"You have quite the nerve to go against the Ghost Gate!"
Shen Bihai stood tall, his gaze fixed on Lu Fan. "Hiding behind a mask, playing the phantom!"
"By West Lake, I gave him a chance. Lu Fan smiled. "In Bailing Town, I'll give you one too. Leave now, and I'll spare your life." Sudan Novel Network
"Hahaha..."
Laughter echoed across the stage. Shen Bihai's eyes flashed with arrogance. "Just you?"
As his words fell, a wave of energy rippled outwards. The crowd staggered back. Lu Fan ascended the stage, his steps as steady as if walking on level ground, unfazed by the imposing aura.
Among the crowd, Xiao Qi muttered, "This person's figure looks so familiar!"
"I also find him quite familiar," Lin Ke nodded slightly. "If not for his overwhelming presence, I would have thought he was Brother Lu Fan!"
"I thought so too," Xiao Qi said sheepishly. "But this person before us is a martial arts master, so naturally, he wouldn't be your Brother Lu Fan."
Lin Ke nodded, appearing quite serious about this observation.
"Today is the Martial Arts Convention. If anyone has personal grievances, please address them elsewhere."
Old Master Zhao stood up, cupping his fist in a smile. "I ask for both of you to give me some face."
"What do you think you are?"
Shen Bihai unleashed an internal force. Old Master Zhao quickly retreated. Black Rakshasa, like a phantom, moved to block him, but then suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Old Master Zhao was greatly startled. He never expected the masked figure to be so formidable. Had it not been for Black Rakshasa's timely intervention, his life might have been forfeit.
He felt a twinge of fear, realizing how vulnerable a merchant was in the face of a powerful martial artist.
Blood trickled from Black Rakshasa's mouth. He had previously estimated his chances at thirty percent, but now he gave a self-deprecating laugh. If his guess was correct, killing him would be child's play for Shen Bihai.
"Old Master Zhao, it's best if I don't stir up trouble," Han Yunhai advised. "Those who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Lu are no ordinary individuals. Furthermore, before true martial arts masters, we merchants are nothing more than pigs and dogs!"
Old Master Zhao's face darkened, but he said no more. Just as Han Yunhai had said, true martial arts masters did not regard them as significant.
"If you take your own life now, I will grant you a complete corpse," Shen Bihai said coldly.
"Why waste words? Let's just fight!" Lu Fan shrugged, standing on the stage, appearing utterly ordinary.
Shen Bihai, enraged, channeled his inner force and struck Lu Fan with a palm, a shadow of a blade flashing.
Lu Fan did not dodge. Instead, he met the attack with a palm strike of his own, devoid of any flourish.
Boom...
Shen Bihai was sent flying back, blood gushing from his mouth. His palm strike had been powerful, but in Lu Fan's hands, it seemed empty of substance.
"Internal energy projection, Martial Arts Grandmaster!"
Blood trickled from Shen Bihai's lips as he exclaimed in surprise. He had never imagined Lu Fan to be a Martial Arts Grandmaster, or he wouldn't have been able to project his internal energy.
"Martial Arts Grandmaster? Do Martial Arts Grandmasters truly exist as in the legends?"
Black Rakshasa stood frozen. As a practitioner of martial arts, he had heard of the power of Martial Arts Grandmasters but had never witnessed it.
Martial Arts Grandmasters could not only project their internal energy but even walk on air, transforming their inner force into a gaseous form to achieve short-lived flight, which was by no means difficult.
There were even rumors that a Martial Arts Grandmaster could destroy a city with a single palm strike. While these tales might be exaggerated, they sufficiently illustrated the terrifying capabilities of such masters.
"Whether I am a Grandmaster or not is irrelevant. What matters is that you cannot escape your doom today," Lu Fan said with a smile. "I already gave you a chance earlier."
"Even if you are a Martial Arts Grandmaster, you shouldn't oppose my Ghost Gate!" Shen Bihai said coldly. "The Ghost King's power is immense. If I die here, you will have made an enemy of the Ghost Gate!"
"Threatening when you can't win is not a good habit," Lu Fan said sternly. "I know nothing of any Ghost Gate or Demon Gate. I only know that you will die today!"
Lu Fan's words instilled a sense of retreat in Shen Bihai. He was almost certain that Lu Fan was a Martial Arts Grandmaster and, if that were true, he might not even consider the Ghost Gate a threat.
Martial Arts Grandmasters never bowed to coercion, let alone someone like him, who was merely a half-step Grandmaster, not yet reaching that realm.
At that very moment, Shen Bihai fled towards the sea of flowers in Bailing Town, his movements unnervingly swift.
Lu Fan, however, was relentless. He lightly tapped his way through the flowers, directly blocking Shen Bihai's path.
Many people came to watch, their exclamations of surprise echoing. Lu Fan had just levitated through the sea of flowers without any apparent use of power, a feat that truly astonished them.
"Are you truly determined to force my hand?" Shen Bihai's face contorted with anger. "I am a hall master of the Ghost Gate. You cannot kill me."
"You talk too much!" Lu Fan shrugged. "This sea of flowers is very fertile. It will be your burial ground, a fortunate end for you!"
As he spoke, Lu Fan's palm, imbued with internal energy, flicked out. With a single, effortless movement, it pierced through Shen Bihai's forehead. There were no flashy techniques, only an aura of casual ease.
The onlookers gasped in astonishment. They were ordinary people, having never witnessed such a divine ability.
The prominent figures on the main stage were shaken. Old Master Zhao was the first to react. "Brother Han, you called him Mr. Lu earlier. Do you know this gentleman?"
"This is a Martial Arts Grandmaster. You should address him as Master Lu," Han Yunhai stated plainly. "He is the man behind the Azure Dragon Sect."
The important figures present were taken aback and began to weigh their options.
With Lu Fan's displayed prowess, he was not someone they could afford to offend. The Azure Dragon Sect had always sought to dominate the Jiangnan region. Now, with Lu Fan backing them, they had to be wary.
"Brother Han, I have several casinos in Xuzhou that I'd like to offer to the Azure Dragon Sect," Boss Chu said with a smile. "Please accept them, Brother Han."
"I also have a few establishments in Xuzhou," Boss Chen quickly added, his flattery evident.
"By all means, by all means!" Han Yunhai cupped his fists. "Why are you all being so polite?"
"With a Grandmaster overseeing the Azure Dragon Sect, we naturally dare not show disrespect," Boss Chu said with a smile.
As they turned to leave, they realized Lu Fan had already vanished.
Today's Martial Arts Convention had made it clear to everyone: Lu Fan had undeniably become the most dazzling presence.
However, this convention had also stirred considerable commotion. With Lu Fan's disappearance, the Martial Arts Convention was finally concluded.
As the crowd dispersed, Lin Ke looked around, searching for Lu Fan.
"So, you two are here! I've been looking for you for ages!"
Lu Fan's voice rang out as he walked over.
"Really?" Xiao Qi chuckled. "Did you see that masked man earlier?"
"Of course, I saw him. He was truly impressive!" Lu Fan said earnestly.
"That person's back looked a lot like yours. If you weren't so incapable, we would have mistaken you," Xiao Qi said with a light laugh.
Lu Fan smiled, but remained silent.