by KSY
“I know, you must be thinking that the Sect would provide them with security but let me tell you something. The Divine Martial Sect will only be able to keep you safe, as you will leave home for the Sect, but your family will remain in Hope City. At most they would be shifted to Divine Martial City, but my Family Clan would keep on targeting them, even inside Divine Martial City. Their lives would always be in peril,” Barton said with a nasty smile.
“Let’s head to a Ring,” Ryan said with a sigh. He knew he could not avoid Barton as the latter was filled all kinds of crazy and dangerous schemes. He knew his grandfather was strong, but in front of a whole Family Clan his strength and powers might not amount to anything. He also knew that he could not kill Barton because of his background, but he had other ways to make him pay a heavy price. A menacing smile crept upon his face as he looked at Barton.
Barton felt his heart skip a beat upon seeing Ryan’s smile. He felt that he was looking at a devil, but he quickly ignored that feeling as he accompanied Ryan to the In-charge of the Combat Arena.
In his eyes, Ryan was just a mere commoner who was no different from a deer fawn.
Ch.6
Barton and Ryan approached the In-charge of the Combat Arena with their request to arrange a duel between them. The In-charge told them to wait for some time, as he would need to consult with the Elders regarding this matter. He could not unilaterally decide as Ryan was now a disciple of the Divine Martial Sect, while Barton belonged to the Rook Family Clan. Duels like this required the approval of Elders of the Divine Martial Sect, but Ryan and Barton didn’t have to wait for long. The In-charge got a green signal from Elders of Divine Martial Sect the moment he asked. Since Ryan had agreed to the duel, the Elders of Divine Martial Sect could not directly interfere in the matter anymore.
Ryan and Barton’s duel was fixed for the end of the recruitment drive for the Divine Martial Sect. Barton frowned upon hearing this, as he knew it would be evening by the time the recruitment drive ended, but he was still happy deep down. In reality, he’d been expecting the Elders of Divine Martial Sect to oppose this duel but now he could show Ryan his place. He didn’t like it that someone from a commoner background was blessed with Emerald Viper Martial Spirit, while he from a powerful faction had a Martial Spirit that resembled a Normal Elemental Beast with a Divine Elemental Beast’s bloodline. Even though his Martial Spirit could be considered above average, it was still many times inferior to that of an Ancient Elemental Beast Martial Spirit.
Barton was unable to contain his jealousy. Even though Barton knew that Ryan hadn’t meant to offend him and had done so by mistake, he still used this as an excuse to deal with Ryan. He couldn’t tolerate someone with commoner background becoming stronger than he was. He knew that Ryan would doubtlessly become stronger than he would, as he possessed Emerald Viper Martial Spirit, so he had to kill Ryan before he had the chance to outpace him. Otherwise, he’d never be able to concentrate on his own cultivation because of his inferiority complex.
The other reason was that there would be an increase in the strength and powers of the Divine Martial Sect by a notch in the future if Ryan matured. Even though the Rook Family Clan and the Divine Martial Sect were on friendly terms, there was fierce competition between them.
The five famous Poison Martial Artists of the Divine Martial Sect were already a bother, and Ryan had the potential to become like them in the future. Poison Martial Artists are capable of striking fear in the hearts of millions with a single move. They can cause havoc in a battlefield by releasing a lot of toxins in the air. They can kill millions with a single Area of Effect attack. Barton’s spine shivered upon thinking of a Poison Martial Artist in action. He was happy that Ryan had yet to mature, as he could easily kill him in his current state. He didn’t mind offending Aaric, so long as he could deal with Ryan.
The news regarding Ryan and Barton’s duel quickly spread across all of Hope City. Even Emilia and Oscar got wind of it. Once Emilia came to know about it she almost went berserk. Her body released an immense amount of Killing intent and Murderous aura. She was about to leave for the Combat Arena to deal with Barton and the other members of the Rook Family Clan, that had come along with him during his trip to the Divine Martial City, but Oscar stopped her.
