allendalepharm Chapter 257: The Bearing of a Victor
Chapter 257: The Bearing of a Victor
The Bearing of a Victor
Smith’s face turned slightly pale after being pointed at by Julian D’Aurelius.
The old man’s heart skipped a beat.
The surrounding crowd might have interpreted Julian’s gesture as confidence.
Only Smith knew the truth.
He was genuinely afraid.
The battle that had just unfolded still lingered vividly in his mind.
The shattered ground.
The relentless barrage of attacks.
Steffan, a terrifying Gold Realm expert, being beaten until blood flowed from his mouth, nose, and ears.
Every scene had deeply shaken him.
Interfere in a fight between two powerful beings?
His old bones couldn’t handle it.
Even a master like Steffan was brutally beaten by Julian.
If he went up, wouldn’t he just be giving away his life for free?
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.
His previous attitude toward Julian suddenly seemed incredibly foolish.
If this young man survived and continued growing, his future achievements would be unimaginable.
Fortunately, Smith had lived long enough to know when to swallow his pride.
A forced smile quickly appeared on his aged face.
So he awkwardly smiled and said, "This young friend is joking. A battle between men shouldn’t allow a third party to intervene. That would be disrespectful to you both."
His tone was extremely polite.
Much more polite than before.
Many people immediately noticed the change.
A moment ago, Smith had been standing firmly on Steffan’s side.
Now?
His attitude had softened completely.
No one found it strange.
Strength spoke louder than anything else.
The martial world had always been like that.
Power determined respect.
Across from him, Steffan’s expression darkened.
He had indeed considered this.
As the Martial Art King, what was most important?
Having many subordinates.
A human wave tactic was a top-notch strategy!
In countless battles, numbers had often been one of his greatest advantages.
If Smith joined him, perhaps the situation could still be salvaged.
Unfortunately.
The old fox rejected the idea immediately.
Seeing the old fellow decisively refuse, he cursed inwardly and looked at Julian.
His fists tightened.
His pride screamed at him to continue fighting.
His rationality told him otherwise.
His injuries were far more serious than they appeared.
Those strange hidden forces from Julian’s attacks were still wreaking havoc inside his body.
Continuing the battle would bring no benefit.
After a long silence, Steffan finally spoke.
"A bet is a bet. I, Steffan, keep my word. Since I didn’t defeat you in a minute, let’s call it a day. I won’t trouble the Tyson Family anymore."
His voice was low.
Heavy.
Every word felt difficult.
"Next time, we’ll decide life and death!"
Clearly unable to win, he wasn’t foolish enough to continue fighting Julian.
This guy’s strength was truly beyond his expectations.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Many members of the Tyson Family visibly relaxed.
Several Old Martial Arts experts secretly released breaths they didn’t realize they had been holding.
The crisis was finally ending.
At least, that’s what they thought.
Just then, a disciple from the Tyson Family stepped forward.
The young man looked excited beyond measure.
His face was red with excitement.
He pointed at Steffan and shouted, "What a shameless scoundrel, clearly beaten by Young Master Julian, yet you have the face to say it’s over. Have you no shame?"
The crowd froze.
Steffan’s expression instantly darkened.
Before anyone could react, another voice joined in.
"Exactly, Young Master Julian, don’t let him off. Let him know the cost of provoking you!"
"Yes, a master cannot be insulted! Young Master Julian even more so!"
"Today, either kneel and apologize or leave two arms behind!"
Others also began shouting, cheering for Julian.
The atmosphere rapidly became heated.
Many people who had previously been terrified of Steffan suddenly found their courage.
After all, the mighty Martial Art King had just lost.
What was there to fear now?
Seeing more and more people joining in, Yana Tyson’s mouth twitched slightly.
Some of these people had been trembling earlier.
Now they were acting tougher than anyone.
Wren Tyson silently rubbed his forehead.
These fools.
Did they really think Steffan was easy to provoke?
The man was still a terrifying Gold Realm expert.
Meanwhile, Julian looked at this group with a calm and benevolent smile.
His posture was relaxed.
His expression carried the dignity of a grandmaster.
The image was flawless.
Like an undefeated expert standing above the martial world.
But inside?
He was cursing them madly.
[Damn, are you guys crazy?]
[Damn it, I won, and you’re here being pretentious?]
[Let him go, okay? If we fight again, I’ll really die here.]
Cheery lowered her head slightly.
Her shoulders trembled.
She almost laughed.
The contrast was becoming harder and harder to endure.
Everyone around her was treating Julian like some invincible martial arts legend.
Meanwhile, the legendary martial arts expert was internally begging everyone to stop talking.
Julian continued screaming inwardly.
[Damn, enjoying the spectacle without caring about the consequences, huh?]
[Haven’t you heard the saying?]
[Fan the flames well, and Young Master Julian dies early?]
[I wanted you to admire and adore me, not send me off in one breath!]
Cheery bit her lip.
A faint smile appeared in her eyes.
For some reason, she found him far more interesting than the countless so-called geniuses she had met before.
Humiliated by the crowd, Steffan’s face changed repeatedly.
The muscles in his jaw tightened.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
As the Martial Art King!
He was invincible in Kimora!
He was always the one mocking others. When had he ever been humiliated like this?
His entire life had been filled with victories.
People feared him.
Respected him.
Admired him.
No one had ever pointed fingers at him like this.
No one had ever treated him as a stepping stone.
The humiliation burned.
Even if he couldn’t win, for the sake of his dignity, he couldn’t just slink away.
Otherwise, how would the people of Voidspring Mountain view him?
How would the martial world view him?
Most importantly—
His gaze unconsciously shifted.
Cheery stood quietly among the crowd.
Her silver-pink hair moved gently in the wind.
Her green eyes remained calm and beautiful.
Steffan had noticed her from the moment he arrived.
A woman of such beauty was difficult to ignore.
He was quite interested in the beautiful Cheery from Voidspring Mountain!
How could he lose his composure in front of her?
His pride wouldn’t allow it.
The surrounding atmosphere grew heavier.
The crowd sensed the change immediately.
Steffan’s aura began fluctuating again.
A dangerous pressure spread outward.
The smiles on many faces gradually disappeared.
Only now did they remember who they were provoking.
This wasn’t an ordinary martial artist.
This was a monster capable of suppressing entire regions by himself.
Several disciples subconsciously stepped backward.
Some regretted opening their mouths.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Steffan’s eyes had become frighteningly cold.
His fists clenched.
Crack.
Crack.
The sound of his knuckles echoed through the clearing.
The wind seemed to grow colder.
Dust swirled around his feet.
Even the birds in the surrounding trees had long since fled.
The silence became suffocating.
Just as his face turned livid and he was about to explode, Julian D’Aurelius spoke up to stop the crowd.
"Enough, victory and defeat are common in battle!"