The martial artists in the hall exchanged glances, falling silent for a moment. Everyone knew that with the test method proposed by Gro, the later a contestant fought against Gro, the higher their chances of success would be.
“Hmph! What big talk! Since you’re so confident, then let us go first!” Suddenly, a cold snort rang out from the back of the crowd. Immediately afterward, the throng of people crowded in the center of the hall parted like the Red Sea before Moses, creating a path.
Behind the crowd, the three competitors who had revealed their Saint-level strength appeared together.
“Oh? Are all three of you Saints stepping forward at once?” Gro sneered, his gaze still arrogantly sweeping across the three Saint-level martial artists, though his tone now carried a hint of caution.
“What’s this? Is Examiner Gro afraid?” The three Saint-level martial artists, the most elite among the dozens of martial artists present, also sneered, slowly stepping into the fighting circle formed by the crowd.
“If you wish to back out, just declare us all passed, apologize to everyone, and cancel the rest of the competition,” said the Saint-level martial artist standing in the center, staring at Gro with a casual tone.
Frankly speaking, after seeing the trio of Saint-level experts, not only the martial artists gathered in the center of the hall, but even the black-clad guards at the entrance felt that Gro’s boast might finally be about to be exposed!
Judging from any angle, Gro’s battle energy was merely at the intermediate level among Saints, not even reaching the peak of Saint-level. With such battle energy, even if Gro, like the previous Marian, had mastered the technique of precise force control, dealing with two of the three Saint-level experts would likely be his limit!
Among the many seasoned observers present, Gro’s bold declaration to challenge all martial artists in the hall was likely based on his observation that the three Saint-level experts each occupied a different corner of the hall. He must have assumed that they were definitely at odds with each other and, due to pride, would never team up. Unfortunately for Gro, he didn’t anticipate that his earlier insult of calling them “worthless” would anger these three experts, who already disliked each other, to the point of setting aside all past grievances and joining forces!
“Hehe! Now there’s going to be quite a show,” someone chuckled with schadenfreude as the three Saint-level experts stood opposite Gro.
“Haha… Hahahaha!” At that moment, Gro unexpectedly burst into inexplicable laughter. “You? You dare say that I, Gro, am afraid? What a ridiculous joke!”
As Gro’s laughter echoed throughout the entire hall, he suddenly raised his head and disdainfully glanced at the five martial artists before him with just the corner of his eyes.
“What… what?” A loud murmur spread again through the three-story hall.
He must be mad! Almost all the martial artists stared in disbelief at Gro, the arrogant figure standing in the center of the hall. No one believed that under such circumstances, Gro would still dare to speak so brazenly!
“Forget it! Talking to you worthless fellows is meaningless. Come then!” Gro completely ignored the shocked expressions around him and once again extended his finger toward the three Saint-level experts whose battle energy was no less than his own, provocatively beckoning twice!
Faced with such a blatant provocation, even a Buddha would surely erupt in fury! The three Saint-level experts who had stepped forward to confront Gro were now so enraged that their faces turned livid.
“Doesn’t know his own limits…” The one standing in the center of the three Saint-level experts practically growled through clenched teeth before suddenly unleashing all his battle energy in an instant!
Boom!
The martial artists in the hall exchanged glances, momentarily falling into silence. Everyone knew that according to the testing method proposed by Gero, the later a contestant faced Gero, the greater their chance of passing.
“Hmph! Such arrogance! Since you’ve said it, let us go first!” Suddenly, a cold snort came from the back of the crowd, and the throng in the center of the hall parted like the Red Sea before Moses.
From behind the crowd, the only three contestants who had revealed their saint-level strength stepped forward.
“Oh? Three saints stepping up together?” Gero sneered, his gaze still arrogantly sweeping over the faces of the three saint-level martial artists, though his voice carried a hint of caution.
“What? Is Examiner Gero afraid?” The three saint-level martial artists, the top among the dozens of experts present, also sneered as they slowly entered the battle circle formed by the crowd.
“If you want to back out, just declare us all passed, apologize to everyone, and cancel the rest of the competition,” the saint-level expert in the center said nonchalantly, staring at Gero.
Honestly, after seeing the trio of saint-level experts, not only the martial artists in the center of the hall but even the black-clad bodyguards at the door felt that Gero’s boast was about to be exposed!
No matter how you looked at it, Gero’s combat energy was only at a mid-level saint-tier, not even reaching the peak. With such combat energy, even if Gero, like the previous Marianne, had mastered the trick of precise control, dealing with two of the three saint-level experts would be Gero’s limit!
To the many seasoned veterans present, Gero’s bold claim to challenge all the martial artists in the hall must have been based on the assumption that the three saint-level martial artists in the hall were divided, thinking they would never unite due to their mutual disdain and pride. Unfortunately, Gero didn’t expect that his earlier insult of “trash” would enrage the three saint-level experts to the point of setting aside their differences and joining forces!
