain.

Wait! he warned. I just ran some divination. This woman is no one important, but her husband is! Hes the man we met before, Marcus William, and hes ranked 181 across the entire Cathedral! Hes extremely powerful. He is also a petty character known for bullying others. If you offend him by attacking his wife, he will suppress you for your entire stay in the Cathedral. Your life will become ten times more difficult!

Jack frowned. What do you suggest?

Step down. Dont fight. A little humiliation now is nothing compared to the consequences of fighting her.

Impossible, Jack refused immediately. He was a warrior of the Fist; backing down now, after hed already agreed to fight, would create doubts in his heart that would weaken his connection to the Dao.

Please consider it, Jack. If you fight her and lose, that will be fine, but if you winyour cultivation path may be blocked!

Jack did not reply outright. My cultivation path may be blocked

It made sense. He had no idea how things worked around here, but someone at the rank of 181 had to be extremely powerful. If Marcus William was a petty person, as the Sage said, and Jack challenged him by defeating his wife, then Marcus would use his entire strength and influence to suppress him. Jack was a nobody herethere would be a million ways to make his life difficult.

However, even thinking up to that point, Jack shook his head. This was exactly why hed tried to avoid troublebut, if he was forced to fight, he would give it his all. Since when was he afraid of making enemies?

When I challenged the Animal Kingdom, I was less than an ant in their eyes, he transmitted to the Sage. And when I resolved to fight the planetary overseer, I was only at the F-Grade. I am a warrior. If that Marcus fellow wants to suppress me, he can try. I will punch him down like I did with everyone else. However, if you want me to surrender now, that is impossible. This is my path of the Fist.

The Sage mutedly shook his head. As you wish, he replied. I will stay by your side regardless.

Thank you. You are a good friend.

Are you done? the woman said, having noticed that Jack was mentally conversing with someone. You can call more favors if you want, but you would only humiliate yourself further.

That wont happen. If you want to humiliate me, youll have to do it yourself.

She grinned. With pleasure.

Her pale, slender arms spread out. An invisible veil passed over the land; Jack suddenly felt a mysterious force infiltrate his mind. It wasnt malevolent; it was a principle of the Dao itself, a law as ironclad as gravity.

He tried to resist, but it was hopeless. Even when he unleashed his Dao Domain, the mysterious force clung to him unobstructed, as if the Fist and this womans Dao existed in completely separate dimensions.

There is no point, the woman replied with a laugh. This is my Truth Domain. In here, you cannot lie. The only words you can speak are the truth.

Jack frowned. I didnt plan to lie, he replied. Suddenly, that mysterious force passed over his brain. He sensed that, if there was even the slightest hint of falsehood in his words, that force would clamp down on him with tremendous force. Noif he even considered lying, he would still suffer a backlash.

Was this a Will attack?

You wouldnt lie? the woman replied. Lets test that, shall we?

Jack didnt plan to fall into her pace. He reared his fist back and shot out a Meteor Punch. After comprehending the concept of the Supernova, his Meteor Punch had reached the IV tier and advanced in power, becoming a skill that could threaten even C-Grades.

However, the Dao here was extremely solid. As Jack unleashed his Meteor Punch, the light and sound pulsed slightly, then refused his summons. They were not sucked into the punch. The meteor that formed was small, similar to the size of his real fist, and its purple starry tail only extended a foot behind it.

It still flew forward, carrying at least some force, but its energy was extinguished quickly. The meteor had to penetrate the thick Dao to advance. For very inch forward, Jack felt a tremendous strain on his energy reserves. Thinking quickly, he realized there was no meaning to shooting out his punch from this distance and let it wink out.

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It was incredible. This meteor could annihilate entire countries back on Earth. Here, it was just a flying punch. It was like his cultivation had reverted to the E-Grade.

Of course, if an E-Grade cultivator or even a normal D-Grade appeared on the Cathedral, they wouldnt even be able to walk, let alone attack.

Jack wasnt willing to just give up. The Life Drop surged inside him. His body grew a foot taller, while two extra arms jutted out from under his armpits. He roared and charged, shooting out another Meteor Punch that was as large as his entire torso.

Facing this attack, Ley Vice actually showed a shocked expression. She had been here for centuries and knew exactly how difficult it was to galvanize the ambient Dao. Such an attack was the equivalent of an early to middle C-Gradehow could a mere D-Grade possess such strength?

However, she was an experienced cultivator. Her expression quickly returned to normal, and she raised a finger, shouting, He speaks no truth!

The mysterious force constraining Jack intensified. The meteor hed shot out weakened until it dissipated into thin air.

Ley Vice grinned. If you wish to ignore my domain, Jack Rust, I fear you will find it difficult.

Hmph!

Jack snorted. Inwardly, he was frantically searching for a way out. This domain restricted him, he couldnt neutralize it with his own, and he couldnt even reach her with his attacks.

How was he supposed to fight?

You must make the Truth Domain acknowledge you! the Sage hurriedly informed him. If you ignore it, you will need overwhelming force to even touch her!

Jack frowned. How?

By being true!

Do you find me attractive, Jack Rust? the woman asked suddenly. Jack took some time to realize what she had just said.

What?

I said, do you find me attractive?

Her smile was devilish, if stunning. Jack did not reply immediately. This was too peculiar. Until he knew what she was going for, replying would be unwise. He charged again, reaching her with heavy steps and swinging. His fists burst with energy, unleashing purple flames everywhere they passed, but Ley Vice was not a damsel in distress. Her own fighting skills were nothing to scoff at; she dodged Jacks attacks, quickly opening more distance between them.

