Chapter 119: When Strong, They Are Bandits; When Weak, They Are Servile

Clang.

A section of a broken blade flew high into the air and fell to the ground.

Amidst the howling, violent wind, two figures crossed paths and stood still, motionless.

The difference was that Lu Yuan stood proudly on one side, the Seven Star Dragon Abyss in his hand shimmering with flowing light, reflecting a peerless sharpness under the sunlight;

Looking at the other side, Guan Shi Zhengzong had a stiff expression, and the so-called Kirin Fang in his hand had already snapped in the middle, leaving only half a blade.

At the same time, the sleeve of his Sword Dao robe had been slashed open, and a bloodstain appeared on his shoulder, as if his entire left arm had nearly been severed by that last sword strike.

Without a doubt, in this final duel of techniques, Lu Yuan was a cut above!

The entire scene was silent.

Sangtian Hengyi and the other disciples had never expected such an outcome and were all struck dumb with shock; even Aojinniezi and the others had slight changes in their eyes, filled with suspicion and uncertainty, never having imagined that Guan Shi Zhengzong would be defeated so cleanly and decisively.

Only the veteran experts of the Martial Arts Association like Wu Yixian, and even the thousands of guests and spectators, after a moment of silence and shock, immediately erupted into thunderous cheers!

"Young Friend Lu is amazing, truly amazing!"

"Magnificent! Graceful as a startled swan, agile as a swimming dragon; Pavilion Master Lu's sword technique can be called a Sword Immortal of this generation!"

"What Imperial God General, what Sunlight Grandmaster—nothing more than this, nothing more than this! Hahahaha."

"Let these Sunlight People know that their so-called Ninja Martial Way is nothing but a clumsy imitation, a fool learning to walk in Handan; it can never compare to our martial arts, which have been passed down for thousands of years!"

Before the duel between the two sides, Wu Yixian had actually prepared to intervene in the fight.

Although Lu Yuan was a peerless genius gifted with incomparable Godly Strength and unmatched Sword Technique, he was, after all, too young; in a true life-and-death struggle, his martial arts techniques and experience could hardly compare to a true top-tier Grandmaster-level powerhouse, so his odds of winning against Guan Shi Zhengzong were likely not high.

And once Lu Yuan showed signs of being unable to defeat his opponent, he would have stepped in to stop it at the first opportunity.

However, the development of events exceeded expectations; neither Wu Yixian nor the other experts of the Martial Arts Association had ever imagined that Lu Yuan would win so decisively!

"He actually won..."

"Good lad, well done."

Amidst the clamorous crowd, even Li Junxian, Lin Xingchao, Gu Kanshan, and others were shocked and incredibly excited, unable to speak.

Lin Xingchao, Gu Kanshan, and the others were fine, as they had once witnessed with their own eyes Lu Yuan's grace in defeating Sangtian Hengyi with his sword.

But Li Junxian and Xu Dahu were seeing Lu Yuan display such peerless sword technique for the first time, and they could not help but be shocked into silence.

And at this moment.

Under the cheers of the masses,

Lu Yuan lightly raised his sword tip and pointed at Guan Shi Zhengzong opposite him:

"The outcome is decided; do you have anything else to say?"

As a Sword Dao Grandmaster whose entire strength lay in his weapon, having his precious blade—which had followed him for over a dozen years—broken, Guan Shi Zhengzong's face was like frozen ice; after a long silence, he spoke in a tone like spitting out ice shards:

"Good, good, good, good—a Seven Star Dragon Abyss, a famous sword passed down for a thousand years; my Kirin Fang is indeed inferior to it."

Lu Yuan smiled slightly and said straightforwardly:

"What, are you trying to say that you only lost to me because your weapon was inferior?"

Sangtian Hengyi stepped forward in anger:

"Isn't that so? You merely relied on the advantage of your weapon. If my master had held a weapon like yours, this would never have been the result! I demand that both sides use the same weapons; only then would this duel be fair!"

