Li Hanshan's spear techniques had completely fallen apart.
Against Zhao Mu's relentless assault, he couldn't find even a moment to regain his footing. His spear was a weapon that excelled at maintaining distance and controlling the battlefield, but Zhao Mu's halberd never gave him room to maneuver.
Every attack came faster than the last.
Every strike carried terrifying force.
Most importantly, Zhao Mu's physical strength was overwhelming.
Li Hanshan had originally hoped to rely on his superior martial techniques to compensate for the difference in raw power. Unfortunately, after dozens of exchanges, reality proved otherwise.
His arms had become red and swollen from repeatedly blocking Zhao Mu's attacks.
The muscles in his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
His palms had already been torn open.
Blood seeped between his fingers and stained the shaft of his spear.
Even so, Zhao Mu showed no signs of slowing down.
His breathing remained steady.
His movements remained sharp.
It was as if he possessed endless stamina.
Li Hanshan's heart gradually sank.
The gap between them was far greater than he had imagined.
Before he could think of a solution, Zhao Mu attacked again.
The massive halberd descended like a falling mountain.
Li Hanshan gritted his teeth and raised his spear with both hands.
"Clang!"
The collision echoed throughout the training ground.
The force behind the strike was horrifying.
Already exhausted, Li Hanshan could no longer withstand the impact.
The spear slammed backward against his own body.
The force traveled directly into his shoulder.
Crack!
A painful sound echoed from within his body.
Li Hanshan's face turned pale.
He coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
His vision blurred.
The world spun around him.
His legs gave way.
Like a dead dog, he collapsed onto the ground.
The spear slipped from his grasp.
At that moment, all pride disappeared.
"Stop!"
"I surrender!"
His voice was hoarse.
His qi and blood were in complete disorder.
Every breath felt like knives stabbing into his chest.
His internal organs felt as if they had been torn apart.
Li Hanshan knew very well that if the fight continued, he would end up in an even worse condition than Tang Ziyi.
Zhao Mu looked down at him calmly.
Although he disliked arrogant people, he had no intention of killing Li Hanshan.
This wasn't a life-and-death duel.
The Xuanfeng Empire maintained strict military laws.
Unless both parties agreed to fight to the death beforehand, intentionally killing an opponent would result in severe punishment.
Furthermore, this was the Meng Family's territory.
No matter what, he needed to leave them some face.
Without another word, Zhao Mu kicked the spear away.
The weapon spun through the air before landing several meters away.
Then he lowered his great halberd.
The blade rested on Li Hanshan's shoulder.
With only a slight increase in pressure, Li Hanshan's body immediately bent forward.
His face slammed into the ground.
He couldn't move at all.
"You couldn't even defeat someone with an E-rank talent."
Zhao Mu shook his head.
"How can you be this weak?"
The words struck harder than any weapon.
Li Hanshan's face turned crimson with humiliation.
But he dared not respond.
At this moment, his life was literally in Zhao Mu's hands.
Any resistance would only bring further suffering.
Seeing that his opponent had completely lost the will to fight, Zhao Mu withdrew the halberd.
The battle was over.
He casually stored away Ember's End and walked off the arena.
His expression remained calm.
His breathing remained steady.
There wasn't even a trace of exhaustion on his face.
No one would have guessed he had just fought a fierce battle.
Meanwhile, Meng Kuohai's expression had become darker than storm clouds.
His face looked as though water could drip from it.
The humiliation today was beyond anything he had ever experienced.
Not only had Tang Ziyi been defeated.
Even Li Hanshan, his greatest hope, had been crushed.
Without saying a word, he ordered his attendants to carry both injured men away.
"Grandfather."
"I'll take them to the hospital first."
"I'll return later."
He bowed stiffly.
In truth, he wanted nothing more than to leave immediately.
Every second spent here felt like torture.
Meng Qiuqiu naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity pass.
He stepped forward with a grin.
"Third Brother, I really shouldn't criticize you..."
"But next time you're making friends, try to choose more carefully."
His smile widened.
"Don't bring home just any trash."
Meng Kuohai's body trembled.
His fists clenched tightly.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
Yet he couldn't refute a single word.
Anything he said now would only make him look even more pathetic.
In the end, he lowered his head and remained silent.
Seeing his younger brother's unwilling yet helpless expression, Meng Qiuqiu felt incredibly satisfied.
Old Master Meng, however, remained composed.
Years of experience had taught him the importance of maintaining appearances.
He nodded kindly.
"Make sure your friends receive proper treatment."
"Use whatever doctors or medicines are necessary."
Meng Kuohai forced himself to nod.
Then he turned and left.
Before disappearing through the doorway, he cast Zhao Mu a final glance.
A cold glance.
A poisonous glance.
Like a snake hiding in the darkness.
Meng Qiuqiu immediately stepped forward and blocked Zhao Mu from view.
Only then did Meng Kuohai finally leave.
