Chapter 259.2: Guns and Rockets? Not a Scratch! Lu Changshengs Showdown with the King of the Century! (II)

Chapter 259.2: Guns and Rockets? Not a Scratch! Lu Changsheng's Showdown with the King of the Century! (II)

Lu Changsheng had never heard of Hong Chuan. However, one didn't need to have heard of him to understand the meaning of his title. Hong Chuan definitely sat at the top of the martial arts community, and nobody stood above him.

Lu Changsheng stood up. "Fine. By force, then. Old Master Long, you're coming with me. Let's go take a look at this King of the Century."

The old man didn't hesitate. He had to go. As far as anyone in the capital knew, the Long Clan was the muscle behind Lu Yuan. They were tied to him, and there was no universe where they could have stayed home while Lu Yuan confronted the three clans.

He arranged for a fleet of cars, and they set out for the meeting place, the Zhao Clan estate, which was outside the city.

Lu Changsheng mulled that over. Outside the city, away from the capital's eyes... It was easier to position men out there, or rather, soldiers. It was possible for clans with that much power to move troops as a matter of course.

They might not know he could eat a rocket, but they would have dug up enough to know bullets didn't work on him. Of course they'd come prepared, which suited him fine. It was better to settle it all in one afternoon instead of wasting weeks dragging in one faction after another.

An hour later, the fleet reached the Zhao Clan estate where they were greeted by a great many soldiers waiting for them with heavy weapons.

Lu Changsheng gave a cold chuckle. "Well, they sure went all out."

The three clans were being careful enough to roll out heavy weapons. That was what fear of Lu Yuan looked like.

The old man's nerves wavered, and he picked his words carefully. "Mr. Lu, if you'd rather not go in, we can turn around right now."

The Long Clan was tied to Lu Yuan. Privately, they'd have been glad to see him dead, though that wasn't something they would say out loud. If they put him in a bad mood, the family would pay for it.

He waved it off as though it meant nothing. "No need. One trip, one problem solved. Drive on."

The fleet rolled into the Zhao Clan estate; then he and the patriarch got out. The three clans had been waiting a while.

"Old Master Long, Master Lu, this way please."

There was no small talk. Lu Changsheng went in first, straight into a wide reception hall.

The moment he walked in, it hit him. There was a presence, and it was a dangerous one.

An old man with white hair and beard appeared, built like he was made of muscle. He had the presence of a wild beast, sending a chill down one's spine.

He was there at the three clans' invitation, yet not one of their people would go near him.

"King of the Century, Hong Chuan."

It couldn't be anyone else. Nothing else in the room came within a mile of his presence. In all his time in this world, Hong Chuan was the first man he had met with a presence and a physique like that.

Hong Chuan spoke first. "You're strong. I've seen your Extreme Martial Dao on video. I'll be honest with you. I don't understand it. I've trained my whole life and achieved an indestructible spirit. What I know is that a man's strength runs out somewhere. A man is a man, and that limit doesn't break. You say your Extreme Martial Dao breaks it, so show me. Can you really break it?"

He came to his feet at once. It was like watching a lion stand up, suddenly revealing its predatory lineage. The hall went quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

"Hold on," Lu Changsheng said.

Hong Chuan's brows drew together. "Hm? Getting scared?"

Lu Changsheng's eyes traveled over the three assembled clans, settling on three middle-aged men. They looked like the heads of the three clans.

"Let's talk terms first. You three brought Hong Chuan here to fight me. What happens if I win, and what happens if he does?"

The three of them traded a look.

One of them answered. "If you win, Mr. Lu, the Extreme Martial Dao spreads anywhere in the Jade Dragon Kingdom it likes, and the government will not obstruct it. If Master Hong wins, you're expelled from the Jade Dragon Kingdom and never to set foot in it again as long as you live. The Extreme Martial Dao is outlawed as well."

He nodded. They were leaving something out, naturally. If he lost, there was little doubt that it would end with exile. If he lost, he would die.

After all, one wouldn’t surround an estate with soldiers and heavy weapons to host a friendly sparring match. Only one of them was walking off this property today. Simply put—losing meant dying.

"Works for me." Lu Changsheng nodded.

"Let's go outside," Hong Chuan said. "No sense tearing the house down."

He walked out without waiting for an answer, and Lu Changsheng followed. Where they fought made no difference to him.