“Let him experience some hardship. We can’t always be there to help him out. Let’s see how he reacts to the situation. We will go and observe him in the arena. We will only interfere if the situation gets out of Ryan’s control. This situation will help him mature,” Oscar said.
Hearing her father-in-law calmed Emilia down for a moment, as what Oscar had said was correct. She couldn’t always go and fight for Ryan. Someday, he would have to face problems that were even bigger than the problem he was facing that day – even she might be unable to help him then.
The reason behind Emilia’s anger was because Barton had deliberately made a mountain out of a molehill. She herself belonged to a powerful Family Clan so she knew how their brains worked. They were unable to countenance someone without a background getting stronger than they were. Their inferiority complexes were so overpowering that they used all means to deal with talented people without a background – they either forcefully recruited them into their own faction or killed them. She knew that Barton was no different. He was most likely targeting Ryan because he possessed an Emerald Viper Martial Spirit, and from the looks of the situation, intended to kill Ryan. How could any mother tolerate injustice towards her child?
All Ryan’s family got ready to watch his duel with Barton in the Combat Arena, including Blake and Cris. Their reactions were no different from Emilia’s but because they lacked strength and powers, they couldn’t do anything. If they’d had the strength to kill Barton, they would have already charged off to the Combat Arena to kill him. Instead, they just requested their grandfather not to allow Ryan to fight Barton, who was a Late Mortal Elite Realm Martial Artist.
When Oscar refused and told them that such fights would help Ryan mature, Blake and Cris felt their grandfather had no intention of helping their brother. They made a big ruckus and started arguing with him, but Oscar was just teasing them to see their reactions.
Emilia was unable to bear seeing Oscar tease Blake and Cris, who were almost on the verge of tears, so she told them, what she and Oscar had planned. They calmed down a little and looked at Oscar angrily, but he just laughed on seeing their angry expressions.
Oscar was certain that the Divine Martial Sect wouldn’t let Barton kill Ryan. Poison Martial Artists are exceptionally rare among humans and ones with a high potential are even more rare. No faction would give up on a Poison Martial Artist with potential as high as Ryan’s and they wouldn’t mind offending another faction on his behalf. Talented Poison Martial Artists can easily become good doctors, which all factions lack. So how could the Divine Martial Sect give up on Ryan? They would certainly interfere if Ryan was unable to deal with Barton. Oscar knew he wouldn’t have to interfere but was mentally prepared to do so, if the Divine Martial Sect was a little slow.
Meanwhile, Ryan was meditating in a chamber of the Combat Arena which had been given to him for temporary use. He was meditating so his mental state reached an optimum condition for the duel.
Aaric and some other Elders entered his chamber. Ryan slowly opened his eyes, as he sensed them enter. On seeing them, a smile appeared on his face.
“Boy, we don’t want you to win. Just forfeit the moment you go on the stage, and leave the rest to us,” Aaric asked. The rest of the Elders nodded their heads in agreement, as they felt that was for the best.
“Can I maim him?” Ryan asked with a smile still plastered on his face. The Elders frowned upon hearing Ryan’s words, as they could tell that Ryan had no intention of forfeiting. If Ryan forfeited, then they could help him avoid this situation without him getting hurt.
“Ryan, it is good to be fearless, but a man needs to know his limits. That guy is a Late Mortal Elite Realm Martial Artist while you are an
Early Elite Realm Martial Artist. Barton has learned a lot of Martial Skills, all most likely high-grade Mortal Martial Skills; while you have only learned a few, most likely mid-grade Mortal Martial Skills. It won’t be easy for you to win,” Aaric said with an angry expression.
“OK. I will do as Grand Elder says,” Ryan said with a humble look.
“If, by chance, you are capable of maiming him, then make sure all his bones are broken,” Aaric said as he left the room. The Elders were stunned upon hearing this, but they quickly followed Aaric.
“Grand Elder, such words will encourage him to fight Barton seriously,” an Elder said with a concerned look and other Elders had similar thoughts. If Ryan fought Barton seriously, then he was as good as dead.
“My words were of no use either way. He was planning to fight Barton seriously from the start, so let’s just make sure that Barton is unable to kill him,” Aaric said.
