Chapter 271

Chapter 271: Chapter 270: The clash between masters, a true and solid battle, is the most terrifying—as Ye Tianchen’s arm-wrestling match with Hei Mian for a decisive victory suggests. If it were just an intense fight, one could win with speed and combat experience, but with arm wrestling, there’s no trickery involved, just a collision of strength. Whoever doesn’t have enough power is the loser.

As Hei Mian drove, a confident smile played at the corners of his mouth. He hadn’t expected Ye Tianchen to choose arm wrestling as the method of combat. Although surprised, he dared not take it lightly. After all, in such a clash of absolute strength, being anything less than strong would mean a brutal defeat. However, Hei Mian’s confidence stemmed from his belief that Ye Tianchen was sure to lose. In a simple fight, there might not be absolute certainty of defeating Ye Tianchen, who had an unfathomable and unknown strength. But in a pure test of strength, Hei Mian was confident, for he held the nickname "King of Arms" among the Heavenly Gang War General troop.

This moniker, "King of Arms," was an honorary title that Hei Mian had earned through arm-to-arm contests with other Heavenly Gang War Generals. Throughout the years, few had managed to defeat him, the most anyone had achieved being a draw with one or two particularly strong generals within the Heavenly Gang.

"Looking at you chuckle so slyly, you seem quite confident!" Ye Tianchen, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at Hei Mian and couldn’t help but make a comment with a cold laugh.

"Hmph, just behave yourself and stay in the Capital City until you have completed the task of protecting Dongfang Meng," Hei Mian retorted with a snort and a laughing tone.

"Wow, so confident. Are you on an aphrodisiac or something?" Ye Tianchen asked with a snide smile.

"You... Can you ever be serious? I’m truly amazed how someone with your flippant attitude can be so skilled. It’s as if heaven is blind!" Hei Mian said, somewhat speechless.

"Seems like you’ve had more than enough aphrodisiac. I’d better be careful!" Ye Tianchen said, pretending to take it very seriously.

"Anyway, if you lose, you’d better stay put in the Capital City!" Without another word, Hei Mian floored the accelerator and headed straight for a gazebo not far away.

Once they arrived at the gazebo, Hei Mian and Ye Tianchen sat opposite each other. Neither underestimated the other at this point. Hei Mian knew Ye Tianchen was formidable, and Ye Tianchen was also aware of Hei Mian’s reputation as a Heavenly Gang level general—resoundingly strong. Even a slight lapse could lead to a defeat at Hei Mian’s hands. Ye Tianchen couldn’t afford to lose; he had to buy time to settle the issues with the Xuanyuan family and the Ouyang family first.

Almost simultaneously, Ye Tianchen and Hei Mian rolled up the sleeves of their right arms, revealing well-defined muscles. In terms of muscular fortitude, Hei Mian appeared to have already won over Ye Tianchen. Both stared at each other seriously, and at this critical moment, neither dared to be careless or underestimate the other, knowing well the strength of their opponent.

Smack!

Their right hands clasped together, and almost simultaneously, both exerted force, each aiming to overpower the other in an instant and unleash their robust combat strength.

Bang!

Bang!

Two muffled sounds rang out as the stone stools Ye Tianchen and Hei Mian were sitting on shattered to pieces. The sheer force of their arm-wrestling was evident. The entire gazebo trembled as if struck by an earthquake. Although the stools were destroyed, both men maintained a seated posture, gripping each other’s hands tightly and continuing to stare each other down. The initial clash was a true collision of strength.

If an outsider were to see this, their jaw would certainly drop. What was just a simple arm-wrestling match created such a violent scene. The gazebo was filled with a potent energy; an ordinary person getting too close might be injured. It was clear that neither Ye Tianchen nor Hei Mian were playing games; this was a real confrontation.

And now, not only were the stone stools they sat on pulverized, but the stone table they were using also showed cracks and appeared ready to collapse at any moment. Such was the magnitude of their power that it sent chills down one’s spine.

"I didn’t expect you to be so strong!" Hei Mian said with a laugh to Ye Tianchen.

"You’re not bad yourself!" Ye Tianchen casually replied.

In the hearts of both Ye Tianchen and Hei Mian, there was a profound shock. Ye Tianchen had used his King-level Superpower Realm strength right from the start, channeling it into his right hand. His power had increased manifold, yet he had not managed to instantly defeat Hei Mian, which was beyond his expectations.

