Chapter 125: Disdain

Chapter 125: Contempt

The old man shifted his gaze toward Shen An, his eyes filled with a trace of disdain. He was preparing to strike the punch-force tester with serious intent, hoping to humble the senior disciple, Zhou Yang, who stood nearby.

"Young man, are you also looking to test your punching power?" the old man asked. "I suggest you refrain from inviting humiliation upon yourself. This punch-force tester isn't for just anyone to use."

Shen An smiled faintly and replied, "This tester doesn't belong to you, does it? It’s property of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall. If I want to use it, does that mean someone is going to object?"

Before the old man could respond, a chorus of criticism erupted around him.

"That's right! It belongs to the Silver City Martial Arts Hall. What do you want? To monopolize it? There’s no such rule in this world. Don't think that just because you're old, you can act without decorum," a young man retorted.

"Exactly. People these days love to abuse their status as elders, thinking they can do whatever they want. They are dead wrong."

"He is one of our experts. Since he wants to test his strength, you have no reason to stop him."

The pressure from the crowd weighed on the old man. Despite his reputation among the elderly in Silver City, he found himself being pointed at by so many youngsters at the martial arts hall. He felt even more determined to see Shen An make a fool of himself.

"Young man, I have no objection to you using the tester," the old man said confidently. "But you must understand, the number you achieve will be hard-pressed to surpass mine." He had reached a score of three thousand, a figure he believed far beyond Shen An's reach.

Shen An remained indifferent. To him, three thousand was not a particularly daunting number; perhaps a casual punch would suffice to match it. Of course, he hadn't tried it yet, so he couldn't be certain.

"And if I exceed three thousand?" Shen An asked.

"If you surpass three thousand, I will apologize to you and never set foot in the Silver City Martial Arts Hall again." The old man was supremely confident. He believed that even one person in the hall achieving such a score was remarkable; he didn't think Shen An could be a second.

The old man added, "But if you lose, what then?"

Shen An laughed. "If I lose, I will apologize to you and never step foot in the Silver City Martial Arts Hall again."

Nearby, the senior disciple Zhou Yang felt immense confidence in Shen An. He believed that with Shen An's strength, surpassing the old man would be simple. "Old man, I suggest you retract the bet. This person is not someone you can measure. His strength is truly formidable," Zhou Yang warned.

"Hmph! You are all from the Silver City Martial Arts Hall; don't think I don't know what you're thinking," the old man scoffed. "If you want me to yield, you must show me your true power. That last punch was merely at fifty percent of my capacity. My true strength is far beyond that."

Hearing this, those in the hall were visibly stunned.

"What? He said he only used fifty percent of his power? I don't believe he can hit five thousand pounds of force."

"He's probably bluffing. He looks skin and bones; he doesn't seem like someone capable of unleashing such terrifying power."

"I'll bet a pack of spicy strips that his next score won't exceed five thousand."

The old man stepped in front of Shen An and said, "Young man, may I go first? To convince these people of my power, I must show them what true strength looks like."

"Please, go ahead," Shen An replied, indifferent to the order of testing.

As the old man stepped up to the machine, he channeled all his internal energy. A terrifying surge of power erupted from him, reaching a level that made the onlookers wonder if he truly could hit five thousand pounds.

"Could he really be capable of surpassing three thousand pounds?"

"This old man is no simpleton. I fear the young man is going to lose miserably."

With a smirk, the old man let out a fierce shout and slammed his fist into the tester. A deep, humming vibration echoed through the hall, as if the machine itself might shatter under the impact.

The old man inspected the display with confidence. It read: 6,532 pounds.

It was an extraordinary score, not easily reached by the average person. Even for an early-stage Tier 3 expert, hitting such a number was difficult.

"Young man, your turn," the old man said, radiating pride. With a score of over 6,500, he expected his opponent to have the self-awareness to back down. "If you lack the courage to continue, apologize now and I will let you off. After all, you are a junior; losing to a senior is natural."

The surrounding awakened individuals gasped. They had guessed five thousand, yet the old man had hit over 6,500.

"Over 6,500 pounds? He actually hit that? He more than doubled his previous score!"

"So he was hiding his strength all along. With power like this, I doubt anyone in the Silver City Martial Arts Hall can surpass him."

Even the senior disciple, Zhou Yang, was shocked. He felt a flicker of worry for Shen An. He had been impressed by Shen An's training in the 30x gravity chamber, but there was no direct correlation between gravity training and punch force. In these circumstances, it seemed highly unlikely that Shen An could beat the score.

The old man looked at Shen An triumphantly. "Give up, young man. You have no chance of surpassing me. 6,500 pounds is a figure that even an early-stage Tier 3 expert would find hard to beat."

Shen An sneered. "Is that so? I happen to be someone who loves challenging the impossible."

Shen An stepped up to the punch-force tester. A faint, calm confidence radiated from him. He gathered his strength, his internal energy erupting with terrifying intensity, and slammed his fist into the machine.