King of Ten Thousand Years

Chapter 53: Chapter 52: How Many More Henchmen Do You Have?

Outside the Martial Arts Arena, a brief, deathly silence fell.

He was simply too ruthless!

Every single challenger, upon defeat, would have an arm crippled!

After just one battle, Luo Tian had left a cold and domineering impression on everyone.

Furthermore, his actions were within the rules of the Holy Mansion.

In the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion, Student Levels were strictly hierarchical. For a student of lower status to challenge one of higher status was in itself a sign of disrespect.

As long as Luo Tian didn’t intentionally take a life, crippling an arm as punishment was perfectly justifiable, even if reported to the Holy Mansion’s Law Enforcement Hall.

"Next."

Luo Tian stood with his hands behind his back, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the area outside the Martial Arts Arena.

Ah!

His gaze carried an intangible spiritual pressure that terrified many of the Bronze Students, draining them of the fighting spirit they’d arrived with.

"You’re up!"

Tang Wei’s expression darkened. He pointed at a dark-faced youth, who shivered.

"Win or lose, I’ll reward you with three Middle Grade Qi Refining Pills."

Tang Wei added.

"Alright!"

The dark-faced youth’s face lit up with joy. Gripping an iron staff, he walked onto the Martial Arts Arena.

If he could get three Middle Grade Qi Refining Pills, he had a chance to break through to the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening within two months.

’Even if I can’t defeat Luo Tian,’ he thought, ’I can just slip away and not give him the chance to cripple my arm.’

Hengling Thirteen Sticks!

The dark-faced youth shouted, sweeping his staff out to create a series of blurs accompanied by dull, explosive sounds.

In terms of strength, he was even slightly stronger than the monkey-faced youth from before.

"You don’t know what’s good for you!"

Luo Tian shook his head and smiled. He lightly employed the Cloud Traveling Step, his body like a feather, weaving through the blurs of the staff.

The dark-faced youth’s expression changed. With Luo Tian having closed the distance, he was thrown into a flustered panic.

After a few exchanges.

THWACK!

Luo Tian appeared at the dark-faced youth’s back, striking him with a palm and sending him spitting blood.

’Run!’

The dark-faced youth’s heart sank. Without a second thought, he fled toward the edge of the Martial Arts Arena.

However, a cold gust of wind flashed by his side, and his arm was grabbed by an icy, powerful hand, nearly freezing his blood and True Qi.

"N-no... don’t!"

The dark-faced youth’s face was filled with terror.

With a "CRACK," his arm was broken in two.

"I said that every challenger would have an arm crippled."

Luo Tian stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

His cold gaze swept toward the Young Marquis’s underlings.

"Young Marquis, my stomach’s a bit upset. I need to go relieve myself!"

"Ah! I just remembered, there’s a mission issued by the Holy Mansion that I still need to complete."

Behind Tang Wei, several of his newly recruited underlings turned pale and made excuses to slip away.

"Hmph! A bunch of useless trash!"

Tang Wei’s sinister gaze swept over the underlings who had made excuses to leave, and he memorized their names.

"Young Marquis, let me go."

A tall youth with sword-like brows said indifferently.

"Hu Fei! Don’t be careless. It’s enough to just wear him down a bit."

Tang Wei nodded.

Hu Fei was one of the strongest among his subordinates, a veteran Bronze Student at the Peak of the Sixth Layer of Meridian Opening.

Originally, Hu Fei wasn’t supposed to go up this soon.

But Luo Tian’s strength and methods were more terrifying than expected; an ordinary cultivator at the Sixth Layer of Meridian Opening truly couldn’t withstand more than a few of his moves.

WHOOSH!

The youth with sword-like brows was like a flying swallow, gracefully landing on the Martial Arts Arena.

"It’s Hu Fei! He ranks in the top ten among Bronze Students!"

"Hu Fei is especially skilled in Body Techniques. In terms of speed alone, he’s in the top three among Bronze Students."

"I can’t believe an expert like him would be one of Tang Wei’s lackeys."

The students outside the arena were either amazed or indignant.

With a formidable character like this wearing Luo Tian down, the Silver Student status would inevitably fall into the Young Marquis’s hands.

"Luo Tian, no matter how you struggle, the final outcome won’t change!"

Hu Fei said coldly.

"Your outcome won’t change either. You’ll suffer the same fate as the student before you!"

Luo Tian replied, his face expressionless.

"You arrogant brat! Don’t you dare surrender and beg for mercy later!"

Hu Fei’s expression was severe, and a flicker of ambition and fighting spirit flashed deep in his eyes.

Others cursed him for being the Young Marquis’s lackey.

However, he was using the Young Marquis in turn.

’As long as I defeat this guy and become a Silver Student, why would I need to fear Tang Wei?’

Hu Fei’s heart surged with excitement, and his fighting spirit flared.

WHOOSH!

Hu Fei vanished from his spot, transforming into an afterimage, as swift as a fleeting shadow, closing in on Luo Tian.

His Body Technique was exquisite. The Mortal Level Upper Grade Martial Skill he cultivated had long since reached the Great Achievement Realm, and he was even halfway to reaching the Perfection Realm.

In terms of speed alone, Hu Fei was a notch faster than Luo Tian had been when his Wandering Body Step was at the Perfection Realm, thanks to his higher cultivation.

SWISH!

