paranoianovel Chapter 437 - 211: A Lesson, Molting
Chapter 437 - 211: A Lesson, Molting
It was clear Taiyue had made thorough preparations before arriving. Now, upon seeing Li Chang’an, he spoke without pause, unleashing a full verbal barrage.
As he repeatedly spoke with such insolence, the expressions of Lu Sang and the members of the Divine Shadow Guard grew increasingly grim. Some even drew their weapons, poised to rush forward and reclaim the Guardian God’s honor at a single command.
After all, even for an ally, some things were unforgivable.
At the very least, they had to demand an explanation.
As the Divine Shadow Guard went on alert, the escorts of the other tribe leaders did the same. The atmosphere in the hall instantly grew taut with tension.
Li Chang’an waved his hand, signaling Lu Sang and the others not to get agitated. He stared at Taiyue, sizing him up for a moment before smiling. "It seems your prejudice and resentment toward me run quite deep. I do bear some responsibility for Man Yu’s death, but that is not an excuse for you to act so outrageously in my presence. It wasn’t acceptable in the past, it is not acceptable now, and it never will be!"
The reply was sharp. While his tone held a hint of apology, it was clearly a faint one.
It was certainly not enough to satisfy Taiyue.
Taiyue’s murderous eyes locked onto Li Chang’an, his chest heaving violently like a great bellows. He rumbled, "In that case, why don’t you let a junior like me ask for some pointers? A friendly spar, we’ll stop before it goes too far. What do you think, Senior?"
After all that beating around the bush, Taiyue had finally bared his fangs.
He wanted to defeat Li Chang’an through this provocation, proving his own power in front of everyone.
By doing so, he could not only awe the members of the God Eater Alliance, but more importantly, he could also redeem his master Man Yu’s honor. He would show everyone that she had been the strongest, that her contributions to the Human Race had been the greatest, that she should not have been subordinate to anyone, and that she would never have taken a creature of unknown origin as her own master.
It was only then that the others belatedly realized his intentions, and their gazes toward the two immediately became filled with keen interest.
Clearly, after so many years, the authority of this so-called Guardian God, Li Chang’an, was effective only within the Fusang Tribe. Even some of its own members were not necessarily willing to obey him completely, let alone could he suppress the surrounding factions who were eyeing him like a tiger its prey.
Leaving aside all else, the grandiose title of ’Ancestor of Martial Arts’ alone would bring Li Chang’an a mountain of trouble the moment it spread.
This time, Li Chang’an didn’t let Lu Sang speak.
Instead, he answered directly, "Fine, no problem. I’d also like to see just how strong this disciple Man Yu so casually took in really is, and whether that strength can match such an arrogant tone!"
Taiyue’s prestige and influence within the Godslayer Alliance were considerable. Just as he wanted to prove himself, Li Chang’an intended to make an example of him.
The only reason he hadn’t acted sooner was to give Taiyue time to find fault, which would provide the perfect justification to deal with him.
Both men were eager to get physical.
The once quiet atmosphere of the hall was instantly ignited.
The expressions on the faces of Lu Sang and the members of the Divine Shadow Guard were not pleasant. It wasn’t that they lacked confidence in Li Chang’an, but because no matter the outcome, the Fusang Tribe would most likely lose a great deal of face.
After all, allowing an outsider to question their newly returned Guardian God inside the Ancestral Temple—even if he was an ally—was something that would be quite shameful once word got out.
Taiyue proposed leaving the Temple to fight in the grand plaza outside, where both sides could stretch their limbs and go all out.
But Li Chang’an just shook his head and said lightly, "There’s no need. You’re not much stronger than your master was at your age. You’re simply not worth me making a big scene."
He said this lightly.
But their meaning was incredibly heavy.
It was hard to tell if the expression on Taiyue’s face was stern or furious. He simply nodded and said, "I hope you’re not just bluffing. Since you won’t go outside, then right here..."
He was still speaking; his words hadn’t even fully left his mouth.
Li Chang’an, who was in his human form inside the Divine Hall, was already in front of him.
As he drew near, Li Chang’an shot out a hand and swatted at Taiyue as if shooing a fly. Taiyue, whose muscles had been relaxed, instantly tensed his entire body. He exerted all his strength to take a single step back, narrowly dodging Li Chang’an’s casual strike.
Li Chang’an paused his advance and chuckled. "Not bad reaction speed. It seems you’ve been through your share of life-or-death struggles and aren’t just someone who trains blindly. In that regard, you’re stronger than your master was back in her day..."
Hearing this casual, breezy critique, Taiyue was utterly humiliated. But before he could react, Li Chang’an’s attack was upon him again.
Compared to before, Li Chang’an’s strike this time was faster and more vicious, aimed directly at Taiyue’s neck.
The hairs on Taiyue’s entire body stood on end. He raised one arm to block his neck while simultaneously trying to grab hold of Li Chang’an’s body to counterattack.
However, he had clearly underestimated Li Chang’an’s physical strength.
It was safe to say that for Taiyue, Li Chang’an was operating on a completely different level of power. The only reason Taiyue could even put up a semblance of a fight was that Li Chang’an was holding back for Man Yu’s sake.
THUD!
A muffled thud echoed out. As everyone in the Temple watched, Li Chang’an’s deceptively light punch caved in Taiyue’s arm.