Runiya was even thinking if she could dismantle the tradition of the five-year competitions with Bartolomew's victory. If so, that would make the Stefords the governors of Waterway Town forever, and the Stefords would forever have a say in Waterway Town. Runiya could not help but laugh. “Looks like the heavens are on our side!”At the same time, a loud boom cut through the air. Bartolomew had made his way toward Fred and landed a furious punch. Proudly, he scoffed. “I wanted to let you live a little longer, brat, but you just had to anger me! So die under my fists and succumb to your regret and dread!”“Is that so?” Fred's tone and expression were calm. Faced with Bartolomew's furious punch, Fred merely reached out and met it with his palm. Bartolomew's fist clashed with Fred's palm. Everything was silent and calm.There was no backlash and no loud boom, which surprised everyone. Despite watching Bartolomew fall, everyone still believed that Fred would lose. When th
Everyone fell into a deathly silence. They had thought of multiple outcomes when Bartolomew and Fred started fighting—Fred losing immediately, Fred struggling to stay alive, Bartolomew playing with his prey, and even the two of them being on par in strength.However, what happened was beyond what anyone imagined. No one expected to see Bartolomew fly across the air just from getting his forehead flicked.This was not a fight between two powerhouses, not when Fred's strength was miles ahead of Bartolomew. “How is this possible?” two people said at the same time, breaking the silence.Hector Niles and Runiya Steford. Hector was in disbelief. He had been dreading the competition when he heard that the Stefords had the powerhouse, Bartolomew Buckner, representing them.Hector had given up all hope when he saw Bartolomew.Yet, their representative, Fred, had sent Bartolomew flying just by the flick of his finger. He could not remain calm. He could not remain unfazed by the tu
“You brat! You... You...!” Bartolomew could not be in a more sorry state.Not that he cared as he glared at Fred resentfully,He had been respected and revered ever since he stepped foot in Waterway Town.Even with the Buckners, he was revered and influential. However, he was humiliated when Fred flicked him across the air.Bartolomew had lost all rationale and wanted nothing more than rip Fred to shreds.“How dare you...! How dare you... bring your insolence before me, huh?! I’ll rip you to shreds today! Or how will I be respected among my people after this?!” Bartolomew suddenly tensed up. A slight aura and murderous intent began to gather around him. “That’s... That’s the unique skill of the Buckners! It was created by Lord Bernard Buckner for our ancestor, Brandon Buckner!” Bovies exclaimed.Everyone was shocked.Bernard was a powerful Ancient Warlord and a general under Holy Emperor Agate. There was no doubt how powerful this skill must be if Bernard taught it to his
Martial artists were descendants of Ancient Warlords who were not suited for martial arts while Ancient Warlords were powerful individuals who showcased the way of ancient martial arts!Although both coexist in the Ancient Martial Realm, they were vastly different entities.Not only did Ancient Warlords possess formidable power, something martial artists could not achieve their entire lives and could only look up to, there was one other thing that Ancient Warlords could achieve that martial artists could never. That was expanding their inner strength outside their body and materializing it!Everyone saw Bartolomew, who was just a martial artist, defying the impossible and materializing his inner strength into a green light. They were convinced that Bartolomew was bound to win.It was why Bovies could still confidently say that Fred was but an ant in front of his Uncle Bartolomew despite Fred having sent the man flying twice already.Having been filled with regret and despair bef
Runiya was the biggest joke of all!Fred had gone to the Steford family first, giving Runiya the chance to get close to him. However, she ruined the opportunity. Not only that, she also spread rumors, claiming that Fred stole the Steford family's martial arts secrets, which was the reason for his strength!Now, in the light of the golden radiance surrounding Fred, all of her past actions seemed incredibly foolish."Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"At this moment, a harsh voice suddenly interrupted everyone.Bartolomew pointed at Fred with a fierce expression, shouting, "How can you be an Ancient Warlord? How is that possible? You're just an ant! You're an ant that I deliberately spared last night. You'll surely die at my hands today! Just how can you be an Ancient Warlord?""I never claimed to be one." Fred unexpectedly nodded and responded.This statement stunned everyone present.He was not an Ancient Warlord? What about the golden light?"I know! I know! It must be some
How... How could this be? How was this happening?Bartolomew fell to his knees, the overwhelming momentum emanating from Fred rendering his mind completely lost.He had indeed gone mad.Be it Fred's lightning-fast slap that pulled him off the palanquin or the casual flick that sent him flying—or even the dazzling golden light that came later on—none of these had made Bartolomew doubt that Fred's strength surpassed his own! He did not even think that Fred was an existence beyond reach!Yet, what was the explanation for the overwhelming momentum emanating from Fred's body now?In all the years Bartolomew had practiced martial arts, the killing intent that he exuded only ever succeeded in causing a slight chill in others. Fred’s, however, felt like a tsunami the moment it was released. It immediately overwhelmed everyone!With Bartolomew being at the forefront, it was as if a huge mountain had suddenly appeared above his head. It forced him to kneel!This was the true gap between
