Chapter 141: Teaching a proud peacock a lesson (Part-2)

In his heart, he refused to admit defeat. He hadn’t even counterattacked. If he truly fought back, this so-called expert would surely fall.

After all, he was a one-star Exalt.

“You’re nothing but a firefly,” Liu Tao declared arrogantly. “And I am the bright moon. How can a firefly compete with the moon?”

With that, he struck.

“No-Phase Azure Lotus Claw!”

A red glow erupted from his five fingers as fierce wind surged forward, his attack sharp and vicious.

Ryan didn’t even bother to step back.

He stood where he was, sneered faintly, and lifted one hand. No martial art. No aura explosion. Just a casual wave.

In the next instant, Liu Tao’s claw was brushed aside, his own momentum betraying him. His body flew backward uncontrollably.

“Ah!”

He crashed to the ground, rolled twice, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Ryan had already withdrawn his hand.

Even with only a fraction of his strength, a newly advanced War Lord with massively enhanced attributes was far beyond what a one-star Exalt could withstand.

If Ryan hadn’t held back, Liu Tao would already be a corpse.

“Impossible…” Liu Tao struggled to sit up, his face pale with shock.

Now, there was no excuse left.

This wasn’t speed. This wasn’t trickery.

This was overwhelming, crushing strength.

When had such a monster appeared in the North District?

And worse still…

Liu Tao had just used a proper martial art.

A lower-grade one, yes, but a martial art nonetheless.

And Ryan had brushed it aside as casually as swatting dust.

Liu Tao stared at Ryan for a long moment, weighing the situation in his mind, before finally turning his head and shouting toward Qian Xiaoliu and the others outside the energy barrier.

Since one-on-one was no longer possible, he had clearly made up his mind to rely on numbers.

He walked up to the transparent energy shield and pressed his palm against it.

Instantly, the barrier lit up, and a hazy humanoid projection with indistinct features appeared in midair, its presence neither fully real nor entirely illusory.

“Temporary number 55465 applies for battle assistance. Do you agree?”

The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, echoing through the room without a clear source.

This was one of the rules of the autonomous challenge platform.

Battles could be one-on-one, several-on-several, or even many-on-one, but once the challenge began, no one else could enter freely.

Anyone wishing to join had to apply for assistance, and the opposing side had to agree. Only then could outsiders step into the energy barrier. It was a system designed to ensure fairness and clarity in every bout.

“I agree,” Ryan replied without hesitation. He even smiled faintly at Liu Tao as he spoke. “That’s better. This way, you won’t have to suffer alone.”

Liu Tao snorted coldly, forcing himself to straighten up.

He had no other choice now. Losing to Ryan alone would be humiliating beyond repair, especially for someone known as the fifth-ranked candidate from the Eastern District of Axe City. But if they won together, the details would hardly matter.

Victory was victory, and no one would dare question it openly.

As soon as Ryan gave his consent, Qian Xiaoliu led the others through the energy barrier.

One after another, seven figures entered, forming a loose semicircle around Ryan. Including Liu Tao, there were eight of them in total.

Every one of them possessed at least the strength of an eight-star Upper Elite, and among them were two one-star Exalts. Such a lineup, even among candidates, was undeniably strong. Facing them head-on would make most people tremble.

Under normal circumstances, an eight-against-one fight would be blatantly unfair. But this was Ryan’s own proposal. No one present could accuse them of bullying.

Liu Tao’s confidence surged the moment his companions stood beside him. He looked at Ryan and sneered. “I admit you’re strong, stronger than me even. But are you really sure you want to face all of us alone?”

“Of course,” Ryan replied calmly, his expression unchanged. “A tiger doesn’t need to worry about a bunch of pigs. Whether it is one or ten, it is all the same.”

Liu Tao’s eyes darkened. With a sharp wave of his hand, he barked an order. “Then don’t hold back. Teach this arrogant brat a lesson!”

The moment his words fell, Qian Xiaoliu and the others rushed forward. Weapons flashed as blades, spears, and heavy arms were drawn in an instant. In the Palace of Fighting, weapons were allowed. Different palaces focused on different combat paths, and forbidding weapons would be inherently unfair. As long as no one was killed, anything went.

Facing the charge of eight opponents, Ryan showed no sign of tension

. Instead, he turned his head slightly and spoke toward Mu Xianling, who was watching from outside the barrier. “Xianling, how would you like me to deal with them? Break their arms, break their legs, or just slap them until they learn some manners?”

