Chapter 11
◎Take down Su Lu for me◎
With so many people watching, Old Li, mindful of his reputation, didn't want to make the first move lest he be accused of bullying the weak. So he smiled and raised his chin at Su Lu, his contempt undisguised: "Come on, put in some effort. I'm not one of those guests who don't know how to cherish women."
The origin of the "guests" is self-evident.
The crowd burst into laughter, and someone even whistled.
"offend."
Su Lu's long eyelashes fluttered, and he suddenly threw a punch. Everyone only saw a blur before their eyes. When they came to their senses, Old Li had already fallen to the ground outside the fighting platform, clutching his stomach and rolling around on the ground.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Although the outcome was expected, the protagonists of the story were reversed—the person who should have been crying and being punched away was now standing perfectly fine on the stage, while the one who thought victory was in the bag was knocked down with a single punch.
No one even saw how he was taken down.
Su Lu nodded calmly: "Thank you for your kind offer."
Lin Tan paused, his folding fan still, and a smile played on his lips as he squeezed out two words from behind the fan: "Fool."
Xiao Fuzi quickly bowed and served tea, repeatedly comforting him: "Your Highness, don't worry, we'll make sure that pretty boy gets what's coming to him."
Wei Xianxi, who was in charge of the martial arts test, coughed and had no choice but to say loudly, "Congratulations, Prince Su. Please select your nameplate."
The term "picking up a card" means that the winner can choose any opponent. Just now, Old Li picked up Su Lu's card.
Although Su Lu won in one move, everyone still had doubts about his strength. They all felt that Old Li had underestimated him. Now that it was Su Lu's turn to pick a nameplate, everyone held their breath and waited to see who he would choose.
The hand, with its distinct phalanges, glided across the rows of nameplates, causing everyone's hearts to rise and fall. But the hand didn't linger on any of the nameplates; instead, it pressed down on its own nameplate with two fingers, and with a flick of its wrist, flipped the wooden sign face down.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, each seeing a deep shock and disbelief in the other's eyes.
I haven't seen it at the martial arts competition for many years.
Brand name tags are worn horizontally.
It's like saying to everyone in the audience who wants to take on the challenge—
Let's go together.
If one comes, I'll fight one; if two come, I'll fight two; if a whole group comes, I'll take on the whole group alone.
Moreover, this martial arts test does not allow any weapons to be brought in. Fighting a group of people with bare hands is much more difficult than having weapons.
Those who dare to do this are either so arrogant that they don't know their own limitations, or they possess terrifying absolute strength that can crush their opponents.
Xie Yutang paused slightly in the teacup in the stands.
Memories suddenly came rushing in like a tsunami.
When Prince Xiao Muqing defeated the Northern Rong and returned in triumph, Emperor Lin Tan, who had been placed on the throne by Xie Yutang, was overjoyed. He held a three-day banquet at the Qingshan Hunting Ground. Empress Xie Yutang was also delighted and took out a pair of blue-and-white underglaze red ruyi vases from her collection as a prize for the winner of the martial arts test.
This was originally intended to encourage the young people practicing martial arts in the current dynasty, but unexpectedly, the usually low-key Prince Muqing took the initiative to challenge them that day. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he used his well-defined fingers to flip the nameplate with the words "Su Lu" on it, which drew applause and exclamations from the crowd.
"Miss, what if there's an ambush if Young Master Su acts like this?"
Woyu's concerns are not unfounded.
If there really is an ambush, it's much easier to sneak up into the crowd and do something dirty than to fight one-on-one on stage.
Xie Yutang lowered his eyes in thought, about to speak, when he heard Wei Xianxi clap his hands and laugh loudly—
"Excellent! Young Master Su, you have great courage!"
After saying that, he turned his gaze to the crowd and said, "Those of you who want to challenge, come at me together."
As soon as he finished speaking, two shirtless men leaped onto the stage.
The two men were of different heights and builds, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, but they looked somewhat alike.
"They are the brothers Zhao Long and Zhao Hu, collectively known as the Lion and Tiger Duo."
Lin Tan, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up, and Xie Yutang looked up.
"These two brothers, one excels in ranged attacks, the other in close combat; one is agile, the other incredibly strong. Individually, they are just ordinary experts, but if they combine their powers—"
Lin Tan picked up a plum blossom-shaped ornament from the white porcelain plate and handed it to Xie Yutang, saying, "Invincible, no one can defeat you."