Aaric could tell that Ryan had agreed with his terms, just for the sake of agreeing. He had not taken his words to heart and he had no intention of forfeiting while inside the ring. “I have already informed Ancestor Raymond about Ryan. He is interested in taking Ryan as his personal disciple,” Aaric said with a frown.
The Elders showed astonished expressions upon hearing these words from Aaric. They were envious of Ryan’s luck, even though there were a lot of problems associated with becoming Ancestor Raymond’s personal disciple. To become the personal disciple of an Ancestor Level Martial Artist was every Martial Artist’s dream. Even Elders wished to become personal disciples of Ancestor Level Martial Artists, but they knew it was wishful thinking as the requirements for becoming the personal disciple of an Ancestor Level Martial Artist were quite high.
Ancestor is the title used to address powerful Immortal Martial Artists. The Immortal Martial Artist has to have a minimum Cultivation Level of Immortal Emperor Realm for him to be addressed as an Ancestor by others.
If one were to become a personal disciple of an Ancestor Level figure, then his or her Cultivation Level would soar. An Ancestor Level Martial Artist can share his insights in Elemental Laws with others, but generally, he or she only does so with personal disciples and close family members. Due to this, the strength and powers of the disciples of Ancestor Level Martial Artists increase at a terrifying pace, provided they can understand the insights in Elemental Laws provided to them by their Master. This was one of the reasons why Emilia and Oscar had wanted Ryan to join a faction.
After Aaric and the other Elders left the room, Ryan started cultivating Poison Elemental Laws as he still had a few hours before the start of the duel.
“Ryan, it’s time for the duel. Reach Ring Number 1 within a few minutes,” Aaric told Ryan by a Mental-message transmission. Ryan opened his eyes slowly. He had a devilish and cruel smile on his face. He was going to waste Barton, so he would never have a chance to be arrogant in the future.
By the time Ryan reached Ring Number 1, Barton was already there. He had a few people standing beside him. Aaric was also standing in the ring and talking to the people that were standing beside Barton. Ryan could tell that these were the members of the Rook Family Clan who had come to hold the ground for Barton after he’d killed Ryan. Ryan smiled at seeing the preparation Barton had undertaken to kill him, just to satisfy his ego. Ryan could guess that they were discussing the rules of the duel with Aaric.
Ryan smiled as he walked up to the ring. He was imagining Barton’s face when he maimed him like a dog. Barton was infuriated upon seeing a smile on Ryan’s face instead of nervousness and the people beside him were equally infuriated, as they’d wanted to see fear on Ryan’s face.
Ryan ignored him and the people beside him. He looked around the ring and found that the spectator seats were filled. The reason for such a large crowd was because a disciple of the Divine Martial Sect was fighting with a disciple from another faction. Hope City, being a territory of the Divine Martial Sect, would naturally be its staunch supporter. They had all come to show their support for Ryan.
“Most people came here to see you crush me, but I will give them a good show. I will make you beg for your life right in front of them,” Barton sent a Mental-message transmission to Ryan. Ryan looked at Barton for a second before he gave him a devilish smile, which for an unknown reason sent a shiver down Barton’s spine. He felt as if he was being smiled upon by a seasoned killer.
“The rules of the duel are as follows: fight whichever way you want, but without killing your opponent,” Aaric said as he and the other people from the Rook Family Clan left the ring. The moment they left the ring a barrier was erected around it.
“Get ready. The duel will start when I finish my count to three,” an Elder said. Ryan and Barton nodded their heads simultaneously.
“One!”
“Two!”
“Three!”
The moment the Elder finished the count, Barton roared and his body was covered in flames. But that was not the end, as his aura kept on increasing until it was equal to that of an Early Mortal Lord Realm Martial Artist. Ryan could tell that Barton was using a high-grade Mortal Martial Skill, otherwise his combat prowess wouldn’t have increased to such an extent. Many people were alarmed upon seeing the sudden surge in Barton’s combat prowess, while Ryan just smiled at Barton as if he was looking at a clown.
