Chapter 450: Battle of the Strong, the Focus of Attention from All Directions!
"Have you heard? The Fire Cloud Sect seems to have been wiped out."
"What? Who on earth could be responsible?"
"Who else could it be? Naturally, it’s our invincible Grandmaster Lin Wudi. I heard he did it to vent his wife’s anger, and now he has set his sights on the Fire Cloud Sect."
As news of the Fire Cloud Sect’s destruction spread, rumors immediately began to fly. Many knew that the Sect Leader of the Fire Cloud Sect, Fan Li, had been slain by Lin Wudi with a single sword strike. The sect’s disciples had their cultivation levels crippled before being scattered. Not only that, word in the Martial Arts World was that Lin Wudi was preparing to strike against the Jiangling Fang Family.
The purpose was revenge.
The Fire Cloud Sect, the Jiangling Martial Alliance, and the Fang Family had united to suppress Lin Wudi’s wife in River City. Now, he was coming for them.
Upon hearing this news, countless female martial artists instantly became fans of Lin Wudi. This Lin Wudi is absolutely mad when it comes to protecting his wife. To be his wife must be pure bliss!
But some people worried. There were only a few days left before Lin Wudi’s duel with Zhang Daoyun of the Celestial Master Mansion. Instead of focusing on improving his cultivation level, Lin Wudi was causing trouble everywhere to avenge his wife. It was a classic case of putting the cart before the horse and neglecting his true priorities.
With Zhang Daoyun’s current cultivation level, defeating a martial artist like Lin Wudi, ranked tenth on the Heavenly Ranking, would be a piece of cake, wouldn’t it?
Furthermore, Lin Wudi’s reputation in the Martial Arts World had always been mixed, so half the people hoped he would lose. Even among the other half, there were some who felt Lin Wudi had no chance of winning. This was because Zhang Daoyun of the Celestial Master Mansion was a Martial Arts Grandmaster ranked in the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking, and his cultivation level was considered immeasurable.
When these rumors from the outside world reached Lin Mu’s ears, he simply smiled. "Since everyone thinks I’m no match for Zhang Daoyun, then when the time comes, I’ll just have to defeat him in a single move."
When these words were spread by certain individuals, the Martial Arts World erupted in condemnation. Everyone accused Lin Wudi of being outrageously arrogant. Defeat Zhang Daoyun in one move? How could he say something so audacious! Only Lin Wudi would have the nerve.
Immediately, countless martial artists began rushing to Dragon Tiger Mountain to witness the great battle. As the martial artists of Huaxia journeyed there, Lin Mu also set out, preparing to face Zhang Daoyun.
As for the Fang Family, he would let them enjoy their freedom for a few more days.
"Hahaha, that Lin Wudi is courting death!" Lu Tong was overjoyed when he heard the news.
Fang Tang also wore a smile. He had just confirmed that Lin Mu was, in fact, Lin Wudi. His emotions had gone from initial terror to immense relief, like riding a roller coaster.
"So what if he’s tenth on the Heavenly Ranking?" Fang Tang sneered coldly. "He’s still going to die at the hands of Master Zhang!"
"Exactly," Lu Tong said. "Zhang Daoyun’s cultivation can no longer be judged by ordinary standards. Besides, he’s been in seclusion for a year. His power must have grown even stronger!"
Fang Tang slammed his hand on the table. "As long as that brat Lin Mu dies, Coiling Dragon Bay will be ours again!"
Lu Tong nodded. "When that happens, I want half of Coiling Dragon Bay!"
"No!" Fang Tang declared. "I’ll give you seventy percent. As long as Lin Mu is dead, the Fang Family will weather this storm. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to make money after that."
Lu Tong nodded in satisfaction, thinking that Fang Tang was a savvy operator.
「...」
Dragon Tiger Mountain was the thirty-second Blessed Land of Taoism. It earned its name when Zhang Daoling, while concocting the Nine Heavens Divine Elixir, witnessed a vision of a dragon and a tiger. Thus, it came to be known as the Ancestral Hall of the Dao of the Heavenly Master.
