Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Sixteen-Year-Old Martial Venerable?
The captain of the Imperial Guards couldn’t help but rage in humiliation, waving his hand, “Fire the cannon!”
A Purple Crystal Cannon fired immediately towards Shi Hao, its speed so fast that even a Martial Sect had no chance to react.
However, Shi Hao, still a senior Martial Sect in realm, had far surpassed this level in strength. With a light shout, his figure leaped forward, and with a punch, the cannonball exploded on impact. The fragments did not fly backward but scattered into the sky.
“Considering you are just following orders, I will spare you this time. Dare to strike again, and you shall be killed without mercy!” Shi Hao said coldly.
He would warn only once—whoever dared to strike at him again, he would kill!
The squad of Imperial Guards wet themselves in fear.
To catch a Purple Crystal Cannon barehanded, to blast it apart and send it flying without sustaining a scratch on himself—
Is this really a Martial Sect?
The Purple Crystal Cannon is designed to kill Martial Sects, yet it couldn’t even harm a single hair on Shi Hao, so how could he possibly be a Martial Sect?
Could it be… a Martial Venerable?
Heavens, how could there be such a young Martial Venerable?
The Imperial Guards were trembling, now too scared to make another move even if they were given ten thousand doses of courage.
Shi Hao seemed to be a Martial Venerable, and a Martial Venerable is a figure of high respect among martial artists, inviolable.
A pillar of a nation, one who could suppress even the state itself—what lofty status is that?
Moreover, if Shi Hao was also a Martial Venerable, then the grudge between him and Duan Jinghong was something that mere mortals could not possibly intervene in.
Shi Hao turned around, utterly ignoring the Imperial Guards, even though a Purple Crystal Cannon was still aimed at his back.
Such an attitude made one feel compelled to admire him.
What incredible confidence!
Tramp, tramp, tramp, more people finally emerged from the Martial Venerate Mansion, and this time, there were even more of them, including one who was limping out.
Shi Hao was somewhat astonished because he had clearly crippled Luo Chen’s limbs, crushed his bones to dust—there was no way he could be standing again.
—Unless he intervened, it’s not an injury that could not be healed, but within the Hua Yuan Nation?
Sorry, there was no way there was a healer capable of that.
“Shi Hao, you didn’t expect me to be able to stand again, did you?” Luo Chen glared at Shi Hao, his eyes full of flames.
He nearly became crippled!
But that was a thing of the past. Soon, he would join the White Cloud Sect and embark on a supreme path. The difference between him and Shi Hao would be like that between the clouds and the mud.
Shi Hao didn’t take it seriously—such a petty character could easily be squashed with a flick of his fingers; was he worth his concern?
His gaze locked on another person.
Their paths had crossed once at the Imperial Palace, and of course, for Liu Yixiao, that was hardly a pleasant memory.
However, this let Shi Hao know that the other party was a physician.
This person was quite arrogant, not even showing much respect to the Emperor. So, he must have a considerable background. Now, appearing in the Martial Venerate Mansion and just so happens that Luo Chen’s injuries have miraculously healed—there was definitely a connection between the two.
“Was it you who healed this man?” Shi Hao asked.
“Indeed,” Liu Yixiao replied proudly. “A mere fracture is naturally negligible in my view.”
This statement was actually quite ostentatious—after all, Luo Chen’s bones had been powdered, yet within a mere ten days, they were mostly healed, allowing him to walk with crutches. To claim such would make even the old doctors of the medical court pop their eyes out in astonishment. Yet, he spoke of it with such ease.
Concealed humility is actually a form of pride.
Shi Hao placed his hands behind his back and said, “I don’t get along with this person, so if you beat him into a crippled state again, I’ll let you off the hook. Otherwise, I’ll cripple your limbs as well and see if you can heal yourself.”
Ah, how arrogant, how overbearing!
Liu Yixiao was so angry he laughed instead, too lazy to even retort, only letting out a “heh heh heh” of cold laughter.
On the other side, Duan Jinghong was also about to explode with rage.
Even in the presence of the Emperor, he would have to be treated with the utmost courtesy—a Soul Nurturing powerhouse indeed, someone who could utterly dominate those in the Breaking the Extreme realm.
But Shi Hao hadn’t even deigned to give him a single glance—what blatant disrespect!
“You impudent boy, you really are arrogant!” he said coolly. As a Martial Venerable, an exalted figure, he was, of course, beyond showing his emotions outwardly.
Shi Hao responded tit for tat, “Old thing, relying on your status as a Martial Venerable, you threaten and scream for my blood. What, do you expect me to bow before you respectfully and call you ‘Venerable Sir’? Hmph, you have no shame, and yet you blame me for not giving you face?”
Duan Jinghong was so furious he felt like exploding, the young man’s words were incredibly cutting, striking right to the heart.
He took a deep breath and said, “Fine, today this old man shall let you taste the bitter fruits of your own doing!”
Boom, a torrent of power surged from within him, giving a strong sense of tangible force.
Such was the might of a Martial Venerable!
Everyone felt a sense of awe, and those who had previously thought Shi Hao might come out on top now shook their heads solemnly in their hearts.
It was simply too vast a gulf, too complete a divide—that was the terrifying strength of a nation’s pillar, the Martial Venerable.
Duan Jinghong walked toward Shi Hao step by step, and with each heavy footfall—thud, thud, thud—the ground trembled slightly, as if a massive ferocious beast was thundering across the earth.
“Stone!” The fatty showed a look of anxiety.
That was a Martial Venerable after all, a character from the legends, who not only presented himself in person now but was even about to fight with his young friend.
Long-held conceptions of the martial arts hierarchy had been etched deeply into their minds, causing the fatty to worry immensely.
“Don’t worry!” Shi Hao said just that and then took a big stride forward to meet his opponent, his fighting spirit igniting fiercely.
Before this moment, he had crushed anyone he faced, having never met a worthy adversary.
But this time, it would be different.
He had finally met a strong opponent. However, far from being afraid, this made him excited.
“Come!” He bellowed, suddenly accelerating and throwing a swift punch.
“Peon!” Duan Jinghong said disdainfully. He didn’t bother to dodge and punched back.
He didn’t utilize any Martial Techniques. A Martial Venerable wouldn’t need such maneuvers when facing a Martial Sect member—it was an absolute domination, wasn’t it?
Their punches collided and immediately a shockwave burst forth, with multiple trees in the courtyard snapping simultaneously and even a large portion of the wall collapsing.
Yet what was even more astonishing was that Shi Hao managed to maintain his punching stance, standing face to face with Duan Jinghong.
Heavens! My goodness!
This young man was also a Martial Venerable!
At that moment, everyone felt like they were losing their minds. A sixteen-year-old Martial Venerable existed in the world—it was simply unbelievable, leaving them at a loss for words.
Even Liu Yixiao was blown away.
Originally calm and smiling, he now nearly choked.
Soul Nurturing realm.
This young man was at the Soul Nurturing realm!
My goodness, even considering the White Cloud Sect, this was surely a miracle.
Indeed, the sect had young prodigies who had advanced to the Soul Nurturing realm early on, but none of them were under twenty years old.
A sixteen-year-old in the Soul Nurturing realm—unheard of!