Chapter 99: Cicada Sheds Its Skin, Advancing Through Consumption!

In an instant, Deng Xiaolin was like a tomato that had been smashed to pieces, dragging a long, blood-colored rainbow through mid-air before slamming heavily into the crowd, triggering a series of screams.

The crowd he struck were all dressed in green shirts and small caps; they were the very members of the Canal Gang under Deng Xiaolin, and they suffered broken tendons and fractured bones on the spot.

"Gang Leader Deng! Gang Leader Deng!"

Many gang members nearby who had not been affected were filled with shock and rage, calling out repeatedly as they rushed forward.

Yet they saw Deng Xiaolin in the pile of people, his face twisted and his body trembling violently, his upper body torn and bleeding profusely, while his arms hung limply; he was actually unable to stand up by his own strength!

The members of the Canal Gang were terrified and hurriedly helped him up, while the many experts from the Martial Arts Association, the Golden Blade Group, and even Lin Xingchao were even more shaken:

"Deng Xiaolin has been famous for over a decade, and his martial arts cultivation is certainly no less than ours. This boy actually didn't use his full strength before!?"

"Incredible, how can there be a person with such Godly Strength in this world."

"Even the Overlords of old cannot compare to him!"

The four Martial Arts Masters who had taken the stage earlier had all managed to receive a punch.

But at this moment, Deng Xiaolin's miserable state made everyone truly realize that when Lu Yuan threw his punches, he had already saved face for everyone; otherwise, whether it was Zheng Shan'ao who went on stage first or the three Embrace Dan Realm masters who followed, they would have been blasted off the ring in a single punch!

The thousands-strong crowd was boiling and surging, and the eyes with which they looked at Lu Yuan on the stage were already filled with awe, as if looking at a god.

And off the stage, Deng Xiaolin, who had been helped up by his many subordinates, spat out a mouthful of blood and finally managed to catch his breath.

Lu Yuan's punch just now had left him with fractured arm bones, shaken Qi and blood, and internal organs burning; he had already suffered quite heavy internal injuries.

With thousands of pitying and mocking gazes and discussions cast upon him, Deng Xiaolin, who had never suffered such a humiliating disgrace since becoming famous, had blood-red eyes as he looked at the stage and growled:

"You beast. Today, either you die, or I perish!"

"Go, Yulong Hall members, listen to my order: bring out the gear and wipe out this little beast for me!"

There were at least twenty or thirty gang members surrounding him, and most of them were small and large leaders of no low status; hearing this, they were all stunned, their faces showing hesitation.

The "gear" naturally referred to firearms, which many of the leaders secretly carried.

If it were any other time and Deng Xiaolin ordered them to pull out their gear to shoot someone in the dark, they would naturally do so without hesitation, but now there were tens of thousands of people gathered in this square, and experts and big shots from all sides were present—who had the guts to pull out a Firearm!?

As those around him hesitated, the red-eyed Deng Xiaolin was about to speak again, but a burly old man beside him led his group out and scolded: "Gang Leader Deng, if you've lost, you've lost. Don't spout nonsense on an occasion like this!"

Seeing who it was, Deng Xiaolin's face twitched even more: "Zhong Jinlong, are you siding with outsiders!?"

A behemoth like the Canal Gang was divided into three halls: Yulong, Giant Whale, and Angry Flood Dragon.

The three halls each had their own duties; some managed canal transport, some managed the brothels, whorehouses, and gambling dens on land, and others were responsible for the business of selling opium and even human trafficking.

The three halls were managed by the three deputy gang leaders, and the one who spoke was the other deputy gang leader who had been in charge of the Giant Whale Hall for over a decade: Zhong Jinlong.

Although the three deputy gang leaders had been fighting openly and secretly for quite some time over the position of the Canal Gang's leader, and Zhong Jinlong was gloating to see Deng Xiaolin suffer such a big loss, the situation now clearly had a trend of spiraling out of control, so he had to say in a low voice:

"Gang Leader Deng, don't let anger cloud your judgment. Do you see what kind of place this is? If you really blow things up, let alone for you, it won't do the gang any good either. If you have a grudge, just go back and plan it out later!"

