novelraw Chapter 1256: The Strongest Man
Chapter 1256: The Strongest Man
“Try taking my sword—!”
Firecloud's breath roared like breaking waves as he exhaled, and an overwhelming, mountain-crushing martial true force swept out instantly—yet despite its vast magnitude, not a single brick or tile in the Temple of Heaven plaza was harmed.
The man stood unmoving like a mountain, a pillar of blood-energy rising from him like a wolfish plume, blocking Old Fool’s breath that carried the rumble of wind and thunder.
A true expert is revealed in a single exchange… Old Fool was the type who could suppress entire sect lineages alone; his vision ranked easily among the top ten in all of the divine land.
A sharp gleam burst from Old Fool’s eyes. “Outside of Xuanyuan Palace, bearer of the Human Emperor’s legacy, I didn’t think such a martial powerhouse still existed! Sir, I will get serious!”
The young man snorted lightly. He had once been an emperor—who had ever dared speak so loudly before him? But this martial giant mentioned Xuanyuan Palace… could he be connected to the Human Emperor’s inheritance?
Back then, he too had received Xuanyuan Palace’s legacy and support, allowing him to pacify the realm…
His thoughts flicked by in an instant. The martial titan calling himself Old Fool possessed power no weaker than his own. The young man’s hand rose calmly from behind his back, responding to all changes with stillness.
At that moment, Firecloud Evil God Old Fool laughed loudly. From utter stillness to explosive motion, he stepped forward—one stride spanning ten meters—his fist blasting out like a meteor.
It was a plain punch—simple, direct—but carried unstoppable might. The young man’s eyes lit up. Such a punch was rarely seen; even Gongsun Wuwei, before his death, had likely never reached this level, falling short by half a step.Still, the young man merely snorted…
His palm struck forward, landing cleanly on Old Fool’s fist. Fist and palm collided, and two terrifying, utterly different martial true forces crashed together in the most primal contest.
“Tai Zu Long Fist…” he murmured with a faint sigh.
Old Fool raised an eyebrow. “The great dao is simple—what’s simplest is the most useful. Don’t underestimate Tai Zu Long Fist.”
The young man only shook his head. His palm strength doubled sharply. Old Fool was startled, just as the youth’s palm transformed into a long fist strike—the exact same Tai Zu Long Fist.
The fist force swept across the heavens, crushing Old Fool’s brewing fist intent instantly… Old Fool had immersed himself in this simple boxing style for decades and believed he had grasped its essence.
But—!
The punch landed squarely on his chest. It was like a massive hammer striking a bronze bell.
The metallic boom shook the air!
“Vajra Body, huh…” The young man withdrew his fist and looked at Old Fool, who had skidded several meters back. “So someone actually mastered the indestructible Vajra Body handed down from Bodhidharma.”
Old Fool rubbed his chest and grinned. “You’ve cultivated this long fist to the point where you could be called number one in the world.”
The young man sighed inwardly. Tai Zu Long Fist—he had created this boxing technique. No one could understand it more deeply than its creator.
He shook his head. “You have the Vajra Body; this fight shouldn’t continue. If this Temple of Heaven is damaged, the great formation beneath the capital will counterattack. That is… not my wish.”
Old Fool, who once fought from Changbai Mountain to the South Sea for three blood-soaked years, had almost never met a rival of this level outside Xuanyuan Palace. How could he stop now?
“If not here, then we fight at sea!” Firecloud Evil God boomed. “With our speed, we’ll reach the coast before midnight.”
But the young man still shook his head. Though he possessed unmatched martial might, he never considered himself a martial artist, nor did he have the battle-lust typical of one. He had never sought the title of strongest under heaven—after all, the world had once been in his grasp; what was the point of the martial world’s rankings?
And martial fanatics were troublesome… He had more important matters in the capital and did not wish for complications.
“Old Fool, is it?” He spoke slowly. “I have a sword technique… I will use only one sword strike. How about it?”
“You wield a sword?” Firecloud Evil God was stunned. This man’s boxing surpassed even his own—was his swordsmanship stronger still?
The young man pinched his fingers together and casually posed. His voice was soft: “A dragon roaming the heavens… plucks the stars.”
