What is an Outcast?
At its core, an Outcast is simply someone who differs from ordinary people.
Despite possessing supernatural abilities, Outcasts are still flesh and blood. With the right approach, even a small knife can easily take an Outcaster's life.
And now, the child standing across from them wasn't holding a knife—he was wielding humanity's most terrifying invention: a gun.
"Wait, this ain't right, is it?"
Zhang Cai and his two companions froze at the sight of the revolver in the boy's hand. They turned stiffly toward the Taoist referee and shouted:
"Didn't ya say this was an Outcast duel? Since when are guns allowed?"
It wasn't just the Tianjin Trio.
The spectators in the stands also began murmuring.
"Is that… a gun?"
"Uh… yeah, pretty sure it is."
"..."
"Hold on, isn't this the Luotian Grand Ritual's Outcast tournament? How is using a gun allowed?"
"Doesn't that count as cheating?"
"Well… probably not. Looks like the gun formed in his hand—must be his ability."
"His ability? So he's a natural-born Outcast?"
"Materialization? Item creation? Or matter transformation?"
"Damn, natural-born Outcasts are insane. Their abilities are all over the place—Shen Chong's 'Loan Shark,' Xia He's 'Bone-Scraping Blade,' Miss Feng from Tianxia Group's spatial control, and now this kid's innate power. Makes me feel like I've wasted my life."
"You're not alone, brother."
"Holy shit, this is unfair. Dude's already ridiculously handsome, and now he's got a busted innate ability too? Talk about winning at life."
"If the gun's real, how's anyone supposed to compete?"
"Oho, good question… I'm curious too."
"Wonder how the Longhu Mountain elders will rule on this. It's his ability, after all—can't just ban it outright, right?"
"Who knows? But this is entertaining. Look at the Tianjin Trio—they dropped to their knees the second he pulled out the gun."
"Hey sis, don't you think that kid's crazy handsome?"
"Mhm, totally! Between Lingyu Zhenren, A'Qing, and this hottie, how am I supposed to choose?
Ahhh!!! It's impossible! Picking any one feels like disrespecting the other two!"
...
Spectator Stands
Though the crowd's chatter grew increasingly off-topic, some still focused on Wu Tong in the arena.
"Damn, Brother Wu Tong's playing dirty—pulling a gun just like that?" Xu Si stared in shock. Given his intel, he knew Wu Tong's strength, but this was beyond unconventional.
Since when did anyone bring a gun to a martial arts tournament?
"Uh…"
Xu San glanced at the standoff below, then at the notebook on his lap—originally meant to record Wu Tong's abilities.
After a long silence, he quietly snapped it shut.
His inner thoughts: (╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻
This is bullshit!
What's even the point of taking notes now?
"Wow."
Feng Baobao, however, stared at the gun in Wu Tong's hand with sparkling eyes, her heart racing.
She'd always been fascinated by firearms. After seeing them on TV, she'd longed to try them out but never got the chance.
Over time, she'd given up on the idea.
But now, watching the gun materialize in Wu Tong's hand, her desire flared up anew.
'I want it, I want it, I want it…'
...
Arena
The Tianjin Trio began whining loudly:
"Cheating! This is blatant cheating, right?"
"Yeah, how's this fair? He's got a gun—how are we supposed to fight that?"
"Restrict him! You gotta ban the kid from using guns!"
The Taoist referee, listening to the trio and the crowd's debates, felt a headache coming on.
How was he supposed to rule on this?
Ban it? What if this was the kid's only ability? Wouldn't that disqualify him unfairly?
Besides, the Luotian Grand Ritual's rules didn't prohibit weapons.
Allow it? Then how would others compete? Who could possibly counter a gun? Only a handful of specialists stood a chance.
As he agonized, his gaze drifted to Wu Tong—who was now yawning lazily.
The Taoist's eyes lit up. Why not let the problem solve itself?
He cleared his throat. "Contestant Wu Tong, this is an Outcast duel. Isn't bringing out a gun a bit… inappropriate?"
"Is it?" Wu Tong tilted his head, feigning confusion. "But this is my ability. You can't ban me from using it, can you?"
"Besides, if they can't handle a gun, that's their problem. Why blame me?"
"..."
The logic was sound.
Screw it. Wu Tong's right—it's his ability. No reason to restrict it.
With a mental shrug, the Taoist announced: "Wu Tong makes a valid point. This is his innate ability, and the rules don't forbid weapons. No foul."
"The match continues."
It was over.
Their plea to ban the gun had failed.
The Tianjin Trio's faces turned ashen, their spirits crushed.
"Oh? We're continuing?" Wu Tong grinned, ignoring their despair. "Then I'll begin."
"Gentlemen, brace yourselves. My 'American Iaijutsu' isn't easy to handle."
"Waitwaitwaitwait—!"
The trio frantically waved their hands. They might not be scholars, but they browsed the internet.
They'd seen the legendary "American Iaijutsu" memes—they knew exactly how deadly it was.
(End of Chapter)