His voice condensed into a line, and no one except the members of the Canal Gang knew of it.

Having been given a way out, the livid Deng Xiaolin's expression changed several times before he finally gritted his teeth:

"Fine!"

As he spoke, he looked at Lu Yuan on the stage, as if he wanted to carve his face into his heart, and said viciously:

"You little bastard, don't think you're so impressive now. By offending our Canal Gang, I will make you regret coming into this world!"

"Let's go!"

After dropping this harsh threat, he gave an order, and with the help of a large group of subordinates, he pushed through the crowd and left.

Seeing this scene, the crowd off the stage couldn't help but let out scattered cheers, seemingly quite pleased by Deng Xiaolin's humiliation.

After all, the Canal Gang had been running rampant in Jinjin for many years, and there was no telling how many commoners in the city had been oppressed; coupled with the gang's evil deeds of selling opium and even human beings, they were notorious among the people.

Being able to see them suffer a setback was truly rare.

Some people also began to worry and discuss:

"Oh no, this outsider has offended the Canal Gang; I'm afraid this ring won't be able to stay up anymore."

"The Canal Gang is a mix of all sorts of people, with tens of thousands of members across three halls, and they dare to use any means. As an outsider with no background or foundation here, if the Canal Gang finds his residence, won't he be in big trouble?"

"That shouldn't happen, right? This outsider has Godly Strength that covers the world; even a Six Realms Martial Arts Master could hardly resist him. Even if the Canal Gang has many people, what can they do to him?"

"Sigh, this outsider indeed has astonishing Godly Strength, but that is all. I observed that his strikes clearly haven't reached the Embrace Dan Realm. No matter how strong or great his strength is, how can it withstand the danger of Firearms and explosives? The Canal Gang has close ties with the foreign firms in the Concession; getting powerful Firearms or even explosives is as easy as turning over one's hand. If they are determined to use some dirty tricks, I'm afraid this outsider will soon die under a hidden gun!"

At this moment, not only was the surrounding crowd discussing it, but even Lin Xingchao had a grave expression:

"A Yuan was a bit too reckless. I remember that this Deng Xiaolin is notoriously vengeful, and with the Canal Gang's large numbers, I'm afraid there will be big trouble if they are determined to retaliate."

Gu Kanshan, however, laughed out loud:

"This kid hates evil like a foe and cannot tolerate sand in his eyes; he's very much like me when I was young. For a dog-thief like Deng Xiaolin who harms the country and the people, not giving him face is the right thing to do! No matter what, Deng Xiaolin is only a deputy gang leader, not the head. With our help, he can't do anything to A Yuan!"

Lin Xingchao also nodded solemnly:

"That's true. We must protect a peerless talent like A Yuan at all costs and not let him be harmed by treacherous people..."

Not to mention them.

On the other side, even the Martial Arts Association veteran Huang Shihu, who was the most unconvinced at the beginning, had to let out a long sigh at this moment:

"Good kid, my defeat earlier was not unjust."

At this moment, although his face remained dark, the annoyance and unwillingness had faded a lot.

After all, compared to his own embarrassment of being blasted off the ring in two punches, Deng Xiaolin, who was beaten until his tendons and bones burst and blood flowed in a single punch, was much more humiliated, which actually balanced his heart.

Zheng Shan'ao also praised:

"Defeating Deng Xiaolin in one punch—this kind of peerless Godly Strength can completely rival a Martial Arts Grandmaster. It is truly a wonder. Where on earth did this kid pop out from? Why have I never heard of him before?"

Another veteran, Ouyang Heng, shook his head and said: "This young man is still too young and vigorous. He is alone and isolated, and now that he has offended the Canal Gang to the death, I'm afraid he will have a hard time moving an inch in Jinjin, and may even be in mortal danger."

