"But that guy is half-step into the nature level. You will be in an unfavorable position!" said Tank Yang
anxiously.
Sun Zhao nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, Tank is right. Zen, this fight will be unfair for you."
Martin wanted to stop Zen as soon as he heard what they had said. He knew of Wu's strength. Wu was
one of the best among the soldiers who were half-step into the nature level. Zen would be at a
disadvantage if he fought with him.
But before Martin could stand up, Roger put a hand on his shoulder, shook his head in disapproval, and
said, "Let Zen make the choice. We have to believe in his abilities. After all, he joined the Imperial Army
to fight the blade locusts with the soldiers. He needs to prove his worth to them."
"But..." Martin thought over what Roger had said. However, he remained unconvinced. He wanted to
say more, but before he could, Roger interrupted him again. Roger murmured, "I think Zen is
extraordinary even though he is at the marrow refining level."
After all, Roger Meng was one of top disciples in the nature level, and so his foresight naturally differed
from others.
Once Roger showed confidence in Zen's abilities, Martin had no reason to try and dissuade Zen.
Although he decided to keep quiet, his hesitance was reflected in his expression. Wu didn't care as
much about Zen's reputation.
"Haha. In spite of his inferior strength, this guy is brave enough to accept my challenge. Buddies, come
here. Let's move these tables and chairs so that some space can be made for the fight!" Wu yelled.
The sounds of shuffling feet and scraping chairs filled the tavern as the other soldiers positioned
themselves so that they could watch the fight.
Tavern brawls were common between soldiers at Dragon Fort. The waiters who had been watching the
argument hurriedly moved the tables and chairs away. At last, a large space was cleared.
Wu stood in the center of the space. A grin spread on his lips as he gestured at Zen before saying,
"Brat, come here!"
Zen nodded. The gentle look in his eyes transformed into a keenness, as though he was able to see
everyone's true nature despite their pretenses.
With each step Zen took, his demeanor changed.
His soul was far more powerful than an ordinary person's. Hence, Zen naturally looked mighty.
He became mightier every step he moved forward. After taking seven steps forward, Zen seemed to
have turned into another person. He looked like a domineering devil with terrifying strength that had
just finished his refinement in the purgatory.
By now, Zen's soul still didn't have intent. If he had, it would have been possible for Zen to hurt the
bystanders by the strength from his soul alone.
As soon as the bystanders felt Zen's power, surprise and shock were reflected on their faces.
Even Roger was astounded.
When Roger saw how skillfully and proficiently Zen had fought with the strong man Gordon at the
Bluesky Parking Ground, he concluded that Zen was more powerful than he appeared.
But now Roger, who was very skilled at the nature level, was also scared by Zen's mighty strength.
'This guy is only at the marrow refining level, but he is more than what he seems. How many skills is he
concealing?' thought Roger.
At that moment, Wu felt foolish. The domineering strength sensed by others was only a portion of the
strength exuded from Zen's body.
When this force radiated by Zen attacked him, Wu felt as if he had gotten stuck in mire. Even the air
around him seemed to have stagnated.
Wu moaned and groaned as he felt the pressure of Zen's domineering strength. He already knew that
Cloud Sect disciples were not weak. But Zen had just reached the marrow refining level.
He couldn't believe that a person at the marrow refining level could be so powerful.
'Has he cultivated some skills to enhance his strength? Or perhaps his actual strength is very mediocre
and not so domineering as it appears?' As this thought came to his mind, Wu gritted his teeth and
decided to use his greatest advantage, power, against Zen.
A person's power was associated with his level regardless of the skills he was cultivating.
The higher a person's level, the fewer the impurities inside his body, and thus, the greater the person's
power.
It was beyond doubt that Wu's power was greater than Zen's since Wu was a half-step into the nature
level while Zen was still at the marrow refining level.
Moreover, the Giant Ape Iron Fist that Wu had been cultivating could double his power. At the same
level, very few people were more powerful than Wu.
Thinking of all this, Wu felt more confident. He mobilized all his power and fiercely swung his fist at
Zen.
"Puff!" A muffled noise was heard.
Despite the strength used by Wu, Zen used only his palm to defend himself. He caught Wu's fist mid-air
and held it tightly in his hand.
At first, Wu was astonished by the block. When he regained his composure, Wu tried to direct his
strength to his arm. He wanted to see if he could shake Zen's hold on his fist.
But Zen remained undaunted. He stood calmly with Wu's fist secured firmly in his.
Wu tried hard to push his fist forward, but he couldn't budge Zen's hold.
Then, he attempted to pull his fist out of Zen's hand but failed at that as well.
Drops of sweat collected on Wu's forehead. He had exerted himself so much that his face and neck
had turned dark red. In the current situation, Wu found himself in a dilemma. He could neither advance
nor retreat.
A weaker cultivator had just defeated him.
All the bystanders inside the tavern were taken aback when they saw this incredible scene.
Since they were his battle companions, they knew of Wu's strength.
They hadn't expected that Zen, who was only at the marrow refining level, would be able to grab Wu's
fist with a single hand.
This was not an ordinary feat. Even Martin, who had reached the nature level, couldn't do that. This
indicated that Zen was more powerful than Wu.
What others didn't know was that Zen had woken up four dragon scales, and was hence almost as
powerful as a strong man at the nature level.
Seeing that Wu couldn't shake off his grip, Zen took a deep breath. Soon afterward, he swung his arm
and pushed Wu back.
Wu's eyes widened with surprise and fear when he felt Zen's power flowing through his arms. Before
he could process what had happened, Wu found himself flying backward. He crashed through several
rows of tables and chairs before colliding with a wooden cabinet. All the furniture Wu had been hurled
through now lay on the floor in a pile of shattered wood. At last, Wu collided with the wall before falling
to the floor in a motionless heap.
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