The heavens seemed to dim. Firecloud’s heart thumped violently. The demonic weapon within him trembled as if roaring.
“The Human Emperor… the Emperor’s Sword technique?!”
In Firecloud Evil God’s eyes, countless sword lights gathered into a colossal sword-dragon, soaring upward before bursting into starlight. The stars shimmered, and from within them, the sword light descended toward the earth.
Firecloud roared, channeling supreme true force into his arm; a massive blade light erupted—his demonic saber piercing the firmament!
Boom—!!!
Starlight dimmed. Sword light and blade light collided for a split instant—then both vanished, leaving calm once more. The two stood facing the wind in the Temple of Heaven plaza.
Firecloud exhaled slowly. Looking again at the mysterious youth, his gaze was complicated—they had not physically clashed.
The entire duel had taken place within the realm of martial will—a battle of consciousness.
“Great swordsmanship. I lost,” Firecloud said, shaking his head.
“It was a draw,” the youth replied.
He, too, looked at Firecloud differently. The sword technique he used came from Xuanyuan Palace—the Human Emperor’s sword art—reserved for the chosen sovereign. And yet this man’s blade light could shatter it… Though Xuanyuan Palace had once told him the sword art required the true Emperor’s Sword to reach full power, the technique itself was already beyond the mortal world.
And that strange blade glow… contained great terror.
Firecloud said, “A loss is a loss. What broke your sword art wasn’t my martial ability but an external force. Winning through external force isn’t winning—and it was only a draw. Sir, might you be of the Gongsun clan?”
“I have ties to the Gongsun family, but I am not one of them,” the youth said calmly. “Nor do I serve Xuanyuan Palace.”
Firecloud considered this. “Do you know the Management Bureau? Have you read the agreement between the divine land and the other realm?”
The youth shook his head.
Firecloud nodded. “This is the capital—the heart of a nation… I hope you will restrain yourself here.”
“Of course.” The youth nodded, stepped back, and vanished into the night.
Firecloud took a swig of his wine. “What an unsatisfying fight…”
…
Moments later, seven people hurried toward him—led by Yan Xiaoxi.
“Master?” Yan Xiaoxi scanned the surroundings. “The grand formation detected a power close to the highest danger level entering the capital…”
“I crossed hands with him,” Firecloud said. “Some unknown martial powerhouse—not necessarily weaker than me.”
Yan Xiaoxi’s expression changed drastically.
“But he’s strange,” Firecloud frowned. “His energy was endless, but during the exchange, he couldn’t hide his nature… very strange.”
“What do you mean?”
Firecloud’s face twisted oddly. “To put it simply—he has the look of someone who won’t live two more years. At my level, one can read fate… That man is short-lived.”
“The capital cannot allow unknown forces like this,” Yan Xiaoxi said grimly. “If necessary, please cooperate with the formation and eliminate the threat instantly.”
Firecloud said nothing, only nodded silently… He was stationed in the capital and would not leave unless necessary, for when Mr. Blind laid the formation beneath the capital, only Firecloud possessed enough power to awaken its strongest force.
Even working with the capital’s grand formation, Firecloud Evil God could still contend with the True Dragon of the divine land…
Of course, most of the time, Firecloud Evil God remained in seclusion. As the strongest force truly under the Management Bureau’s command, his main role was deterrence. He was rarely seen.
“Master,” Yan Xiaoxi said urgently—he, too, seldom saw his teacher. “The elite candidates selected from across the country have all been gathered.”
“I know.” Firecloud Evil God nodded. “Send them to me.”
The Management Bureau had always trained its agents in several ways. Some trained internally, focusing on martial cultivation; others were sent to the Daoist sects or the Demon clans—partly to study their movements, partly to blend their powers.
But after the Mount Tai incident, the Daoist sects and Demon clans had grown distant from the Bureau… and this batch of elites was far larger than ever. They could no longer be sent to those factions.
“Understood.” Yan Xiaoxi nodded. “There’s another matter… concerning the Zhao family.”
Firecloud Evil God’s expression dimmed slightly—clearly displeased. “What are those aristocratic families scheming now?”
Yan Xiaoxi said, “It seems the Zhao family has made secret contact with some of the new recruits. We’ve confirmed that three trainees may already be their spies.”
