Darren wore an air of pride and corrected the earlier statement, saying, "That was last year. Just two months ago, I broke my own record. Now, it's 13 stone slabs!"Mabel's face lit up with excitement, and she eagerly praised him, "Mr. Thornton, you are truly impressive, a paragon of vitality and strength. You have my utmost admiration!""It's nothing worth mentioning," Darren said modestly, though his demeanor betrayed his growing self-satisfaction.In the room stood two other elders, their faces marked by a subtle deference. Both of them stood and bowed slightly to Darren in greeting."These two are Elden Pattinson and Benjamin Sunner," Mabel introduced. "They've also come to assist in tonight's duel."Darren offered them only a brief nod, his lack of courtesy apparent.The martial world adhered strictly to a hierarchy of strength. Though both Elden and Benjamin inwardly felt slighted, they refrained from showing it.Elden forced a polite smile and said, "It's an honor to coll
Before the matches even began, one of their own had already been injured.On the surface, Darren's actions seemed like a demonstration of dominance and skill.However, Woody perceived deeper intentions. If the goal was merely to prove strength, defeating an opponent with a single move would suffice. There was no need to go as far as causing injury.Considering Darren's age, his behavior did not align with that of someone ruled by impulsive passion.Benjamin, despite his injury, tried to preserve his dignity. "The Eternal Stride Techniques live up to their name. I admit defeat wholeheartedly."Darren sneered, his expression dripping with disdain. "At least you know your place."Mabel stepped in to mediate. "It's inspiring to see such camaraderie among you veterans. I truly admire you for that. Let's take a short rest and head out in half an hour."Woody rose first and left the room with the visibly confused Penny.Meanwhile, Darren's eyes followed them, a glint of malice flashin
"He's nothing more than someone clinging to the Swenson family for support. Does he really think he's someone important?" Magdalena said."He probably doesn't realize that today's fight is happening because Mabel got too close to another man. Her fiancé is furious and wants to make an example out of the man. I want to see how long this Woody can keep acting smug. I'm sure he will be taught a lesson soon!"Jasmine, tired of Magdalena's antics, firmly held Magdalena's wrist to prevent her from causing more trouble."Look, the people from the Celestial Vanguard Sect are here!" A sudden exclamation drew everyone's attention.A well-dressed young man appeared, surrounded by an entourage of experts.It was none other than Harry.However, his appearance was somewhat peculiar. His face was bruised, and his awkward gait hinted at recent injuries, leaving many to speculate on the details."Now, this is what a true young heirs looks like," Magdalena said with regret."It's such a pity tha
"To receive a lord's pay, one must serve loyally."Eldon feared that Darren would steal all the spotlight. He and Benjamin had traveled a great distance to get here, if they didn't even get a chance to participate, how could they feel justified taking their reward? Moreover, Benjamin was injured by this. The two had discussed earlier and they agreed that no matter what, they had to take part in the fight. Darren furrowed his brow but said nothing. Mabel noticed this, nodded and said, "Very well, the first match will be entrusted to Mr. Pattinson. I wish you great success in advance."At this moment, Woody walked over with Penny."The opponent's training in martial arts seems unusual, we need to be cautious," Woody said. Eldon sneered disdainfully. "Kid, do you think you’re the only one with eyes around here? I've fought countless battles in the martial arts world, I've been in more arenas than the roads you've walked. Do you think I need your reminder?"He dismissed Woo
Both Benjamin and Eldon had the same thought; they would never listen to a young man and disregard their pride. In fact, when Woody first mentioned it, the opponent had already frowned.This time, a look of concern appeared directly on his face.Benjamin leaped high into the air, his body resembling a diving eagle, aiming a kick directly at the opponent's chest. The opponent smirked coldly, waved his hands, and streams of black mist appeared. Benjamin's vision blurred and before he could react, the opponent firmly gripped his ankle. Bang! Benjamin was slammed into the ground and he began seeing stars before his eyes. It wasn't over yet; the opponent lifted him up and smashed him to the other side like swatting a fly. Boom!Thud!The deafening sound echoed as the arena shook violently. Benjamin was slammed seven to eight times and his entire body was falling apart. He let out agonizing screams of unbearable pain.Finally, the opponent released him, and Benjamin tum
"What?!"He was unwell and decided to forfeit? Was he kidding? If he didn't want to fight, why did he step onto the arena? "Suddenly feeling unwell? That excuse…sounds so flimsy!""A renowned martial arts master willingly surrendering?""It seems intentional. I'm starting to think he wasn't hired by the Swensons but he is working with the Celestial Vanguard Sect."The crowd was utterly shocked and began speculating wildly.Mabel was even more incredulous. After all, the deposit had already been transferred to Darren's account. Moreover, Mabel had even offered to double the payment. It was double the amount and it was a clear demonstration of her sincerity!By every measure, Darren shouldn't have betrayed them. He was such a prestigious martial arts master and he decided to throw away his reputation?It was entirely unexpected!His decision to forfeit was essentially a betrayal to Mabel!"Mr. Thornton, what is the meaning of this?"Mabel felt a chill course through