Lu Yuan laughed out loud:

"What a joke! Do you think a martial arts duel is child's play? You say I relied on the advantage of my weapon, why don't you mention that your master has lived through many more cycles than I have? The outcome is decided, yet you use glib words—no wonder you Sunlight People are all those who know small courtesies but lack great righteousness, who are particular about trifles but lack great virtue, who value the trivial and slight shame, who fear power but do not cherish virtue; those who are bandits when strong and servile when weak!"

As soon as Lu Yuan finished speaking, the spectators felt a sense of relief and cheered, while Sangtian Hengyi was so angry his face twisted, and he shouted furiously:

"Scoundrel, how dare you insult us—"

"Sangtian, hold your tongue!"

At this moment, the icy-faced Guan Shi Zhengzong shouted a reprimand, cutting off his words instantly.

Sangtian Hengyi closed his mouth with a flushed face, while Guan Shi Zhengzong turned his gaze toward Lu Yuan and said in a low, solemn voice:

"You are right; the loser does not need to find too many excuses. Regardless of the duel today, I, Guan Shi Zhengzong, have lost."

"However, although your sword technique is highly accomplished, it has not yet made me feel convinced. As for this move I lost today, when I find a divine weapon that better suits my Sword Dao, I will certainly come to seek instruction again."

"According to our agreement, I will leave this broken sword here. Sangtian, let us go!"

With his sword broken and unable to exert his full strength, there was no need to continue fighting; he threw the broken Kirin Fang onto the ground and turned to leave.

"Yo, does this so-called Sword Dao Grandmaster still seem very unconvinced?"

"Pah, the old guy is truly shameless; why doesn't he mention that he was bullying the young with his seniority!"

"Still talking about finding a divine weapon—even if they tried again, they would still lose. Just as Pavilion Master Lu said, these Sunlight People fear power but do not cherish virtue!"

Guan Shi Zhengzong's attitude naturally provoked jeers, mockery, and curses from the thousands of spectators around. Amidst the waves of noise, Sangtian Hengyi and the other accompanying disciples had ashen faces but could not act out, so they could only hurry to follow.

Lu Yuan watched the backs of the departing group with a playful gaze.

In all fairness, the strength of Guan Shi Zhengzong, this Imperial God General and Sword Dao Grandmaster, was extremely high. That he was able to break the opponent's sword and win this move was indeed due more to his 【Great Strength】 and the sharpness of the Seven Star Dragon Abyss; relying solely on his current 【Sword Technique】, he could at most barely hold his own against the opponent.

From this, it can be seen that the top-tier powerhouses of the Seventh Realm in this world truly have some tricks up their sleeves and are not easy to deal with.

Of course, this was mainly because Lu Yuan could not fully unleash his methods under the public gaze; if it were in a deserted environment, this Guan Shi Zhengzong would likely not have been able to leave alive.

The thought flashed through his mind.

Lu Yuan then turned his gaze toward Aojinniezi and his group, pointing his sword at them from afar:

"The Sunlight Country's business is settled; next, it is your turn, you Sha'e People. What are you waiting for? Come up."

After defeating Guan Shi Zhengzong, the confidence of the spectators in Lu Yuan soared, and they shouted to cheer him on.

Takov and the others, who were no longer Consuls, were not as confident as before after seeing Guan Shi Zhengzong defeated and fleeing, and they hurriedly whispered:

"Lord Aojinniezi, the weapon in that kid's hand is extraordinary; perhaps we should first..."

"No need!"

Aojinniezi narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, his broken Chinese rolling like thunder, instantly drowning out the surrounding noise:

"Very good, I didn't expect you to have some skill, but if you think this bit of skill is enough to show off in front of me, then you are gravely mistaken!"

"That Guanshi Masamune wants to compete with you in swordsmanship, but I won't! You previously claimed to be God Fist Invincible and crippled my foolish nephew on the stage, so I will compete with you in unarmed combat!"

