Chapter 672 23: Opponent

Elder Gan stared at the frail young man, a little surprised. He had noticed him earlier; the man seemed completely out of place among the Anyao Hall disciples. He was not only physically weak but also seemed to have some mental impairment. Despite this, he appeared to be well cared for by the surrounding disciples.

He had made a few guesses about his identity, but he never expected it to be Nakagami Hiroshi himself.

But then another thought occurred to him, and a chill went down his spine.

He glanced at Nakagami Hiroshi with a trace of apprehension and said, "Then please, Mr. Nakagami, and everyone from Anyao Hall, follow me up the mountain. Tarlu is waiting for you there."

Shigen Hachi bowed and said, "Then we must trouble you to lead the way."

Elder Gan bowed slightly again and led the group up the mountain path. The Anyao Hall disciples were completely silent the entire time. The few Single Stream Hall disciples following Elder Gan had rarely interacted with outside Fighters; feeling the cold, severe atmosphere, their palms grew sweaty as they clutched their Long Staffs.

When the group arrived at a platform halfway up the mountain, Tarlu was already waiting in front of the largest stone building. She wore the black-and-white traditional fighting attire of Single Stream Hall, and in accordance with guest-welcoming tradition, had two red feathers tucked by her temples.

She was tall, with bronze skin, thick black eyebrows, and incredibly spirited eyes that left a deep impression. Her demeanor was particularly striking. Faced with more than ten disciples from Anyao Hall, she showed no sign of wariness but instead carried herself with a relaxed, composed, and fearless poise.

Elder Gan said, "This is Tarlu."

Shigen Hachi looked her over and praised her silently. 'This Tarlu is in no way inferior to the great champions I've seen in the Outer Ocean.'

As they drew near, he raised a hand, and the disciples behind him all stopped. Only the frail young man continued to wander forward, oblivious, but he was quickly pulled to a halt by those around him.

Shigen Hachi stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I am Shigen Hachi. A pleasure to meet you, Tarlu. Before our departure, my teacher asked me to convey his greetings."

All the visitors from Anyao Hall bowed to Tarlu.

Although they had come here today with an ulterior motive, Tarlu was, after all, the current master of Single Stream Hall. Nominally, her status was equal to their own master's, so she had to be shown the proper respect.

Tarlu returned a Single Stream Hall salute and said, "Welcome. Thank you for the greeting." Just then, Elder Gan stepped forward and whispered something in her ear.

Tarlu looked at Nakagami Hiroshi and said earnestly, "This is Mr. Nakagami? Hello."

Nakagami Hiroshi raised his head blankly. Someone next to him came up and whispered in his ear. He said woodenly, "H-hello to you, too." Then he looked off in a certain direction, as if he wanted to walk over there, but was immediately grabbed again.

Shigen Hachi took a few steps forward, blocking the others' view of Nakagami Hiroshi. He looked around the training grounds and said with an expression of great pity:

"My teacher once said that Single Stream Hall and our Anyao Hall descend from the same lineage. It was once a Fighting Hall of the Fist Sect. I never imagined it would fall into such disrepair. It is truly a pity."

He looked at Tarlu and said with feigned sincerity, "Tarlu, our Anyao Hall cannot bear to see our sister school decline. We are willing to help Single Stream Hall recover its former glory."

Tarlu said, "My teacher once told me that nothing in this world lasts forever. Not objects, not people, not the world itself. The decline of Single Stream Hall is simply a natural course of events. There is no need to force things. Besides, that isn't what your hall truly cares about, so let's dispense with the pleasantries."

She spoke these words with such frankness, showing no intention of avoiding the conflict between them. This surprised Shigen Hachi, but it was exactly what he wanted.

He took a few more steps forward. "Tarlu, our two halls were once one family. You are surely aware of certain matters. We have reasons for being here that we cannot ignore."

Tarlu nodded. "I know what you want. But whether or not you can take it will depend on your strength."

Shigen Hachi's eyes sharpened. He gripped the Long Blade at his waist and said in a low voice, "Then we've come to ask for a lesson!"

And behind him, the Anyao Hall disciples all placed their hands on the hilts of their own blades. The atmosphere in the training ground instantly turned murderous.

They had brought fifteen disciples this time. Not counting the eldest disciple, Nakagami Hiroshi, there were four Third Limit Fighters among them. One could say that all of the hall's top experts had come. This level of strength represented an overwhelming advantage against the weakened Single Stream Hall.

'In his view, they had already won half the battle the moment their hall made the decision to come. There was no way Tarlu alone could possibly be a match for them.'

Tarlu shook her head. "I won't be fighting you."

Shigen Hachi was taken aback. He frowned and said, "What do you mean by that, Tarlu?"

'She can't be that naive,' he thought. 'Even if she refuses to fight, we won't just stop. We came here today, and we will achieve our goal.'

Tarlu looked at him and said, "I am not your opponent."

