"Young Master, you've received a letter," the young maid announced.
"What does it say?" Muria asked indifferently, soaking in a pool of medicinal water.
"Let me see!" The young maid, whose figure was just beginning to develop, opened the letter and started reading aloud. As she read, her expression turned angry, and her small eyebrows furrowed tightly. "Young Master, it's a challenge letter—someone wants to fight you."
"I heard," Muria said, rubbing his temples, slightly exasperated by his maid's lack of perceptiveness.
"So, Young Master, are you…?"
"Of course, I'll accept. This isn't something you can just turn down," answered a male servant nearby, sprinkling herbs into the pool according to a formula.
"But… didn't Madam Susanna say you should exercise restraint in the capital?" the young maid said, hesitating.
"That depends on the situation. This person is directly challenging the Young Master, so if he backs down, he'll be seen as a coward. He'd lose respect here in the estate."
"Alright, prepare a response letter," Muria said, waving a hand from the pool.
"And what should it say?"
"Anything's fine. Just make it clear that I accept."
…
"I am Haien Douglas! I heard you're considered the top talent of the Yakub Province, that you outshone all the students in your school, even those with Star Affinities over 75%. When I heard you'd moved into the estate, I couldn't resist the urge to challenge you," said a handsome young man, smiling as he introduced himself to Muria, who had just entered the spacious arena.
"Since you challenged me, I don't need to introduce myself. You probably know all about me already," Muria replied, yawning and looking relaxed. "One thing you're wrong about, though—I'm not the top talent of Yakub Province. With my low Star Affinity, I'm just lucky not to disgrace it. I'm merely the best brawler among the younger generation there."
"Isn't the purpose of Star Armor mastery to excel in battle?" Haien laughed. "If you've managed to dominate everyone back in your province, then you're Yakub's top talent. I hope you'll give it your all today, so I can see just how well you can fight."
"Not necessary. We're family, after all; there's no need for me to go all out against you," Muria said, dismissively.
"A fight's no fun if you're not giving it your best," Haien replied, smiling even wider, mistaking Muria's words as an admission of weakness.
"I don't think you understand. You're simply too weak. If I go all out, I might kill you by accident. And if that happens, I'll have a hard time explaining it to the rest of the family." Muria sighed, his voice carrying across the arena and reaching Haien, whose face turned from stiff to red, and finally purple with rage.
"Jenos, I didn't expect you to be one for bragging!" Haien retorted, visibly annoyed. He summoned his Star Armor, letting it form around him. "Let's see if you can still talk like that after we fight."
"You'll understand your weakness once this is over." Muria looked around, noting the scattered spectators in the stands. Among them, he saw Butler Pais seated alongside several other elderly gentlemen dressed like him.
"Jenos, put on your Star Armor and prepare to fight!"
"There's no need for that. Let's just start," Muria replied.
"You're going to face me without armor?" Haien asked in surprise and excitement, convinced he would win.
"I'm a martial artist. Didn't you know that much from your research?"
"Since you're so confident, let's begin!" Haien sneered, then raised a hand, summoning four floating cannons that locked onto Muria and fired beams of light the size of bowls.
Boom!
The four beams struck Muria simultaneously, producing a massive explosion. The resulting shockwaves spread outward, but due to the specialized design of the arena, barely any dust or debris was stirred up. Within moments, Muria's figure reappeared, unscathed, cloaked in a white aura like a blazing torch that had absorbed the full force of Haien's attack.
"That's the aura martial artists cultivate after their first transformation," Haien murmured in surprise. "It's incredible that it could block the attack of Darkstar Cannons! Even though martial arts is outdated, reaching this level is nothing to scoff at."
"I've heard that martial artists have a limited supply of qi," Haien thought to himself. "Jenos may be able to block a few attacks, but can he hold out if I hit him ten, twenty more times?"
The possibility made Haien eager. He had been tasked with testing Muria's strength by a figure of influence, who had warned him to be prepared for defeat. Yet looking at Muria now, Haien felt certain of his own victory.
"That's a solid defense," Muria mused, ignoring Haien's intentions. He focused inward, assessing his condition. Despite blocking the attack, the expenditure of his qi was negligible, and his body was constantly replenishing it, his life force strong and unending.
Boom! Boom!
More beams and physical rounds shot at Muria, but this time, he dodged them with incredible agility.
"Haien, you've attacked me several times, and I'm generous enough not to mind. I'll give you one hit in return. If you can take it, you win," Muria said, feeling bored after testing Haien's power.
"Arrogant! You think you can take me down in one hit without using Star Armor?" Haien shouted, oblivious to the fact he was little more than a practice target for Muria.
"Let's use you to test a move I've been working on," Muria said casually, his relaxed tone infuriating Haien.
Muria took a wide stance, sinking his weight and channeling his energy. With a practiced motion, he gathered qi between his hands, forming a brilliant orb that he compressed tightly.
Boom!
After only a few seconds, Muria pushed the orb forward, sending it streaking toward Haien like a shooting star. However, unlike an ordinary meteor, this one shot upward.
"So this is a martial artist's attack. Terrifying!" Haien's thoughts went blank as he watched the light charge toward him, every cell in his body screaming that he'd die if he failed to block it. He reflexively brought every floating shield in his Star Armor arsenal in front of him, raising his armor's defenses to maximum.
Just as he finished, the white wave engulfed him completely and shot through the sky, dispersing the clouds.
…
"These youngsters today are outrageous. He's clearly bullying him with martial arts skills," sighed a low voice in the stands, startling the surrounding butlers, who hadn't noticed anyone sitting nearby.
"Lord Long!" When they realized who had joined them, the butlers immediately bowed respectfully.
"What a shame," the elderly man muttered, paying no mind to the butlers' deference. He watched Muria with an expression of regret.
"Lord, what's unfortunate?" Butler Pais asked cautiously, his usual demeanor giving way to deference.
"It's unfortunate that some people are simply born in the wrong era. If this boy had been born five hundred years earlier, he would've had a chance at becoming a Martial Emperor," the elderly man lamented.
The butlers exchanged glances before one dared to ask, "Isn't it possible now? With the resources available today, isn't it even better for martial cultivation than five hundred years ago?"
"The era of martial artists has passed."
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