Chapter 85

After a day and night of heavy rain, it finally stopped, and the atmosphere in the Shen family’s martial arts arena began to heat up again.

However, this time the excitement was different, somewhat strange.

The events at the entrance of the martial arts arena had spread, and at this moment, the eyes of most of the thousand people present were fixed on one place—where Shen Lang and his three companions were seated.

Many people were suppressing their voices, constantly discussing.

The focus of everyone’s attention was without exception Shen Lang.

"Who would have thought that this waste, Shen Lang, could actually team up with such three figures. No wonder he dares to be so arrogant!"

"I was also puzzled before, why did the elders suppress the matter of him killing a few servants in the Shen family and forbid anyone from demanding justice? It turns out he had such a powerful backing..."

"So what if he has a backing? A waste is still a waste! Do you think a Heavenly Pulse Sacred Body is what? It’s a constitution that can’t cultivate at all. Even if his backing is powerful, it can’t change the fact that he can’t cultivate!"

"Exactly, even if he has some connection with such a noble family, so what? Can those noble families really take in such a waste? Can they protect him for life?"

"Exactly, he can’t cultivate, how strong can he be? He actually dares to come and participate in the martial arts competition! Once he gets on the stage, he will surely regret it!"

In the crowd, Shen Fengxiao, who had a three-day agreement with Shen Lang, had a radiant look in his eyes, like lightning, hiding terrifying sword intent and pride, standing firm and majestic, making people feel a chill.

"This waste actually dared to come. Today, I will definitely cripple you and have you carried back!"

And his younger brother, Shen Fengyun, was quietly explaining to him the events that happened at the Heavenly Phoenix Wine House that night...

Shen Fengyun’s fear had not dissipated even now, and although he kept talking about Shen Lang, he never dared to look at him once.

"Fengyun, you’ve already told me this before, but I still find it hard to believe," Shen Fengxiao lowered his voice and said. "Even if this waste can defeat Shen Jianfeng, his cultivation shouldn’t be too high... You said he broke the Xiao family’s Plum Blossom Sword Intent, perhaps he is very powerful in terms of realm, but you must know that battles are not just about realm! They also depend on strength, martial techniques, and spirit weapons! If I lose to Shen Moran, it would be understandable, but you advise me not to face him, which is absolutely impossible!"

"Big brother, why... sigh!" Shen Fengyun sighed deeply.

He wanted to persuade his big brother to give up unrealistic thoughts, to avoid Shen Lang this monster if possible, and not to engage in such a conflict of pride.

Facing such a monster is not just about winning or losing.

Back then, he and his brother had also bullied Shen Lang, but could they guarantee that this monster wouldn’t make them lose limbs when they fought?

This guy could even cripple Tang Chaotian...

Plus, the events at the entrance of the martial arts arena...

Only he, who had personally experienced that terrifying scene at the wine house, knew how terrifying Shen Lang was.

That night, Shen Lang’s gaze towards him was clear in his mind, and he had been woken up several times by nightmares of that gaze.

"Fortunately, although we have bullied him from a young age, we haven’t done anything too extreme to him or his family... But with big brother being so stubborn, it’s going to be troublesome!"

Shen Fengyun felt a chill down his spine, cold to the bone.

Just as everyone was discussing, the third elder stepped onto the large stage in the center and said loudly, "Everyone knows the rules. As usual, the opponents will be decided by drawing lots."

After saying this, he lightly waved his hand, and someone immediately uncovered a black cloth on the stage, revealing a stone platform wrapped in black cloth to everyone.

The stone platform had a long groove in the middle, filled with many bamboo sticks.

"There are one hundred black-bottomed sticks, one hundred white-bottomed sticks, one hundred red-bottomed sticks, and one hundred blue-bottomed sticks, each engraved with numbers from one to one hundred. If you draw the thirtieth black-bottomed stick, then your opponent will be the holder of the thirtieth black-bottomed stick. The same applies to red and blue. There are two stages in the martial arts arena, one for black and white, the other for blue and red. Those who lose ten consecutive matches will lose the qualification for the final."

The third elder briefly explained the rules for drawing lots, which were not complicated, and the Shen family’s year-end martial arts competition had been held many times.

There were about one thousand five hundred people present, but only those with a cultivation of at least the fifth level of the Force Martial Realm could participate, and there were only four hundred such people.

However, the Shen family having four hundred capable martial artists was enough to be proud of.

Although many people still remembered that Shen Lang was a Heavenly Pulse Sacred Body and could not cultivate, with only the second level of the Force Martial Realm, after the events at the entrance of the martial arts arena, no one dared to speak up.

"Alright, the drawing of lots begins! Line up and come forward!"

One by one, the Shen family’s participants orderly went up to the stage.

They then drew a bamboo stick from the stone groove, read out the number on the stick, and stepped back.

Shen Lang did not rush to draw a lot, still sitting leisurely in the VIP seats, chatting with Yin Kuang and the others, and refining talismans.

Although the limit of four hundred participants caused some commotion at the front, he was not in a hurry.

Yin Kuang had injured at least twenty people, and those people would not be able to get out of bed for ten to fifteen days, effectively creating more spots.

Besides, if the bamboo sticks were really all taken, he could just knock someone out and take one.

Shen Lang suddenly frowned slightly, raised his head, and saw a pair of resentful eyes staring at him on the stage, belonging to Shen Fengxiao, who had suffered a hidden loss that night.