Xie Yutang pondered for a moment, then reached out and took the plum blossom brand: "Your Highness seems to know a lot about the patrol battalion."
Lin Tan smiled slightly: "Since I am the chief examiner of the martial arts test, I naturally have to do some homework."
As they spoke, a storm was brewing on the stage.
The Zhao brothers, Zhao Long and Zhao Hu, cooperated perfectly. One of them perfectly complemented the other's weaknesses, and their offense and defense were almost flawless.
Su Lu dodged Zhao Long's palm strike by sidestepping, deliberately leaving an opening. Zhao Hu was overjoyed and immediately attacked. However, his opponent was prepared. Su Lu bent his waist at an incredible angle, avoiding Zhao Hu's attack.
Zhao Hu realized something was wrong and tried to pull his hand back, but his wrist had already been grabbed by the other party, who used the momentum of his unreleased hand to lift him up.
Seeing this, Zhao Long wanted to help, but Su Lu seized the opportunity, hooking his foot and causing him to lose his balance. At the same time, Su Lu struck the two of them in the chest with a palm and a fist.
Zhao Hu and Zhao Long were both quite powerful, but they were completely overwhelmed by the oncoming fists and palms, and before they could react, they had both fallen off the field.
You could hear a pin drop in the audience.
Just moments ago, she casually flirted with Su Lu, calling him "little male beauty," but now her face is flushed red and pale, and she's trying to blend into the crowd without making a fuss, afraid of being remembered.
All doubts vanished in the face of absolute strength.
Xie Yutang took a bite of the plum blossom cake and glanced at Nie Lintan: "Indeed, you are invincible and no one can defeat you."
"Seven Stars Heavenly Pivot Child, along with his six junior brothers, seeks instruction from the Crown Prince!"
A booming voice rang out, and seven figures in black robes, arranged in a goose-like formation, flew onto the stage.
The leader clasped his hands in a fist salute to Su Lu: "We, the Seven Stars, are originally swordsmen, but today's martial arts test will only test our fists and feet, not our swords. We ask that Your Highness be so kind as to yield."
Su Lu returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute.
The Seven Star Swordsman was quite famous in the martial arts world, and Xie Yutang had also heard of him. He raised an eyebrow and said, "I have long heard that Commander Wei of the Patrol Battalion is eager to recruit talent and even spares no expense to recruit martial arts figures. Now it seems that even the Seven Star Swordsman has been subdued and is willing to serve my court."
Xie Yutang praised, "Lord Wei, I admire you greatly."
Wei Xianxi smiled obsequiously, thinking to himself that these Seven Stars were clearly Lin Tan's retainers. A few days ago, the Third Prince came to visit, saying that he wanted to hold some kind of martial arts test, and he even brought a lot of martial arts masters with him.
As a seasoned official, he could easily see that the Third Prince was using this opportunity to get rid of someone who was getting in his way. Now, faced with Xie Yutang's "praise," he could only swallow his pride and hope that the battle between the gods would not affect his own little fishpond.
Xiao Fuzi leaned down and whispered in Lin Tan's ear, "Third Prince, everything is ready. We guarantee that everything will be foolproof."
Lin Tan waved his folding fan, looking at the arena, his face still bearing a faint and gentle smile.
The Seven Star Swordsmen's most powerful weapon is the Seven Star Sword Formation. Although they are currently without swords, the power of this formation lies not in the swords, but in the people. Now that the seven stars and seven disciples have gathered, the formation is complete, and no master in the martial world dares to underestimate them.
Su Lu moved freely within the formation.
Although the formation was powerful, he was agile and did not fall behind for a time.
"Your Highness, your martial arts are truly superb!"
Tian Shuzi couldn't hide his admiration, "I just wonder if the young master dares to take this palm strike?"
He stood at the heart of the formation, focused his energy in his dantian, and pushed out his palm. This palm strike combined the internal strength of seven people with the enhancement of the formation. Wherever the palm strike passed, the wind whistled and the leaves rustled down.
Su Lufei retreated.
Everyone involuntarily held their breath.
“Young Master Su, if you retreat any further, you'll be off the stage.”