Firecloud Evil God shook his head and sighed. “To think the elders of the four great families once shed blood for the nation… and their descendants have turned into this! Xiaoxi, handle it yourself. I can’t be bothered with these wastrels… I’m going back to drink.”
“Wait, Master—one more thing.” Yan Xiaoxi tugged him back. “Dragon Consultant sent an email. She says she’ll be leaving the country for a short trip.”
Firecloud Evil God frowned. “What’s she going abroad for?”
Yan Xiaoxi shook his head. “She didn’t say. Just informed us.”
“I see.” Firecloud Evil God nodded. “Let her do as she likes…”
The truth was—the Management Bureau couldn’t control the True Dragon of the divine land at all.
…
That night, at the capital airport, a private car rolled in.
Traveling light, Zhong Luoyue carried only a small suitcase. She wore sunglasses and had no entourage—only Elizabeth accompanied her.
To avoid attention, Elizabeth had even let Zhong Luoyue dye her white hair and brows blond.
“Yue, you really won’t go see your grandfather before leaving?”
Zhong Luoyue shook her head. Her feelings for her family centered mostly on her grandfather… emotions she could barely control.
If she saw him again, she feared she might blurt out everything about her condition.
Her urgency to leave was partly to undergo her first transformation abroad—Elizabeth had repeatedly reminded her that a vampire’s first metamorphosis was crucial.
And partly, she wanted to clear her mind.
Elizabeth suddenly said, “I heard your grandfather isn’t doing well?”
Zhong Luoyue replied casually, “He fell seriously ill earlier this year. The doctors were helpless. My second brother took him away for treatment despite opposition… and actually saved him. But he’s old. Birth, aging, illness, and death are normal.”
Elizabeth whispered, “Yue… if you don’t want to lose him, you could always…”
Zhong Luoyue froze and instinctively looked at her.
Elizabeth was a vampire—her worldview built around vampiric logic. For vampires, the best way to keep loved ones forever was to turn them into the same kind.
To her, it was normal—practically universal among vampires.
Turn Grandfather into a vampire… Not just him, her other family as well.
She had never once considered this. But the moment Elizabeth mentioned it, the idea spread through her mind like a virus—wildly, uncontrollably…
“Yue? Yue!”
“Huh… what?” Zhong Luoyue jolted.
Elizabeth lowered her voice. “Your fangs are showing. Are you hungry?”
Zhong Luoyue gasped, cold sweat breaking out. She forcefully purged the thoughts from her mind and bowed her head. “Maybe… It’s getting late. Let’s go through security.”
…
…
A pair of rainbow-colored butterfly wings fluttered softly as Luo Pianxian drifted down the hallway, wearing only a thin shirt. Her expression was one of blissful comfort.
Her hair was still damp, her skin beaded with leftover shower droplets. The cotton shirt clung tightly to her chest and barely covered her to the hips.
Like a drifting cloud, she floated into the living room, sucking on a carton of milk through a straw.
“Can you put some pants on?”
Long Xiruo—True Dragon of the divine land—lay on the sofa, propped up on one elbow, eating chips and watching a dumb comedy show. She shot her a sideways glare that practically screamed exasperated middle-aged uncle.
“I’ll put them on later. It’s chilly down there right now—feels great!” The little butterfly Demon plopped onto a big floor cushion, legs spread, the thin shirt covering only the tops of her thighs.
The wet fabric clung to her body, skin faintly visible beneath. Long Xiruo couldn’t stand the shameless sight—who was she even trying to seduce?
Rolling her eyes, Long Xiruo blew out a breath, instantly drying all the water on Luo Pianxian.
“Wow!” Luo Pianxian cheered happily.
Long Xiruo sat up, turned off the TV, and said, “Girl, pack some clothes. You’re coming with me tomorrow.”
“Where?” Luo Pianxian blinked curiously.
“House call. We need to see whether the thing you made actually works. I promised someone I’d treat their illness—a promise over a hundred years ago.”
“Huh?” Luo Pianxian blinked. “The thing I made?”
Long Xiruo silently cursed—little vixen!
“Go pack! Now!!”
The True Dragon roared.
The little butterfly hugged her head, teary-eyed, and staggered away, flying off in panic… bullied once again.
(End of Chapter)