“Heh, this is going to be interesting,” someone in the crowd chuckled with schadenfreude as the three saint-level experts stood opposite Gero.
“Hahaha!” At that moment, Gero inexplicably burst into laughter. “You? Trash like you dare to say I’m afraid? What a joke!”
As Gero’s laughter echoed through the hall, he raised his head arrogantly, glancing disdainfully at the five martial artists before him.
“What… what?” The hall erupted in uproar again.
He’s insane, absolutely insane! Almost all the martial artists stared in disbelief at the arrogant Gero in the center of the hall. No one could believe that in such a situation, Gero would still dare to boast so recklessly!
“Enough! Wasting words on trash like you is pointless. Come on,” Gero completely ignored the shocked expressions of the crowd, once again extending his finger and provocatively beckoning the three saint-level experts whose combat energy was no less than his!
Faced with such brazen provocation, even Buddha would be furious! The three saint-level experts who stepped forward to challenge Gero were already livid with anger.
“Clueless fool…” The one in the center of the trio almost growled through gritted teeth, and in an instant, his combat energy erupted!
Boom!
When a saint-level martial artist at the peak unleashed their full combat energy, the aura around them, though not as overwhelming as Agate’s towering pillar of flame, was still incredibly imposing.
And when three peak saint-level martial artists simultaneously unleashed their full combat energy, the resulting aura was like a volcanic eruption, sweeping through the entire hall!
“Ugh! Damn it!” The martial artists who had formed a human wall around the battlefield cried out in alarm, jumping back as if on fire, while activating their combat energy to resist the aura’s impact.
Although the aura generated by martial artists during combat had minimal destructive power, such a powerful aura suddenly erupting within a few meters of the three saint-level experts was no less potent than a full-force strike from a tenth-tier expert!
Red, purple, and orange auras also surged toward Zhang Wen and the two beautiful maids in an instant.
“Ah!” The two maids screamed in terror. When had they ever seen such a spectacle of three saint-level experts going all out?
However, the maids’ screams only lasted a moment before stopping. They quickly saw that the terrifying tri-colored aura, upon reaching about six or seven meters in front of Zhang Wen, seemed to hit an invisible wall and stopped.
Soon, the aura that had swept through the three-story hall gradually faded and dissipated. Only the three saint-level experts in the center were still enveloped in a fiery aura.
“Whew!” The two maids, taking a deep breath, stole a glance at Zhang Wen, only to find him smiling with interest, his gaze shifting between the south, north, and center of the hall.
In fact, the moment the three saint-level experts unleashed their full power, Zhang Wen had already quickly looked toward the two martial artists who had caught his attention.
The one on the south side of the hall still sat comfortably with his right leg bent, leaning against the wall, his face still wearing a friendly smile, not moving an inch. Yet, within a twenty-meter radius around him, it was as if he had his own absolute domain, not a single strand of aura could penetrate!
This discovery immediately raised Zhang Wen’s estimation of this always-smiling martial artist. Zhang Wen admitted to himself that if he went all out, he might also be able to block the aura from the three saint-level experts twenty meters away. However, Zhang Wen could never do it as effortlessly as the other. His control of power could never reach the other’s near-perfect balance!
The baby-faced martial artist on the north side of the hall, however, presented a stark contrast. The aura from the three saint-level experts surged unimpeded toward the baby-faced martial artist! Yet, he seemed completely unaffected! The aura seemed to ignore him, sliding past his body and then re-converging behind him, eventually crashing into the sea urchin stone wall and being absorbed.
Such a bizarre scene was something Zhang Wen had never heard of before. He could only remain vigilant in his heart, finally turning his gaze to the most eye-catching focus in the hall at the moment—Examiner Gero.
In the hall, Gero was closest to the three saint-level experts. When the three unleashed their full power, the distance between them was less than three meters! This meant that the aura Gero faced was almost equivalent to a full-force strike from a saint-level expert!
Faced with such a devastating aura, Gero adopted a completely different approach from everyone else.
Almost simultaneously with the three saint-level experts unleashing their combat energy, Gero also fully activated his own. As the tri-colored aura surged toward Gero, he was already enveloped in his own blue aura.
Then, Gero swiftly extended his right hand, swinging it in front of him as if pushing a swing. With the first swing, the tri-colored aura collided with Gero’s blue aura, scattering explosively.
However, just as everyone thought Gero was merely using this method to block the three saint-level experts’ initial strike, Gero swung his right hand again.
The four-colored aura, which had already scattered after the collision, began to swirl with Gero’s arm movements! Soon, the four-colored auras rapidly mixed together, spinning faster and faster. In just a few seconds, the four-colored auras, driven by Gero’s arm movements, formed a vortex-like aura tornado in front of him!
As the aura vortex spun, the four-colored auras gradually merged, eventually transforming into a shocking black vortex!