The afterimage flickered, and Hu Fei suddenly closed in on Luo Tian’s left shoulder, his hand lashing out like a claw, bringing with it a bone-chilling cold.

"Your Body Technique isn’t bad."

Luo Tian stood rooted to the spot, unmoving, a smile on his face.

WHOOSH!

Hu Fei suddenly vanished from the left side; the claw attack just now was only a probing feint.

Huh!

Hu Fei was a bit surprised.

Usually, a feint like that was meant to bait an opponent and force an opening.

Especially with his speed and attack, it was rare for anyone at the same cultivation level to remain completely unfazed.

"Ah! Look!"

In a blur!

Hu Fei’s figure leaped into the air, appearing above and behind Luo Tian.

What was even more subtle was that at this exact moment, a ray of sunlight shone on Luo Tian’s face, forcing him to squint instinctively.

’It’s over! The Silver status is mine!’

As Hu Fei leaped above and behind Luo Tian, a confident smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"What brilliant calculation!"

"A masterful Body Technique, combined with the use of the environment!"

Many in the crowd couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Even Cao Yang, a big shot in the Bronze Area, nodded to himself.

WHOOSH-BOOM!

While in mid-air, Hu Fei kicked out fiercely, creating an explosive sound in the air.

The power of this kick far surpassed that of the previous two youths; it could shatter even iron or stone.

A top-tier Body Technique for his level, combined with the use of the environment, made this move a guaranteed kill!

PUFF!

Luo Tian’s body was kicked to pieces and dissipated, and some cheers came from the crowd.

’Wait, that’s an afterimage!’

The smile on Hu Fei’s face froze.

’When did Luo Tian get away? My killing blow—which had perfect timing, positioning, and opportunity—actually missed!’

WHOOSH!

A cold wind assailed him from behind.

Without thinking, Hu Fei kicked behind him, sweeping out a roaring whirlwind.

However, an afterimage flickered, and the kick missed again.

SWISH!

Luo Tian’s figure flickered, and he returned to his original spot, the very place where the fight had begun.

"Your Body Technique..."

Hu Fei was shaken to the core, his face a mask of disbelief.

Luo Tian had, with an air of casual ease, dodged two rounds of his attacks and returned to his original spot completely unscathed.

To him, this was like a form of mockery.

"It’s not as if you’re the only one skilled in Body Techniques,"

Luo Tian said calmly.

"Then let’s have a real contest and see who’s better."

A sharp glint flashed in Hu Fei’s eyes, his fighting spirit ignited once more.

WHOOSH! SWISH!

As soon as the words fell, two figures began to leap, cross paths, and pivot across the Martial Arts Arena.

What an exquisite Body Technique!

Among the crowd, some with lower cultivation levels couldn’t even see the details of the exchange clearly.

"That Luo Tian... it seems he’s cultivating the Spirit Level Body Technique, Flying Cloud Step."

Li Hai narrowed his eyes.

"Flying Cloud Step? A Spirit Level Body Technique?"

Tang Wei’s face was grim. He figured Luo Tian must have used the reward for first place in the test to exchange for a Spirit Tier Body Technique.

Because new Silver Students usually couldn’t afford to exchange for a Spirit Level Martial Skill.

But how could Tang Wei and Li Hai know that Luo Tian’s Body Technique was actually a perfected fusion of Flying Cloud Step and Wandering Body Step, which had become a higher-grade, Spirit Level Middle Grade Martial Skill.

...

On the Martial Arts Arena.

Ten or twenty moves had passed.

The two figures on the stage leaped and shifted, the fight growing more and more intense.

Luo Tian remained composed, his Body Technique as swift as the wind, yet possessing an ethereal grace.

Hu Fei, in contrast, was breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.

’Damn it! This kid actually mastered a Spirit Level Body Technique, and his realm isn’t low either...’

Hu Fei was giving it his all, yet he was still being suppressed by Luo Tian’s Body Technique.

He had the faint feeling that Luo Tian was still holding back, not using his full power.

And he was right. Luo Tian hadn’t been cultivating his Cloud Traveling Step for long and was merely using Hu Fei for practice.

Through this practical combat, Luo Tian learned a great deal from his opponent’s Body Technique, gaining new insights into his Cloud Traveling Step.

He was confident that it wouldn’t be long before his Body Technique reached the Small Success Realm.

"This ends now."

An indifferent voice sounded in Hu Fei’s ear.

In an instant, Luo Tian’s speed suddenly surged. With a single turn, he dodged Hu Fei’s kick and closed in to less than half a meter away.

’Not good!’

Hu Fei’s kick had missed, leaving him in a momentary state of overextension.

"Leave an arm behind!"

Luo Tian reached out and with a twist—CRACK—snapped the latter’s arm.

Ahhh!

Hu Fei let out a miserable shriek, his face drained of color as he retreated from the stage in defeat.

WHOA!

A gasp of shock went through the crowd. The few Bronze Students who had still felt some fighting spirit were now filled with lingering fear and a sense of inexplicable terror.

"This guy is so domineering!"

"Everyone who is defeated gets an arm crippled."

At this point, there were very few left who still had the heart to challenge him.

"Who else?"

Luo Tian’s glacial gaze once again swept over the surroundings. The many Bronze Students all averted their eyes, not daring to meet his stare.

Then, his gaze shifted, landing on Tang Wei with a playful look:

"Young Marquis, how many more underlings do you have? I, Luo Tian, will take them all on."