Chapter 106: The Grandmaster Appears!

Clang!

The entire severed arm, along with the katana, fell to the ground, emitting a crisp sound.

Sangtian Hengyi, kneeling halfway on the ground, had a face full of distortion, pain, shock, and an expression of disbelief.

He seemed to have used all the strength in his body, turning his head with immense difficulty to look at Lu Yuan beside him, his throat rolling:

"You..."

The words had not yet finished falling.

His vision went black, and his body collapsed powerlessly to the ground, a pool of blood rapidly spreading beneath him.

As of now, Lu Yuan had not only broken through one hundred wisps of Dharma Power, but the Earthly Fiend Art of 【Sword Technique】, after half a year of continuous practice, had also reached the level of pure perfection.

Even though he was still far from the Primordial Spirit Sword Control technique, the effect of Sword Heart Clarity, which contained the general outline of all sword techniques in the world, had made him a peerless talent in Sword Dao; half a year of sword practice was worth more than decades of hard work by others, so how could Sangtian Hengyi possibly resist?

"Lord Sangtian!"

Never expecting that Sangtian Hengyi, as a Great Famous General, would be defeated so quickly, the Sunlight Country Consul Guangye Shensi and his subordinates were terrified; after the opponent collapsed on the ring, they shouted wildly and rushed onto the stage to check his injuries.

And seeing this scene.

Boom—

Not expecting Lu Yuan to achieve victory so easily, the entire arena was dead silent for an instant, before erupting into cheers as vast as a mountain collapse or a tsunami!

The common people were just cheering wildly for Lu Yuan's crushing victory, while the other experts closest to the ring, who had not expected Lu Yuan to possess such an inconceivable sword technique, were both pleasantly surprised and shocked:

"What a terrifying sword strike, what sword technique is that?"

"This kind of sword technique is something I have only seen in my life; I fear that even the sword technique of the Capital's number one sword, the Grandmaster Sword Immortal Song Jinglin, is no better than this!"

"Terrifying, terrifying, this person is only in his early twenties, not only possessing peerless Godly Strength but also such a miraculous sword technique; who else below the level of Grandmaster could be his opponent!?"

Compared to the shock of these people, Lin Xingchao and Gu Kanshan under the stage had dull eyes, their expressions extremely dramatic.

Amidst the deafening shouts, Gu Kanshan said in disbelief, not daring to be certain:

"Xingchao, what he just used, it seems to be your Wind Thunder Death-Defying Sword?"

Xi Beichen and Gu Yourong were still cheering excitedly and clapping, but upon hearing this, they were stunned.

Lin Xingchao looked as if he had seen a ghost:

"It, it seems to be, but how is this possible..."

Others might not be able to tell, but having immersed himself in the "Wind Thunder Death-Defying Sword" for many years, he could see that the sword strike Lu Yuan just used was one of the killing moves of this sword technique: Severing Cloud Wind Thunder.

The problem was...

The "Wind Thunder Death-Defying Sword" was a top-tier secret art of the previous dynasty's Wind Thunder Sect, and the difficulty was not low; the move Severing Cloud Wind Thunder could not be executed without three to five years of hard practice, but just now, Lu Yuan not only used it, but used it with such supernatural skill, approaching the Dao, ten or a hundred times more refined than when he used it himself.

The key was, the manual for the "Wind Thunder Death-Defying Sword" was something he had only given to Lu Yuan more than half a year ago!

This made him feel that either he was hallucinating, or something was wrong with this world.

Not to mention the existential crisis on Lin Xingchao's side.

On the side of the Shenluo Consulate, Victor, Williams, and their group also had fearful eyes upon seeing this result:

"How dangerous, this Jin Dynasty person actually hid so deeply, truly despicable!"

"Born with Godly Strength, plus this kind of sword technique, this person's strength is probably comparable to a top-tier Seventh-tier powerhouse!"