“This… how is this possible?” Witnessing what Gero had done in just a few seconds, even the three peak saint-level experts couldn’t help but widen their eyes in shock.
“Three so-called saints, only at this level? How boring,” Gero sneered, his saint-level combat energy erupting once again. His body seemed to transform into a phantom, instantly crossing space to appear before the three saint-level martial artists.
“Franz, watch out!” The martial artist on the far left, seeing Gero’s target was Franz in the center, angrily shouted, stomping the ground and lunging forward like an arrow.
However, seeing the left martial artist coming to the rescue, Gero not only didn’t panic but instead revealed a cold smile. The moment he reached Franz in the center, Gero decisively swung his right fist, still entwined with the black aura vortex.
Franz, having been warned, was already prepared. Along with his saint-level companion who had come to the rescue, both unleashed full-force strikes toward Gero.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed in the ears of every martial artist in the hall. The surging air currents even sent several black-clad bodyguards closest to the battlefield flying, crashing into the walls or ceiling of the hall.
Many tenth-tier experts in the field were unsteady on their feet, quickly retreating again. Those who could barely stand their ground all widened their eyes, straining to see the center of the hall.
The outcome of this clash between Gero and the two saint-level experts once again defied everyone’s expectations. The combined strike of two peak saint-level experts was effortlessly crushed by Gero! The black aura vortex wrapped around Gero’s right arm easily shattered the combat energy defenses of the two peak saint-level experts.
The moment it struck the two saint-level experts, the black aura vortex detached from Gero’s arm, swirling like a tornado and engulfing the two heavily struck experts. Their bodies spun like toys before being violently slammed into the sea urchin stone wall at the back of the hall.
“Hmph…” Seeing the plight of his two companions, the only remaining peak saint-level expert among the three merely snorted lightly, a cold smile playing on his lips.
This last peak saint-level expert in the hall could clearly see that Gero’s earlier strike wasn’t due to Gero’s true strength being capable of taking on two at once and severely injuring two peak saint-level experts. Gero had merely used some method to harness the combat energy within the aura they had unleashed!
In other words, Franz and Diego had actually faced the combined full-force strike of three peak saint-level experts plus Gero—four saint-level experts in total! With no preparation against such terrifying power, it was no wonder Gero had dealt a fatal blow to Franz and Diego!
“You’re indeed clever. Using our own power against us. If I had gone to save Franz earlier, I’d probably be lying there with them now. But I’m not a fool like Diego. Your little trick won’t work on me,” the last challenger sneered, slowly bending into a common attacking stance from the Imperial martial arts. “That punch just now must have drained all the combat energy you absorbed. What do you have left to fight me with now?”
“By the way, I should thank you. You’ve taken care of Franz and Diego, two idiots. Without them, it seems I’m destined to be the last one standing in this selection. Remember, my name is Saint Leo.”
After the last peak saint-level expert finished speaking with a cold smile, his combat energy erupted once again, and he charged at Gero at top speed! This saint-level expert knew full well that when unleashing his full combat energy, he couldn’t control his aura. However, if he was fast enough, he could strike Gero before Gero could harness his aura!
As long as Gero couldn’t borrow his power, this peak saint-level expert had no doubt that with Gero’s own mid-level saint-tier combat energy, he couldn’t possibly withstand his full-force strike!
However, as Saint Leo lunged at Gero, he failed to notice that Gero’s face showed no trace of tension or fear. Gero merely smiled disdainfully and softly uttered two words: “Fool.”
By the time Gero finished speaking, Saint Leo was almost upon him. Yet, Gero didn’t even glance at him, instead twisting his waist back, pulling his right arm into an incredibly expansive stance, and then delivering a powerful punch in the direction of Saint Leo’s charge!
And when three Saint-level experts at the peak of their power simultaneously unleashed their full battle energy, the aura generated in that instant was like a volcanic eruption, sweeping through the entire hall!
“Damn! Watch out!” The martial artists who had originally formed a human wall around the battlefield cried out in alarm, hastily jumping backward like they had been burned, while simultaneously activating their battle energy to resist the effects of the aura.
Although the destructive power of the aura generated by martial artists in combat was minimal, when such powerful auras erupted suddenly, within a few meters of the three Saint-level experts, their power was absolutely no less than the full-strength strike of a tenth-tier expert!
The red, purple, and orange auras also surged toward Zhang Wen and the two pretty maids standing beside him in an instant.
“Ahh!” The two pretty maids screamed frantically. When had they ever seen such a grand display of power with three Saint-level experts going all out?
However, their screams only lasted for a moment before stopping abruptly. Because they soon saw that the large mass of tri-colored aura, so terrifying in appearance, came to a sudden stop about six or seven meters in front of Zhang Wen, as if it had hit an invisible wall.
Before long, the aura that had swept through the entire three-story hall gradually faded and dissipated. Only the three Saint-level experts at the center were still enveloped in large masses of flame-like aura.
