I Can See Your Combat Power

Chapter 951: Chapter 245: Broken Stele

When people are young, they often feel that personal ability is more important than the support of their family. Only when they truly mature do they understand that the saying “Circumstances are more powerful than man” is not an empty phrase.

If this were in Zhongzhou, even if the pride of Zhongzhou on the stage had decided to bully the weak, the onlookers might at most whisper a few mocking remarks and let the matter pass.

But this is in Longzhou, and even more so within the territory of Lanshan City. No sooner had the fearsome spirit of the howling moon wolf shown behind the Zhongzhou pride than over a dozen formidable spirits locked onto it. The back arch of the wolf’s shadow rose high, its fur bristled, and in its eyes, there was no longer any pleasure in toying with the weak, only vigilance.

The feeling of a thorn in his side left the Zhongzhou pride completely immobile, stiff all over. He could feel the dozen malicious gazes fixed on him, ready to transform into malevolent spirits and snatch away his life at the slightest movement.

The crown of the head, the nape of the neck, the heart chamber, the dantian, the limbs!

Each had a role as clear as that of the butchers sharpening their knives—while he was like the fish laid out on the chopping block.

As the chosen son of the Li Family from Zhongzhou and the descendant of one of the seventy-two kings, Li Chengjuan had never been treated this way before. Furious, he was about to burst out, but he realized the spirits that had locked onto him suddenly disappeared without a trace.

In a moment of confusion, a shadow suddenly covered his body, and a detached, deep male voice sounded from behind him.

“Are you looking for me?”

Startled, he turned around, only to see a figure as imposing as a mountain, and looking up, he saw a young man with indifferent expression and sharp, starry eyes who resembled the boy on the stage. The young man’s hand, big as a fan, was coming down toward his face.

“Chengjuan, be careful!”

The same pride of Zhongzhou shouted a warning to Li Chengjuan, but such a matter hardly needed reminding. To outsiders, it seemed he was just staring dumbly as the enormous hand approached, but only he understood the overwhelming force within that palm, about to destroy him, that made him tremble and unable to move.

The hand fell and covered his face, the fingers closing like a vise. Li Chengjuan grasped Tang Luo’s right arm with both hands, crying out desperately, “Let go, let go!”

Tang Luo remained expressionless, indifferent to Li Chengjuan’s pitiful struggles and cries. His sturdy right arm didn’t budge an inch. He turned and flung the man in his grip toward the group of noble heirs from Zhongzhou who had come to challenge, and those belonging to the pride rushed forward to catch their companion. The moment they caught hold of Li Chengjuan, they felt a triple-layered force explode from his body and sent them tumbling down in a heap, unable to stand.

In this era, where Spirit Arts are valued over physical cultivation, masters of physical arts were usually over sixty years of age. How could this group of challengers in their thirties and forties have any experience facing a master of physical arts? They struggled for a long time to dissipate the force and were very disheveled.

As the challengers were in such disarray, the arena erupted into thunderous cheers. Tang Luo’s reputation was soaring, especially after he had helped rebuild South City for the Righteous Gang. The onlookers had been frustrated at not being able to see Tang Luo and express their gratitude. Now they took the opportunity to shout out their support.

But these motivations were unknown to the challengers from Zhongzhou, who mistook the cheers as mockery of their own disgrace. They rose indignantly and glared at Tang Luo standing on the stage with fierce resentment.

Faced with these naive children, Tang Luo could only sigh; Zhongzhou truly was a wonderful place.

What sort of lush and relaxed environment could it be that allows these young masters of prominent families, all in their thirties or forties, to still carry the innocent and immature countenances of children?

From one leaf, the autumn is known; seeing these scions of great houses, one can understand the nature of a martial arts sanctum where such prolonged naivety persists.

No wonder the people of Zhongzhou have always looked down upon the families of other states; it probably stems from this. noveldrama

“I am Tang Luo, but I’m not the ‘First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans’ you seek,”

Facing the gaze of the Zhongzhou elite, Tang Luo, standing on the platform, said indifferently, “To prove oneself, there are countless stages in the world where one can showcase their ability. Why travel thousands of miles to Longzhou? Even if you defeat me and take the stele, can you truly prove you’re the ‘First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans’? Is it worth fighting to the death for a hollow title?”

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Li Chengjun looked up with a resentful voice, “You speak as if you are above it all. Show your true mettle in a fair fight. What skill is there in attacking from behind! If you agree to my challenge, I’ll leave without another word and acknowledge you as the ‘First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans’!”

Facing such a group of hotheads, Tang Luo was almost amused to annoyance. Rubbing his head, he spread his hands, saying helplessly, “Honestly, your acknowledgment, or even that of the Dutian Heavenly King, holds no importance to me. Whether I am the ‘First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans’ cannot be proven by a mere stone stele, so this stele means nothing to me. If you want it so badly, I’ll give it to you. It’s placed at the entrance of the Martial Hall—whomever gets it first can have it.”

“Do you take us for bandits!” Li Chengjun said coldly, “The Dutian Heavenly King issued a decree, naming Longxi’s Tang Luo as the ‘First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans.’ Only by defeating you can someone rightfully destroy the stele and prove the King’s decree wrong!”

Tang Luo, touching his chin, a mysterious light flickering in his eyes, asked, “So, in other words, you want to defeat me just to destroy the King’s stele?”

“Exactly, even if we are no match for you, others will continue to challenge you. We won’t stop until the King’s stele is destroyed!”

Shaking his head, Tang Luo soared into the air and vanished within the combat arena, leaving the Zhongzhou elite looking at each other before taking to the sky, following closely behind Tang Luo.

Chasing the man before them, the group soon arrived at the gates of Lanshan City Martial Arts Hall, where a several-feet-tall stone stele stood at the entrance, engraved with the title “First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans.” The back of the stele was inscribed with Tang Luo’s life story and his accomplishments.

Landing before the stele, Tang Luo waved off the guards of the Martial Hall who approached to pay their respects, and said to the descending Zhongzhou elite, “It’s just a stone stele. Why make such a fuss trying to destroy it? Watch.”

He placed his hand on the stele, and with a burst of force, the tall stele crumbled to dust under the dumbstruck stares of the Zhongzhou elite.

Warriors value honor above life and death. Everyone knows the exaggeration behind Tang Luo’s title as ‘First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans,’ yet who wouldn’t wish to take it for themselves?

If the title fell upon them, what harm would there be in battling to the death for it? This thought was almost rooted in the hearts of every Zhongzhou elite, which is why they couldn’t fathom why Tang Luo would destroy this honor so effortlessly, leaving them feeling suddenly empty inside.

“Clap, clap, clap.”

Having turned the stele to ash, Tang Luo clapped his hands and addressed the crowd, “Aran Mountain is situated among the midstream flowers of Lingjiang, with snow pines offering a splendid view. The gentlemen may wish to stay a few more days. As for me, I must continue my seclusion, so excuse my absence.”