They went out to a meadow past the buildings, another area of the huge estate. A dozen meters of grass lay between the two of them, and neither man moved.

Hong Chuan spoke slowly, weighing every word.

"I started training at eight, achieved Hidden Force at eleven, Transformation Force at fifteen, Core Force at twenty, and Fortification Force at thirty. At forty-three, I gained an indestructible spirit. At forty-five, I beat every master in the world and became the King of the Century."

"In the thirty years since, I haven't raised a hand against another man. I spent them building my fleshly body and studying techniques. In the end, I created the Thirty-Six Forms of the Thunder Fist. Later, I cut it down from thirty-six to three forms."

"The three forms aren't techniques; they're seals. Each one holds ten years of my fleshly body's strength. I can't break through the limits of the flesh, but I believe my strongest blow removes that limit for a moment. So let's not waste time feeling each other out. Give me your best shot. One exchange will decide it."

The man was proud. Proud enough to lay his own trump card before his opponent. It wasn't stupidity; it was confidence. At his level, technique had stopped mattering. What was left was raw force, and it depended on whose punch weighed more.

Lu Changsheng nodded. If it was true, that old man was truly one of a kind to break the limit by that road. Whether it was true, he would see for himself.

"As you wish, I'll hit you with my strongest blow."

He meant it, as the King of the Century had earned his respect.

"Good."

Hong Chuan made a move himself. His open palms shifted up and down, then he roared, "Thunder Fist, First Form. Open!"

Boom!

Something came off him with the shout, more menacing than the feeling Lu Changsheng felt when he first stepped into the hall.

That seal was worth ten years of physical strength. How a man sealed ten years of his own bodily strength away was anyone's guess.

Then came the second seal.

"Thunder Fist, Second Form."

Lu Changsheng caught the change this time. The Force stored in the old man erupted wildly at once.

"Thunder Fist, Third Form."

The third seal came off, and something took shape behind Hong Chuan. It was an enormous human face that couldn't be seen with one's eyes but could be felt, which was much stranger.

"The first form sealed essence, the second form sealed Force, which is close to the body's yuan qi[1], and the third form, sealed spirit. Thirty years of vital essence, qi, spirit, and he's turning all of it loose at once. Remarkable! Thirty years spent in a single morning... That breaks the limit, all right..."

Lu Changsheng was impressed, and he didn't impress easily. The old man had found a way to break the limit on loan. Though it could only amount to one blow, the limit was indeed broken. With ten billion people in this world, there were sure to be some brilliant individuals.

Thirty years of vital essence, qi, and spirit poured back into the man who had stored them. A moment ago, Hong Chuan had been a wiry little old man of about five chi, and one cun. Now, he swelled to a full six chi, with muscles coiling around him and that terrible presence at his back.

A look from him would have been enough to break most men, much less fighting him.

His voice came out like booming thunder. "Come!"

He stomped off and covered a dozen meters in a few strides, appearing right in front of Lu Changsheng's face. His punch came with everything he had. Behind the strength of the King of the Century was thirty years of vital essence, qi, and spirit. Nothing in this world should have been able to stand in front of it.

Lu Changsheng respected the man, so he gave him the real thing. "Extreme Third Body!"

Boom!

His figure blew outward. From three chi and three cun, he spanned nine chi in a mere breath. He stood over Hong Chuan like a giant and looked down at him. There was no terrible presence around Lu Changsheng. All he had was strength, pure strength and nothing else.

It was the strength of a man who had broken the limit and walked into transcendence. Lu Changsheng swung both arms around in a full circle, like millstones turning over. Each word came rolling out of him with the roar of thunder.

"Heaven! Turning! Seal!"

Hong Chuan looked up and saw that the sky had gone dark. There was nothing left in his field of vision but one enormous palm coming down, vast and unhurried.

Hong Chuan smiled. It was the smile of a man who had finally understood something. "I see... So this is the road above the limit. There really is one... it’s transcendence..."

Lu Changsheng didn't hesitate. His palm came down like the vault of heaven falling and swallowed Hong Chuan whole.

Crash!

When the palm lifted, the King of the Century was a smear on the grass.

1. Yuan qi (元气) is the primordial life force. It is the original "energy" that gives rise to all existence. It’s the purest, most essential form of qi, often described as the source of vitality. ☜