Chapter 737: Chapter Thirty-One: Advice
The arrogant residents of Martial Saint Mountain don’t bother with backup plans. Every three years, students from the top hundred ranks in the outer sections act as challengers—they either cultivate different methods or boast various bloodlines. But they all share one thing in common: they are incredibly powerful.
As a martial artist in the Mortal Realm, you would struggle to find stronger individuals. At most, one could only surpass them by a hair’s breadth.
However, that small margin might be enough to defeat them, but actually killing them would be as difficult as ascending the heavens, especially this challenger at the twenty-eighth arena.
Uncontrollable laughter echoed across Bifang Mountain’s platform. The idle challengers standing around crossed their arms, looking on with amusement, anticipating the upcoming spectacle.
Even the twenty-eighth challenger named Step Dust, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, had a smirk on his face.
Arrogant and impulsive—these qualities hadn’t vanished even in the most ancient of human sanctuaries. Tang Luo’s face remained expressionless, preparing to leap onto the stage when a worried female medic grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait a bit, young man.” She released Tang Luo’s sleeve, pointing at an unconscious Tang Xing, “He’ll wake up soon after taking the Restorative Divine Elixir. Right now, his family should be at his side. Aren’t you going to wait for him to awake?”
The well-intentioned advice was conveyed gently. Despite being invited to Bifang Mountain by the Martial Saint Mountain school, the benevolent heart of the medic did not want to see more people get hurt.
“I’ll be back soon, it won’t take long.” Tang Luo nodded with a smile, acknowledging the medic’s concern, but revenge couldn’t wait. He hoped that when his brother opened his eyes, he could see this youngster lying next to him on the platform.
About to step away again, he was stopped once more. The female medic furrowed her brows apprehensively, “You are so stubborn. Do you know who’s on the stage?” When coaxing words didn’t do the trick, she stated the facts: “This person is named Step Dust, a direct descendant of the Step clan, a young prodigy from Dapeng Mountain. He was among the top hundred fighters in the outer sections before even turning twenty. Why are you being so hard on yourself?”
If Tang Luo had been a seasoned martial artist in his thirties, she probably wouldn’t have been as worried. But, understanding how challenging it is for a small clan to nurture prodigies, she couldn’t help but advise further given that Tang Luo was about the same age as her elder son.
“She’s right.” The Fierce Realm Arbitrator, who had been observing quietly from the sidelines, couldn’t resist chiming in after the female medic’s repeated warnings: “Youngster, for you to represent your clan here at such a young age shows your incredible potential. You must have outclassed all youths in your clan to earn this opportunity and probably consider yourself matchless in your tier, but this place is different.”
“This is the oldest sanctuary of the Human Race, it is the source of all martial arts. You can’t compare the noble offspring you’ve encountered before to this place.”
“Perhaps in ordinary clans, one with awakened bloodline talent is considered a prodigy, but among the outer students in Bifang Mountain, such prodigies fall every year. Every warrior who steps onto the arena has reached the peak of the Mortal Realm. Even a Divine Son from a sacred place wouldn’t win easily.”
“If you consider yourself a prodigy, then these individuals are destined to fly to the heavens. After this, you will never see them again. Why risk your future over a momentary grudge?”
Like explaining a simple truth, the words of the Fierce Realm Arbitrator sounded sincere, not shying away from expressing his viewpoint in front of other contestants near the twenty-eighth arena.
Young people tend to fear nothing. Yet, after observing Bifang Mountain’s competitors, they had all lost their competitive spirit.
The Arbitrator’s words were like a divine sword, creating a chasm between them and the competitors, making the distance seemingly insurmountable despite being in visual range.
Hovering around the arenas, they weren’t really there to challenge, merely observing. Each new observation increased their reverence for Martial Saint Mountain. Maybe they truly were different species, just as the Arbitrator mentioned.
Silence added a footnote. If the challengers were merely looking forward to seeing Tang Luo in a precarious situation, their gaze now held a hint of melancholy.
Don’t go, they seemed to convey, You’ll be killed! Each challenger’s eyes appeared to transmit this message.
“Heh, you sure are meddlesome.” The resting Step Dust suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned their attention to him. In just a short time, the condition of the twenty-eighth challenger had been fully restored. Standing in the center of the arena with his arms crossed and chin raised, he said, “Didn’t you ask if you could cripple me? Let me tell you, if you have the ability, feel free to use it on this stage.” He then pointed his finger contemptuously, “But you definitely wouldn’t dare. Are you scared now that you know who I am? If you’re scared, then just take your crippled brother and scram.”
Tang Luo answered Step Dust not with words but with actions, appearing on the arena instantly, causing the young challenger to burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! I knew it, hahaha!” Step Dust held his stomach, quaking with laughter, “People like you really can’t handle being goaded. I merely spoke a few words and you actually dared to ascend on the stage. Hahaha!”
“Are you done laughing?” Tang Luo too had a trace of smile as he lifted and clenched his fist. The concussive sound from his action drowned out Step Dust’s laughter; the wind created from his clenched fist was so strong that the challengers beside the stage even took a few steps back.
Step Dust, who moments ago was laughing hysterically, looked as if his throat had been tightened, and he began to assume a defensive posture with a solemn expression on his face.
“Use all your secret techniques. Let’s see if you can survive. Or perhaps you would like to surrender now?” Tang Luo tilted his head and suggested sarcastically, “Let me think… a direct disciple from the ancient sanctuary of the Human Race surrenders before even fighting against an opponent of the same age, why don’t we call you the ‘Step Down Peng Bird’, what do you think?”
“Presumptuous!” Step Dust spat out angrily, his face turning green, even though Tang Luo had only clenched his fist. But the strength required to crush such a force and muster the power of wind and thunder was difficult even for some top Fierce Realm fighters.
Step Dust didn’t know why this person, who his cousin had judged as leaky, had such terrifying physical skills. But he also understood that he had to be fully alert when dealing with such a master of physical skills, because one lapse could result in death!