Martial King's Retired Life

Each time their energies clashed, the air roared “boom!”

Although Shen Yiren had witnessed more than one clash between Divine Realm adepts, every single time, something would come up that’d force her to miss the full match. That being said, she was never interested in watching those matches at the time. She only appreciated it now thanks to Luo Ming changing her perspective on the purpose of martial arts.

The blue flames, like the blue part of a flame, flickered, swirled and spread its scorching heat around Shitou, granting him an overbearing presence that you’d just want to escape from. As he expanded his Enlightenment, the silhouette of his black cudgel resembled a hail of iron pillars.

Sacrificial Sage, which was forged using a combination of rare metals, was constructed as a cudgel due to the difficulty of giving the metals a form. In particular, it was a nightmare for its opponents due to the variety of ways it could be wielded based on Shang Bieshi’s teachings. Perhaps only a weapon that robust could endure the violence of the blue flames. Yet, it only took one hand to stop the advance of the blue flames.

Tianhu’s white glow didn’t look special or even cover nearly as much area as the blue flames, yet he didn’t even break a sweat catching every attack that came his way.

With a smile, Tianhu voiced, “Hey, bro, you’re going to need more than this to put me away.”

With a gleaming trail of light behind his eyes, Shitou roared as he leapt up once again.

Shitou was Shang Bieshi’s most prized disciple. Well, technically speaking, he was Shang Bieshi’s only disciple. Shang Bieshi had taught people from all walks of life, including strangers, whether it was passing on his knowledge in academics, martial arts or another field. Shang Bieshi was an odd one among the unorthodox factions’ members because he was fond of teaching and was easy to approach. Whether Gongsun Chu deliberately let him develop as so would be left a mystery, but Gongsun Chu was happy that Shang Bieshi didn’t take after every other “demon” in the unorthodox factions. Perhaps Gongsun Chu never realised he was happy to see a reflection of himself.

Shang Bieshi possessed vast knowledge, a productive temperament, a sense of self-awareness, a nice voice, as well as the habit of reflecting on rights and wrongs after fights for improvement. In comparison, his disciple was stubborn and kept making mistakes. He always had to scold his disciple, at least, twice a day and have him stand for six hours as punishment. Yet, Shitou never complained. It was these traits of Shitou that made him the fastest learner; he picked up everything he was taught straight away and achieved mastery frighteningly fast. After just a single lesson in wielding the cudgel, he schooled Hai Yecha.

Shang Bieshi claimed that Shitou would be a star in the future, but Shitou didn’t understand, not that he cared. Shitou just wanted to spar Drought Demon and Tiangou, prank Hai Yecha and Ye Yexin. Even though he’d be scolded daily, he still considered those days the happiest days of his life. Had things not gone awry for Fiends’ Genesis, nobody would’ve contended him succeeding Shang Bieshi. If he hypothetically had a change of heart and switched affiliations, he’d still be a superstar in the orthodox factions.

Gongsun Chu left Shang Bieshi to his own devices despite not holding the same opinion on numerous things. When it came to Shitou, though, he had to disagree. Until everything was taken from them, Shitou was supposed to be one of the brightest stars in the pugilistic world. Now, he was but a rock on a leash.

As the imposing silhouette flitted along with the directions of the flames, Shen Yiren saw innumerable clones of the same silhouette blot out the sky. Although she couldn’t tell apart the clones and real one, common sense told her that the real body was among them, except not even Precision Scout could help her.

Blue-flame-clad Shitous rained down onto Tianhu, burying his white glow in the hailstorm of cudgel swings.

Boom!

Sacrificial Sage’s flames went out upon hitting a hand.

“That’s it?”

Shitou belted as he spawned clones again, each wielding Sacrificial Sage.

“You haven’t reached your cap,” stated Tianhu, accurately and methodically stopping every strike targeting him. “Someone has done something to limit how much strength you can use. It’s a shame, not because you can’t beat me but because I can’t witness your full capacity.”

Shen Yiren finally fathomed what it meant to have attained Divine Realm status.

Anyone with a functioning brain would realise that Shitou’s ferocious onslaught would eventually end, and, once he stopped, it would be Tianhu’s opportunity to counter.

“You have been a little careless.”

A red Enlightenment rose from the four cardinal directions and shot towards Tianhu similar to snakes striking after biding their time in the grass. Four swords pierced Tianhu’s true qi armour and pinned him to his spot by his shoulder.

“What’s this?” questioned Tianhu.

“This one told you already. It’s called ‘Autumn Lock’,” answered Jiang Chen.

In spite of him being confined to one spot, Tianhu still fended off Shitou’s attacks without any struggle. He calmly moved his hand holding the fan.

“Indeed, this isn’t enough.” Jiang Chen tightened his grip on his sword.

Tianhu wryly responded, “There’s no room for your involvement in this fight.”

Jiang Chen began strolling forward, keeping Tianhu’s attention fixed on him. “Silver Crow.”

A silver flash of light flitted out from underneath the downed assassins’ hands. Nobody knew when he started posing as an ordinary assassin, but it wasn’t important. What mattered was that the blade entered Tianhu’s body.