Additionally, the more time that passed, the more her domain strangled him. He realized the reason; by not answering, he was suppressing his truth.

But there was another reason he hadnt already done so. The truthwas not something he wished to say!

I do, he finally replied. It was the truth; while this woman was an unpleasant character, her physical charms were hard to deny. If Jack claimed he wasnt the least bit attracted to her, it would have been a lie.

He just didnt want to give her the satisfaction.

The moment he spoke his answer, the mysterious presence scanned him again. Finding his answer true, it relaxed its hold, letting him use more of his power. At the same time, however, Jack noticed that his own Dao grew weaker!

The higher ones cultivation, the more aligned they needed to be with their Dao. Admitting that his opponent was attractive mid-battle was not the conduct of a warrior. His Dao grew distracted, and his ability to invoke it was weakened.

So, thats how it is!

Jacks eyes widened. He finally realized this womans fighting style.

Her Truth Domain was a dead-end. If he answered her expertly-crafted questions and spoke the truth, his Dao would be weakened. If he didnt answer, or if he lied, he would be so suppressed that he couldnt fight.

Moreover, she had no reason to stop asking targeted questions against his Dao heart. Eventually, he would either break his own Dao or be suppressed to the point of defeat.

In truth, his combat skills easily outstripped his opponents. The only reason he couldnt touch her was because of her domain.

What a fearsome power he thought, a shiver running down his spine. There has to be a way out. There is no way her domain is unbeatable.

So you do find me attractive. Ley Vice smiled sweetly. Then, tell me What would you do if you had me on your bed?

Jacks eyes flashed. She was trying to find questions that would expose the weaknesses in his heart, but she had already failed. Despite what she might thinkJack was no weakling!

Tell you to get dressed and leave, he replied honestly. The womans smile froze on her face; her friends, who had been laughing and cheering, froze as well. Only Brock, who knew what was and wasnt bro-like, gave Jack a thumbs-up.

Every power had a weakness. In Ley Vices case, the suppression of her Truth Domain relied on asking the perfect questions to rattle her opponents heart. She was an expert at that. Her presence here, as one of the most talented C-Grades in the universe, was not an accident.

However, for her battle plan to work, she needed her opponents heart to be unsteady. If there were even the slightest of cracks, she could identify and exploit them. All in all, her power had many constrains, and couldnt be used in every scenario, but she was a master at making it work. One of the reasons she had challenged Jack was because she thought he had cheated his way up, which naturally indicated some weakness in her heart. In her mind, Jack was an insecure, ambitious person, and those people could never resist a beautiful woman on their bed. Even if they could, they would still feel guilty desire, and that was precisely why shed asked those questions.

Unfortunately for Ley Vice, Jack was not the person she thought he was. His heart was incomparably solid and wholeheartedly aligned with the Fist. He was her natural counter. If she knew, she would never have dared to challenge him!

As her smile froze, and as she tried to discover where shed gone wrong so she could backtrack, Jack realized this was his opportunity.

Two can play this game, bitch.

In fact, he added, I recognize your beauty, but I greatly dislike your character and would never deign to touch you. Even if you strip yourself naked and fall to all fours before me, I will feel disgust. There is almost no price in the world that can make me lower myself to be with a person like you.

Ley Vice was completely frozen. The Sage was staring wide-eyed. Her friends were all gaping, unable to comprehend what they were hearing. Jack Rust, this weakling who cheated on the ranking obelisk, had really just uttered these words?

It was impossible. He had to be lying. There was no way his heart was that steady.

However, no matter how long they waited, the Truth Domain did not act against him. It was undeniable proof that his words were completely and utterly true. He had meant exactly what he said.

Brock laughed out loud.

Ley Vice struggled to form words. His speech had impaled her heart and scorched it open. Was that really the impression she gave others? Did she deserve that response? Questions bubbled up her throat, but she didnt want to humiliate herself further by asking them.

However, what goes around comes around. As she suppressed the things she wanted to say, her own domain fell around her, suppressing her.

Before she had time to recover, Jack charged forth and smashed a Meteor Punch into her pretty face. Ley Vice went flying, then quickly met the ground due to the increased gravity. Her nose was broken, her mouth bleeding.

Seeing her like that, Jack felt no pity at all. When two cultivators fought each other, gender did not matterhe would punch everyone who deserved it!

...I admit defeat, Ley Vice mumbled. With an frigid expression, she turned to her friends and said, Someone give him a Dao stone. I do not have one on me. I will pay you back.

The insectoid person fished out a Dao stone from his robes and tossed it to Jack, who caught it out of the air. Thanks. At least you keep your word.

Were going, Ley said, standing up and walking away. She did not spare Jack a single glance. Her friends did, but they quickly followed her without another word, heading back towards the village.

Well, that was easier than expected, Jack said as his own friends approached him.

It was a good match-up for you, the Sage replied. Ley Vice is a Will cultivator focused on exploiting the weaknesses of others, and you unknowingly tricked her before the fight even begun. Moreover, her power is not originally meant for battle, which is why she hasnt been able to climb the rankings despite staying here for a millennium.

Well, she did give me a Dao stone, so I cant complain.

Dont joke around, Jack. This is serious. The Sages gaze intensified. Do you realize what you did? I was just telling you that Marcus William is a powerful, petty bully, and you went and insulted his wife. He wont just suppress youhe will use everything he has to completely crush you.

Faced with the Sages worried expression, Jack was calm. He glanced over at Brock, and the two of them nodded at each other. He can try, Jack replied, pocketing the extra Dao stone. I, Jack Rust, am not afraid of any bully.