"Is that so?"

Shigen Hachi's gaze shifted to Elder Gan. Although the man was an instructor, he was clearly out of practice and getting on in years. 'An older Fighter isn't necessarily without combat ability,' he thought, 'but unless they're on the front lines every day, their aged appearance usually reflects their current condition. One look at this man, and you can tell he can't fight.'

'Or do they have other powerful allies?'

'Who in the Outer Ocean would help Single Stream Hall now?'

'Could it be...'

He frowned. 'There's one outcome we wanted to avoid at all costs: them handing over the possible Rift to the government and the corporations. But would Single Stream Hall really be forced to do that? It's precisely because we were afraid of pushing them too hard that we always gave them some leeway.'

Just then, Tarlu turned and walked away, saying, "Follow me."

Shigen Hachi watched her, and after a moment's thought, he strode after her. The group behind him immediately followed. They walked all the way to the edge of a sea cliff before stopping.

Tarlu stood at the cliff's edge and pointed. "What you're looking for is down there. If you want it, go take it yourselves."

Shigen Hachi was first astonished, then a hint of delight appeared on his face. He asked, his voice laced with disbelief, "Tarlu... are you saying...?"

Tarlu said, "You have that item with you, don't you? Use it. It will prove I'm telling the truth."

Shigen Hachi's eyes flickered. He took an exquisite Stone Whistle from a pouch at his waist and, placing it in his mouth, blew with all his might. The sound from the whistle wasn't loud, but blowing it seemed to take all his strength, and his face instantly turned red.

Only a moment later, a faint tremor traveled up from beneath their feet, and the seawater before the cliff began to churn with obvious turbulence.

Shigen Hachi couldn't help but feel elated. Surprised and excited, he exclaimed, "Yes, this is it! It's right here!"

He paid no more attention to Tarlu and Elder Gan. Instead, he turned and strode quickly to the frail young man, saying excitedly, "Eldest Brother, it's right below us! We..."

"I heard it."

The frail young man looked up. At that moment, all the blankness in his eyes was gone, replaced by an extreme sharpness.

When the surrounding disciples heard his voice, their eyes widened, and expressions of shocked awe appeared on their faces in unison. "This is..."

Shigen Hachi was also startled and involuntarily took half a step back. The voice sounded remarkably like that of their teacher, Xiao Yuezai.

The frail young man stared straight ahead and said to Shigen Hachi, "Keep blowing!"

"Y-yes!"

Shigen Hachi once again blew forcefully on the Stone Whistle. The seawater churned once more. As the whistle's sound continued, the turbulence in one particular spot grew especially violent. Though it wasn't obvious amidst the surging tide, the perceptive Fighters present immediately noticed the difference.

The frail young man walked slowly to the cliff's edge, his gaze fixed on that spot. Then he spread his arms and let his body topple over the edge.

"Eldest Brother?"

Everyone was shocked.

Shigen Hachi took a few steps forward, watching the figure below fall dozens of meters before splashing into the sea. Without a moment's hesitation, he too leaped down.

When the other disciples saw him do this, they also followed, jumping down one after another. Not a single one remained on the clifftop, as if they had no concern for the people of Single Stream Hall whatsoever.

Elder Gan felt a complex mix of emotions. He knew that Anyao Hall held Single Stream Hall in contempt and was only after their Rift. While this directness was arguably a good thing, being so completely disregarded still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

After entering the sea, the frail young man quickly swam in the direction of the churning he had observed from above. Before long, he arrived before the Rift. He felt his body lighten as the surrounding seawater vanished, and he found himself standing in a clearing that glowed everywhere with green fluorescent light.

He looked ahead and saw a person standing there. A Long Blade was plunged into the ground beside him, and a dazzling light shone from behind the man.

After hearing that the people from Anyao Hall were coming, Chen Chuan had been waiting for them. He had chosen this place as the battleground because it was not easily destroyed, and a fight here would not involve anyone else.

He looked at the newcomer. At a glance, the man was incredibly frail, seemingly without a single muscle on his body. But Chen Chuan did not underestimate him because of it.

Because that was just an appearance. Hidden within that frail body was a powerful force, and the moment he entered this place, it had begun to reawaken.

The frail young man walked forward slowly. As he moved, the sound of bones and sinew shifting could be heard from within his body. His frame began to grow taller, and his once-baggy, ill-fitting clothes stretched taut. His hair broke free from its bindings.

He stretched out an arm, now bulging with solid muscle, and ripped off his upper garment. This revealed a rippling, well-defined torso, leaving him in only black pants. He then took a torn strip of cloth and used it to tie his now-longer hair back tightly.

By the time he came to a stop before Chen Chuan, he had transformed into a young man with a wild and untamed look, almost completely unrecognizable from his former self. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth, "Nakagami Hiroshi, Eldest Disciple of Anyao Hall!"

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