“Phew!” The two pretty maids, finally exhaling in relief, stole a glance at Zhang Wen, only to find him watching the south, north, and central parts of the hall with an amused smile.
In fact, the moment the three Saint-level experts suddenly unleashed their full power and erupted with terrifying auras, Zhang Wen had quickly turned his gaze toward the two martial artists who had caught his attention.
The one at the south side of the hall still sat comfortably with his right leg bent, leaning against the wall with a pleasant smile on his face, not moving an inch. Yet, within a radius of twenty meters around him, it was as if it were his absolute domain, not even a trace of aura could penetrate!
This discovery immediately caused Zhang Wen to raise his assessment of this martial artist, who always wore a pleasant smile, once again. Zhang Wen honestly believed that if he exerted his full strength, he might also be able to keep the aura erupted by the three Saint-level experts at twenty meters away. However, he absolutely couldn’t be as relaxed and effortless as the other person. His control over power could never reach the other’s level of balance, which was nearly perfect!
As for the doll-faced martial artist at the north side of the hall, his performance was completely opposite to that of the martial artist at the south side. The aura erupted from the three Saint-level experts surged unimpeded right up to the doll-faced martial artist. Yet, the doll-faced martial artist seemed completely unaffected! The aura seemed to ignore him entirely, sliding past his body and then re-converging behind him, eventually colliding with the walls made of sea urchin stone and being absorbed completely.
Such a bizarre scene was something Zhang Wen had never heard of before. He could only cautiously take note in his heart and finally turned his gaze to the most eye-catching focal point in the hall at this moment—the examiner Gro.
In the hall, Gro was the closest to the three Saint-level experts. When the three Saint-level experts unleashed their full power, the distance between them was even less than three meters! In other words, the power of the aura Gro faced was almost equivalent to the full-strength strike of a Saint-level expert!
Faced with such a shockingly destructive aura, Gro also adopted a completely different approach from everyone else.
Almost as soon as the three Saint-level experts fully activated their battle energy, Gro also completely mobilized his own. When the tri-colored aura struck Gro’s side, Gro himself was already wrapped in a layer of blue aura belonging to him.
Then, Gro suddenly extended his right hand and swung it forcefully in front of him, as if pushing a swing. When he made the first swing, the tri-colored aura rushing to his side collided with Gro’s blue aura and scattered explosively.
However, just as everyone thought Gro was merely using this method to resist the initial strike from the three Saint-level experts, Gro swung his right hand again.
The scattered four-colored aura, following the movement of Gro’s arm, gradually began to swirl! Then, the four-colored aura quickly mixed together, and the rotation speed became faster and faster. Within just a few seconds, the four-colored aura, following the movement of Gro’s arm, formed a whirlwind-like vortex of aura in front of him, resembling a tornado!
As the aura vortex rotated, the four-colored aura gradually merged into one, eventually turning into an astonishing black vortex!
“This… this can’t be possible?” Witnessing everything Gro did in just a few seconds, even the three Saint-level experts at the peak of their power couldn’t help but widen their eyes in shock.
“Three so-called Saints, and this is all you’ve got? Truly boring,” Gro sneered coldly, his Saint-level battle energy bursting forth once again. His body seemed to transform into a phantom, instantly breaking through space and appearing before the three Saint-level martial artists.
“Franz, watch out!” The martial artist on the far left saw that Gro’s target was Franz, the one in the middle of the three, and couldn’t help but angrily shout, forcefully stepping on the ground and launching himself forward like an arrow released from a bow.
However, seeing the martial artist on the left rushing forward to rescue, Gro did not panic at all, but instead revealed a sneer. At the moment he rushed in front of Franz in the center, Gro unhesitatingly threw a right punch still wrapped in the black aura vortex.
Franz, who had been warned, was already fully prepared. Together with the Saint-level comrade who came to his aid, both of them unleashed their full power toward Gro in a counterattack.
Boom!
A deafening explosion, like thunderclaps ringing in everyone’s ears, erupted in the hall, shaking every martial artist present. The surging air currents even lifted several nearby black-clad guards off their feet, hurling them against the walls or ceiling of the hall.
The martial artists in the hall exchanged glances, momentarily falling into silence. Everyone knew that according to the testing method proposed by Gero, the later a contestant faced him, the greater their chance of passing the test.
“Hmph! Such arrogance! Since you’ve said it, let us go first!” Suddenly, a cold snort came from the back of the crowd, and the throng in the center of the hall parted like the Red Sea before Moses, making way.
From behind the crowd, the only three contestants in the hall who had revealed their saint-level strength stepped forward.
“Oh? All three saints at once?” Gero sneered, his gaze still arrogantly sweeping over the faces of the three saint-level martial artists, though his voice carried a hint of caution.
“What? Is Examiner Gero afraid?” The three saint-level martial artists, the top among the dozens of martial experts present, also sneered as they slowly stepped into the battle circle formed by the crowd.