In Runiya’s case, forcing Fred out of the family when he could have potentially helped them win the grand competition was already a colossal joke in itself.Even after Bovies’ words and Martolomew's initiative that had briefly ignited their hopes, the result was still Bartolomew falling to his knees. He passed out in an instant. For Runiya, this was beyond cruel.At this moment, there was not a single person among the onlookers who felt any pity for Runiya. She made her own bed, after all. From the very beginning, she made the wrong choices. Thus, she had to bear the cruel consequences now.However, no one managed to notice that Bovies, who had been by Runiya's side, had disappeared at some point...."Mr. Hoffman, are you... leaving?"In the evening, after concluding the five-year grand competition and joyously accepting congratulations from the crowd, Hector returned to the Nile family. That was when Fred submitted his resignation. Hector was momentarily at a loss. "Um... M
"Sect?"Fred’s forehead creased slightly at the suggestion. He had been exposed to some sects like the Sky Martial Sect and the Rising Clouds Sect during his time in the secular world. Thus, he was aware that organizations formed by cultivators were typically stringent in their management and often exclusive. He might be able to handle regular Ancient Warlords now that he had restored 10% of his strength. However, there was a considerable risk of attracting Holy Emperor Howlite’s attention should his whereabouts be revealed. Fred was confident in his abilities, but facing a Holy Emperor with only 10% of his strength? He was not that blindly arrogant. It was precisely why Fred had chosen to leave the Nile family at the moment.Now, Seelie was proposing to enter a sect formed by Ancient Warlords. Would that not be equivalent to walking into a trap?What puzzled Fred the most was that Seelie usually discussed matters related to him privately to prevent others from learning about
Marciella walking away did not bode well with the giant snake. Marciella was its food! How could it accept that its food had escaped?Marciella had not moved far yet. She reluctantly looked back at Fred.She did not know how Fred would handle the River God. She could only hope Fred would be okay!When Fred saw that she had left, he geared up, rubbing his palms in glee. He had an eager look on his face, which confused the giant snake.It was the snake’s first time meeting a man like Fred!How strange indeed!At this time!Suddenly, Fred said with hostility etched on his face, "Hey, Big Snake, what are you going to do now?"The snake's attention was entirely focused on him, which seemed off to Fred."What I’m going to do?"The giant snake fixated its eyes on Fred. It felt that it could handle a human like Fred easily.“I’m going to kill you with one bite! How dare you look down on me like this!"The giant snake rushed toward Fred fiercely at a speed so fast that no one could
Fred was annoyed by the giant snake's arrogant tone. Fred squinted his eyes at the snake and asked in confusion, "Why are you making that face?"“Huh?"The giant snake was shocked. He thought that Fred would submit to him, but to his surprise, Fred was not shaken at all.The snake was about to lose his temper.“Dirty snake, haven't I made myself clear enough? I think you are probably sleep-talking if you want me to hand over my people to you..." Fred said impatiently.At this moment…Feeling that it was being ridiculed, the snake said suddenly, "You punk, this is the first time anyone spoke to me this way. What is your name?"“Me?"Fred was stunned subconsciously, not knowing what the snake wanted. Suddenly, he understood.“Did you want to know my name so you can remember me, bow down before me, and become my follower? Sure, I’ll give you that chance!"He was adding fuel to the fire. The giant snake almost spat out blood in anger!"What? You want me to follow an immature bei
Huh!?Putting aside Marciella, even Fred could not hide his shock as a giant snake appeared from under the water!A giant snake!How could it be!?Fred's eyes widened at the sheer size of the snake. "A Giant Snake… Is this the so-called River God?"Moreover, the size was humongous. The snake must be at least ten stories high!What a huge snake!Fred finally understood why he felt a powerful force under the water!There was a sharp glint in the giant snake’s eyes! That was the blinking light from time to time!"Who comes here? Are you from the village? Who do you plan to sacrifice to me this time?" As soon as the giant snake spoke, Fred realized that this was not the first time it had done this.The snake seemed familiar with the ritual process. Obviously, the villagers had witnessed this giant snake before. This was the meeting between the two sides! Fred felt uncomfortable at this. As for the giant snake, it felt bemused when it saw Fred. The snake had never seen Fred befo