"Do you dare, or do you not?"

Lu Yuan laughed heartily and sheathed the Seven Star Dragon Abyss:

"Why wouldn't I dare? Then let me see how much stronger you are as an uncle compared to your nephew!"

Thump, thump, thump.

Without a shred of unnecessary chatter, the moment his voice fell, Lu Yuan took a massive stride forward; with each step, the ground at the point of impact cracked and collapsed without resistance, and large swathes of soil and stone slabs churned like waves, surging in all directions!

Along his path, the airflow around him emitted an unbearable, heaven-shaking roar; pushed and propelled by the rolling explosions of air, he crossed several zhang in the blink of an eye and raised his hand to hammer a fist toward Aojinniezi's face!

Boom!

A dull Thunder Sound of Gang Qi resonated. Lu Yuan's violent charge whipped up the surrounding dust, forming a dark, churning dragon of dust that descended with the overwhelming, tyrannical momentum of a landslide.

As the fist shadow enlarged and the terrifying fist wind—as if Heaven were collapsing and the earth sinking—completely enveloped him, Aojinniezi's eyelids twitched violently, an unprecedented alarm bell ringing fiercely in his heart; a roar erupted from his throat, and his entire body exploded with a scorching aura like a volcanic eruption!

At this moment, his figure suddenly expanded and grew taller, his muscles chiseled and sharp, reflecting a metallic luster, like a giant demon;

At the same time, the muscles on his two arms knotted, expanded, and vibrated like living, coiling, and entwining pythons, slamming fiercely into Lu Yuan's charging fist amidst a series of air explosions!

What Aojinniezi practiced was the Nareishkin Family's secret transmission, the "Giant Spirit Body Refining Art," which focused on physical strengthening or, in other words, external hard-body training.

This Secret Technique is the pinnacle of Savage Martial Arts in Sha'e Country; after breaking through to the Seventh Realm, under the tempering and protection of battle energy—or, in other words, true Qi—the strength of his body, both inside and out, would reach an incredible level, capable of resisting the fire of a Firearm head-on, and even blocking a Light Artillery or two.

And at this moment, facing the momentum of Lu Yuan's punch, he clearly felt the terror of his opponent's strength and used his full power without hesitation!

The next moment.

The two collided like a spark hitting the earth, and time seemed to pause for an instant.

Boom—!

As Lu Yuan's fist clashed with Aojinniezi's python-thick arm, it was as if a heaven-shaking explosion had occurred; with the two of them as the center, the earth for several zhang around shook and sank, and countless fragments of stone and dust were shaken into the air, shooting toward the sky before being swept up by the rampaging Gang wind and blown in all directions, shocking the crowd on the sidelines into retreating in panic once more!

Crack, crack, crack.

Huge cracks appeared on the bluestone-paved ground, and Aojinniezi, having taken Lu Yuan's punch head-on, saw his expression change again; his whole body shook violently, and under the impact of the overwhelming force, he felt as if he had been trampled by countless giant beasts!

His bones popped and cracked in a series of explosions, waves of intense pain came from his arms, and his joints emitted sounds of being unable to bear the load. The pure power, like a landslide or tsunami, vibrated layer by layer through his bones and muscles, conducting into the ground and immediately causing thick, dense cracks to split open beneath his feet, which continued to spread.

"This kind of power, how is it possible!!!"

In the blink of an eye, catching sight of Lu Yuan's calm and composed face, Aojinniezi's rugged features turned exceptionally ugly, and an incredulous roar erupted in his heart.

Practicing the Giant Spirit Body Refining Art, he had always been known for his strength in Sha'e Country; even among Title War Gods of the same level, few could surpass him in power.

Yet he had never imagined that Lu Yuan, with his ordinary build and seemingly having not cultivated true Qi, possessed strength in his small body that was even a notch above his own!