“If you want to back out, just declare that we all pass, apologize to everyone, and cancel the following matches. It doesn’t matter,” the saint-level expert in the center said lightly, staring at Gero.
Honestly, after seeing the trio of saint-level experts, not only the martial artists gathered in the center of the hall but even the black-clad bodyguards at the door felt that Gero’s boast was about to be exposed!
No matter how you looked at it, Gero’s combat energy was only at a mid-level saint standard, not even reaching the peak of the saint level. With such combat energy, even if Gero, like Marian before him, had mastered the knack of precise control, dealing with two of the three saint-level experts would be about his limit!
In the eyes of the many seasoned veterans present, Gero’s bold claim to challenge all the martial artists in the hall must have been based on the assumption that the three saint-level martial artists in the hall were divided and would not unite due to their mutual disdain and concern for face. Unfortunately, Gero didn’t expect that his earlier remark of “trash” would infuriate the three saint-level experts, who indeed disliked each other, to the point of setting aside their differences and joining forces!
“Heh, this is going to be interesting,” someone in the crowd chuckled with schadenfreude as the three saint-level experts stood opposite Gero.
“Haha… hahaha!” At that moment, Gero inexplicably burst into laughter. “You? You trash dare to say that I, Gero, am afraid? What a joke!”
As Gero’s laughter echoed through the hall, he suddenly raised his head, disdainfully sweeping his gaze over the five martial artists before him.
“What… what?” The hall erupted in uproar again.
He’s insane, this guy must be insane! Almost all the martial artists stared in disbelief at the arrogant Gero in the center of the hall. No one could believe that in such a situation, Gero would still dare to boast so brazenly!
“Enough! There’s no point in wasting words with trash like you. Come on,” Gero completely ignored the shocked expressions of the crowd, once again extending his fingers towards the three saint-level experts whose combat energy was no less than his, provocatively beckoning them twice!
Faced with such arrogant provocation, even Buddha would be enraged! The three saint-level experts who had stepped forward to challenge Gero were now so angry that their faces turned ashen.
“Clueless fool…” The one in the center of the three saint-level experts almost growled through clenched teeth, and then his combat energy erupted in an instant!
Boom!
When a martial artist at the peak of the saint level fully unleashed their combat energy, the aura generated around them, though not as overwhelming as Agate’s towering pillar of demonic fire, was not far off in terms of sheer presence.
And when three peak saint-level martial artists simultaneously unleashed their full combat energy, the resulting aura was like an erupting volcano, sweeping through the entire hall!
“Ugh! Damn it!” The martial artists who had formed a human wall around the battlefield cried out in alarm, jumping back as if on fire, while activating their combat energy to resist the aura’s influence.
Although the destructive power of the aura generated by martial artists in combat was minimal, such a powerful aura suddenly erupting within a few meters of the three saint-level experts was no less potent than a full-force strike from a tenth-tier expert!
The red, purple, and orange auras also surged towards Zhang Wen and the two beautiful maids in an instant.
“Ah!” The two maids screamed in terror. When had they ever seen such a spectacle as three saint-level experts going all out in battle?
However, the maids’ screams lasted only a moment before stopping. They quickly saw that the terrifying tricolor aura, upon reaching about six or seven meters in front of Zhang Wen, seemed to hit an invisible wall and stopped.
Before long, the aura that had swept through the three-story hall gradually faded and dissipated. Only the three saint-level experts in the center were still enveloped in a large mass of flame-like aura.
“Whew!” The two maids, who had been holding their breath, took the opportunity to sneak a glance at Zhang Wen, only to find him smiling with interest, his gaze shifting between the south, north, and center of the hall.
In fact, the moment the three saint-level experts had unleashed their full power and erupted with that terrifying aura, Zhang Wen had already quickly looked towards the two martial artists who had caught his attention.
The one on the south side of the hall was still comfortably sitting with his right leg bent, leaning against the wall, his face still wearing a friendly smile, not moving an inch. However, within a twenty-meter radius around him, it was as if he had his own absolute domain, not a single strand of aura could penetrate!
This discovery immediately raised Zhang Wen’s estimation of this always-smiling martial artist. Zhang Wen admitted to himself that if he were to go all out, he might also be able to block the aura erupted by the three saint-level experts twenty meters away. However, Zhang Wen could never be as relaxed and natural as this person. His control over power could never reach such a perfectly balanced level!
As for the baby-faced martial artist on the north side of the hall, his performance was once again completely different from the one on the south side. The aura erupted from the three saint-level experts flowed unimpeded towards the baby-faced martial artist! Yet, the baby-faced martial artist seemed completely unaffected! The mass of aura seemed to ignore him, sliding past his body, then re-converging behind him, finally crashing into the sea urchin stone wall and being absorbed entirely.