A year ago, the current Heavenly Master, Zhang Daoyun, was enraged when Lin Wudi killed his junior brother. He declared a challenge, setting the date for a battle one year from then. Now, that year had passed.
The entire Martial Arts World was focused on this event, eagerly awaiting the outcome. However, almost no one favored Lin Wudi. They acknowledged he was an unparalleled martial arts prodigy of his generation—possessing exceptional, almost demonic talent—and had become a Martial Arts Grandmaster, ascending to tenth on the Heavenly Ranking, all before the age of thirty. But Lin Wudi was seen as arrogant and overambitious, with a heavy killing intent. Since his debut, he had killed several Grandmasters and even annihilated the entire Fire Cloud Sect.
If he were allowed to continue his rampage, wouldn’t he throw the Huaxia Martial Arts World into chaos? Voices from both the Martial Arts World and the Military Department were already demanding he be sanctioned after he lost the battle. In fact, representatives from the Military Department and the Martial Alliance Headquarters had already arrived to observe. They were ready to execute Lin Wudi on the spot the moment he was defeated.
On top of that, there was his previous claim of defeating Zhang Daoyun in a single move. Only Lin Wudi would dare say something so outrageously arrogant.
Yet, many others found Lin Wudi to be incredibly impressive. He was the model, the standard-bearer, the living myth of the current Martial Arts World. "One should strive to be a man like Lin Wudi!" became a popular joke in martial arts circles.
But this also showed the high regard many martial artists held for him. He had subtly become the leader of the younger generation.
The myth of the Martial Arts World? Leader of the younger generation? At the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain, an elder scoffed at these rumors.
"Dongfeng Po Tian, with your current cultivation, what are your chances of defeating him?"
Sitting beside the elder was a handsome man of about thirty. There wasn’t a hint of softness about him; on the contrary, his entire body exuded a rugged aura. His hands were noticeably larger than average, and his knuckles were covered in thick calluses.
The man’s eyes were closed. Hearing the question, he opened them. His gaze was calm, yet seemed to flash with latent thunderbolts. The moment his eyes opened, it was as if a great lion had awakened, brimming with explosive power.
"I have never met him, so I wouldn’t know."
The elder nodded slightly at the man’s response, his expression unreadable.
Closing his eyes again, the man stated, "However, if I were to fight Xing Zirong, I could kill him with a single punch."
"Not bad. Not bad at all." The elder was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. "Worthy of being called East Madness, one of the Four Great Grandmasters! I like that!"
This man was none other than East Madness, Dongfeng Po Tian, ranked seventeenth on the Heavenly Ranking.
Rumor had it that after his defeat by the Sword God, Shen Lang, he had traveled overseas to hone his boxing. Now, he had reappeared at the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Having been absent from the world for several years, no one knew to what heights Dongfeng Po Tian’s cultivation had reached.
And the elder was Yao Kuohai, one of the heads of the Martial Alliance Headquarters.
"After this battle, if Lin Wudi is still alive, bring him back to headquarters to be sanctioned," Yao Kuohai said, his eyes narrowing. "If he dies, well, then he dies."
Dongfeng Po Tian remained silent, his eyes closed in meditation.
But just then, Dongfeng Po Tian’s eyes snapped open. He stared toward Dragon Tiger Mountain, a sharp light flaring in his gaze. "The Sword Qi blankets the mountains... It’s the Great Array of Dragon Tiger Mountain!"
Dongfeng Po Tian’s expression turned solemn. He knew that the Great Array of Dragon Tiger Mountain was powerful enough to challenge several Grandmasters at once.
Yao Kuohai’s voice grew heavy. "It seems Zhang Daoyun has emerged from his seclusion. Now, we just have to see if Lin Wudi dares to answer the challenge."
The battle between two such powerhouses was bound to draw attention from all corners of the world.