Chapter 285 - 233: Pinnacle of the Imperial Palace, Fighting the Protector Grandmaster Alone (2)

Chapter 285: Chapter 233: Pinnacle of the Imperial Palace, Fighting the Protector Grandmaster Alone (2)

This was because neither of them had ever imagined Wu Liangchen would refuse.

"What did you say?" Yan Hao asked.

Wu Liangchen said coolly, "I said there’s no need. That means no. Did you two not understand me?"

Yan Hao was completely astonished.

He truly hadn’t expected Wu Liangchen to refuse so abruptly.

’The terms I offered are something no Martial Arts Grandmaster could possibly refuse.’

’Could it be that this Wu Liangchen, banking on his youthful arrogance, thinks he can carve out a path on his own? Is that why he refused?’

Yan Hao’s mind raced. He quickly said, "Your Excellency must still have some misunderstanding about us brothers. We don’t blame you. After all, we are strangers, and it’s only natural for you to be on your guard when we discuss such matters at our first meeting."

"However, I must clarify one thing: the path ahead is far from as simple as you imagine. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have trapped Gu Yi and led to his death. You’re young, full of vigor, and have just become a Grandmaster. It’s normal to have your own ideas, but..."

Yan Hao spoke with great eloquence, but Wu Liangchen cut him off directly. "Say no more. I know the path ahead is difficult, but I still refuse."

Yan Hao’s expression turned ugly in an instant.

’He had thought this would be easy—that he just had to state his terms and Wu Liangchen would take the bait.’

’But he never, ever expected the man to be so utterly stubborn.’

This, of course, infuriated him.

Just then, Dong Zhenlei, who had been standing to the side, suddenly stepped forward and said coldly, "Let’s put all that aside for now. Since I’ve had the chance to meet a young hero like yourself today, allow me to test your mettle and see if you’re truly worthy of walking this path."

"What’s this? Negotiations fail, so you resort to violence?" Wu Liangchen retorted fearlessly, sneering from his perch on the flying eaves.

"Enough talk! Take this!"

The moment he finished speaking, Dong Zhenlei shot forward, striking out with his palm.

The strike, imbued with the force of wind and thunder, sealed off all of Wu Liangchen’s escape routes.

Thunderbolt Palm!

This was Dong Zhenlei’s signature technique. Its power was immense and its killing potential astonishing, making it one of the top techniques even within the Grandmaster Realm.

This was the source of Dong Zhenlei’s confidence, the reason he dared to strike at the slightest disagreement.

’He didn’t believe a young man who had just become a Grandmaster could possibly withstand his strike.’

’As long as he thoroughly crushed the boy’s spirit, there was no way he wouldn’t eventually submit.’

’And if that didn’t work, they could just capture him and "discipline" him back at their base.’

’In any case, with two Grandmasters on their side, they held an absolute advantage in power. The boy couldn’t possibly cause any real trouble.’

As Dong Zhenlei attacked, Yan Hao remained silent, standing back to provide cover.

Yet, even though he didn’t move, his presence was more intimidating than an actual attack.

After all, he was a Grandmaster, watching like a tiger stalking its prey.

Yet, in the face of all this, Wu Liangchen was completely unruffled. A flicker of excitement even appeared in his eyes.

’He had, after all, been itching to test himself against the top experts of the Imperial Capital.’

So, faced with a palm strike that threatened to completely overwhelm him, Wu Liangchen didn’t dodge or retreat. He even took a step forward and threw a direct punch.

It was a simple, ordinary straight punch, devoid of any grand display of power, a stark contrast to the thunderous palm strike.

Upon seeing this punch, however, the previously composed Yan Hao’s expression turned grave. He couldn’t help but shout, "Be careful!"

But it was too late.

The fist and palm connected, yet there was no great impact, not even a sound.

It was as if the two had met with no force at all, a gentle touch.

But in the next instant, an invisible ripple erupted from beneath Wu Liangchen’s feet, spreading out with incredible speed.

Immediately after, the thick layer of snow covering the entire roof was blasted into the air. It billowed like a cloud of white mist, completely enveloping Taihe Palace.

Such a massive disturbance naturally alerted everyone nearby. Inside the hall, the court ministers looked up, their faces filled with horror.

Prince Jing, Yan Jun—who had just successfully subdued the Empress Dowager and was in high spirits, about to accept his followers’ petition for his ascension to the throne—was also startled. He immediately looked up.

At that exact moment, a sharp CRACK echoed. The glazed tiles on the roof instantly disintegrated, turning into fine shards that rained down with a deafening roar.

The beams and framework of the roof shattered along with them.

In short, it was as if an invisible, giant hand had ripped the roof clean off, leaving Taihe Palace completely exposed to the open sky.

Wind and snow surged in, and the people below saw two figures flying at high speed in the air.

The figures darted left and right at extreme speeds. Their occasional collisions produced dull, thunderous booms that shook the entire palace.

"It’s a duel between Grandmasters! Quick, protect the Prince!"

Someone shouted—it was unclear who—and soldiers immediately swarmed to protect Yan Jun, forming a tight circle as they retreated.

The others in the hall snapped out of their daze as if waking from a dream and scrambled to flee outside.

It was no joke.

Those were Martial Artists of the Grandmaster Realm fighting. Only someone with a death wish would dare to spectate from the sidelines.

The court officials present all held high positions and lived comfortable lives. Naturally, none of them wanted to die, so they scrambled over one another to escape.

Fortunately, the main doors of Taihe Palace were wide, so everyone escaped quickly.

But just as they reached the open square in front of Taihe Palace, a massive RUMBLE sounded from behind them. The four walls of Taihe Palace, unable to bear the strain, collapsed with a deafening crash. The resulting plume of dust and debris shot toward the heavens like a giant pillar.

The sheer scale of the destruction was terrifying.

Even Yan Jun, fresh off the success of his coup, now wore an incredibly solemn expression.

’He was discovering that the power and wealth he prided himself on seemed utterly insignificant compared to this inhuman force.’

Just then, the two dueling figures suddenly broke apart, each landing on top of a separate building adjacent to the ruins of Taihe Palace.

White steam billowed from Dong Zhenlei’s entire body as he took deep, shuddering breaths.

It was a sign that his Qi and Blood had been brought to a complete boil.

In contrast, Wu Liangchen was much calmer. The muscles all over his body trembled slightly, but they settled in the blink of an eye.

Then he said coolly, "As expected of a Guardian Grandmaster. What fine palm techniques!"

Dong Zhenlei’s face became extremely grave.

’Because although the fight just now seemed to be a draw, he had actually come out on the losing end.’

’After all, he had Yan Hao providing backup, while Wu Liangchen was completely alone.’

’Furthermore, Wu Liangchen’s Qi and Blood hadn’t even begun to boil after their exchange, which clearly meant he hadn’t used his full strength.’

This revelation was a great blow to the once-confident Dong Zhenlei’s pride.

But just then, the sound of clapping echoed. Yan Hao sighed and said, "Impressive. Truly impressive. As expected of the young genius who could kill Gu Yi right after becoming a Grandmaster. It’s truly admirable."

"So, I repeat: we brothers bear no ill will. We simply feel you are the most suitable candidate, which is why we intend to share the fruits of our many years of painstaking research with you."

"I don’t need an answer right now. I only ask that you go back and think it over. We’re leaving!"

With that, Yan Hao and Dong Zhenlei actually turned and left.

The fight had begun under strange circumstances, and it ended just as bizarrely.

Wu Liangchen sneered inwardly.

’Their words are more pleasant than a song,’ he thought. ’"Willing to share the fruits of our research," what a load of bull.’

’They just want me to be their guinea pig, to test the path for them.’

’Any other Grandmaster, even if they knew it was a trap, would probably fall for it.’

’The offer is just too tempting, after all.’

But Wu Liangchen was the one exception. He wouldn’t be swayed.

’Because with the Ten Thousand Laws Tripod in his possession, the one thing he didn’t lack was opportunities for trial and error. He had no need for them to show him the way forward.’

’Still, this encounter wasn’t a total waste. At least now I know the true strength of these two Guardian Grandmasters.’

’Overall, they’re stronger than Gu Yi, but not by much. Just a notch above.’

’I’m confident I could defeat him.’

’But that’s assuming Yan Hao doesn’t get involved.’

’If both of them were to attack me together, I’d have to make a strategic retreat for now.’

’But if I decided to leave, the two of them could never stop me.’

With that thought, Wu Liangchen relaxed. He then turned to look at the powerful nobles of Great Yan, who were trembling on the open ground in the distance.

Yan Jun, standing at the very front, looked as if he’d been struck by lightning when his eyes met Wu Liangchen’s. He instinctively took a step back.

Wu Liangchen merely gave a slight smile in response. With a single leap, he vanished from sight.

"Your Highness!" a man suddenly called out. It was unclear where he had been hiding, but he had suddenly reappeared.

Only then did Yan Jun take a deep breath. He collected his scattered thoughts, turned to look at the ruins of Taihe Palace, and suddenly cried out in alarm.

"This is bad! The Emperor’s coffin!"