Chapter 197: Chapter 197 - Unyielding Resistance
Conrad Schroeder’s arrival instantly electrified the atmosphere at Eastern Cemetery!
Crowds of people swarmed to greet him, their cheers filling the air like thunder.
But Conrad Schroeder’s eyes locked onto me alone, ignoring everyone else.
"You little bastard," he snarled coldly, "I can’t believe you actually dared to show up!"
I slowly pushed myself up from the ground, dusting off my hands and flashing a calm smile. "Old bastard, I’ve been waiting for you quite a while. Have you washed your neck clean?"
My words sparked an immediate uproar!
Gasps echoed through the crowd!
They couldn’t believe I wasn’t taking Conrad Schroeder seriously at all!
Conrad’s face darkened to a dangerous shade. "You sharp-tongued brat," he sneered, "I’ll sew your mouth shut soon enough!"
With that threat hanging in the air, he took a single step forward and instantly materialized at Eastern Cemetery.
His hair whipped wildly around his face as the unmistakable aura of a Grandmaster erupted from him!
The terrifying force triggered an immediate sandstorm across Eastern Cemetery!
"Is this what a Grandmaster’s power feels like?" someone gasped.
"So overwhelming—I can barely breathe."
"The Grandmaster truly lives up to his reputation!"
I felt my eyebrows knitting together as that crushing aura washed over me.
The intensity far exceeded what I had anticipated.
"You injured my son and destroyed my family’s reputation," Conrad roared, his voice trembling with rage. "If I don’t kill you, I, Conrad Schroeder, swear not to call myself human!"
His voice carried such concentrated Internal Strength that everyone clutched their aching eardrums!
I fixed Conrad with an icy stare. "It was your son who stole my belongings," I replied evenly. "As for Tristin Schroeder, I never wanted to harm him. Everything happened because he wouldn’t back down."
"Enough nonsense! Die!" Conrad bellowed, completely ignoring my explanation. He clenched his fist, channeling his Internal Strength, and launched a devastating strike toward me!
A Grandmaster’s power exploded forth, his terrifying fist seemingly tearing through the very air!
The punch hit with the force of a bomb, smashing directly into my body!
"Boom!"
My body flew backward, crashing straight into the mountain stone!
The small mountain cracked densely before collapsing entirely!
Shock painted everyone’s faces!
Just one punch carried such devastating force—a Grandmaster’s strength truly defied imagination!
"Is it over just like that?" Someone frowned.
"If that’s all there is to it, how disappointing."
Conrad stood confidently, cold eyes fixed on the direction where I’d landed.
Soon, I emerged from the ruins.
My clothes had been shredded to tatters, revealing my muscled torso.
What shocked onlookers most was that my body showed no injuries whatsoever.
"That was quite a punch," I remarked, examining my unmarked skin with mild surprise.
Inwardly, I marveled at the unexpected toughness of my own flesh and blood.
The next instant, Conrad attacked again!
Radiating murderous intent, he appeared before me in the blink of an eye!
With a thunderous impact, I was lifted clear off the ground!
Conrad followed through, delivering another punch to my back mid-air!
Having just been launched upward, I was now hammered brutally back into the ground!
The earth shattered into a massive crater! But Conrad showed no signs of stopping.
I was tossed around like a helpless rag doll, seemingly unable to resist!
"This is just... complete domination."
"What was Mason thinking? With that level of strength, challenging Conrad Schroeder?"
"It’s finished. Mason can’t even fight back."
Turner Keira watched in horror, each of Conrad’s punches surpassing his wildest imagination!
"If it were me under those blows," Turner muttered, "I’d probably be dead already."
After the relentless bombardment, I lay in a deep pit.
Silence blanketed the scene, heavy and absolute.
Long moments passed without movement from the crater.
Conrad stared coldly toward it, his voice frigid. "Even a Peak Grandmaster couldn’t withstand those punches. You’re certainly dead."
Just then, movement stirred within the pit.
A figure shot upward with a "whoosh"!
My body glowed with a faint dark golden light, completely unharmed!
"Worthy of a Grandmaster," I acknowledged quietly, examining myself. "If not for the Saintly Body Skill, those punches would have shattered me completely."
Conrad’s expression flickered slightly. "Kid, seems you do have some tricks," he said coldly.
I met Conrad’s gaze with solemn intensity. "Conrad, your strength exceeds what I anticipated."
Conrad narrowed his eyes and laughed loudly. "Kid, I’ve only used fifty percent of my power so far. Otherwise, you’d be nothing but broken fragments by now!"
Fifty percent power?
Gasps rippled through the gathered crowd!
If half-strength produced such devastation, what horrors would his full power unleash?
"Whoosh!"
Conrad charged at me once more!
His fist wrapped in powerful Inner Strength aimed directly for my face!
"Trying the same move again? Useless!" I roared, meeting his attack head-on!
"Clang!"
A deafening collision!
My arm went numb from the impact, feeling like it might shatter under his Inner Strength!
"Boom!"
Conrad pressed forward relentlessly, using his body like a battering ram!
We exchanged over a dozen blows in mere seconds, with me refusing to yield!
"How is this possible? Mason’s just an Inner Strength Master, yet he’s trading blows with a Grandmaster?"
"Has Mason been hiding his true power all along?"
"No one here could withstand Conrad Schroeder’s attacks!"
After our furious exchange, my arm began to falter!
Seeing this, Conrad’s face twisted with greater rage—a stalemate was an insult to his pride!
"Mason Raymond, you’ve succeeded in truly angering me!" Conrad roared, instantly raising his aura to its maximum!
"Boom!"
Another devastating punch!
Under this assault, I could no longer hold my ground!
The full force of a Grandmaster’s attack exceeded all comprehension!
Even protected by the Saintly Body Skill, my arm nearly snapped!
His Inner Strength made me cough blood repeatedly!
"Whoosh!"
Once again, I was smashed into the ground!
This time, my condition looked dire.
Blood stained my entire body, flesh torn open to reveal gleaming white bone!
Conrad let out a cold snort, followed by triumphant laughter!
"Before a Grandmaster, you have no power to resist," he declared, standing with hands clasped behind his back, victory assured.
In the crowd, Roberts Joshua’s brows furrowed deeply.
He stared intently at me, lost in thought.
"Mason Raymond, I’ll kill you now and avenge my son!" With a thunderous yell, Conrad swung his palm downward from mid-air!
His attack was overwhelming! A gigantic palm materialized above!
The massive hand descended, capable of crushing anything beneath it!
"Brother Roberts, we need to intervene now!" Johan Byron urged anxiously.
Just as Johan moved to step in, Roberts stopped him.
"Wait a moment longer," Roberts said, shaking his head.
He recalled our first confrontation, when he had taught me a harsh lesson.
That time, I had been knocked down repeatedly by Roberts, but kept rising again.
Eventually, my potential had exploded, and I’d even managed to wound Roberts!
"I believe he won’t fall so easily," Roberts muttered, eyes fixed on where I lay.