Zheng Shan'ao frowned deeply and said with some worry: "Such a peerless talent naturally cannot be ruined by this bunch of thugs from the Canal Gang. I have already told this young man that he can come to me if he encounters trouble, but I don't know if he took it to heart..."

In this era, ever since Firearms were invented and constantly updated, Martial Arts and Daoist Arts have faced great threats and challenges.

Because even a Sixth Realm Martial Artist can hardly resist bullets with their physical body; if there are martial arts experts, especially those proficient in shooting, lying in ambush to assassinate, they can also cause huge threats and harm.

Although Lu Yuan has Godly Strength that covers the world and suppresses Martial Arts Masters, if local snakes like the Canal Gang mobilize a large number of Fourth or Fifth Realm gunmen to wait for an opportunity to shoot in the dark, he will still face great danger.

Listening to the clamor and discussion beneath the stage.

From beginning to end, he did not spare Deng Xiaolin a single extra glance.

After this group of people left, Lu Yuan on the stage looked around at the crowd, as calm as ever:

"Is there anyone else who wants to come up and try!?"

Admiration, fervor, reverence—countless gazes converged, yet no one responded, and even fewer dared to step onto the stage.

After all, in just this one day, a full four Martial Arts Masters had failed their challenges; even the most stubborn person understood that the outsider on the stage had vividly created a legend that had no predecessor and might not have a successor—who would still be so overestimating their own capabilities?

Just like that.

Amidst the attention of the masses and the deafening uproar, he waited on the stage for a long time.

The ring had been set up for over two hours, and seeing that the time was about right, Lu Yuan cupped his hands and said in a raised voice:

"Since no one is coming up, the ring for today ends here."

"Tomorrow at noon, we shall continue here; I bid you all farewell!"

Having said this, he collected the Silver Yuan and documents from the Eight Immortals Table, and then, with a flip of his hand, a ball the size of a fist appeared.

With a bang!

As he threw it down, the ball burst, and billowing lime smoke filled the stage, obscuring his figure.

The thousands in the crowd were noisy and clamorous, scrambling and stretching their necks to squeeze forward; especially many members of the Boatmen Gang within and outside the crowd were urgently pushing forward and looking around, seemingly wanting to find Lu Yuan's trail.

However, when the billowing thick smoke on the stage was blown away by the breeze, the tens of thousands of spectators, both in front of and behind the stage, discovered that Lu Yuan's figure had long since vanished without a trace, leaving only two coolies holding the couplets standing foolishly in a corner.

The thousands of spectators exclaimed in succession, and the Boatmen Gang members in the crowd were also completely dumbfounded.

When Deng Xiaolin was injured and left the scene earlier, he had given a vicious order to summon all nearby members of Yulong Hall, with the sole task of tailing and waiting for the ring to end, then following Lu Yuan to find out his residence.

There were at least two or three hundred of them who had come upon receiving the order, scattered inside and outside this square and even along every major road and exit; with so many pairs of eyes, not even a fly could hope to fly out of thin air—who could have imagined that Lu Yuan's way of leaving would be so bizarre?

"Where is the person? Did any of you see where he went?"

"Hiss, disappearing into thin air—what kind of trick is this?"

"Interesting, interesting; today's excitement was not in vain, I'm coming back tomorrow!"

After Lu Yuan disappeared, the crowd beneath the stage became agitated once again; everyone felt it was unfinished business and that the trip had been worthwhile.

Including Gu Kanshan and the others who were closer, after searching repeatedly and failing to find any trace of Lu Yuan, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:

"Good lad, even I didn't see clearly how he disappeared; what kind of method is this?"

Lin Xingchao, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief:

"Regardless of what method it is, it's good that he could escape under the eyes of all these people."

"Let's go, we're heading back too!"

Although Lu Yuan had repelled four Martial Arts Masters in one day and was in the limelight, he could also be considered to have offended the two behemoths: the Martial Arts Association and the Boatmen Gang.

The Martial Arts Association was easier to deal with, as they generally followed some rules, but Deng Xiaolin of the Boatmen Gang had always acted ruthlessly; having suffered such a big loss, he would certainly not let it rest.

