"Shameless!"
"Shameless!"
The entire crowd chanted in unison, their voices filled with disdain. Daniel shook his head helplessly. Zhang Chulan's earlier antics were truly something else. Although Daniel had known what was coming, witnessing it live was an entirely different experience.
At first, Zhang Chulan's grand proclamation of "I will conquer the heavens" had stunned not only his three opponents but also the spectators. His words might have been a bit over the top, but when someone has strength, it's no longer considered cringy—it becomes commanding.
He even generously allowed the victor of the three-way brawl to rest and recover before they fought. This act of sportsmanship initially appeared magnanimous, but Zhang Chulan then sneaked up behind his resting opponent, threw his cloak over their head, and mercilessly pummeled them. The unexpected turn of events left the entire crowd in stunned silence.
But after a moment, the audience exploded into furious shouts, many hurling insults at Zhang Chulan for his brazen dishonesty. Even the Daoist monks of Longhu Mountain, acting as referees, looked visibly displeased. Zhang Chulan, after all, was representing Longhu Mountain, and his actions were bringing shame to them.
The most outraged were those who had placed bets. Zhang Chulan's personal information had already been leaked, including the suspicion that he possessed Qi Body Source Stream, one of the Eight Miraculous Techniques, and his mysterious ten-year blank period. While many had bet that Zhang Chulan wouldn't even make it past the first round, those same gamblers were now left fuming.
Despite the uproar, Zhang Chulan's expression remained calm. The boos and jeers didn't faze him one bit. In fact, the more the crowd cursed him, the more satisfied he seemed. The more people underestimated him, the less likely they were to suspect him of possessing Qi Body Source Stream.
When the Daoist referee finally announced Zhang Chulan's victory, he grinned smugly at the crowd and nonchalantly popped a lollipop into his mouth.
"This guy is hilarious!" Feng Xingtong laughed loudly from the stands, while his sister Feng Shayan remained stoic.
"Chulan, seriously..." Xu San sighed in exasperation. Even though their plan had been for Zhang Chulan to conceal his true strength during the competition, Xu San was still taken aback by his unorthodox method. Xu Si, on the other hand, seemed rather impressed with Zhang Chulan's performance.
"Feng Xingtong, Zhang Yue." Shortly after Zhang Chulan's match, the next contestants were called.
"Big sis, I'll be back in a bit!" Feng Xingtong excitedly leaped off the stands and entered the arena.
"So this is Spirit Dispatching Technique..." Despite not being well-known, Feng Xingtong's skill with the technique allowed him to triumph over three opponents at once.
"Zhuge Qing, Liu Yu." Following Feng Xingtong's victory, the competition continued with Zhuge Qing of the Wu Hou family. Initially, the four contestants seemed ready for a two-on-two battle, but seeing Zhuge Qing's relaxed demeanor, the others quickly decided to team up against him.
However, even with three opponents, Zhuge Qing effortlessly outmatched them, especially when he countered the wind-based powers of one innate extraordinary with his own wind techniques.
"So this is the Eight Array Diagrams of the Daoist sorcerers," Daniel muttered thoughtfully as he watched Zhuge Qing's strategic use of the array to control the battlefield. The innate wind user had been helpless once Zhuge Qing countered their abilities with the same element.
"My turn." After Zhuge Qing left the arena, Daniel stepped forward upon hearing his name. With his green bamboo staff in hand, he leaped into the arena, followed quickly by his three opponents.
"Let's not waste time. Come at me all at once," Daniel said nonchalantly, provoking his opponents. Angered by his arrogance, the three of them exchanged glances before charging at Daniel from different directions, wielding an iron staff, a broadsword, and a pair of metal gauntlets.
"Not many people use swords anymore," Daniel mused as the thought crossed his mind. Among the extraordinary beings he'd encountered so far, only one had been a true swordmaster—Fu Rong, renowned for her sword qi.
Even as he pondered this, Daniel swung his bamboo staff with precise, fluid motions. In three swift strikes, he sent all three opponents flying to the ground. The crowd watching gasped, awed by his prowess. It wasn't unusual to see someone defeat three opponents, but Daniel had done it without moving from his spot.
"I guess Zhang Lingyu was right—coming here was the right decision," Zhuge Qing murmured to himself, impressed by Daniel's display.
