Chapter 419: Luo Hao Acknowledges Defeat in Martial Arts!
Luo Hao, whose surname was Luo, given name Cuilian, and courtesy name Hao.
Outwardly, she appeared to be a peerlessly beautiful girl of about sixteen or seventeen, but in reality, she was a overlord who had ruled over this world for about two hundred years.
She was a master of Martial Arts who had reached the pinnacle, a ruler standing at the zenith of martial prowess, the leader of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, and the Martial King of Jiangnan.
It can be said that thirty percent of martial artists and mystics who have studied the ancient arts of the Eastern nations have submitted to this place, swearing absolute obedience to the sect leader.
Such a ruler who has dominated the world for over two hundred years is, of course, no ordinary human—she is also one of the Campiones.
For many years, she has primarily lived in seclusion in the mountains, rarely venturing out.
However, upon receiving a certain piece of information, she came to this island nation in the Far East.
Here, there was a Heretic God that needed to be eradicated by her, for its very existence was an insult to the mythology of her nation.
Additionally, it was necessary to make those scheming behind the scenes fully experience the cruelty of a Campione like her.
While wandering aimlessly, she unexpectedly caught sight of a figure.
To all appearances, it was an ordinary human, and her senses confirmed it was just an ordinary human.
But she was astonished to discover that the figure's seemingly natural movements—perfectly ordinary human strides—were, in the eyes of the Martial Arts King, riddled with fatal openings, yet they also gave her a sense of flawless, impeccable perfection.
It was too abnormal, too bizarre.
Though it looked like the casual, defenseless walk of an ordinary person full of weaknesses, it gave her the exact opposite impression—as if they were perfectly integrated with the world.
It was like a sought-after state, the unity of heaven and humanity.
Unable to resist testing it, Luo Hao casually plucked a small piece from the nearby wall and flicked it toward the figure, only for it to be dodged with natural ease.
At that moment, she was certain: this was someone whose Martial Arts had also reached the pinnacle.
A smile curled at Luo Hao's lips—a joyful smile she hadn't shown in who knows how long, one that could topple cities and captivate nations.
As a martial artist, her greatest desire was to find an opponent whose Martial Arts had also reached the peak!
And now, she had found one, right before her eyes!
Her body began to heat up, her blood boiling with excitement.
In the next instant, she left behind several afterimages, arranged in a straight line, as she closed in on the opponent with astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of them, her slender, seemingly fragile hand gently patting toward the opponent.
It appeared light and easy to dodge, but that was merely a visual delay.
By the time the thought of evasion crossed one's mind, the chest would already feel a forceful impact—enough to shatter the ribs of an ordinary person.
So—
"Oh?"
Luo Hao was slightly surprised to find her wrist caught, and she felt a twisting force surge toward her—a strength that could twist steel of the same thickness as her arm into a spiral.
As this force seeped in, she gave a slight tremble with her hand, slipping free from the opponent's grip.
A closer look would reveal several red marks on her hand from the fierce grip, but this was already a favorable outcome.
An ordinary person would have had their skin torn open, flesh ripped away, exposing bone.
Immediately after, palm strikes, elbow strikes, hand chops, punches, and leg sweeps—both sides attacked relentlessly, without any defensive moves.
They met each other's attacks with their own, using offense as defense!
Thud—!
When her palm struck the nearby wall, it left a handprint imprinted directly on the surface.
Bang—!
When her foot slammed into the ground, radial cracks immediately spread outward, as if an iron ball had been dropped from a great height.
Every strike was lethal enough to kill an ordinary person!
No, even a first-class martial artist might die instantly if struck carelessly.
Bang—!
This time, the impact was louder, and Luo Hao was forced backward several meters as if flung away.
She seemed to be breathing slightly heavily, her chest rising and falling noticeably.
Did this happen because the opponent's strike had landed near her chest, close to her heart?
Not at all—she was a Campione.
Unless her opponent was also a Campione, no matter how extraordinary their Martial Arts, they could never truly harm her.
Luo Hao's labored reaction was due to her forcibly suppressing her Curse Power and restraining her enhanced Campione physique, bringing herself infinitely close to a human state.
She was weakening herself.
Otherwise, this duel would not be fair, and she would be unable to enjoy a pure contest of Martial Arts.
"How fascinating. I never imagined there was someone like you in this world."
The opponent's martial arts, which had reached the pinnacle of perfection, were not something that could be achieved through mere practice.
Through their exchange of blows, Luo Hao could confirm that the other party had attained this level through countless life-and-death battles.
Not just dozens or hundreds, but thousands upon thousands of such struggles.
Thus, she was also quite astonished by such an existence.
Someone capable of reaching such heights should not be unknown; they ought to have left behind some notable deeds.
"I had thought my martial arts were the peak of the world, never expecting to be defeated by you here," she admitted frankly.
Although their contest seemed not yet truly decided, Luo Hao knew she had already lost to her opponent.
In terms of pure martial skill, she had been bested.
And it wasn't by a narrow margin—the difference was somewhat noticeable.
The person before her was the true embodiment of martial arts' ultimate summit.
"So, having defeated Luo Hao, you may take pride in this. You may make one request of me. As long as it is not too excessive, I shall grant it!" she declared, like a monarch rewarding a subject for their merits.
Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, Luo Hao curved her alluring lips slightly—she had thought of a better reward.
"Come to the Western Heavenly Palace tomorrow at high noon. I shall give you the finest reward," she said.
She wanted to engage in an even more unrestrained duel with this opponent, to further elevate her own martial arts.
Therefore, she intended to make this person her kind as well.
With these words left behind, her figure vanished without warning.
"Hah~"
Renji, who witnessed the disappearance, let out a soft sigh.
Had the fight continued, or had the other party used magical power, he feared he wouldn't have been able to conceal the truth any longer.
To think he had coincidentally encountered such a Campione...
He had almost thought he'd been seen through again...