Chapter 146: Life lesson
Chapter 146: Life Lesson
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Once again, silence fell over the arena as everyone admired the majestic figure of a spear suspended in the air, its body shining, translucent, and radiant.
It hovered above the arena, but its exact position was right over Li Duoji, a clear sign that he was the one who had manifested it.
The audience was once more astonished, the instructors too, everyone was,everyone except one person: Zhu Rong.
He looked at his opponent with a curious expression, watching as the frustration and despair on his face slowly twisted into a triumphant smile, an almost insane joy shining through.
Li Duoji looked at him, as he said:
"You see this, huh? This is what makes me different from you," he said as he raised his right hand, the spear clenched within it, pointing upward, as if to indicate the massive manifestation of the spear hanging high in the sky above the arena
"This is a level you’ll never reach with your pathetic talent. I don’t know what trick you used to reach the third stage, but a trick is still just a trick. You won’t get very far with it.
Hahaha, you should thank me," he said, as the spear in his hand began shining brighter and brighter, while particles of light descended from the manifestation above, all converging onto his spear, wrapping it in a luminous layer that made it radiate even more.
Hearing Li Duoji’s words, Zhu Rong couldn’t help but smile curiously as he said:
"Oh? And why is that?" he asked, without the slightest trace of panic on his face or in his voice. But seeing this, Li Duoji’s smile only widened further.
"You should thank me because I’m about to crush you with this attack. I’ll crush you so badly you’ll think twice before daring to stand against someone stronger than you again.
In this world, the strong dominate while the weak bow their heads and endure. I am the first, you are the second. If the weak ever dares to lift its head and provoke the strong, it will be crushed to death.
Take this defeat as a life lesson, maybe then you’ll survive in this world a little longer, a little longer than your pathetic parents."
As he spoke, the layer of light around his spear solidified completely, now emanating an oppressive pressure that weighed on anyone nearby.
Even Yao Jianbo, who was among the audience watching the battle, couldn’t help but narrow his eyes as he felt the terrifying power contained within the spear now.
He had witnessed Li Duoji’s manifestation, and instantly understood that even though their fight had been intense, he still hadn’t pushed his opponent far enough to force out such a hidden trump card.
That realization left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he had no choice but to swallow his dissatisfaction.
Right now, he wasn’t as strong as Li Duoji. Just as Li Duoji himself had said, only the strong had the right to complain. He was weaker, much weaker, so all he could do was continue down his path, growing stronger, strong enough to crush anyone who dared cause him trouble.
Just as these thoughts flashed through his mind, he suddenly felt a cold dread seep into him, a chill racing down his spine.
’What... what’s happening?’
He looked around in panic, but noticed that no one else seemed to feel anything.
Still, he didn’t calm down. Years of training and battling in the wild had sharpened his instincts, especially his sense of danger, enough to know when a stronger and more threatening opponent had appeared.
Even Li Duoji on the stage seemed to notice something, but he brushed off the sensation and turned his gaze toward his opponent, who still stood calmly on the other side of the field, a smile on his face.
But Li Duoji felt something was off. That smile seemed strange, dangerous.
He wondered if perhaps, after enduring so many attacks, his opponent had suffered some kind of damage to the head, after all, why else would he feel such an oppressive sensation coming from the other side?
And just as he thought this, Zhu Rong, who had been silently listening all this time, finally opened his mouth and said:
"How thoughtful of you to take the time to lecture me. But you see, if all you’ve got up your sleeve is this pathetic spear aura, then I’d suggest you run away, and fast...
otherwise, something very unpleasant might happen."
He said this while giving a brief glance at the spear in the air, his eyes empty, as if looking at a mere toy, before turning his attention back to Li Duoji.
Hearing those words, Li Duoji felt a vein burst in his head as his blood boiled in rage.
He wasn’t the only one to react, others in the audience, watching this brief exchange, couldn’t help but look at Zhu Rong in disbelief, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
A pathetic spear aura? Nothing else up his sleeve? Run away?
Had this boy hit his head somewhere?
Since when was the manifestation of a weapon considered pathetic?
If it was so pathetic, then why couldn’t any of them bring one out themselves?
Since when could someone dismiss the manifestation of a weapon as if it were nothing?
The audience didn’t know if Zhu Rong was joking out of fear of the spear’s oppressive aura or if he was simply delusional.
It would be one thing if someone who had manifested a weapon’s aura themselves, or someone who had reached a higher level of comprehension of a weapon said this.
But when it was just a younger student, weaker in cultivation than his opponent, saying it as if it meant nothing at all,
Needless to say, those words drew a negative reaction from the crowd. Even the instructors, who had been listening, couldn’t help but frown at such arrogance.
"This kid sure doesn’t hold his tongue," one of the instructors said with a frown as he watched the arena.
"Hm, the boy is strong, much stronger than his peers, strong enough that even Li Duoji is struggling against him.
But to diminish a weapon aura like this, even for him, is a bit too reckless," said the female instructor near Liang Yuexing, as she glanced first at Zhu Rong, then at her colleague.
She held herself back from speaking too negatively about her colleague’s fiancé, but someone else in the hall had no such concern.
"Tch, and to think I actually admired this boy’s talent. Turns out he’s just another arrogant student whose small bit of power has already gone to his head."
Suddenly, Ao Chen’s voice rang out in the hall, filled with disappointment and a trace of contempt.