Chapter 293 Grand Sumo Duel
The masked figure's expression shifted like the pages of a book. Previously, he had the face of a patriotic patriot, but now he had transformed into a frenzied collector. He stared at the wrist of misfortune, exclaiming in admiration, "Where on earth did you get this from? The power of misfortune is incredibly rare. If I hadn't visited the ancient battlefield and seen the remains of that great demon, would I have known?"
He crossed his arms and pondered as he spoke, "No, no. The remnants of power alone cannot condense this level of thought, and the manufacturing process is also quite impressive... This is truly worth studying."
Fander looked out of his pocket and smiled broadly, "That's right, this skill is unique in the world."
"What kind of demon is this?" The masked figure leaned forward for a closer look and whispered, "I'm telling you guys, if you have the fifth pulse sequence, don't show yourselves. Be aware of the repercussions..."
"Not a demon." Finder rolled his eyes.
“?? It doesn’t seem like…?”
The masked figure muttered for a moment, then put the matter behind him. He then spoke eagerly, "Let's get back to business! Young man, I have a natural love for rare weapons and treasures, and I long to acquire all the rarest weapons in the world. How much do you want for this prosthetic hand?"
Chu Hengkong was at a loss for words, thinking that this person was talking nonsense, like a boastful actor. He was already 23 years old after the New Year and still a "boy". Even if his face was a little younger, there was no reason to call him that.
He flatly refused: "This arm is not for sale."
The masked man was not in a hurry: "Ha ha ha, don't jump to conclusions. To be honest, young man, I have quite a lot of money. As long as the request is not excessive, I can offer whatever price you want - Hey, don't leave!"
Chu Hengkong ignored him and turned to look at the exhibition. Fander spoke for him, "If you really want to sell this arm, can you come up with something better? I think it's too bad, right?"
The masked figure chased after him with the speed of a sprinter. "Wait, wait! Young man, you don't know that your prosthetic arm, while powerful, carries with it an equally powerful bond. Even if your saber can suppress it, in the long run it will inevitably—oh, oh, oh, what is that sword?!"
Only then did he notice Shen Zhan, and he jumped back three steps in shock. From the unpredictable look in his eyes, one could infer the intense changes in his expression beneath the mask.
"That aura, even though I don't understand it, it's definitely powerful! This, this...!"
The masked man collapsed in frustration, pounding the ground and yelling, "Damn it! I can't afford this!"
Fan De laughed out loud on the spot, and even Chu Hengkong couldn't help laughing. The Divine Slash in the scabbard shook disdainfully.
The masked man's exaggerated performance attracted many mercenaries to watch. Chu Hengkong didn't want to cause trouble and directly refused: "I won't sell any weapons on me, and I won't exchange them for anything. Please go back."
"I won't covet the sword, but I'm determined to get the prosthetic arm!"
The masked figure leaped to his feet, raising his palm like a palm-leaf fan. "You and I are both martial artists. Since the deal isn't going through, why not resolve it the other way around? How about a fight with this as the stakes, and let the outcome settle the dispute?"
Chu Hengkong had already turned and left: "No fight."
"How can you, a young man, be so lacking in passion! Hey, don't really leave! I'll also match the bet. I have many powerful relics!"
“No need.”
Seeing Chu Hengkong walk a few meters away, the masked man pondered for a while, as if he remembered something, and suddenly sighed.
"Alas... I thought he would be so heroic, but I didn't expect Ji Qiufeng's disciple to be such a boring man."
Ji Huaisu, who had been enjoying the fun from the sidelines, covered his face with his hands when he heard this. Li Ke, who was watching from the sidelines, was surprised: "Hey, no way, this level of provocation..."
"I'll pass the meeting." Ji Huaisu said helplessly.
Chu Hengkong stopped, turned around, and suddenly smiled.
"What weapon are you betting on my prosthetic hand?"
The masked man patted his chest and laughed, "I can't get the level 7 one, so you can take your pick of the rest!"
"I'm in need of a good gun."
“Okay~!”
The masked man spun around, and as he turned, he manifested a massive spear. The spear was approximately three and a half meters long, gleaming silver, and inscribed with a dragon pattern. The dragon pattern spiraled from the spear's shaft, emerging from the upper section to form a silver head sculpture. A pair of dragon eyes shone with golden light, and from its mouth emanated a sharp blade. The aura was immense, powerful, and unstoppable.
Chu Hengkong's eyes lit up. The masked man stuck the spear into the ground like a flag and said complacently, "The spear is called 'Kanglong Ganzhen'. It was forged by the former Palace Master of Chenjun Palace from the remains of an ancient dragon. It means to be full of desire without regrets, and to never return."
This gun has a level 6 essence, compressed to a level 5 output. Produced by a reputable and upright sect, it has absolutely no hidden dangers. It's much more practical than that prosthetic arm you're afraid to use too often!"
The mercenaries watching exclaimed in surprise. They were all men risking their lives on the battlefield, and seeing fine weapons was even more enviable than seeing beautiful women. Chu Hengkong nodded readily, "How do we compete?"
The masked man stamped his foot, and the ground in the center of the exhibition hall rose, forming a ring. He leaped onto the ring, gloating, "You and I are both martial artists. We're fellow disciples, but we don't kill or injure anyone. Why don't we have a match according to sumo rules?"