Su Lu had retreated to the edge of the arena, his body leaning back almost at a right angle. Suddenly, he hooked his foot and twisted at an incredible angle to attack Tianjizi on the side.
Once this formation is complete, it is virtually flawless, and cannot be stopped unless someone within it surrenders or dies.
However, the formation is composed of people, and the transformation of the formation requires the transformation of people. In these transformations, there are a few fleeting flaws.
Tian Shuzi initially thought that Su Lu was forced to retreat because he dared not accept the palm strike. However, it turned out that Su Lu had already seen through the flaws in the formation and deliberately retreated to this place, waiting to use his palm strike to break the formation.
This palm strike carries the power of thunder; if it were to actually land, Junior Brother Tianjizi would likely be splattered with blood on the spot!
Startled, Tian Shuzi felt a sudden lightness on his back as he was lifted into the air. A powerful surge of true energy emanated from beneath the palm, dissipating much of the force of his previous palm strike.
He turned his head in surprise and saw Su Lu strike Tianjizi with a palm strike in mid-air, knocking him half a body length to the right, barely managing to dodge the remaining palm strike.
It turned out to have saved Tianjizi's life.
Tian Shuzi was shocked. How could Su Lu, so young, possess such profound internal strength that was completely inconsistent with his age? Moreover, his eyesight and quick thinking in battle were something even he, a veteran of nearly thirty years in the martial world, felt inferior to.
Startled, he was immediately filled with admiration. As the leader of the Seven Sons, Tian Shuzi respectfully clasped his hands together and said, "Your Highness is kind and benevolent; I acknowledge you—"
Before the word "lost" could be uttered, Yao Guangzi suddenly rushed out and struck Su Lu in the back: "Senior brother, let me have a go at him."
Yao Guangzi was the youngest among the Seven Stars, and with his youthful spirit, he was naturally unwilling to admit defeat easily.
However, the Seven Star Formation had already been broken by the previous palm strike, so his charge had little chance of success.
Just as Tian Shuzi was about to speak, someone in the crowd shouted, "The Seven Star Formation has just been broken, and his internal energy is unstable right now. Everyone, attack together!"
Dozens of people rushed up from below the stage and, together with Yao Guangzi, attacked Su Lu, their every move filled with killing intent.
Xie Yutang couldn't help but put down his teacup and lean forward.
Lin Tan waved his folding fan, his smile deepening.
"It's just a routine competition. Why is the princess so nervous? Could it be that she still can't let go of this servant whom she personally expelled from the manor?"
The attacks from the crowd on stage were fierce, but Su Lu responded with ease. Before long, only one or two out of ten of those who had attacked the stage remained.
Su Lu delivered a side kick, sending the attacker behind him flying. Then, he spun around, grabbed the incoming fist, and pulled it to the right.
The person who was kicked from behind staggered back several steps, but before he could regain his footing, he was slammed backward by the person coming from the opposite direction, and the two of them tumbled off the stage together.
"Take this!"
Yao Guangzi, the only one left on the stage, had been gathering his strength in the air for a long time. Now, he seized the opportunity and slashed down at Su Lu with his palm. Su Lu was about to catch it when he suddenly glanced back, paused slightly, and then dodged the palm strike.
The palm strike was dodged inexplicably, and Yao Guangzi assumed he was afraid. He smiled smugly and was about to make another move when Su Lu shouted urgently, "Don't move!"
Yao Guangzi paid no heed and relentlessly pursued Su Lu. He gathered his energy in his chest, about to deliver another palm strike, when suddenly his brows furrowed, and he clutched his chest as he fell straight down from the air, his body convulsing, spitting out black blood, and his eyes rolling back as he fainted.
Su Lu seemed to have anticipated this, catching Yao Guangzi before he fell to the ground and quickly applying pressure to several acupoints on his chest.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, everyone was so shocked that they forgot to react.
Someone pointed at Su Lu and shouted, "Despicable! You dared to poison him in front of everyone!"
Wei Xianxi reacted with exceptional speed, raising his hand and ordering, "Guards! Su Lu, the heir of the Muqing Prince's Mansion, has committed heinous crimes, including poisoning during the martial arts test and harming his colleagues. Seize him!"
Before he finished speaking, fully armed guards with knives had already surrounded the dueling platform.
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