Although they did not face it directly, anyone with some knowledge and strength could see the terror of the sword strike Lu Yuan just performed.

At the very least, Williams, a Sixth Rank Platinum Holy Knight, had no confidence at all that he could receive it.

Not to mention the reactions of the many parties under the stage and the myriad states of life.

At this moment, on the stage.

Guangye Shensi and his group were hurriedly stopping the bleeding for the unconscious Sangtian Hengyi, shouting repeatedly.

To the side, Lu Yuan lightly twirled his sword and asked with a smile:

"Don't worry, he won't die. Does your Sunlight Country have anyone else?"

This was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire; Guangye Shensi raised his head in anger and shouted sharply:

"You bastard, don't be too smug!"

"Today, our Great Sun Empire was not prepared, which is why a despicable person like you achieved victory; we will soon come to collect from you!"

With Sangtian Hengyi defeated and no stronger experts on their side present to take the stage, he had no mood to stay any longer; he immediately ordered his subordinates to retrieve Sangtian Hengyi's severed arm, carried the person off the stage, and left the scene in a hurry.

The wretched departure of the Sunlight Country Consul and his group immediately triggered even greater cheers, applause, mockery, and cursing among the dense crowd.

After all, in a recent naval battle, the Jin Dynasty's new-style navy was completely wiped out, leading to the cession of the Dawan and Ryukyu islands and the designation of the Jin-Jin Concession and treaty ports; the Sunlight People landed and showed off their power, and the people of Jin-Jin felt deep shame and hatred, yet were helpless.

And in this ring match, the Sunlight People's clean and swift defeat seemed to have allowed them to regain a bit of dignity and face.

No longer paying attention to Guangye Shensi and the others who left in a sorry state.

Lu Yuan turned his gaze to the people of the Shenluo Consulate and smiled:

"What about you? Now that the rules have changed, do you want to come up and try?"

Williams's expression was cold and hard, while Victor, refusing to lose face even if he lost the game, spoke arrogantly:

"No need. We have already said we only came to observe the ceremony. Since this boring farce is over, we should go back too!"

"It is just an insignificant victory; don't be smug and rampant here. After all, no matter how many times you win on the ring, in front of our vast alliance, you are nothing but a tiny grain of sand!"

"Let's go!"

Having said that, he gestured with his eyes and immediately led his group of more than ten people to turn and leave with a swagger, as if he truly disdained the ring.

"Why are the foreign devils running? Are they afraid that if they get on stage, they'll be beaten down in an instant?"

"The Shenluo Alliance claims to be the world's number one power, but they are nothing more than this!"

"Satisfying, satisfying! These foreign devils are all fleeing in a panic; today we should drink a big cup of wine!"

"Mighty! Ten thousand victories! This is the bearing of our Han men!"

The Shenluo group spoke in high-sounding terms, and those who didn't know might have thought they were the winners of the competition, but as they passed through, the thousands of onlookers around were merciless, cheering, mocking, laughing, and cursing, causing the faces of Williams, Victor, and the others to darken as they quickened their pace to leave.

With this, the grand spectacle could be considered to have drawn to a close.

The joy and inspiration of the victory, having forcefully defeated the three great powers, spread from the center of the square outward, covering the entire square and even the crowds on the surrounding main thoroughfares, who passed the news from mouth to mouth, seething and surging to form an unprecedented grand occasion.

If not for the desperate obstruction of the hundreds of officers and soldiers around the ring, the surging crowd would have long since broken through the isolation and rushed onto the ring.

And at this moment.

Lu Yuan stood on the ring and threw the long sword back to Lin Xingchao, welcoming countless gazes of excitement, jubilation, and even relief, while simultaneously feeling a massive Luck Power descending upon him from the void:

One hundred ke, two hundred ke, three hundred ke.

From the start of the ring challenge, it had been no more than half an hour, yet the gathering of Luck Power had already exceeded three hundred ke, and it was still climbing!