Chu Hengkong suddenly lost his composure: "What? Sumo?"
"This is a traditional ritual on Shura Island," explained Fander. "In the past, after the earliest Canxins hunted the Scourge, they worried that its elemental bodies would transform and take its place. So they had strong warriors trample the Scourge's corpses, forcing its power into the soil with their willpower. This not only reduced the Scourge to dust, but also provided a bounty for Dust Island, promoting a good harvest."
This ritual of trampling demons is called "Shigu," and the person who tramples them is called a "rikishi." In modern times, the warriors still engage in friendly contests of strength in the ring, with the winner being the one who escapes or falls. This is known as the "Grand Sumo," a symbol of Shura Island's honor.
"Falling or stepping out of bounds means failure!" the masked man added. "I'm not taking advantage of you. You're a Seismic Level 3 cultivator, so I'll only lower all your power skills to Level 3. How's that? Is that fair?"
Chu Hengkong slowly stepped onto the stage and threw Fander to Ji Huaisu: "Why don't you raise it to particle 4 before competing with me."
"Ha ha ha, young man, don't be so arrogant." The masked man laughed and lowered his body. "Then, let's bet our precious weapons—let's fight it out!"
Ji Huaisu made an ice whistle and blew it hard. As the whistle blew, everyone in the audience felt a flash before their eyes. The masked man flashed to the other side of the ring at incredible speed, and hit Chu Hengkong directly in the chest with a palm-leaf fan-like palm strike!
The impact of this blow must have been immense, but there was no audible sound; only Chu Hengkong was sent flying backward. Li Ke gasped in pain. She knew the opponent's martial arts skills were extremely high from this blow, as it showed that the entire impact force was being injected into Chu Hengkong's body, leaving no energy wasted. Taking such a blow head-on would be excruciatingly painful.
Chu Hengkong retreated repeatedly, nearly falling off the stage, only to find his footing just at the edge. At the same moment, the masked man suddenly leaped, causing the spot he had been standing on to collapse, sending a colorless torrent of energy surging upward. Ji Huaisu quickly created an ice wall, otherwise the onlookers would have been blown away.
"Is this Zizai Feng?" "A hidden weapon?" The mercenaries were discussing.
"It's a force dump," Rico smacked her lips. "That guy dumped the force of the blow directly into the ground, using it as a mine attack... Both sides are the same monster."
The masked man's posture was flawless, and he exclaimed in admiration, "Young man, your physique is even stronger than I expected."
"You're quite strong." Chu Hengkong stretched his neck. "Are you sure you want to use this strength? Or maybe you should increase it a little bit."
"Ha ha ha, why bother with strength? The essence of Longxiang martial arts is skill!"
The strong man took a step, the killer charged forward, and both men rushed to the center of the ring simultaneously, one throwing punches, the other clapping. Their attack speed instantly increased, and the winds of fists and palms spread out like a storm. The audience below was dazzled, unable to discern the exact nature of the boxing techniques being used. They only felt that the power in the arena was terrifying, and if they strayed into it, they would be dead in a matter of moments.
But the mercenaries knew that this fight was merely a warm-up for the two men. All martial artists who emerged from the mountains possessed secret techniques, and these two hadn't even used a single one, so they weren't serious.
As expected, the two sides separated after only half a minute of fighting, ready to reveal their true martial arts skills. The masked man waved his hand, and between his fingers, a piece of white paper suddenly appeared, covered in bright red ink, transforming into a talisman. He slapped the talisman against his arm and said with a smile, "Look! A talisman made of solid steel!"
The audience erupted in applause; even Li Ke and Ji Huaisu were clapping. This move was a true display of skill, evident to all experienced practitioners. He displayed the talismanic techniques that Longxiang martial artists were so proud of.
Martial arts talismans, powered by Qi and blood, lack the power of elemental magic, but offer a variety of benefits, including strengthening the body, raising troops, and exorcising demons. They are a highly practical skill for ascenders on the Guiyi Path who lack offensive means. It's important to note that many relics from the Floating Light and Supreme Paths are only accessible to ascenders on those paths. Since the Guiyi Path is home to the most barbarians among mercenaries, these Qi and blood-powered talismans are the perfect auxiliary relic.
Drawing talismans is laborious and requires rare materials. Ordinary martial artists often have to set aside half a day to create just a few talismans, and talismans are hard to come by. A steel-body talisman like this one requires at least a Heart Sword cultivator to create, which is why skilled talisman-makers like Wu He are so popular.
This masked martial artist transformed his fists into a brush, his battles into paintings, imbuing his spirit with the principles of talismans, transforming the very act of combat into the process of "drawing talismans." By the end of the exchange, the talismans were seamlessly integrated, embodying the essence of Longquan Village's dual cultivation of civil and military skills, nurturing combat through combat. This was a skill so unmatched that the mercenaries could not help but applaud.
The crowd in the audience was full of anticipation, looking towards the other side of the arena, wondering what Inspector Chu was going to do in response.
Chu Hengkong was not polite either. He transformed his wrist into a long knife and stabbed himself right in the heart. Finally, he waved his hand and said, "Please."
The masked man slowly tilted his head, and a huge question mark appeared on the mask: "?"
Chu Hengkong also felt confused:?
(End of this chapter)
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