Mu Xianling froze for a moment, caught completely off guard.

Then, warmth surged through her chest, washing away the humiliation she had endured earlier.

Despite herself, her heart softened. Ryan was standing up for her, openly and without hesitation. She forced her expression to remain cold and answered lightly, “Ten slaps each. That should be the price for their rudeness and disrespect.”

“Very well,” Ryan nodded.

He turned back toward Liu Tao’s group, a faint, unreadable smile curving his lips. Anyone familiar with Ryan would know what that smile meant. Someone was about to be unlucky.

Liu Tao laughed loudly when he heard their exchange, his tone dripping with mockery. “Ten slaps? You really don’t know your place.”

Qian Xiaoliu and the others joined in, taunting and jeering, their confidence swelling as they surrounded Ryan. To them, this was already a guaranteed victory.

Ryan frowned slightly at their words, then spoke calmly, “Thank you for the suggestion earlier. I’ve decided to add one more condition. After the slaps, I’ll throw in an extra kick for each of you.”

Before anyone could respond, his figure vanished.

In an instant, Ryan became a blur of motion, his presence flickering across the space like lightning. Shadows overlapped, afterimages scattered, and no one could tell where he truly was. Then, in the next heartbeat, a sharp series of sounds rang out.

Slap. Slap. Slap.

Ryan appeared in front of one of the Eastern District candidates.

Before the man could even raise his weapon, ten clean, crisp slaps landed squarely on his face.

Each strike was precise, neither too heavy nor too light, yet strong enough to leave the man reeling.

When Ryan stepped back, the candidate’s face was already swollen beyond recognition, his features distorted as he staggered in place.

But Ryan did not stop there.

Since they had spoken without restraint, he saw no reason to show mercy. As the dazed candidate tried to recover, Ryan lifted his leg and struck decisively. The man collapsed with a strangled cry, crumpling to the ground in agony.

The Eastern District candidate who had just been stomped by Ryan clutched his lower body and let out a shrill, heart-rending scream. He rolled across the floor, his face twisted beyond recognition by pain, wailing as if his soul itself had been torn apart.

Every male present felt a chill crawl up his spine.

Outside the energy barrier, even Li Wujie instinctively snapped his legs together, arms crossing over his waist as if that alone could shield him from the nightmare unfolding before his eyes.

The fallen candidate wailed endlessly, regret flooding his heart. If only he hadn’t run his mouth earlier. If only he hadn’t joked about stepping on someone else’s “weak spot.” Now karma had arrived with ruthless precision, and it had come straight for his lifeline.

But this was only the beginning.

Ryan’s figure blurred again.

With a sharp crack of air, he appeared beside the second Eastern District candidate. Before the man could even scream, ten crisp slaps landed squarely on his face, each one clean, efficient, and merciless. His head snapped left and right like a rag doll, stars exploding in his vision.

Before he could collapse, Ryan lifted his foot and brought it down.

Another agonized scream tore through the room.

Then the third.

Then the fourth.

Ryan moved like a phantom, his body flickering from one target to the next. Slap after slap, stomp after stomp. The rhythm was terrifyingly consistent, almost methodical. No one escaped. Strength, cultivation, status—none of it mattered.

In the span of a few breaths, all seven Eastern District candidates lay writhing on the ground, hands clutching their groins, faces swollen beyond recognition, voices hoarse from screaming.

Even Qian Xiaoliu, Liu Tao’s most trusted lackey and a one-star Exalt, was among them, curled up like a dying shrimp and howling in despair.

Only one person remained standing.

Liu Tao.

“You… you… you…” His teeth chattered uncontrollably, terror freezing his words in his throat.

He was afraid. Truly afraid.

Ryan was not just strong. He was monstrously strong. None of them had even managed to block a single slap. Ten strikes, one stomp, and they were finished. Completely, utterly finished.

At the same time, Liu Tao cursed the idiots who had earlier suggested such filthy jokes. If they had just kept their mouths shut, this would have ended with nothing more than bruised faces. Now? Their futures as men were in serious doubt.

Ryan walked toward him calmly, hands relaxed at his sides, his expression almost gentle.

“What am I?” Ryan asked lightly. “Don’t rush to kneel just yet. Your friends are all lying there. Wouldn’t it be unfair if you didn’t join them?”

That gentle tone was more terrifying to Liu Tao than any roar.

In his eyes, Ryan’s smile looked like a demon’s grin, one that heralded utter despair.

“No… no, I admit defeat—”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep