45: Zhao Huai knelt down?

Yue Tiankuo's voice trailed off.

The entire venue fell silent!

Even ordinary people like Shi Momo and Brother Song could see that this old man was extraordinary.

Although he was hunched over, his steps vaguely revealed the bearing of a trained martial artist.

His mental state even surpassed that of most young people.

This was the Half-step Grandmaster, Yue Tiankuo.

As long as he stood there, no one in all of Donghai dared to speak up, except for the Ling Corporation.

One man supporting an entire family.

"Elder Yue is right!" As soon as someone in the crowd spoke, others followed suit.

Next, the First-rate Families one by one sent out the Third-Rank Martial Artist they had hired to jump onto the arena stage.

In a flurry of flashy combat, as soon as a winner emerged, a stronger challenger would appear to defeat them.

At the Third-Rank, one could already make their faint internal energy manifest with a blurred quality.

Shi Momo and Brother Song were already stunned by what they saw.

The fights in the morning were impressive, but they still fell within the realm of normal humans.

But... this already looked like it had special effects.

"Is this... special effects?" Brother Song was shocked and looked around, hoping to see a projector or something similar.

But unfortunately... there was none.

Watching this competition had made him completely question his life.

Zhao Huai of the Zhao Family felt groggy; watching the Third-Rank fights above only brought him endless boredom.

"Steward Ding, I'm counting on you again this year."

Steward Ding was the Zhao Family's steward, with late-stage Fourth-Rank strength; he had been by the Zhao Family head's side for decades, and his loyalty was beyond doubt.

Every year during the Donghai Grand Competition, the Zhao Family would send Steward Ding onto the stage.

Steward Ding leaped onto the arena stage. His internal energy was incredibly vast; with a light tremor, all the Third-Rank foreign aids hired by the First-rate Families were shaken right off the stage.

Terrifying!

Shocking!

Petrifying!

This was a Fourth-Rank Martial Artist. Even though it was only one rank higher than a Third-Rank Martial Artist, the gap in strength was incomparable.

Those Third-Rank Martial Artist knew they couldn't compete and chose to give up immediately.

The interests of these families had already been mostly divided; there was no need to offend the Three Great Families.

"Hahaha, it's Old Man Ding again. Then I'll have to trouble the Divine Master to take action!"

Cui He of the Black Tiger Gang spoke respectfully to an old man in black robes behind him.

The old man's face couldn't be seen clearly, but one could roughly sense that he was in his fifties or sixties.

"This Divine Master will be back shortly. I hope the Gang Leader doesn't forget what should be given." The Divine Master's voice was hoarse as he gently set down the staff in his hand.

"Clang!"

Dust billowed up, and everyone felt the entire area shudder.

No one dared to look down on the old man before them anymore.

This staff must weigh at least a thousand catties!

Steward Ding held his breath and focused, his expression solemn.

In previous years, he would stop once a point was made, and the experts hired by the various families and gangs would also stop.

But the pressure from the one before him far exceeded previous years... and the murderous aura was unlike anything he had ever seen.

"For the Zhao Family, what does it matter if this old man sacrifices his life?"

Steward Ding's clothes burst apart, revealing a powerful physique.

The Divine Master leaped onto the stage and stood still, seemingly not caring about Steward Ding's strength at all.

Steward Ding threw a punch, and an afterimage appeared.

"Eight Arhat Punches!"

The appearance of eight fist shadows shocked everyone present.

Seeing this, Zhao Huai smiled. "Grandpa Ding's Eight Arhat Punches was a martial technique he created himself after gaining insight from a battle between a group of Grandmaster monks!"

"Don't look down on it just because it's self-created; Grandpa Ding spent over ten years on it. Once unleashed, even a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist would tremble."

Hearing this, Uncle Su's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected the Zhao Family's Steward Ding to have such a trick up his sleeve.

Lin Feng saw this and smiled disdainfully. "I think it's just so-so. Although this Steward Ding has decent talent, he wasted his time on this self-created martial technique."

"There's still a significant gap compared to a true Fifth-Rank Martial Artist."

"After this punch, Steward Ding will undoubtedly be defeated."

Hearing this, Cui He of the Black Tiger Gang laughed loudly, his favorable impression of Lin Feng increasing a bit.

"Hahaha, young brother, you have a good eye."

"The Divine Master was hired by me at a great cost. This year, don't even think about getting a share of the profits from that piece of land to the east, you Zhao, Yue, and Su families."

Uncle Su exclaimed in surprise, "You want to monopolize that land?"

"Can you even swallow it?"

"Just be content with taking a few KTVs and bars."

Listening to Cui He's introduction, Uncle Su was genuinely worried about whether Lin Feng could win.

The Su Family had looked fine these past few years, but in reality, it was mostly a hollow shell.

They really needed the profits from that land to the east.

"I'm not stupid. I'm on the streets every day, living a life on the edge, yet I end up with less than you Three Great Families."

"Once I take this land, there might just be Four Great Families in Donghai."

Cui He's words were already quite bold.

He was going straight!

Uncle Su felt stifled but said nothing; Yue Tiankuo was old and didn't want to get involved.

The Zhao Family actually had some history with the Black Tiger Gang; they wanted to intervene but couldn't.

The Black Tiger Gang had long since escaped the Zhao Family's control.

And this time, Cui He had already made thorough preparations and was full of confidence.

Sure enough, on the arena stage, Steward Ding unleashed the Eight Arhat Punches at the Divine Master.

The black-robed Divine Master didn't retreat at all. Just as the fist shadows were an inch from his face, he waved his hand, and a black circle appeared before him.

The black circle swallowed the eight fist shadows, and they vanished on the spot.

"A Fifth-Rank Shadow-type Awakened?" Steward Ding spoke after a moment of shock.

The Shadow-type was considered rare and powerful even among all Awakened.

In all his years, he had only heard of it; this was the first time he had seen it.

Besides his amazement, what he knew more was that it would be very difficult for him to win this fight.

"Burn! My essence blood!" Steward Ding's eyes turned blood-red, and blood seeped from his nose, but he erupted with powerful strength.

Punch after punch smashed toward the black-robed Divine Master.

The black-robed Divine Master dodged continuously, but soon, Steward Ding hit a mass of black shadow, and his fist could not be pulled out.

The Divine Master came up behind him and swung the heavy staff at Steward Ding.

Boom!

Steward Ding lay on the ground, unconscious.

"Grandpa Ding!" Tears welled up in Zhao Huai's eyes.

If it weren't for his bodyguards holding him back, he would have rushed onto the stage.

"We concede! We concede!" Seeing Steward Ding, who had cared for him since childhood, injured and unconscious, Zhao Huai shouted hurriedly.

"Young Master Zhao... the participant hasn't spoken yet. What do you mean by speaking for him?"

"Of course... if you kneel down, I can have the Divine Master blast Old Man Ding off the stage!"

"Otherwise..." Cui He's voice trailed off, but the Divine Master's staff was already pointed at Steward Ding's temple.

Once on the stage and having signed the life-and-death agreement, one's life was truly in the hands of fate.

But in previous years, the hired foreign aids would exercise restraint, merely deciding the winner and loser.

"You... Cui... He..."

Zhao Huai was a profligate son, but he had always respected and cherished Steward Ding.

To be fair, Steward Ding had spent far more time by his side than his own father.

It was true that Zhao Huai was tyrannical, cruel, and profligate.

But for an old steward he had long considered a grandfather and spent so much time with...

...it was impossible for him to have no feelings.

If... losing his dignity could save Grandpa Ding's life...

...then Zhao Huai would rather cast it aside.

Under everyone's incredulous gazes, Zhao Huai slowly bent his legs, appearing to be in the midst of a grueling internal struggle.

With this one kneel, the Zhao Family's face would be completely lost.

The Zhao Family head would never let a young master who knelt to a gang leader become the heir.

By kneeling, Zhao Huai would lose almost everything, but he would gain the only real benefit... Grandpa Ding would survive.

"Cui He! You've gone too far!"