Such a bizarre scene was something Zhang Wen had never heard of before. He could only remain vigilant in his heart, finally turning his gaze to the most eye-catching focus in the hall at the moment—Examiner Gero.
In the hall, Gero was the closest to the three saint-level experts. When the three saint-level experts fully erupted, the distance between them was less than three meters! This meant that the power of the aura Gero faced was almost equivalent to a full-force strike from a saint-level expert!
Faced with such a devastating aura, Gero adopted a completely different approach from everyone else.
Almost at the same time as the three saint-level experts fully activated their combat energy, Gero also fully mobilized his own combat energy. As the tricolor aura blasted towards Gero’s side, he was already enveloped in a layer of his own blue aura.
Then, Gero swiftly extended his right hand, swinging it forcefully in front of him as if pushing a swing. With Gero’s first swing, the tricolor aura surging to his side collided with his blue aura, scattering in all directions.
However, just as everyone thought Gero was merely using this method to block the three saint-level experts’ initial show of force, Gero swung his right hand again.
The four-colored aura that had scattered after the collision began to swirl with the motion of Gero’s arm! Then, the four-colored auras quickly mixed together, spinning faster and faster. In just a few seconds, the four-colored auras, following the motion of Gero’s arm, formed a vortex-like aura tornado in front of him!
As the aura vortex spun, the four-colored auras gradually merged into one, eventually becoming a shocking black vortex!
“This… how is this possible?” Witnessing everything Gero had done in just a few seconds, even the three peak saint-level experts couldn’t help but widen their eyes in shock.
“Three so-called saints, is this all you’ve got? How boring,” Gero sneered, his saint-level combat energy erupting once again. His body seemed to transform into a phantom, instantly crossing space to appear in front of the three saint-level martial artists.
“Franz, watch out!” The martial artist on the far left, seeing that Gero’s attack was aimed at Franz in the center, angrily shouted, stomping the ground and lunging forward like an arrow from a bow.
However, seeing the left martial artist’s attempt to rescue, Gero not only didn’t panic but instead revealed a cold smile. The moment he reached Franz in the center, Gero decisively swung his right fist, still entwined with the black aura vortex.
Franz, having been warned, was already on high alert. Together with the saint-level companion who had come to his rescue, both unleashed a full-force strike towards Gero.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed in the ears of every martial artist in the hall. The surging air currents even sent several black-clad bodyguards closest to the battlefield flying, crashing into the walls or ceiling of the hall.
Many tenth-tier experts in the field were somewhat unsteady on their feet, quickly retreating again. Those who could barely stand their ground all widened their eyes, straining to see the center of the hall.
And the result of this collision between Gero and the two saint-level experts once again defied everyone’s expectations. The combined strike of two peak saint-level experts was utterly crushed by Gero! The black aura vortex entwined around Gero’s right arm easily shattered the combat energy defenses of the two peak saint-level experts.
The moment it struck the bodies of the two saint-level experts, the black aura vortex detached from Gero’s right arm, swirling like a tornado and engulfing the two heavily struck saint-level experts. Their bodies spun like toys before being violently slammed into the sea urchin stone wall at the back of the hall.
“Hmph…” Seeing the plight of his two companions, the only remaining peak saint-level expert among the three let out a light snort, a cold smile playing on his lips.
This last remaining peak saint-level expert in the hall could clearly see that Gero’s earlier strike wasn’t due to Gero’s true strength being capable of taking on two at once and severely injuring two peak saint-level experts. Gero had merely used some unknown method to harness the combat energy contained within the aura they had just erupted!
In other words, what Franz and Diego had faced was actually the combined full-force strike of the three peak saint-level experts plus Gero, totaling four saint-level experts! Franz and Diego, caught off guard against such terrifying power, being taken down by Gero in one strike was hardly surprising!
“You are indeed clever. Using our own power against us. If I had gone to rescue Franz earlier, I would probably be lying on the ground with them now, defeated by you in one strike. However, I am not a fool like Diego. Your little trick has no effect on me,” the last challenger sneered, leisurely bending down and assuming a common attack stance from Imperial martial arts, “That earlier punch must have drained all the combat energy you absorbed. Now, what do you have left to fight me with?”
“By the way, I should thank you. You’ve helped me get rid of Franz and Diego, two idiots. Without them, it seems I am destined to be the last one standing in this selection. Remember, my name is Saint Leo.”
After the last peak saint-level expert finished speaking with a cold smile, his entire body’s combat energy erupted once again, and he charged towards Gero at the fastest speed! This saint-level expert was well aware that when unleashing his full combat energy, he couldn’t control his aura. However, if he was fast enough, he could launch a fierce attack on Gero before Gero could harness his aura!
As long as Gero couldn’t borrow his own power, this peak saint-level expert had no doubt that with Gero’s own combat energy only at a mid-level saint standard, he would be no match for his full-force strike!
