KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Yan Yue had completely exhausted his mental energy due to overuse. It's important to understand that mental energy is a mysterious power formed by the fusion of mental and internal energy. At this moment, he felt as if his head had been struck hard by a hammer, the pain unbearable, and his entire being extremely weak.

Thus, Yan Yue had no choice but to stay in bed at home for a whole day. Left with no other option, she had to ask the barbecue restaurant for a day off.

To date, through long-term arduous training and continuous exploration, Yan Yue has reached a considerably high level of control over her spiritual energy. She can transform into a variety of wondrous forms at will.

The most common of these is the [Nen Wave], which is more powerful than Ryo Sakazaki's [Tiger Flame Fist] and can penetrate the enemy's defenses at an astonishing speed;

There is also the [Spherical Nen Wave], which is an energy bomb compressed to the extreme, and its power is even greater;

In addition, the Flame Moon Leg Strike can use the [Nen Storm Kick], which has a long attack range and sufficient destructive power.

In addition to these offensive moves, there are also defensive abilities such as [Aura Protection] and [Aura Barrier]. [Aura Circulation] can also greatly increase one's speed and aura concentration.

However, Yan Yue knew that relying solely on her spiritual energy was far from enough, as her physical skills were still a bit of a hindrance.

Speaking of physical techniques, Yan Yue is currently most proficient in only the [Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist]. It is also her only self-created physical technique. As for assassination techniques, she only learned them to disguise her identity.

Yan Yue realized that her current mastery of Nen Qi had reached a bottleneck, and no matter how hard she tried, it would be difficult to make any substantial breakthroughs in the short term.

However, there is always a huge potential and room for improvement in physical skills.

Recalling her battles with Tengu and Rugal, Yan Yue knew that with her current physical abilities, without the protection of Nen, she probably wouldn't even be able to withstand a few of their fierce attacks. Therefore, the most important thing right now was to further strengthen her physical abilities.

Tang Fulu once said that Yan Yue's body is different from ordinary people. Even now that Yan Yue's meridians have recovered, he still cannot learn many physical techniques. It is because of this that Yan Yue created the Flowing Water Shattering Rock Fist.

Tang Fulu also gave Yan Yue some pointers on the training direction of the [Flowing Water Rock Shattering Fist], indicating that Yan Yue's unique style of physical martial arts has great potential, but it also needs the assistance of Nen to unleash its full power.

So, during his four years of training at Wudang Mountain, Yan Yue mastered the [Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist - Continuous Dance]. Although his speed and technique were very high, his power was still insufficient. This led Yan Yue to imitate Shenwu's attack strategy of using bricks.

Despite Yan Yue's diligent physical training at the Kyokugenryu Dojo these days, his strongest attack method remains quite simple and primitive—basically, he relies on picking up bricks and using Nen to smash them hard against his opponents.

Whenever she thought of this, Yan Yue couldn't help but feel an indescribable sense of embarrassment. After all, she was a disciple of the legendary grandmaster Tang Fulu, and it was really undignified for her to rely on such a simple, crude, and even somewhat crude method of attack for so long.

"If the old folks knew I practiced martial arts like this, they'd laugh themselves to death..."

Yan Yue couldn't help but picture Shun Ying and Ming Tianjun's smug smiles. Tang Fulu was always there, occasionally making sarcastic remarks. Just thinking about them made Yan Yue frown.

"Besides, even if you hit Rugal with a brick, you can't kill him! No, no, this method absolutely cannot continue..." Yan Yue muttered to herself, shaking her head helplessly.

After much deliberation, Yan Yue finally made up her mind: "Alright! Now that I've figured these things out, let's start taking action tomorrow!"

"No matter what, I must further improve my physical skills!"

"The Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist definitely needs further improvement!"

……

The next morning, Yan Yue got up, changed into a tracksuit, gave Locke instructions about things to do, and then went out alone.

Yan Yue had undergone two months of physical training with the Ikari Warriors, so she had a good understanding of her own physical abilities.

"Well then, it's decided. We'll run to the remote areas from here..."

After careful consideration, Yan Yue decisively shut down all his Nen except for his eyes. He took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing rhythm, and then began to run south at a rapid pace.

As time passed, the sun gradually climbed to its zenith, and before long it was noon. In a remote corner of South Town, Yan Yue was seen panting heavily, running with slightly unsteady steps.

The intense physical exertion of the entire morning had left Yan Yue feeling as if his last ounce of strength had been drained. He was panting heavily, each breath so labored that his chest heaved violently. Sweat poured from his body like a burst dam, completely soaking his clothes and clinging them tightly to his skin.