Yet in Hei Mian’s heart, there was even greater shock. Known as the "King of Arm Strength" among Heavenly Gang-level warriors for his renown, it wasn’t without merit. Setting aside the use of Inner Strength, even if it were solely a contest of physical might, there were few who could stand as his equal. Moreover, at the very beginning of the encounter, Hei Mian had actually circulated his Inner Strength, channeling it into his right hand with the intent to swiftly defeat Ye Tianchen, to teach him a lesson, and to show him just how formidable a Heavenly Gang War General was. However, both had the thought of defeating their opponent in seconds, and at the very start, they had unleashed such tremendous power that even Hei Mian found it hard to believe. He could never have imagined that Ye Tianchen was this powerful.

"It seems we’re about to destroy this place!" Hei Mian said, looking at the unstable pavilion. As their strength collided and energy clashed without either yielding, both were remarkably mighty. He feared that in just a few minutes, the pavilion would completely collapse.

"Don’t worry, even if you use all your power, this pavilion won’t collapse, because you simply can’t beat me!" Ye Tianchen said with a smile.

Hei Mian furrowed his brow, not expecting Ye Tianchen, the youngster, to look down on him like this. Although the kid’s performance had surprised him, so far it had just been a tie. Yet Ye Tianchen dared speak like this, showing such disregard for Hei Mian?

"Since you’re so confident, boy, I’ll just have to cripple your right hand!" Hei Mian declared fiercely.

"Come on!" Ye Tianchen bellowed.

Even now, Ye Tianchen continued to taunt Hei Mian. He was doing it deliberately, wanting Hei Mian to give it his all. Ye Tianchen wanted to see just how strong a Heavenly Gang-level War General was. If they were strong enough, he really wanted to try breaking through that Heavenly Gang-level War General’s challenge. It would definitely be interesting. If not strong enough, then there was no need to bother.

"Ah!"

Almost simultaneously, both Hei Mian and Ye Tianchen let out a yell. During their talk, Ye Tianchen had already raised the Superpower Isolation Net, not wanting to be seen by outsiders or destroy the small pavilion.

Suddenly, Ye Tianchen too was taken aback in alarm, for with a shout from Hei Mian, the man’s feet had crushed the bluestone tiles beneath him into powder. His right hand’s muscles swelled, veins bulging, and a powerful surge of energy burst forth. It was truly astonishing how strong a Heavenly Gang-level War General like Hei Mian was, possessing such mighty Inner Strength.

Naturally, Ye Tianchen did not dare to be careless. In an instant, he elevated his King-level Superpower Realm to its peak, commencing the final showdown with Hei Mian.

A simple arm wrestling match might appear mundane to the average person, but for supreme experts like Ye Tianchen and Hei Mian, such a basic and common form of competition could demonstrate the fullest extent of their martial prowess. If it weren’t for Ye Tianchen’s deployment of the Superpower Isolation Net to secure the small pavilion and maintain balance, the structure would have likely already exploded into ash.

Bang!

After a loud noise, the entire pavilion was engulfed in dust. Both Ye Tianchen and Hei Mian were half-kneeling on the ground; and as the dust cleared, they were seen staring intently at each other, still kneeling with their right hands clasped together. The stone stools they had been sitting on were reduced to rubble and the stone table beneath their hands was shattered, but their hands remained joined in the same position as before.

On the palm of Ye Tianchen’s right hand, blood could be seen, as if sliced open by the immense energy, while Hei Mian’s right hand was unharmed. On closer look, however, there seemed to be a slight distortion. Both had given their all, concentrating all their martial strength into their right hands for a grand duel that would’ve been incomprehensible in an ordinary setting.

"Two days’ time, just two days. I will hurry back as soon as possible. Since I’ve promised Elder Yang and the others, I will definitely see it through!" Ye Tianchen said to Hei Mian with a smile.

"You better keep your word, kid!" Hei Mian glanced at Ye Tianchen and spoke.

"Thank you!" Ye Tianchen said with a smile as he let go his hand.

Watching Ye Tianchen’s departing figure, Hei Mian paused, filled with surprise. In the duel between him and Ye Tianchen, perhaps even some first-rate masters would be unable to discern the victor, for truly, after unleashing their fullest strength, both Ye Tianchen and Hei Mian remained immovable in their original spots.

"Damn, looks like I need to strengthen my physical training. Hei Mian is really tough. If I get the chance, I should try breaking through that Heavenly Gang-level War General’s challenge to improve my physique," Ye Tianchen muttered to himself as he walked away, glancing at his hand where the base of his thumb was split from the impact. He shook his head; his body still couldn’t handle too much power. Even if he could breakthrough to the Emperor-level Superpower Realm, he wouldn’t dare to attempt it lightly.

As for Hei Mian, after watching Ye Tianchen, he twisted his own wrist, climbed into an off-road vehicle, and drove away, leaving behind only scattered rubble. The only thing undamaged were the spots where they rested their elbows. The marks where Hei Mian had placed his showed a very slight shift to the left, such a small deviation that you wouldn’t notice it without looking closely...(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)