Chapter 350: Defending Oneself

Thud!

Lizbeth's punch landed with a dull thud, but to her dismay, Jason remained unaffected. She felt herself suddenly go weightless. Blanching, she stared at him, realizing her blow had had no effect.

"He's trained in Impenetrable Skill," Jared explained, noticing her confusion. "Your punch was ineffectual."

Lizbeth's expression hardened. She grabbed Jason's wrist, twisting hard to free herself, but he remained immovable.

"Buzz off!" Jason roared, flinging her away mercilessly.

"Ahh!" Lizbeth shrieked, flying toward a wall. If I hit that, she thought, I'll break several bones, if I don't die!

Before she could impact the wall, Jared leaped, catching her mid-air. He pulled her into a tight embrace and landed steadily, hugging her close.

Lizbeth breathed a sigh of relief, then recoiled as she felt his heat. Her face flushed, she hissed, "Put me down!"

Jared quickly released her, a mortified expression on his face. "I wasn't trying to take advantage of you!"

Lizbeth knew he'd acted to save her, but men and women should maintain distance, especially in public. The accidental hug left her burning with embarrassment.

"Kid, you can continue flirting in hell!" Jason bellowed, lunging at Jared with a fist.

Jared dodged easily, but Jason swung again. Jared continued to dodge, not retaliating. He looked at Lizbeth and asked, "If I strike back, is it self-defense?"

"Of course! Kill him!" Lizbeth retorted, her anger flaring.

"Sure!" Jared grinned. I was waiting for that!

He focused his spiritual energy, concentrating it in his fists. To counter Impenetrable Skill, he needed focused energy. A faint mist began to emanate from his fists, eventually enveloping them.

"What is that?" Jason asked, his expression wary and solemn.

"Don't make me move, idiot. If you won't act, I will!" Jared smirked, leaping over Jason's head.

Jason spun around, swinging wildly, but it was too late. Jared struck him in the back.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Jason stumbled, nearly falling, the force of the blows nearly knocking him off his feet. He felt as though his internal organs had shifted. He inhaled deeply, suppressing the blood rushing to his throat, and glared hatefully. "Kid, I'll never return to the Iron Gate Academy if I don't kill you today!"

As he spoke, his body inflated, and a faint light shimmered around him—visible even in daylight—resembling a gigantic bell.

The extraneous promotional sentence has been removed. The narrative is improved through the use of stronger verbs and sentence structure. The internal thoughts are integrated more smoothly into the narrative.