The Boatmen Gang had eyes and ears all over the city; if Lu Yuan's tracks and residence were discovered by them, he would soon face endless retaliation, so it was naturally best that he could escape in time.

Lu Yuan had already left, but there were still a multitude of questions lingering in their hearts; Lin Xingchao and his disciples, along with Gu Kanshan and his daughter, could not bother to watch the excitement in the chaotic square and immediately forced their way through the surging crowd to leave the place.

Following Lu Yuan's disappearance without a trace.

The thousands of onlookers gradually dispersed while talking about it with relish, and under the sweep of the news, a more massive disturbance and sensation was brewing.

Meanwhile, under the effects of Invisibility and Earth Travel Technique, Lu Yuan had long since moved far away from Hehai Square and returned to his own home.

And the first thing he did upon returning was to communicate with the Heavenly Book in his mind and receive feedback:

【Supernatural Power Master】: Lu Yuan

【Mastered Arts】:

Earthly Fiend-Ingestion (Human: 69%); Earthly Fiend-Guidance (Human: 58%); Earthly Fiend-Invisibility (Human: 15%);

Earthly Fiend-Sending Staff (Human: 10%); Earthly Fiend-Medicine (Human: 29%); Earthly Fiend-Earth Travel (Human: 13%);

Earthly Fiend-Generating Light (Human: 22%); Earthly Fiend-Sword Art (Human: 24%); Earth Fiend-Stone Boiling (Human: 18%);

Earthly Fiend-Pot Heaven (Human: 17%); Earthly Fiend-Great Strength (Human: 2%); Earthly Fiend-Sprout Sensing (Human: 1%)

【Luck Power】: 538 units

Originally, after lighting up the 【Sprout Sensing】 art last night, he only had two hundred-odd units of Qi Luck remaining.

But after the ring was finished today, his Qi Luck had surged by a full three hundred units or more, directly breaking through the five-hundred mark!

Even now, the Qi Luck in the dark was still continuously gathering, increasing by several units every little while!

Having never obtained so much Qi Luck in just two days, Lu Yuan was filled with joy at this moment:

"It's already broken five hundred units in just two days; breaking a thousand in another two or three days is a certainty. Even if there is a decline later, it's still a huge profit. This step of setting up a ring to make a name for myself was the right move!"

The reason he set up such a flamboyant ring in Jinjin was that his main goal was to make a name for himself while incidentally collecting Luck Power.

In fact, the goal of making a name for himself was even more important.

Because in a place like Jinjin, a nobody wanting to establish their own power would inevitably have to go through struggles and spend a lot of time and experience before they could possibly carve out a world of their own.

However, Lu Yuan did not have that much time to waste, so he simply took a shortcut, first making a splash and becoming famous in Jinjin, and then relying on his huge reputation to quickly establish and develop his own power, recruit talent, and build a foundation.

Otherwise, even if he were invincible in the world and killed all the rulers of the Jin Dynasty, he would only cause an even bigger mess.

At this thought.

He turned his attention back to the Heavenly Book in his mind, his heart stirring:

"The Ingestion Technique with the highest progress has already reached 69%. If 10 units of Qi Luck can increase progress by 1%, then only 310 units of Qi Luck are needed, and I can just happen to leave 200 units of Qi Luck in reserve."

"That's the one!"

Ingestion and Guidance were the foundation of Lu Yuan's cultivation, and the changes brought by leveling up would certainly be significant. Having made up his mind, he immediately acted on the thought:

"Advance, Ingestion!"

As his intent was conveyed.

Suddenly, an invisible, grand, and vast power boiled and burned within his sea of consciousness, while at the same time, the Heavenly Book erupted with an unprecedented, miraculous radiance, resembling a brilliant sun.

Under the illumination of this divine light, Lu Yuan felt as if his understanding of the Ingestion Technique had been enlightened, his confusion instantly cleared, and everything became crystal clear in his mind.

(End of chapter)