Fred was going to risk it all to open this girl's eyes!The force from the punch was extraordinary! As soon as the tree was hit by the seismic fist, it fell immediately and the whole tree split neatly in two!Marciella was dumbfounded!Although she knew how powerful Fred was, to witness his power was a different thing entirely!"Master Fred, your power is insane!"Marciella could not help but applaud.Fred seemed indifferent, as though he had no feeling at all about this."Is it? Why do you think so?"He looked so indifferent.For Ancient Martial Arts, things did not get any simpler than this!"You’re so strong. Anyway, I don’t doubt you anymore..." Marciella sighed, suddenly feeling very sad. "This is the reward of being educated. If we were more knowledgeable, we wouldn’t be so clueless.”"Haha, if you can't solve your issues, your descendants can work harder," Fred said with a wink.Marciella said, "Mr. Fred, I needed to ask you something! What if our luck was changed ju
What Fred said aroused her curiosity."What does it look like when you offer a sacrifice?"Fred knew he could not speak of this matter. Sure enough, Marciella felt a little downcast after Fred said the words. She did not know why Fred would say such a thing. Suddenly, Fred felt bad about it.He coughed and said, "Don't think too much about it... I just want to find a clue. Maybe we could find a solution. Why does it never rain in your village?""Huh?"Marciella's eyes, which were still a little dejected, suddenly realized what was important and asked hurriedly, "Mr. Fred, are you saying that the reason why it never rains in our village is because someone is behind it?"Although Fred was unwilling to admit it, he could not help but nod. "Yes, this is exactly what you thought!""For real?!"Marciella felt hopeful again when she heard this. She said hastily, "The thing you asked about is pretty simple. You can just check out that place!""That place?"Fred turned around to see w
Marciella found herself nodding in agreement with Fred's harsh assessment. "You're spot on," she said. "That woman is nothing but vile!"Seeing Marciella's reaction, a rare smile crossed Fred's face as he nodded back. "Glad you see it my way," he said.What caught Fred off guard was the villagers' reaction. One by one, their faces turned ashen with despair.It seemed to them that nothing could be worse than the predicament they were facing. The absence of the witch spelled doom for the village—it was like their last shred of hope had vanished. They had all put their faith in her to charm the River God into blessing them with rain, which would have brought some peace to their troubled lives. However, now their chances seemed to have dried up just like their fields. Fred stood there, his face a mask of serenity amidst the chaos.In the moments that followed, the village chief was a picture of despair, his only option was to send everyone home while he racked his brain for a backup pl
"What?"Fred did not even have time to blink before the witch suddenly made a move.It was like a bomb went off.Kaboom!Then, she was dead!Fred dusted off his hands, even surprising himself with his lack of tolerance for the witch.Now, though, he had a real headache. He had planned to clear the air with the witch and lay out the past so everyone would know the full picture.He thought that might just turn things around.The situation changed when she vanished, and Fred's plans were completely derailed. Then again, changing the villagers' minds was not going to be a walk in the park anyway. They were pretty set in their ways, thanks to all the stuff they had been fed.As such, just talking it out might not cut it. Heck, it could even mess with history!With the witch out of the equation, Fred figured he might as well try a different tactic. Maybe if he took out the guy in the cloak and worked his own magic to bring some rain, it could save a lot of hassle. The more he thoug
"No way!"The witch bristled with defiance. She could not accept that she was no match for Fred.As she noticed Fred's focus was locked on her, a sly idea popped up in her mind.Before she could act on it, though, she found herself pinned against the wall by Fred in a flash...Her face contorted in disbelief. She was pinned so tightly that she could not even move!The witch was completely overpowered, her heart racing with panic.How could he be so much stronger than her?Fred, on the other hand, seemed unfazed."What's going through your head? You don't seriously think you can take me on, do you?" Fred asked, his voice laced with skepticism.The witch felt utterly trapped, as if at any second, Fred might just finish her off."Look, I messed up, okay? Can we not do this? I'm old, just a pile of brittle bones—I can't take this kind of rough treatment!" the witch pleaded with Fred, trying a new tactic to get through to him.Fred was not falling for it. He looked at her with a
"Heh, I caught on to you a while back, you know. You've been tailing me, and I'm pretty sure you're here for me. Plus, you don't have the look of someone from our village. That means you are an outsider, and I'm your target, right? Listen, man, we don't have any beef with each other, so why are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?"The witch had sensed the raw power rolling off Fred, and it was enough to send shivers down her spine!At that moment, she knew that challenging Fred was not going to be a walk in the park! If she had spotted him earlier in the forest, it would not have been good news for her. For starters, she had no clue how many tricks Fred had up his sleeve, and if he took her down, she and her buddy would be toast.However, the witch was not about to let Fred take her out without a fight! She racked her brain and finally settled on one strategy!She would try to sweet-talk him, hoping Fred would fall for her words just like everyone else, and fall into he