And although the three powers had treated him as air when they left, Prefectural Assistant Liu Guobai, who had achieved a complete victory and fully met his expected goals, was also incredibly excited.

He was just preparing to lead people to the front of the stage to offer congratulations, when at this moment.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, among the crowd, an old man dressed in plain clothes with graying hair drifted onto the ring, his figure like weightless light smoke and rays of light.

At this, the roaring and seething of the entire venue paused, and the jubilant people were also taken aback.

Even Lu Yuan had not expected that someone would actually come onto the stage at this time, so he couldn't help but raise his eyes to size the other person up.

Only the various experts near the ring, such as Liu Guobai, Fan Zhenxiong, and those from the Martial Arts Association, recognized the newcomer at once, their expressions changing in unison:

"Wu, Wu Taidou?"

"It is the Martial Arts Grandmaster Wu Yixian!?"

"The old gentleman actually came too!?"

News spread rapidly through the crowd below the stage, and as more people recognized the identity of the old man on the stage, it caused an even greater shock and sensation; everyone hurriedly craned their necks to look, showing incomparable excitement.

After all, this Martial Arts Grandmaster Wu Yixian was the golden signboard of the Martial Arts Association and even all of Jinjin; it would be no exaggeration to say he was world-renowned.

That such a figure would appear on the ring and seem to want to spar with Lu Yuan—how could people not be excited?

Wu Taidou, that Martial Arts Grandmaster of the Martial Arts Association?

Lu Yuan, on the stage, listened to the clamor of voices from below and also looked with a slight movement of his eyes toward the seemingly plain and unremarkable old man opposite him:

"May I ask this senior, are you Wu Yixian, the Wu Taidou of the Martial Arts Association?"

"Just empty names, all thanks to the kindness of friends in the jianghu."

On the stage, Wu Yixian arrived at the center of the ring and said with a gentle expression:

"Yesterday, this old man heard about your ring challenge, little friend. Seeing you today, you are indeed a peerless talent, like a being from Heaven. Especially this defeat of the powers, which bolsters the prestige of our Han people—it truly makes this old man admire you!"

"Wu Taidou is too kind."

On the stage, Lu Yuan looked at this Martial Arts Grandmaster who was renowned throughout Jinjin and asked with slight anticipation and curiosity:

"Senior, you have ascended the stage—could it be that you also wish to participate?"

Wu Taidou smiled and nodded:

"Indeed. However, this old man only came up to receive three punches from you; I wish to witness that world-shocking Godly Strength. Would that be possible?"

The other party clearly had no ill intent in coming onto the stage, which played right into Lu Yuan's hands; he smiled, eager to try:

"Of course!"

Originally, his purpose in setting up the ring, besides making a name for himself and harvesting Qi Luck, was also to attract Seventh Realm Martial Arts Grandmasters to come.

After all, such figures were already at the very pinnacle of contemporary cultivation achievements, and one person could stand against a thousand troops. Although Lu Yuan's methods were now nearly invincible, he was still quite curious about the strength displayed by such figures.

Furthermore.

It was rumored that the Seventh Realm True Martial was the transformation of blood and Qi, capable of condensing True Qi, thereby achieving True Qi body protection and a certain degree of defense against guns and cannons.

He was somewhat curious about how this so-called True Qi differed from the True Qi and Dharma Power he had cultivated through the art of Guidance.

After Lu Yuan agreed, Wu Yixian asked again:

"Little friend, how is your physical stamina after just now? Do you need to rest and recover for a moment?"

Having defeated Ogliev and Sangtian Hengyi without expending any real effort, Lu Yuan shook his head:

"I am in perfect condition; there is no need for that."

"Good, please!"

Wu Yixian did not drag things out; he immediately adopted a defensive stance and laughed heartily:

"Little friend, feel free to unleash your full power; there is no need to show this old man any mercy!"

