WebNovels

Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: A Warrior's Pride

Thunder God, the world's second strongest warrior.

It sounded glorious, prestigious even. Yet for someone who stood at the pinnacle of human achievement, that title carried an unspoken burden.

The Extreme Martial Arts School had a philosophy, a creed that every warrior learned, "Pursue the limit. Surpass it!"

The meaning was clear, if you didn't aspire to become the world's greatest warrior, you had no business calling yourself one at all.

Thunder God and Hong were sworn brothers, practically inseparable in their bond. Of course he'd heard that saying countless times. Hell, he'd probably repeated it himself on occasion.

But the question remained: Didn't Thunder God want to be the best?

He was envious. Deeply, painfully envious.

The Nine-Layer Thunder Blade he'd created was the fastest blade technique in the world. Even Hong's legendary World Destruction technique couldn't match its sheer speed and devastating efficiency.

He possessed the world's fastest movement speed and the strongest physique among all planetary-level warriors. His comprehension of laws consistently surpassed Hong's understanding.

Yet despite all these advantages, he couldn't defeat his sworn brother. The reason was maddeningly simple: Hong had comprehended a Domain.

That Domain made Hong virtually invincible at the planetary level, allowing him to overcome opponents who should have been far beyond his capabilities. It was the one thing Thunder God lacked, the single missing piece that kept him from true supremacy.

He'd wasted decades pursuing his own Domain, chasing that elusive understanding, yet the secret remained forever beyond his grasp.

Now, a prodigious young talent had appeared before him, someone who might possess the potential to comprehend what he could not. Thunder God couldn't wait to see Hong's face when this boy surpassed them both. The satisfaction would be exquisite.

"Is this the place?"

Thunder God thought to himself as he ascended above the Han family manor, his form completely concealed from mortal perception. The advanced stealth techniques of a planetary-level powerhouse ensured no one below could detect his presence.

"Oh?"

Suddenly, as if sensing something unusual, Thunder God's gaze shifted toward the Thunder Dojo's main building in Jiangnan Base City.

The Thunder Dojo headquarters wasn't far from the Han family manor. With his planetary-level strength and perception, Thunder God could easily detect what was transpiring there even from this distance.

In an instant, he transformed into a flash of lightning and descended upon the Thunder Dojo training grounds.

"Good boy," Thunder God muttered, his eyes widening with genuine surprise as he observed the arena below while maintaining his concealment. "A high-level warrior is suppressing a high-level War God!"

With his exceptional eyesight, he could see that Wang Heng was deliberately holding back, displaying only the physical prowess of a junior War God. Yet even with this self-imposed limitation, he was still being outmatched by Han Jue in terms of pure skill and technique!

Wang Heng was a renowned high-level War God with the potential to reach the invincible War God level someday. He'd even mastered the third stage of the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade, multiplying his power by a factor of 2.8 with three bursts of hidden force.

Yet he was still being outmatched by Han Jue. The gap in both physique and swordsmanship was enormous, a full realm's worth of difference!

"Clang!"

The third stage of the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade unleashed three additional bursts of hidden energy in rapid succession.

Han Jue, wielding the Everlasting Sword, engaged Wang Heng head-on. Despite his skill, he ultimately couldn't withstand the onslaught and was defeated, his sword flying from his grip.

"I lost," Han Jue said, shaking his head slightly as he acknowledged his defeat.

Returning his sword to its rack, Wang Heng approached the young warrior with genuine surprise written across his features.

"I already elevated my physique to that of a mid-level War God and relied on the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade's power amplification to barely defeat you," Wang Heng admitted, his tone respectful. "It's fortunate your Everlasting Sword Technique hasn't broken through to the second stage yet. If it had, I wouldn't have been able to defeat you even with my full effort as a high-level War God."

"Brother Wang, I noticed your swordsmanship has improved considerably," Han Jue said with a warm smile. "Are you close to breaking through to the fourth stage?"

"Not even close," Wang Heng replied, shaking his head ruefully. "If I could break through to the fourth stage, I wouldn't be stuck at the War God level forever."

"Don't worry, Brother Wang. I believe you can do it," Han Jue offered encouragingly.

"Alright then. I'm heading home now." Han Jue was drenched in sweat after the intense battle and wanted nothing more than a hot shower and fresh clothes.

However, when he turned to leave, he found a large bald man in white robes standing not far away, watching him with obvious delight.

His Six Eyes hadn't detected the man's presence at all!

Han Jue felt a jolt of alarm course through him before realization struck.

"Founder?" Han Jue asked tentatively.

"What? Founder?" Wang Heng, who'd been cleaning up the training area, heard the address and looked over. His eyes went wide with shock as he recognized the figure.