Harry smirked sinisterly and said, "I know you're not convinced, but what can you do about it? How about I give you a chance? Pick someone from the crowd to help you. I'd like to see who dares to go against the Celestial Vanguard Sect?"Mabel quickly looked toward her bodyguards. In the end, not a single one of them dared meet her eyes. Every one of them lowered their heads and remained silent. Mabel turned to the rest of the crowd, but it was the same reaction. It wasn't just that Harry's side had an overwhelming advantage, even if the situation had been balanced, no one would risk opposing the Celestial Vanguard Sect. A heroic rescue of a damsel in distress?Forget it!One would need the strength and skill to back it up. If they were to act impulsively to stand up for a woman, it would only lead to certain deaths, and it wouldn't change the outcome in the slightest.Whether through schemes or tricks, the Swensons had already lost. "Haha, Mabel, do you see now?" Harr
"What's going on?""Damn!""Really? That's it?"Looking at the middle-aged man lying motionless in the arena like a dead dog, everyone was utterly dumbfounded. It was unbelievable and unacceptable!Both Benjamin and Eldon had been defeated by him in a single exchange. Even though Darren had voluntarily conceded, who could say with certainty that his decision wasn't driven by fear of the middle-aged man's overwhelming power, aside from being bribed by Harry?The middle-aged man's demonstrated strength had left a deep impression on everyone. Based on age, experience, and every other conceivable factor, Woody should not be considered a match for him.In fact, everyone had been absolutely convinced that Woody was on a suicide mission. Even if he wanted to play the hero and save the damsel in distress, he needed a realistic evaluation of his abilities. His blind confidence would inevitably lead to the price of one's life but no one had expected the outcome to take a shocking
Solomon didn't dare to resist and could only comply.By the time everyone arrived at the back of the mountain, the sky was already starting to lighten.Directly ahead lied a deep canyon with steep cliffs.Woody tied one end of the rope to the bridge pillar, slung the coil of rope over his shoulder, and nodded to the people around him."Is there something wrong?" Woody asked the battered elder.The elder quickly responded, "No problem!"Woody pushed off with one foot, launching himself into the air toward the other side of the cliff.While Woody was halfway through the flight, his body began to plummet downward.From this angle, he didn't stand a chance of making it across.At that moment, a giant eagle swooped in from the side.The elder stood at the edge of the cliff and blew the eagle whistle.The giant eagle spread its wings, and with Woody stepping onto its back, they instantly shifted from falling to ascending.In the next moment, he landed steadily at the edge of the
Woody's bold statements echoed throughout the entire Martial Arts Union Headquarters.In the past, if anyone dared to speak to their union president like that, Solomon wouldn't even need to say anything–the followers alone would leave the person questioning their life choices!In front of the Headquarters, how could he be allowed to speak recklessly?The current situation was that Woody not only said something, but also tore down their gate and injured dozens of their people.Of course, this number wasn't set in stone.If anyone else dared to step up, Woody certainly wouldn't hold back and was more than willing to help the Martial Arts Union continue increasing the number of casualties."You... have quite the attitude!"Solomon, being the union president of the alliance, held a certain standing and position, so it was unlikely for him to just back down easily.In reality, he had been feeling extremely anxious for quite some time.The eight seasoned elders teamed up and still c
He didn't want anyone to mention it, especially in public."Where are the eight elders?" Solomon's eyes were filled with rage as he shouted loudly."Here!" The eight elders spoke in unison, giving their response."That person destroyed our place and harmed our followers; he should be struck down on the spot to serve as a warning to others," Solomon said through gritted teeth.The eight elders responded in unison, "Yes, sir!""Attack!"The eight of them were all masters of martial arts who had reached the Peak level.They had impressive performance!At the headquarters, in terms of both status and strength, they were second only to Solomon.Even the legendary Martial God wouldn't stand a chance against the combined strength of these eight individuals.They coordinated seamlessly, surrounding Woody and launching a flurry of fierce attacks from all directions.If it were someone else, they would have been torn apart by them.Woody remained calm, letting his mind wander for a m