As the future head of the Wu Hou family, Zhuge Qing had mastered the arts of Wu Hou's Qimen Dunjia at a young age. He had always been proud, believing that no one from his generation could rival him except for Zhang Lingyu, the disciple of the Old Heavenly Master. But now, as he witnessed the strength of other participants, his perspective was slowly shifting. However, at this stage, he hadn't yet experienced the humbling defeat at the hands of Wang Ye that would truly change him.
The competition continued, and before long, familiar names like Wang Ye, Wang Bing, Feng Baobao, Feng Shayan, and Jia Zhengliang also emerged victorious in their respective matches.
"I should have taken this more seriously from the start," Zhuge Qing thought as the preliminary rounds concluded. Initially, he had only seen the Luo Tian Dajiao as a chance to have fun and relax, but now he realized the level of competition was much higher than he had expected.
After the preliminary rounds ended, the participants drew lots again for the next stage of the competition. This time, it would be a series of one-on-one matches, but they wouldn't begin until the following day, giving everyone a night to rest.
"I wonder how many members of All-Truth have infiltrated the tournament, and whether that Westerner has arrived yet." While the potential attack by All-Truth wasn't Daniel's main concern, he was particularly interested in the whereabouts of the Six Thieves inheritor.
"Old Tianjin, considering how things are unfolding, leaving him in a coma might not be the best option..." With this thought in mind, Daniel quietly slipped out of his room.
The back mountain of Longhu Mountain was bustling with activity under the bright moonlight, with many people strolling around. For some, the opportunity to visit this sacred Daoist site was a rare occasion.
Lu Linglong and her group were having a lively bonfire, while Zhang Chulan and his small group, isolated due to his earlier antics, were keeping to themselves. Zhang Lingyu and two other Longhu Mountain Daoists were patrolling the area.
Meanwhile, inside a study on Longhu Mountain, the Ten Elders, including the Old Heavenly Master, Lu Jin, Lü Ci, Wang Ai, and Feng Zhenghao, were having a rare gathering. The topic of their discussion was Daniel's recent actions at Shaolin Temple.
"Could a single person really have toppled the entire Shaolin Temple?" Lü Ci mused aloud, his expression serious.
After all, we're talking about an entire sect. Even the Old Heavenly Master, as powerful as he was, wouldn't have been able to do it alone. Though, had Daniel been present, he would have told them otherwise—that the Old Heavenly Master absolutely could have done it.
To Lü Ci and the others, the Old Heavenly Master was certainly powerful, but not invincible. It wasn't until later, when the Old Heavenly Master finally unleashed his full strength, that they truly understood his power. Unfortunately, by then, Lu Jin had become a casualty of that strength.
"The extraordinary world is full of hidden talents. Who's to say? Perhaps an elusive master has reappeared," the Old Heavenly Master replied, equally perplexed.
"Even the Company is investigating. The only question is whether this mysterious figure will act again."
"It doesn't matter to me, but some people might not be so lucky," Lu Jin remarked with a knowing smile.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wang Ai and Lü Ci asked, both frowning.
"Oh, you know exactly what I mean," Lu Jin retorted, grinning mischievously.
"You—!" Wang Ai and Lü Ci, thoroughly insulted, stood up in anger and promptly excused themselves. Though the four families held similar status, the Lu family's reputation was far superior to the other three.
"Cunning old foxes," Lu Jin scoffed as they left.
"Alright, settle down, old Lu," the Old Heavenly Master said, trying to keep the peace.
"You're too lenient with them, Old Heavenly Master. I'm going to check on Linglong," Lu Jin replied as he stood to leave. He cherished his great-granddaughter Lu Linglong dearly. If Lu family martial arts had been suitable for her, she never would have joined the Quanzhen sect.
"Since you're here, why not come inside?" As soon as Lu Jin left, the Old Heavenly Master addressed the figure standing outside the door.
"As expected of a supreme master. My apologies for intruding." A man clad in black with a wooden mask over his face stepped into the room—Daniel had arrived.
"You were behind the incident at Shaolin Temple, weren't you?" The Old Heavenly Master calmly observed Daniel before speaking.
"It was merely a lesson for some. In the past, they wouldn't have gotten off so easily." Indeed, not all monks had been apathetic during the war,
but too many had been.
"We live in peaceful times. Sometimes, you just have to let things go."
"Wise words, but you of all people should know that not everyone has that luxury. I've come to speak with you about Zhang Chulan and that Westerner with the strange energy."
"Very well. Let's talk." The Old Heavenly Master gestured for Daniel to take a seat, and so their conversation began.
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