And so, after an unknown amount of time, Yan Yue was so exhausted that he almost collapsed to the ground, but he still persevered and kept running forward with his strong willpower.

Finally, when Yan Yue used his last bit of strength to reach the end of this remote area, the scene before him made him instantly forget his physical exhaustion—it was a steep and precipitous cliff, and below the cliff was a boundless and magnificent blue ocean.

The waves crashed against the cliff face, roaring and splashing up white spray. The sea breeze whistled by, bringing a salty, damp scent and a cool sensation, caressing Yan Yue's sweaty face.

Yan Yue sat on the cliff, resting for a while, looking at the sea, and planning the next training session.

After a while, Yan Yue carefully checked her physical condition and jumped off the cliff without hesitation, landing steadily on the rocks below using her light-footed skills. Looking at the waves several meters high crashing in front of her, Yan Yue had a new insight.

"Since sensing water flow can lead to learning the Water Flow Rock-Smashing Fist, then sensing ocean waves should also allow for new improvements..."

Yan Yue slowly closed his eyes, concentrating his mental energy, trying to synchronize with the rhythm of the waves. He could feel the surging power of the waves, like a thousand horses galloping in, with overwhelming momentum and absolute oppressive force.

Yan Yue's spiritual power extended out like threads, wrapping around each wave and sensing every ripple of the sea.

With a deafening crash, a colossal wave, like a giant dragon, slammed into the spot where Yan Yue stood. The overwhelming power seemed poised to devour the entire world. Yan Yue was instantly wracked with excruciating pain.

At first, the powerful impact of the wave was simply irresistible, even shattering the mental perception that Yan Yue had painstakingly gathered.

So Yan Yue gritted her teeth and tried her best to calm herself down.

Immediately afterward, he began to analyze the movement of the wave with complete concentration. His gaze followed every detail closely, from the soaring crest to the deep plunge to the trough, from the powerful surge of the wave to the ripples of its fall. Gradually, Yan Yue conceived a complete and clear picture in his mind.

At that moment, he had a sudden inspiration: if he could incorporate his fist techniques into the spirit of the waves, the power of the Flowing Water Shattering Rock Fist would surely increase.

Therefore, Yan Yue began to boldly imagine that her boxing technique was like the magnificent waves in front of her, possessing endless power and an unstoppable force.

"If the Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist I used before was just a gentle stream, soft yet containing great power, then the improved fist technique has become an absolute impact capable of piercing through any hard mountain cliff!"

He slowly raised his hands, then, drawing upon his profound understanding of the ocean waves, he suddenly threw a punch. In an instant, the surrounding air seemed to ignite, rippling out in layers of waves, like the ripples created when a pebble is thrown into a calm, mirror-like lake.

He took a deep breath, then without hesitation increased his mental focus once more. Instantly, an even stronger surge of energy erupted from his body, resonating with and intertwining with the punch he had thrown earlier.

As his spiritual power further permeated the rhythm of the waves, Yan Yue's punches became faster and faster, and his power grew increasingly formidable. Each punch was accompanied by the overwhelming force of waves crashing against rocks. Tiny cracks even appeared on the rocks beneath his feet, and seawater was splashed everywhere by the force of his punches. Inspired by the waves, the [Flowing Water Shattering Rock Fist] gradually advanced towards a higher level.

After throwing a few punches, Yan Yue closed her eyes and focused her mind, reviewing her perception level from just now.

Suddenly, an even more turbulent and towering wave, like a giant beast baring its fangs, rushed towards Yan Yue.

A deafening crash followed – “Boom!”

At this moment, Yan Yue was completely focused on comprehending the power and was oblivious to the impending danger.

Yan Yue felt her body suddenly sway, her foot on the reef instantly lost its balance, and she was violently thrown away by the overwhelming force of the waves.

His body arced through the air before crashing heavily against the hard cliff face. With a dull thud and flying debris, Yan Yue felt as if every bone in his body was shattered, and he was in excruciating pain.

"oops!"

However, before Yan Yue's screams could finish, she fell off the stone wall again and into the sea. She was immediately thrown into a panic by the choking sensation.

“I’m so angry…” Yan Yue struggled to surface in the water, panting heavily as she couldn’t help but curse.

He inwardly groaned. He had thought that he had gradually gained control of this power after his perception just now, but he did not expect that he would still be no match for such a powerful wave.

It seems that it will be quite some time before we can truly and easily repel these waves...