"Idiot." Shen Lang muttered two words and then buried his head to continue refining talismans.

Even with Shen Fengyun’s explanation, Shen Fengxiao still did not believe that Shen Lang could have high cultivation, thinking that he had only defeated Shen Jianfeng and Tang Chaotian by exploiting some weaknesses, and his true strength was not very strong.

Seeing Shen Lang glance at him, Shen Fengxiao’s lips twitched, and he sneered, walked to the stone groove, fumbled for a while, and finally picked up a white-bottomed bamboo stick. He then read out the number in a cold voice, "White-bottomed thirteen."

After reading it, he stepped aside and suddenly waved the bamboo stick at Shen Lang, saying loudly, "Didn’t you say you wanted to count how many wastes there are in the Shen family? I hope to meet you soon and make you pay for your words!"

The entire martial arts arena immediately boiled over, and countless people cheered.

"Beat that waste, let him know that we Shen family members are not to be bullied!"

"Big brother Fengxiao, go for it! Crush that idiot Shen Lang. He only has someone backing him up, and once he gets on the stage, he will be nothing!"

"Kick this reckless guy out of the Shen family! We don’t want such a waste in our family!"

"How dare a waste who has been beaten by us since childhood be so arrogant? He’s just asking for it!"

Shen Lang coldly snorted, waved his hand, and a fireball burst out from a talisman in his hand, directly hitting the group of people who had been shouting the loudest.

"Boom!"

"Ah!"

The fireball exploded, and the flames burned the group of people, making them cry and scream.

Before the crowd could react, Shen Lang waved his left hand, and a blue light flashed, freezing another group of people into ice blocks!

Everyone in the arena was stunned. Where did this demon come from, and he really dared to do it, throwing such a large fireball at people right in front of so many elders of the Shen family!

It was simply lawless...

The three people sitting in front of Shen Lang, Shui Buyu and the others, were also stunned.

Damn, this kid was really refining talismans, not joking around!

Such a large fireball, at least a second-level talisman!

This action was so clean and swift, so satisfying!

"Shen Lang, you’ve gone too far! What do you want to do!" The first elder suddenly stood up and roared.

Shen Lang said calmly, "Nothing, just that the noise from the flies below was annoying. Some idiots are so disrespectful, day and night, and they really deserve a beating... If you have the time, you might as well make them shut up. Otherwise, I will make them shut up in my own way."

"You... you..." The first elder trembled all over, unable to say another word.

Actually, there was no need for him to say anything, as the crowd below had already become silent.

If there were any sounds, they would be the cries of the group of people who had been burned.

Shen Lang did not care if it would stir up the crowd. In this world, the strong always ruled, and those who liked to insult and bully others were mostly bullies who feared the strong. Once they knew that the other party was powerful, they wouldn’t dare to make a sound.

Of course, if they dared to make a sound, Shen Lang didn’t mind making a group of people unable to take care of themselves before the competition even started.

He came today to cause trouble!

"Shen Lang, since you want to participate in the competition, you must follow the rules!" The clan leader, Shen Haoxuan, said with his eyes twitching. "In the family martial arts competition, spirit weapons can be used, but not talismans!"

"I know, but... hasn’t the competition started yet?" Shen Lang’s words left Shen Haoxuan speechless.

"You... you..." Shen Haoxuan almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Shen Lang, without raising his head, continued, "Besides, such a group of trash can’t even withstand a second-level talisman. Getting on the stage would just waste everyone’s time. I’m just helping them out, so they don’t embarrass themselves... Oh, I forgot to mention, second-level talismans are quite valuable. Remember to reimburse me. If you don’t, I’ll just throw a few more out there."

"..."

Not just Shen Haoxuan, but most of the people in the arena who had a bad relationship with Shen Lang’s family were so angry they could spit blood.

Too arrogant, too overbearing!

Simply disregarding everyone, lawless!

"Defeat him! You must defeat this bastard on the stage! Then we’ll see what he has to say!"

"Using talismans to hurt people, what kind of hero is that! A waste, I’ll show you my strength in a moment!"

"Just found a few bodyguards, have the guts to fight without help!"

Many people started to shout, but after a few shouts, they were suppressed by a few elders.

Some of the injured were carried away, and the martial arts competition continued, but the atmosphere became even stranger.

Shen Lang’s actions were even more outrageous and terrifying than beating people at the entrance of the martial arts arena.

But his overbearing behavior was only met with a reprimand from the first elder and a vague comment from the clan leader, and it ended there.

This was too abnormal...

What had happened? Why did the Shen family’s upper echelons, who had always bullied Shen Lang, now tolerate him and dare not take action?

Was it because of the three people sitting next to him?

It didn’t seem to be the case...

While everyone was racking their brains over these questions, the martial arts competition finally continued as planned.

Two stages were running simultaneously, one for blue-bottomed and red-bottomed sticks, the other for white-bottomed and black-bottomed sticks.

"Red-bottomed stick number eleven, Shen Lang, and blue-bottomed stick number eleven, Shen Changjun!"

The scene that many people had been looking forward to finally appeared, and Shen Lang was finally going to get on the stage.

When everyone’s eyes were on Shen Lang, waiting to see him get on the stage and witness the strength of this arrogant and domineering troublemaker...

Shen Lang, without raising his head, said, "Forfeit, admit defeat."

...