Maybe he had weak kidneys

When people left Bing Qinglong's match, they wore all sorts of expressions.

Some were satisfied, some amazed, some nervous, and some afraid.

All kinds of people wore different expressions and said different things.

But every conversation came back to Wang Zhuo's Thunder Method and horizontal training martial arts, as well as the defense called Limitless!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Taking a blade with his bare flesh!"

"Is that even humanly possible? I didn't see any golden light on his body, either. Sure, it's horizontal training martial arts, but it's definitely leagues above that Eighteen Bronze Men stuff."

"That Zhu Erdan really was trying to split his palm open. I saw it clear as day. The hand Liu Guanyi had around his blade was actually smoking."

"That's nothing. The Thunder Method was the impressive part! Didn't you see its speed and reaction time? I guarantee it's no worse than Mount Longhu's legacy."

Amid this chatter, Wang Zhuo, Zhang Chulan, and the others returned to the drawing area.

The Old Celestial Master stood on the platform with his usual expression. His deep, clear eyes swept over the crowd, lingering briefly on Wang Zhuo before moving on.

"Ho ho... thank you for your efforts, everyone. The first round of matches has now concluded successfully."

"There are thirty-two winners in total."

"But only the sixteen selected participants need to come forward to draw lots."

No one spoke upon hearing this. They all lined up to draw. Unlike the long queue last time, this drawing finished quickly.

"The coming matches will be held one-on-one."

"So what you're holding isn't an arena number, but an opponent's name. They are the opponents you'll be facing next."

Wang Zhuo looked at the slip in his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly behind his face covering, a trace of mockery flashing in them.

Wang Bing... what a... fucking coincidence!

I wanted to beat you to death back when I watched the anime.

Wealth, companions, methods, and lands.

Wang Zhuo considered himself the best of the best in everything except companions.

The greatest assurance that had allowed him to join the military so openly was this: no matter how skilled and fearless you extraordinary people were, even if you could take on the extraordinary world, you couldn't take on the power above it!

Namely, the strength of the nation.

You could turn one place upside down, but could you turn an entire country upside down?

Especially when that country was Dragon Country.

His own security mattered least. What mattered was his family's security.

With the state supporting his clan and protecting his family, that bunch of extraordinary people couldn't touch them, however arrogant they might be.

Arresting criminals might require evidence, but counterterrorism only required a location.

People had heard of wealthy men being kidnapped, but not military families.

Even before beating a dog, you had to consider its master. Wang Zhuo saw things clearly: if he was going to find a master, he would find the biggest one.

The kind that could cover all his bases.

With state support and favorable policies behind it, his family's East Sea Group had rocketed toward a public listing, ultimately becoming a state-owned company.

Just as Wang Zhuo was still imagining how to thrash Wang Bing, Feng XingTong's mocking voice rang out:

"Ah! The Green Talisman Deity! Shan Shitong, the Green Talisman Deity!"

"Hehehe, Chulan, you're one lucky guy."

"In the first round, none of Shan Shitong's three opponents lasted three minutes against him. They all ended up on the ground."

"His family's ancestral Talisman Secret Art specializes in sealing other people's qi channels..."

At this point, Feng XingTong seemed to remember Wang Zhuo. He blinked and glanced at him, then continued when he saw Wang Zhuo wasn't looking over:

"And these aren't like ordinary talismans that require loads of advance preparation. He can pretty much pull one out and use it. Stick it on someone, and it's Qi Sealing!"

"Look, that's him." He pointed at a figure in the crowd.

Wang Zhuo put his arms around their shoulders and leaned between them. "Where, where? Let me take a look too."

"Hehe, right over there, Brother Liu."

Following his gaze, they saw Shan Shitong standing in the crowd with his hair tied in a ponytail, deep in thought. Perhaps sensing their gazes, he turned his head to look over.

Those sinister eyes made Zhang Chulan's asshole clench.

He doesn't look like a good guy!

Feng XingTong gave a mischievous grin. "Hehe, he's looking over. He's got his sights on you."

Zhang Chulan held back a "motherfucker" for ages without letting it out.

Feng Baobao, meanwhile, stared at Shan Shitong with clear eyes, firmly committing his figure and appearance to memory, seemingly having already decided where to bury him.

Just then, Zhang Lingyu walked over. "Ye Xing, Ji Yun, it's getting late. Take everyone to their assigned rooms to rest."

"Sure thing, junior martial uncle!"

The two Taoists, both somewhat older than him, called him junior martial uncle as they prepared to make arrangements for the extraordinary people.

With an arm still around his shoulders, Zhang Chulan walked over, smiling. "Well, if it isn't my junior martial uncle. You were as sharp as ever in today's match."

"..." Zhang Lingyu remained silent, turning instead to Wang Zhuo beside him.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, I look forward to facing you. Your Thunder Method is very different from what I've seen."

Skill activated: turn a blind eye

Ignore +1

"..." This time, Zhang Chulan's face turned blacker than the bottom of a pot.

So as long as there's someone beside me, you won't even give me the time of day, huh?!

Wang Zhuo withdrew his arms and shook hands with Zhang Lingyu. "Of course, of course. I'm very curious about Mount Longhu's Thunder Method myself. I'll definitely have to learn a thing or two from you when the time comes."

"But what about this fine martial nephew of yours?"

"No connection to me." Zhang Lingyu withdrew his hand and walked away without looking back.

Zhang Chulan gritted his teeth in fury, veins bulging on his forehead. "I!!!"

He forcibly swallowed the curse before it could burst out.

"Fine, fine, fine! You're pulling that Bao Father and Son crap on me, huh? 'No connection,' my ass!"

"Ah... haha..."

Ye Xing and Ji Yun gave a few awkward laughs and hurried to lighten the mood.

"I'm Ye Xing."

"I'm Ji Yun."

"Young Brother Zhang Chulan, and you too, young fellow. We meet again."

"Don't be so glum, Chulan. Come on, we've already got food ready."

"It'll get cold if we don't go."

As they walked, Zhang Chulan held it in for ages before finally speaking. "You two, I just don't get it. What exactly does your Junior Martial Uncle Zhang Lingyu dislike about me?"

"What did I ever do to him?"

Wang Zhuo suddenly cut in. "Maybe he just has weak kidneys."

"When they get too weak, you end up acting like that."

"Pfft!!!" Ji Yun nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. The others, who had initially thought this was just a joke, immediately sensed something was off.

"Holy shit, don't tell me he really has weak kidneys?!" Zhang Chulan instinctively reached for the little blue pills in his trouser pocket.

Ji Yun hurriedly denied it. "Bullshit, bullshit! How could Lingyu have weak kidneys? Back when he fought... fought forty-nine experts at Mount Longhu, he didn't even blush or get short of breath."

Wang Zhuo patted him on the shoulder. "Forty-nine, my fucking ass. That would've left him a dried-up corpse."

"Your junior martial uncle really suffers when you tell the story."

With that, he left without looking back.

"..." Ji Yun fell silent for a moment, then his weathered face reddened. "Is that what I meant?!"

"He's slandering me! He's slandering me! That's absolutely not what I meant! That's what he meant!"

Everyone present, however, wore an expression that said, "We get it."