Barton roared with anger upon seeing Ryan’s smile, and charged at Ryan with full power. Ryan was covered in Poisonous aura as he charged at Barton. His aura was like that of an Early Mortal Elite Realm Martial Artist. He still had a smile on his face, but Ryan’s actions made many people, including the Elders and his family worry about him.
Ryan’s family was seated among the other spectators. Blake, Cris and Emilia were already looking at the duel with unblinking eyes as Ryan charged at Barton. Their hearts were beating many times faster than usual, as they could tell from Ryan’s and Bartons’ auras that the difference between their Cultivation Levels was quite high. Seeing Ryan charge at Barton made them worried; Oscar and Aaric were both ready to interfere at any moment.
Barton sneered upon seeing Ryan’s action. The Martial Skill that he was currently using was called Fire Cloak Martial Skill, and he had a reason for being confident, as Fire Cloak Martial Skill gives a Martial Artist an edge during close combat situations. Barton had already practiced this Martial Skill to the second of its three stages, which allowed him to release Early Mortal Lord combat power temporarily. No Normal Mortal Elite Realm Martial Artist would survive even a single strike of his, and even if they survived they might be crippled for life.
Everyone looked at the scene unfolding in front of them without blinking their eyes, as Ryan’s action was akin to suicide in the eyes of most people. They’d been expecting Ryan to dodge the incoming attack, or use a Martial Skill to counter Barton’s advances, and use long distance attacks to fight Barton.
The moment Ryan and Barton came within each other’s range. They punched at each other with their full might. Their fists collided.
Boom!!
A big explosion occurred after their fists connected. To everyone’s surprise, Barton was the one who was sent flying as he smashed into the barrier of the ring at high speed. The flames that shrouded his body also disappeared. Barton’s body was covered with injuries and he had multiple bone fractures. Barton felt as if he’d been hit by a Beast King. He looked at Ryan with fear as he coughed blood. He had survived due to the protective armor he’d worn under his clothes, but it had been destroyed in the process of saving his life, and he’d still been unable to block the massive force associated with Ryan’s punch. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to withstand another punch from Ryan. Everyone seeing this scene was dumbfounded, as they hadn’t expected such an outcome.
Oscar and Aaric who were on their toes throughout were most shocked, when they sensed some unique vibrations from Ryan’s body. Those vibrations only occur in the bodies of Martial Artists who possess an exceptionally strong physique and are only produced whe
n they use powerful moves. When Oscar and Aaric sensed those vibrations, they decided not to interfere and on the contrary, smiles crept onto their faces. Emilia had also sensed the vibrations and her eyes were shining brightly too. She was Ryan’s mother, so it was impossible for her not to be happy – people who possess Special physiques are exceptionally rare.
“Ryan has a Special physique. No wonder he was so confident about maiming Barton,” Aaric and other Elders of the Divine Martial Sect thought to themselves, as they smiled like idiots. It now seemed that they had been unnecessarily worried for him.
It was not just the people on Ryan’s side. Even those who’d come along with Barton were alarmed by this. They quickly informed Barton about it and told him to forfeit the match, but when Barton tried to speak, no voice came from his mouth, no matter how hard he tried. He felt mind-numbing pain each time he tried to speak. Ryan smiled upon seeing this. He’d destroyed Barton’s vocal cords in their last exchange, so he was unable forfeit the match.
Everyone sucked in cold air as they witnessed Ryan’s callousness. Ryan sneered as he slowly walked towards Barton, whose heart skipped a beat on seeing Ryan walk towards him.
“I would have forgiven you, had you not called my mother a bitch,” Ryan said and large quantities of Baleful aura erupted out of his body as he continued to walk towards Barton. The Baleful aura was blood-red in color and spread in all directions covering the entire ring.
Barton was also enveloped in Ryan’s Baleful aura, which made it difficult for him to even breathe, but before he could pass out from lack of oxygen, he passed out from fear. Baleful aura has a specialty that induces fear in others and Barton was no different. Ryan’s Baleful aura was so strong that even Mortal Lords would have been affected by it. Barton would have a hard time recovering from the fear Ryan’s Baleful aura had induced in him.
