Chapter 298: Grandmaster Battle
"Look, that guy seems to be Qin Tuo! The one who wiped out the entire Jiang Family and is opposing the Liao Family!"
"Oh, so that’s him. He doesn’t look that old. How is he so powerful?!"
"Yeah, how did someone so young manage to wipe out the Jiang Family? And what’s the deal between him and this Qiangwei? Why is she fighting the Liao Family for him?"
The crowd chattered on, their interest growing with every word.
Qiangwei shot them a single glance, instantly scaring them into silence.
Qin Tuo, however, seemed completely unconcerned. His gaze was fixed on a mysterious figure sitting with the Liao Family opposite them.
This person was wearing a black cloak, and their face was completely obscured.
But Qin Tuo knew—there was something seriously wrong with this person!
The Martial Artists present all had a martial energy flowing through them—what was commonly known as Inner Strength.
But this person was faintly emitting Spiritual Power, a barely perceptible aura.
Although the aura wasn’t strong, it was completely beyond the scope of a Martial Artist.
Qin Tuo’s face filled with astonishment. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could the Liao Family have actually hired a Cultivator?’
At this thought, Qin Tuo felt compelled to give another warning.
"Qiangwei, you must be extremely careful when you go on stage later!"
Qiangwei nodded and replied earnestly,
"Celestial King, rest assured. I will be careful!"
But inwardly, she was a little confused. ’Why does Qin Tuo look so much more solemn than before?’
Soon, the venue gradually fell silent. The highly anticipated arena tournament had officially begun.
The so-called "old good guy," Huang Zhen, Patriarch of the Huang Family, slowly walked onto the stage.
He held a microphone and announced loudly to the crowd in all directions,
"Everyone, the reason we are holding this tournament today is to decide how to handle the Jiang Family’s assets. Whoever emerges as the final victor will have the right to decide this matter. No one else may..."
Before he could finish, Liao Feiying cut him off from a distance with a shout.
"Old fool, you talk too much nonsense!"
Upon hearing Liao Feiying’s words, Huang Zhen’s face instantly filled with displeasure.
Liao Feiying said coldly,
"Today’s tournament really only has one purpose: to choose the Alliance Leader of the Martial Artist Alliance!"
The moment he finished speaking, the venue erupted.
No one had expected Liao Feiying to say such a thing. Ever since the Martial Artist Alliance was founded, the four leaders had always checked and balanced each other. No single one of them could overpower any of the others!
But now, Liao Feiying had proposed such an idea. Wasn’t he deliberately trying to shatter that balance?
Moreover, Liao Feiying’s meaning was obvious: he wanted to become the Alliance Leader, command the entire Martial Artist Alliance, and unify the Provincial City.
Everyone began to discuss this heatedly, realizing that the Martial Arts Realm of the Provincial City was about to undergo a massive change.
’Is the peaceful situation that has lasted for so long finally going to be completely shattered?’
From the crowd, Guan Zhengtian was the first to object, questioning him on the spot.
"Liao Feiying, you old scoundrel, what is the meaning of this?"
On the stage, Huang Zhen’s expression was grim and uncertain. He said coldly,
"Liao Feiying, you’d better think this through. With only the Liao Family’s strength, you might not be able to dominate the entire Martial Artist Alliance. You might just end up doing all the work for someone else’s benefit!"
He had to rebuke Liao Feiying, both to declare his own stance and to bolster his own prestige.
Liao Feiying had never breathed a word of this before, catching everyone completely off guard.
Everyone was rapidly thinking, ’What benefits can I get from this tournament to enhance my family’s influence?’
Although Qiangwei was a woman, she cursed at him irritably,
"Old fool, who do you think you are? You want to crush all opposition and become the Alliance Leader? I think you’re daydreaming!"
Despite her harsh scolding, Liao Feiying just sneered, completely unfazed.
"Heh, since I dared to make this demand, it means I’ve come fully prepared. If you’re not convinced, you can all come at me together. I’ll take you all on!"
This time, everyone in the venue stared with wide eyes.
They couldn’t help but wonder, ’Where is Liao Feiying getting this confidence?’
Although he was very powerful, a Grandmaster of Inner Strength, the other three leaders were also Inner Strength Grandmasters!
The Patriarchs of the major families all had furious expressions; they were clearly incensed by Liao Feiying.
The most hot-tempered of them, Guan Zhengtian, suddenly let out a great roar.
"Liao Feiying, why would the three of our families need to act together to deal with you? I alone am more than enough!"
As he spoke, he shot to his feet and began performing a set of Guan’s Eight Trigrams Staff right then and there.
He slowly swung the Eight Trigrams Staff in his hands, and streams of condensed aura seemed to solidify into tangible objects, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
An Inner Strength Grandmaster could condense their aura into substance, and the martial energy Guan Zhengtian was now displaying was enough to prove his strength as a Martial Arts Grandmaster.
As he performed the full set of Guan’s Eight Trigrams Staff, the crowd watched, mesmerized and utterly shocked.
Afterward, one by one, they began to exclaim over how terrifying an Inner Strength Grandmaster was.
"This Guan Zhengtian is truly incredible! He’s worthy of his title as a legendary Inner Strength Grandmaster!"
"Yeah, a Grandmaster is too strong! They’re terrifying beings, virtually unbeatable by mere mortals!"
Hearing these words of praise, a smug look immediately appeared on Guan Zhengtian’s face.
Even Long Wu couldn’t help but say with envy,
"So incredible... Is this what an Inner Strength Grandmaster is like? With my current strength, I’m still too far off!"
His tone held a faint note of inferiority, as he clearly understood the considerable gap between himself and a Grandmaster.
At his current level, it was impossible for Long Wu to trade blows with an Inner Strength Grandmaster; he would be defeated in an instant.
Qin Tuo smiled faintly and said comfortingly,
"Long Wu, don’t be discouraged. One day, you will also successfully step into the Realm of Grandmaster!"
Hearing Qin Tuo’s reassurance, Long Wu immediately felt much better.
Under the adoring gazes of the entire crowd, Guan Zhengtian strode onto the stage like a meteor and pointed his Eight Trigrams Staff at the distant Liao Feiying!
"Liao Feiying, you old scoundrel, get up here and fight me to the death!"
The surroundings immediately erupted. Everyone knew they were about to witness a spectacular battle between Grandmasters.
Liao Feiying snorted coldly and shot onto the stage.
"Very well. Since you’re so eager to die that you’d challenge me, I’ll grant you your wish!"
Liao Feiying spat out the harsh words and charged forward without hesitation.
The two Grandmasters instantly began a top-tier duel on the stage!