However, as Saint Leo charged towards Gero, he failed to notice that there wasn’t a trace of tension or fear on Gero’s face. Gero merely smiled disdainfully and softly uttered two words: “Fool.”
By the time Gero finished those two words, Saint Leo had almost reached him. Yet, Gero didn’t even glance at him, forcefully twisting his waist back, pulling his right arm into an extremely extended stance, and then fiercely swung his fist towards the direction Saint Leo was charging from!
The outcome of the clash between Gro and the two Saint-level experts once again defied everyone’s expectations. The combined attack of the two peak Saint-level experts was easily crushed by Gro! The black aura vortex wrapped around Gro’s right arm effortlessly destroyed the battle energy defenses of the two peak Saint-level experts.
At the moment of impact, the black aura vortex detached from Gro’s right arm and, like a tornado, engulfed the two heavily struck Saint-level experts. Their bodies were spun around like toys and then slammed violently into the sea urchin stone wall at the back of the hall.
“Hmph…” Seeing the plight of his two companions, the only remaining Saint-level expert among the three did not seem to care and merely snorted, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
The sole remaining peak Saint-level expert in the hall naturally saw through the truth: Gro’s previous strike was not a demonstration of his true strength being able to take on two opponents at once and inflict heavy damage on two peak Saint-level experts with a single blow. Gro had simply used some unknown method to harness the battle energy contained within the aura they had previously unleashed!
In other words, what Franz and Diago had faced was actually the combined power of all four Saint-level experts—three of them plus Gro—unleashing their full force at once! It was no surprise that Franz and Diago were instantly defeated when they recklessly met such terrifying power head-on!
“You’re indeed clever. Using our own strength against us like this. If I had rushed in to save Franz just now, I probably would have been knocked down by you in the same way. However, I’m not a fool like Diago. Your little tricks have no effect on me at all.” The remaining challenger sneered, leisurely bending his waist and assuming a common attacking stance from imperial martial arts. “That punch you threw earlier must have consumed all the battle energy you absorbed. Now, what do you have left to fight me with?”
“Oh, and I should thank you too. You’ve helped me get rid of Franz and Diago, those two fools. Without them, this selection competition seems destined to end with me as the final victor. Remember, my name is Saint Leo.”
With those cold words from the last remaining peak Saint-level expert, his entire body’s battle energy erupted once again, and he charged toward Gro at maximum speed! The Saint-level expert was very clear: when unleashing his full battle energy, he could no longer control his aura. However, if his speed was fast enough, he could launch a fierce attack on Gro before Gro could utilize his aura!
As long as Gro couldn’t borrow his own power, this peak Saint-level expert had no doubt that with Gro’s mere mid-level Saint battle energy, he would absolutely be unable to withstand his full-strength attack!
Yet, as Saint Leo lunged toward Gro, he failed to notice that not a trace of tension or fear appeared on Gro’s face. Gro merely smiled contemptuously, softly uttering two words: “Fool.”
As Gro finished speaking those two words, Saint Leo had already nearly reached right in front of him. However, Gro didn’t even glance at him, instead twisting his waist sharply backward, pulling his right arm into an incredibly wide stance, and then delivering a powerful punch straight toward the direction from which Saint Leo was charging!
Boom!
Another deafening explosion echoed through the hall. Saint Leo, who had been charging at Glo, was suddenly sent flying backward like a cannonball, struck by Glo’s fist.
Boom! When Saint Leo crashed into the wall of the third-floor hall, the entire hall seemed to tremble from the impact.
Plop… Saint Leo landed limply on the ground. His right arm, which had clashed directly with Glo’s punch, was bent into a grotesque “S” shape—it was clearly shattered into several pieces.
Several black-clad bodyguards hurried forward, checking Saint Leo’s nose.
“He’s still alive!” Soon, the bodyguards shouted and called in several sailors from outside. Six of them quickly split into three teams, lifting the three unconscious Saint-level experts onto stretchers and hastily leaving the third-floor hall.
Franz, Diego, Saint Leo—three peak Saint-level experts defeated. Glo had knocked them all down in just two punches! And both punches were straightforward, head-on confrontations. The third-floor hall immediately fell into complete silence.
How could this happen? Saint Leo was clearly a peak Saint-level expert, so why had he been utterly defeated by Glo, someone who was supposedly only at the middle stage of Saint-level? Every martial artist in the hall was asking themselves the exact same question.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Just then, a loud round of applause suddenly rang out from beside the statue at the far north end of the hall.
“Hehe, brilliant performance!” A baby-faced martial artist leaned against the statue, stepping forward with a smiling face, clapping enthusiastically. “First, he used the illusion of borrowing strength to confuse his opponents, preventing them from coordinating their attacks. He defeated two opponents at once and effortlessly led the final enemy straight into a trap. Outstanding! Truly outstanding!”
“Illusion?” Murmurs immediately rippled through the silent crowd of martial artists. Many were shocked and began discussing amongst themselves, while others cast puzzled glances at the baby-faced martial artist.