Once he was gone, Meng Qiuqiu laughed.
"Don't mind him."
"My third brother has always loved competing against me."
"He's extremely narrow-minded."
Zhao Mu simply smiled.
He wasn't particularly concerned.
A defeated opponent wasn't worth worrying about.
Meng Qiuqiu then turned toward Old Master Meng.
His face was filled with pride.
"Grandfather."
"Isn't my friend amazing?"
Old Master Meng didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he carefully observed Zhao Mu.
The more he looked, the more astonished he became.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Amazing."
"Truly amazing."
"To think there exists such a talent in this world."
"You've broadened my horizons today."
Then he asked a question.
"Tell me honestly."
"How strong are you exactly?"
Zhao Mu thought for a moment.
He didn't want to reveal everything.
After all, exposing too much strength wasn't always wise.
Therefore, he gave a conservative answer.
"I can lift around four hundred catties."
The statement sounded ordinary.
In reality, it was anything but.
The lifting Zhao Mu referred to wasn't simply picking something up.
He meant carrying that weight while moving freely.
Running.
Fighting.
Maintaining combat effectiveness.
Thanks to his Innate Divine Strength mastery reaching 232 proficiency points, his true carrying capacity had already reached five hundred catties.
He intentionally reduced the number.
Even so, everyone present was stunned.
Old Master Meng's eyes widened.
"Innate Divine Strength!"
"It really is Innate Divine Strength!"
His voice rose slightly.
"At your age, possessing strength comparable to a juvenile exotic beast..."
"Incredible!"
The old man became increasingly pleased.
Naturally, his generosity grew as well.
Soon, a servant arrived carrying a beautifully carved wooden box.
Inside rested a glowing spirit source crystal.
"This is your reward."
Old Master Meng handed it over personally.
Zhao Mu examined it carefully.
The moment he sensed the spiritual energy contained within, his heart skipped a beat.
The concentration was astonishing.
This wasn't an ordinary spirit source.
Judging from the energy fluctuations, it had likely originated from the heart of an exotic beast above Combat Level 50.
The amount of energy contained within was more than three times greater than the spirit sources distributed at Qingfeng Camp.
For Zhao Mu, it was the perfect treasure.
Anything stronger would exceed what his body could currently absorb.
Anything weaker would provide limited benefits.
This reward was exactly what he needed.
Zhao Mu immediately bowed.
"Thank you, Old Master Meng."
The old man laughed.
"In the future, while Qiuqiu remains at Qingfeng Camp, I'd appreciate it if you looked after him."
"If you ever need assistance, don't hesitate to ask."
He spread his hands confidently.
"For the Meng Family..."
"Any problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem at all."
Hearing that statement, Zhao Mu couldn't help sighing inwardly.
Being rich really was wonderful.
Afterward, Old Master Meng dismissed everyone.
He clearly wished to speak privately with Meng Qiuqiu.
Understanding the situation, Zhao Mu and his companions excused themselves.
A servant led them toward a nearby courtyard.
Only after they had departed did Old Master Meng turn toward his grandson.
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"This is the 'rare commodity' you traveled all the way to Lujiang City to find?"
The phrase sounded strange.
But within the Meng Family, it carried tremendous significance.
Because of their ancestor Meng Buwei's history, being called a "rare commodity worth investing in" was considered the highest possible praise.
Meng Qiuqiu laughed.
"Actually, I initially went there because of Lu Yan."
"But Zhao Mu..."
His gaze drifted toward the courtyard.
"He gave me an even bigger surprise."
A confident smile appeared on his face.
"I can feel it."
"He won't remain ordinary forever."
Old Master Meng nodded slowly.
Then he asked the most important question.
"So."
"Do you intend to make him a retainer?"
"Or a friend?"
The Meng Family possessed unimaginable wealth.
They supported countless experts.
Some served as retainers.
Some served as guards.
Some even became death warriors willing to sacrifice everything for the family.
Such arrangements were common among great aristocratic clans.
In a world constantly threatened by war and the Dark Races, private military forces were a necessity.
Meng Qiuqiu fell silent for several moments.
Then he answered seriously.
"In my eyes..."
"Zhao Mu isn't a retainer."
"He's family."
"A trusted brother."
"A friend worth keeping for life."
The sincerity in his voice surprised even Old Master Meng.
After all, Meng Qiuqiu wasn't someone who easily trusted others.
Yet today, his conviction was absolute.
A strange light flashed through the old man's eyes.
Perhaps his grandson's greatest talent wasn't business.
Perhaps it was judging people.
Finally, Old Master Meng smiled.
"Good."
"Very good."
"Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes."
"If this is your decision..."
"Then follow your heart."
Meanwhile, in the elegant courtyard next door, Zhao Mu sat beneath a pavilion while servants delivered refreshments and tea.
The atmosphere was peaceful.
Yet none of them realized that today's meeting would become the beginning of a friendship destined to influence the future.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)