Such massive, surging power caused his blood energy to shake violently upon contact, and his steel-tough tendons, bones, and internal organs were rattled; if he hadn't been practicing the Giant Spirit Body Refining Art, he might have been severely injured on the spot by this punch!

That his greatest strength had instead fallen behind left Aojinniezi, who had always liked to suppress others with force and brutally tear his enemies apart, in disbelief.

Boom!

Too lazy to care what Aojinniezi was thinking at this moment, the air exploded again; Lu Yuan did not let up, bending his elbow and taking advantage of the momentum to strike straight at Aojinniezi's chest.

Better to take ten punches than one elbow strike.

With the opponent's strength, no matter how tough the body, a direct hit from this elbow would result in severe injury; Aojinniezi endured the shaking of his body and stepped with his feet, sliding obliquely backward as if stepping on a smooth ice surface, avoiding Lu Yuan's fierce elbow strike.

Subsequently, like an enraged wild lion, amidst a roar of extreme fury, he curled his five fingers, his true Qi billowing, and a one-inch-long blade of Qi aura vaguely appeared at his fingertips, reaching out fiercely like the claws of a Tiger Demon!

Tiger Demon Blood Claw is the Nareishkin Family's top secret combat technique for compressing one's own true Qi at the fingertips; when practiced to perfection, a single swipe can easily tear through steel plates. As a Title War God, Aojinniezi had long since practiced this technique to mastery, and now he used it without hesitation.

Rip—!

Aojinniezi's change in moves was strange, vicious, and swift, yet Lu Yuan acted as if he hadn't seen it, letting the claw-shaped Qi blade slash fiercely against his chest.

Fool!

Aojinniezi was about to be ecstatic, yet the scene he anticipated—of Lu Yuan's flesh splattering and his heart being ripped out—did not happen; his claw, which was enough to tear through steel tanks, felt as if it had grabbed onto an eternal mountain of steel, unable to advance even an inch, let alone tear skin or flesh; it hadn't even broken the clothes on Lu Yuan's body!

Impossible!

What is going on!?

Never having expected such a result, the shock in Aojinniezi's heart already overwhelmed the stinging pain coming from his fingers.

And before he could try again, amidst the violent explosion and roar of the Gang wind, Lu Yuan moved his right arm horizontally again, his iron elbow pounding directly toward his throat with the force of a thunderbolt!

Feeling the substantial wind pressure bearing down on him, Aojinniezi had no time to think; his whole body instantly went limp as if the supporting bones had been pulled out, and, borrowing the force of the counter-shock on his hands, he lowered his body and dodged out of the way.

For such a massive body to perform such ghostly, counter-intuitive movements was indeed incredible, and visually, it was contradictory to the extreme.

"What are you dodging for?"

Yet Lu Yuan's cold eyes did not flicker in the slightest; his feet pivoted, the ground immediately cracking and sinking under the unbearable load, and his right hand squeezed into a fist! A chilling electric light burst forth, his tendons and muscles snapped and vibrated, and amidst the rolling explosions of airflow, he hammered fiercely toward his side!

Broken Gang Divine Fist: Sinking Thunder Breaking Prison!

Boom—!

As he threw this punch, the air seemed to be crushed and shattered like a mirror, instantly emitting a thunderous, muffled sound and a wail, before suddenly returning to silence.

This was because the power and speed of his rebounding hammer strike were too fierce; the space within a zhang of him had been blasted by his violent and pure power, becoming nearly a vacuum!

Having just flashed out and not yet fully opened the distance between himself and Lu Yuan, this massive sound of the air explosion poured directly into Aojinniezi's soul.

It seemed as if countless large drums had suddenly been struck behind him; the hair on his back stood on end, and he felt as if an ancient fierce beast were pouncing on him from behind, or as if a speeding steel train were rumbling toward him, intent on grinding him into powder!

(End of chapter)