As he spoke, a rumbling sound emanated from his body. Even though there was no wind on the field, air currents whistled and swirled. Lu Yuan immediately felt as if the man before him were a dormant volcano awakening; an invisible aura radiated from his body, carrying an astonishingly scorching intensity!

Is this True Qi?

Sensing the inexplicable aura radiating from the other man's body, Lu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he stepped forward, throwing a punch.

Boom!

With that punch, the fist wind exploded; the terrifying power surged out like an erupting volcano, shattering the air in layers and bringing a roar like an angry dragon.

At the same instant, Wu Yixian's expression became incomparably grave, his entire body's aura as heavy as a mountain, while he slowly pressed a palm forward.

Bang—

The next instant, fist and palm collided instantly, a sound like a thunderclap exploding rang out, the ring they stood upon collapsed with a crash, and at the same time, one could see obscure ripples rapidly oscillating in the air, kicking up fierce, violent winds!

A dull, heart-wrenching thudding echoed continuously in the air. Ripples spread in circles amidst the violent collision, and the waves containing incomparably wild power spread and propagated repeatedly, actually causing the scene seen by the thousands of people below the stage to become slightly distorted—such was the intensity of the collision between the two!

And then, in the shocked gaze of thousands.

Step, step, step!

After the roar of the energy, Wu Yixian, who had taken Lu Yuan's punch head-on, had his expression change slightly, his figure trembled, and then he retreated three large steps under the irresistible impact.

Boom—

Although he was not defeated by a single punch as before, seeing this scene, the countless crowds below the stage still let out various clamorous sounds.

After all, Wu Yixian was different from anyone who had been on the stage before; as a Grandmaster of the Martial Arts Association, his strength was peerless in Jinjin and world-renowned, and he was a legendary figure who acted as a pillar of stability.

Even such an existence was forced back three steps by a single punch from Lu Yuan; indeed, many had never expected this!

"Good, good, good! Such power is truly rare in this world!"

On the stage, Wu Yixian, having retreated three steps, laughed heartily without the slightest concern, appearing even more delighted and joyful:

"Little friend, come again! I can feel that you have yet to use your full strength!"

With the blessing of Great Strength, Lu Yuan, who had already utilized a full seventy percent of his power, raised an eyebrow and nodded immediately:

"Then, Senior, take heed!"

The next moment, he held nothing back; he clenched his five fingers, the airflow exploded, and he stepped forward to strike once more!

No one could describe how great the power of this second punch was; as he delivered the punch, even the airflow seemed to solidify, not making a single sound of wind, as if in that instant the air had been completely blasted apart by him, forming a vacuum!

The immense impact force was even faster than the transmission of sound; the path of Lu Yuan's punch was like a world of weightlessness, where everything became fragmented and bizarre.

Facing this punch, Wu Yixian let out a low shout, his entire arm turning into a blur; he struck out slowly with a palm like a thousand overlapping waves, appearing to be only one palm, but in reality, he had struck dozens or hundreds of times in an instant, the countless afterimages overlapping to create the illusion of "slowness"!

It was amidst this contradictory illusion that was almost unbearable to behold.

Boom!

The two collided and struck each other again; the arena shook violently, instantly cracking open a massive fissure down the middle as if split in two, and the air on the stage seemed to turn into a water surface, with layers of ripples spreading from the center of the two, whipping up monstrous waves!

The air waves swept in all directions, whipping up flying sand and rolling stones, truly like giant waves clearing the sky, like a mountain calling and a sea roaring, the air being pushed away layer by layer, rustling and rumbling!

Thud, thud, thud.

Amidst this shocking scene, both Lu Yuan and Wu Yixian had their figures tremble, simultaneously retreating backward again and again.

The difference was that Lu Yuan only retreated three large steps, while Wu Yixian retreated seven or eight steps, only stopping once he was nearly at the edge of the arena!

(End of this chapter)