I Can Extract Divine Power

The various Jianghu people, on the other hand, found this result to be perfectly normal.

After all, everyone already knew what kind of power Lord Shen of the Observatory possessed.

What? You ask why they weren’t shocked? It’s because the Jianghu of Nanxing Prefecture had long since grown numb to it.

At that very moment, a luxurious carriage was slowly rolling through the city gates of Nanxing Prefecture.

An old, listless-looking man sat at the front, driving the carriage.

Other than the rather opulent carriage, their party was remarkably small.

Once inside the city, the carriage found a spot and stopped.

The old man coughed softly and said, "Young Master, we’ve arrived in Nanxing Prefecture. We’re not far from Xuanjing City now."

A dignified voice answered him from within.

"I hear this is where that Shen Bai, the one causing such a stir recently, resides?"

The old man nodded. "Yes. Shen Bai is extremely famous in Nanxing Prefecture these days. He’s considered the strongest person here."

"Young Master, I advise against provoking him. We should just pass through."

After he spoke, there was a long silence from inside the carriage.

The old man sighed. Knowing full well what his Young Master was planning, he tried to persuade him again. "The Sect Leader told us this trip was for the Celestial Pride Hall. We mustn’t be reckless."

"Besides, although you are still young, Young Master, you and Shen Bai are ultimately not of the same generation. It would be best not to challenge him."

From inside the carriage, the curtain was drawn aside.

A young man in a white robe emerged, a pair of gauntlets on his hands.

"Nonsense. We of the Battle Fist Sect believe in tempering ourselves through combat."

"It’s not as if I have any ill intent. I merely wish to request a friendly spar."

The white-robed man said this as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.

The corner of the old man’s mouth twitched. "Very well, Young Master. I’ll take you there now."

Although the white-robed man had the appearance of a youth, he was, in fact, no longer young.

The Battle Fist Sect was a unique power. They were close to the Imperial Court, yet they devoutly believed in tempering themselves through combat.

Their members loved nothing more than a good challenge. The moment they spotted an expert, they had to test their skills against them—though, oddly enough, never with malicious intent.

The old man knew that trying to stop him would only give the Young Master a Heart Demon, so he had no choice but to agree.

’I just hope Shen Bai goes easy on him,’ the old man thought.

Rumors in the Jianghu painted Shen Bai as incredibly strong, especially the phrase associated with him: Overcoming Adversity and Attacking Upward.

The old man had lived a long life; he knew that some rumors weren’t just smoke without fire. For a story to spread so wildly through the Jianghu, there had to be some truth to it.

Now, he could only hope that his Young Master wouldn’t lose too miserably.

Soon, with the old man at the reins, the carriage made its way toward the Observatory.

...

The journey from the city gate to the Observatory wasn’t long.

Along the way, the white-robed man didn’t return to the carriage, choosing instead to chat with the old man.

The closer they drew to the Observatory, the more excited the white-robed man grew.

"How many rounds do you think I’ll last against Shen Bai?"

"I’m so much older than him. I should probably give him a bit of a handicap. I’ll pretend we’re evenly matched, and then defeat him."

"He is the Prefecture Chief, after all. I have to give him some face."

The old man remained silent in response to the white-robed man’s boasts.

He didn’t know how to reply, but his sense of foreboding was growing stronger.

Before long, the carriage arrived at the entrance to the Observatory.

Two members of the Observatory were standing guard at the gate.

The old man was about to step forward to announce their names when the member on the left took out a brush and paper and began to write.

"Name? Faction? Here to challenge Lord Shen? Let me see if you need to get in line."

Get in line?

Not only the old man, but even the white-robed man was stunned.

The white-robed man asked tentatively, "Are there other people challenging Lord Shen?"

The Observatory member replied impatiently, "That’s right. A lot of people have been coming through recently, all on their way to the Capital. It’s gotten Lord Shen really annoyed."

"So he just fights them as they come. He’ll keep fighting until there’s no one left to challenge him."

Upon hearing this, the white-robed man’s face lit up with excitement. "It seems Lord Shen hasn’t been defeated yet! In that case, let me be the one to do it!"

The corner of the Observatory member’s mouth twitched. ’This guy has to have a few screws loose,’ he thought.

’Defeat Lord Shen?’

’Is he kidding?’

The Observatory member figured this guy would last fifteen minutes inside, at best.

With that in mind, the Observatory member didn’t waste any more time and repeated his question.

Just as the white-robed man was about to answer, another voice cut in.

Fang Tong emerged from inside, dragging a flatbed cart.

On the cart were several unconscious people—at least seven or eight of them.

The guard stared. "Finished already today?"

Fang Tong nodded. "Lord Shen said he didn’t want to waste time, so he had them all come at him at once. Then he finished them with a single punch."

The guard, seeming to have gotten used to such sights, snapped out of his daze. "Then just wheel them out and dump them on the street. Hey, why is there an old man in the pile?"

"He’s from a group called the Hundred Returns Sword Sect. Apparently he was a protector of some kind. When he saw Lord Shen make a move, he instinctively attacked and got knocked out for his trouble," Fang Tong explained.

When he finished speaking, both the white-robed man and the old man had identical, wooden expressions.

"Th-th-that... Is that Brother Long from the Hundred Returns Sword Sect?"

"He’s stronger than I am, and he couldn’t even last a second?" The white-robed man began to question his entire existence.

The old man, on the other hand, grew wary. ’Good heavens, he even attacks their protectors. I’d better be careful, or he might get carried away and beat me up along with my master.’

Fang Tong took in both of their expressions.

Fang Tong stepped forward and asked, "Right, which faction are you from? Just give me your names and you can go in. Lord Shen is in a foul mood today, so it’ll save us all a lot of time."

The old man gritted his teeth, about to state their purpose.

But unexpectedly, the white-robed man stepped forward, clasped his hands in salute, and said, "We’re just passing through. We wanted to ask for directions."