The baby-faced martial artist didn’t keep them waiting. He smiled and spread his hands, saying, “Of course it was an illusion! Even a peak Saint-level expert’s aura, unintentionally emitted while channeling battle energy, can only have so much power. Even if Mr. Glo refined the aura he collected, slightly enhancing its strength, he’d be lucky if it added up to just one or two tenths of a peak Saint-level expert’s power.”
“What nonsense are you talking! Franz and Diego were both sent flying by a single punch! If it wasn’t because of the aura, how could he possibly have such strength?”
“Hehe! Before Mr. Glo even used any aura, didn’t he still send Saint Leo flying with one punch? The main reason Franz and Diego lost wasn’t because of the aura Mr. Glo created—it was because of Mr. Glo himself. Am I right, Mr. Glo?”
Smiling, the baby-faced martial artist turned his gaze toward Glo.
“Hmph…” Glo narrowed his eyes and coldly stared back at the baby-faced martial artist but didn’t answer.
“Hehe! Every martial artist who advances beyond the Expert level will face the issue of aura. Everyone knows that aura is essentially the portion of battle energy a martial artist cannot utilize.” Seeing that Glo wouldn’t answer, the baby-faced martial artist simply continued explaining with a smile. “Although the proportion of aura varies slightly between martial artists, for most Saint-level martial artists, it hovers around a four-to-six ratio. In other words, an average Saint-level martial artist can only use about forty percent of their total battle energy. The remaining sixty percent is wasted as aura during combat. That’s exactly the case for Mr. Franz, Mr. Diego, and Mr. Saint Leo. However, Mr. Glo, you’re different. In battle, you can probably utilize around eighty percent of your battle energy, right?”
“What? Eighty percent?!” Although most of what the baby-faced martial artist had just explained was common knowledge in imperial martial arts, that final sentence caused nearly every martial artist present to jump in shock.
No wonder Glo had the audacity to be so arrogant, daring to challenge three peak Saint-level experts alone! If he could use eighty percent of his battle energy, even if Glo was just a novice Saint-level expert, he could still easily dominate any ordinary peak Saint-level expert in a one-on-one fight!
After all, battle energy couldn’t be measured by simple arithmetic! In a fight between two martial artists, even a ten percent advantage in battle energy could create a significant gap in speed and strength. Glo, on the other hand, could utilize twice as much battle energy as an average martial artist at his level! Even though a peak Saint-level expert might possess significantly more total battle energy than Glo, in actual combat, Glo could still use a large majority more than his opponent.
Fighting such an opponent, Franz and the others had lost without the slightest injustice. Even if they had two more peak Saint-level allies, they still probably wouldn’t stand a chance against Glo!
“Hmph!” Glo, his secret now exposed by the baby-faced martial artist, coldly snorted again. “Who are you?”
“Me?” The baby-faced martial artist pointed at himself with a grin. “Didn’t Mr. Hassan already know my name when he accepted the recommendation? Didn’t he tell you?”
“Cut the crap.” Glo coldly spat out the words through clenched teeth.
“Alright, alright. My name is Batonping.” The baby-faced martial artist smiled and announced a rather strange name.
“Batonping? Sounds like a name from the Northern Border Chaos System.”
“Oh! I remember, I remember! It’s a name used by a native tribe called the ‘Shan Clan’ from the Chaos System. But this guy doesn’t really look like someone from the Chaos System!” The baby-faced martial artist’s name once again stirred murmurs among the crowd.
At the mention of the “Chaos System,” even these hardened “professional explorers” who lived on the edge of death couldn’t help but shudder slightly.
“Batonping…” Glo lifted his chin, softly repeating the name, then added a cold sneer. “You’ve wasted enough words. Are you ready to take the test now?”
“Hehe…” A happy smile returned to Batonping’s baby face as he shook his head at Glo. “Mr. Glo, I think it’s better we don’t fight just yet.”
“Tch!” Glo spat contemptuously. “If all you wanted was to quit and back out, you could have left already after all that nonsense.”
“No, no, no! That’s not what I meant at all!” Batonping shook his head vigorously like a rattling drum. “What I meant was, before we fight, you should probably deal with all of them first.” With a cheerful smile, Batonping waved at the other martial artists present.
“What… what?!” A wave of uproar swept through the crowd. No one had expected the baby-faced Batonping to say such a thing!
“Hmph! Trying to wear me down by using these weaklings?” Glo sneered again.
“Oh, right!” Amidst the commotion, Batonping suddenly turned around, smiling as he raised a finger. “I almost forgot to tell you. Before you finish dealing with those people, you’d better not rush into fighting him or him just yet!”
Batonping’s finger first pointed at the martial artist sitting alone at the southern end of the hall, the one with a warm, friendly smile. Then, the finger moved—and the next target he pointed at was Zhang Wen!
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