"Hey, don't make a sound," Thunder God said quickly, making a shushing gesture toward Wang Heng before turning his attention back to Han Jue with an approving smile.

"Han family boy, I've been observing you for quite some time now." Thunder God touched his bald head with an almost paternal gesture. "Are you willing to become my disciple? Within two years, I guarantee I'll train you to become a powerhouse among the War Gods!"

He paused, his smile growing wider. "With your talent, it's not even impossible for you to surpass the War God level entirely!"

Thunder God looked at Han Jue expectantly, confidence radiating from every pore.

Wang Heng stood frozen to the side, looking even more nervous than Han Jue himself. His expression was eager, excited, as if he wanted to accept the offer on the young warrior's behalf right then and there.

This was Thunder God, the second strongest person in the world, offering to take a personal disciple!

"Founder," Han Jue said, meeting Thunder God's gaze steadily. "Although I admire you greatly, I must respectfully decline."

"Why?" Thunder God's expression shifted to stunned disbelief.

"Because..." Han Jue paused, considering his words carefully. He'd been about to say something far more arrogant but managed to suppress the impulse just in time.

Although he was confident in his abilities, he also knew it wasn't wise to offend a planetary-level powerhouse when he was still relatively weak. Discretion had its place, even for someone as talented as himself.

"What I lack right now is resources, not guidance," Han Jue said seriously, choosing his words with deliberate care. "Founder, you use a blade and I use a sword, our weapon paths are fundamentally different, so there's naturally no way for us to effectively communicate about technique. My uncle can guide me in swordsmanship far better than anyone else."

He took a breath before continuing. "As for other aspects of cultivation, I don't believe anyone on Earth can truly guide me in what I need most." He paused, then added with absolute conviction, "Not even Founder Hong."

"You brat..." Thunder God felt a flash of anger at Han Jue's words, though he managed to keep it from showing on his face.

Aren't you clearly saying I'm inferior to Hong? Thunder God thought irritably.

"Very well," Thunder God said, his voice taking on a deeper, more serious tone.

"I want to see exactly how far you can go with just resources and no proper guidance!"

His expression shifted slightly as he shook his head. "That overwhelming confidence that runs through your Han family bloodline truly is remarkable..."

"Tomorrow, your father and I will meet with your uncle. You'll come with us to the global headquarters for specialized training!" Thunder God declared. "I'll provide you with the best resources available and see precisely how far your talent can take you."

"Thank you in advance, Founder!" Han Jue said with a grateful smile.

"Hmph." Thunder God rolled his eyes at the young warrior.

He was the second-best fighter in the entire world, and yet he'd just been rejected when offering to take on a personal disciple. If word of this got out, he'd be laughed at!

But then again, the boy had said even Hong wasn't qualified to teach him. That admission made Thunder God feel somewhat better about the situation.

"Huh?" Thunder God's attention suddenly shifted to Wang Heng, who stood frozen nearby like a statue. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"If you dare tell anyone what happened here today..."

"Don't worry, Founder! If I speak a word of what transpired here, may I be struck down on the spot!" Wang Heng declared, patting his chest emphatically. Despite the threat, his voice was filled with admiration for Han Jue's courage.

How many people in the entire world could refuse Thunder God's offer to become his disciple?

Wang Heng certainly didn't think he could have done it.

"Wang Heng, you've discovered an exceptional genius, which is a great achievement for the Thunder Dojo," Thunder God said after a cold snort. "I'll reward you with the complete set of Nine-Layer Thunder Blade instruction manuals, plus my personal guidance. What questions or doubts have you been struggling with?"

"Thank you, Founder!" Wang Heng exclaimed, barely able to contain his surprise and joy.

"Good. Your proficiency in the Nine-Layer Thunder Blade is already sufficient, but there are some problems with your force-generating movements. This is actually the main reason why you've never been able to step into the fourth stage..." Thunder God proceeded to give Wang Heng detailed pointers, hoping the demonstration might indirectly attract Han Jue to reconsider his decision.

Unfortunately, Han Jue turned a blind eye to the entire display and simply walked away.

This only made Thunder God even more irritated. He made a mental note to pull Han Hesheng out for some "practice" tomorrow to see exactly how the man had raised such an arrogant son!

Han Hesheng was affiliated with the Thunder Dojo, after all. Thunder God felt no burden about teaching him a thorough lesson.

In truth, Thunder God and the two Han family brothers, Han Hesheng and Han Hechang, were all from the same era. They'd all emerged as warriors during and after the Great Nirvana, knew each other well, and had maintained good relationships over the decades.

In the distance, Han Hesheng suddenly sneezed.

Who's thinking about me? he wondered idly.

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