In the darkness, countless shadows darted back and forth.When they clearly saw that the gateway, which symbolized the Martial Arts Union, had been destroyed and was now nothing more than a pile of rubble, they were immediately filled with rage."Who dared to be so bold and fearless!""How dare you tear down the Martial Arts Union's gate? You're asking for trouble.""Whoever it is, they're definitely not a good person. Let's deal with them thoroughly first and ask questions later!"A crowd filled with anger saw what appeared to be a figure standing in front of the ruins."Hey kid, did you see who did it?"A sharp-eyed person noticed that the figure was a young man and immediately started questioning him."I'm warning you, this situation is serious. You need to tell everything you've seen, or else you'll face the consequences."Woody stood calmly and said, "I saw it.""Come on, who is it?" a group of people demanded in unison.Woody said calmly, "That's me!""What?!"The gr
Rudolf immediately became anxious. He shielded his granddaughter, Penny, while loudly rebuking, "Mr. Edwards, is this really how your Martial Arts Union treats guests? If word gets out, we won't be afraid of becoming the laughingstock of our peers in the martial arts community!"Solomon was completely unfazed. "You think you're worthy of being called guests?"Faced with a large group of people who were eyeing them aggressively, the three of them were no match at all.It was quickly dealt with!"Solomon, aren't you worried that Mr. Snider's disciple, Woody, will come looking for trouble if you do this?" Rudolf shouted loudly while struggling.Solomon couldn’t care less. “If he dares to come, I will make sure he gets a taste of being a prisoner! The person you were taught by is no good, so it's likely you won't be any better. It's fitting that you pay off your teacher's debt. Let both the old man and you face the consequences together!"What's all the fuss about Woody? He's just a
Solomon was using very offensive language.Miranda had a cold look on her face, but since she was on someone else's turf, she couldn't act out.Jaycee was actually Solomon's sister, and there was an age difference of over twenty years between them.After Jaycee was born, her parents passed away due to illness. Before their death, they entrusted her, still an infant, to the care of Solomon.Solomon had a hard time raising his younger sister by himself. Now, as he watched her grow into a beautiful and talented young woman, she was becoming increasingly admired by people in the martial arts community.There were so many people trying to arrange marriages with the Edwards family that they practically wore down the doorstep from their frequent visits.Solomon was overwhelmed with options, dreaming of his sister marrying into a wealthy family and securing a beautiful marriage.Dreams shattered!Jaycee, who was as fresh and naive, ended up being paired with someone considered old and
To be honest, Woody was quite intrigued.Every time he got into a scuffle with the underlings, he couldn't help but deeply miss Alexia.The esteemed Princess of the Epochal Realm was clearly being used by him as a henchman.The key point is that Alexia wasn't upset at all; instead, she was quite happy to help."No way."Reason overcame impulse, and Woody frowned as he said, "You have to stay at home. Only then can I be at ease."Alexia's expression fell. "Alright then!"Woody laughed and said, "You're being so obedient, I must reward you for that.""What kind of reward?" Her ears perked up with excitement, and her eyes were sparkling.Woody pulled a serpent's core of his pocket and said, "I promised you a gift earlier, and now I'm making good on that promise."Alexia's eyes lit up with excitement again. "The serpent's inner core!"In the past, she would not have paid any attention to the inner core of this quality.Every extra look is an insult to the title "Princess of the
Edwin was, of course, unconvinced! As the teacher, he had failed, but the student had succeeded on the first try. If it wasn't sheer luck, then what was it? Woody didn't respond and picked up a second heavenly crystal. Moments later, he succeeded again! Edwin's eyes widened in amazement, as though he witnessed something truly extraordinary. Meanwhile, the admiration on Alexia's face skyrocketed. "Try it again!" Edwin was still unwilling to accept it. This time, Woody didn't humor him and directly put away the remaining heavenly crystals. "What's the meaning of this?" Edwin widened his eyes. Woody stood up to leave and without looking back, he said, "Thanks!""Wait, are you sure you've fully mastered it?"Edwin hurried after him and said, "What if something goes wrong? I can help you figure it out!""No need. If my master believes he's fine, then he's definitely going to be fine," Alexia said, blocking the old man and speaking with solemn assurance. At that moment, Edwin's
Edwin stiffened his neck, trying to maintain a normal expression to cover up his embarrassment as his earlier demonstration had ended in failure. Although he knew the method, his lack of practice over the years had led to a mistake, which was understandable.""Ha..." Alexia let out a big yawn, her eyelids feeling as though they were weighed down by a thousand pounds; she was getting sleepy!Edwin's lengthy lecture had successfully bored her into a drowsy state. As for the later parts of the lesson, it didn't register in her mind at all; everything he said went in one ear and out the other, leaving no trace behind. "Carry on…"Alexia stretched lazily signaling for the two of them to continue without being affected by her. This left Edwin feeling utterly defeated! He felt as though he had been slapped in the face! Putting a student to sleep was already embarrassing enough, but to make matters worse, his demonstration had also failed. "It's fine, let me try." Woody volunteered.