Chapter 160: Grim and Desolate

Half an hour later, a man wearing a black mask appeared at the scene. He exuded an aura of grim desolation, as though he were an entity lurking deep within the eternal dark.

Who on earth was he? Why did he possess such a terrifying aura? It was truly astonishing.

"He is the Black Warrior, an emissary dispatched from above. His cultivation is at the late stage of the Third Rank. I dare say not a single young awakener in the entire Grandmaster Council is his match," the Third Elder cautioned from the side.

The Black Warrior’s eyes were like those of a hawk, and his piercing gaze carried an immensely powerful insight.

*Such a powerful pair of eyes. This Black Warrior is probably the strongest opponent I have faced so far,* Shen An thought to himself. He knew that even though he had broken through to the late stage of the Third Rank, he must not underestimate the Black Warrior's strength.

"Which one of you is the newly appointed Count of the Grandmaster Council?" The Black Warrior swept his gaze across the area, as if capable of penetrating everything.

Shen An frowned slightly and said, "Heh, I am that young Count. And you must be the Black Warrior sent from above, right? Your aura is indeed formidable; you are a formidable opponent not easily dealt with."

The Black Warrior sized Shen An up. To his surprise, Shen An was also at the late stage of the Third Rank, which differed somewhat from the intelligence he had received beforehand.

"You are actually at the late stage of the Third Rank?" the Black Warrior asked.

"As it happens, I just recently advanced to the late stage of the Third Rank. Do you seem to have an issue with that?" Shen An said indomitably.

"Young Count, it is very likely that I will strip you of your title as Count of the Grandmaster Council today. Are you prepared? Are you ready to face the challenge?" The Black Warrior stared at Shen An, his demeanor carrying the weight of a divine judgment.

Shen An raised his eyebrows slightly and replied, "I am ready! We can begin right now!"

"Well spoken! We can begin right now, and today I shall let you taste true power!" The Black Warrior declared, stepping forward to strike.

"Black Warrior, it might not be quite appropriate to fight here. How about we move to the plaza for our duel instead?" the First Elder suggested.

The Black Warrior halted his hands and pondered. Moving to the plaza might indeed be a wise choice; given his immense strength here, he might end up destroying most of this building.

"We shall follow the First Elder's suggestion." The Black Warrior projected a chilling aura, though he quickly reined in the oppressive pressure he had been emitting.

Not long after, Shen An and the Black Warrior arrived at the Grandmaster Council Plaza, where many of the Council's awakeners had already gathered.

"Have you heard? A supreme expert has arrived from above, called the Black Warrior. He's apparently here specifically to test Count Shen An's strength. Do you think Count Shen An will win?"

"I'm definitely rooting for Count Shen An! After all, he brings so much pride to us younger folks. Still, I'm a bit worried he might lose. If Count Shen An loses, our Grandmaster Council will lose a young Count."

"I have complete faith in Count Shen An's strength. I believe he will surely win."

"But that Black Warrior is shrouded in mystery; he's probably not someone easily dealt with. With our abilities, can we really contend with someone like that?"

***

"Both Count Shen An and the Black Warrior have arrived. The Black Warrior looks like a giant eagle, while Count Shen An looks like a rabbit. I'm afraid they aren't even on the same level."

"Are you saying Count Shen An is bound to lose? Please, no! I don't want Count Shen An to lose this match."

"I don't want him to lose either, but that Black Warrior looks terrifyingly powerful. True to his reputation as an expert sent from above, his mere aura is enough to sap people of their fighting spirit."

"Everyone knows how terrifying fierce beasts are, right? This Black Warrior once fought three powerful fierce beasts all by himself without falling into a disadvantage. Would you say he's strong or not?"

"Fought three powerful fierce beasts alone? How is that possible? That's terrifying, simply monstrous!"

The crowd already had some estimations regarding just how powerful the Black Warrior was. Ordinary awakeners, let alone challenging three powerful fierce beasts, might not even be able to defeat a single one.

Yet the Black Warrior could take on three at once; how could such strength be matched by ordinary people?

The Black Warrior and Shen An stood confronting each other. A smile curved the corners of Shen An's lips as he said, "Please, Black Warrior!"

"Humph, the outcome will be decided in a single move!" the Black Warrior sneered. Although Shen An shared his cultivation at the late stage of the Third Rank, he did not believe for a second that Shen An could rival him.

At that instant, a lightning-fast blow struck out, resembling a terrifying claw reaching from the abyss. The Black Warrior's strike was fraught with raw murderous intent—not because he necessarily intended to kill Shen An, but simply because that was the nature of his technique.

Clearly, the assassin's aura deeply ingrained in the Black Warrior's bones could not be easily erased.

Such terrifying murderous intent swept forward, making it nearly impossible for anyone to withstand.

"Vibrating Fist!" The might of the Vibrating Fist was enough to pierce straight through a tank with a single blow. Despite the terrifying force of the Black Warrior's assault, Shen An remained confident that he could block it.

"Holy shit! As expected of Count Shen An! He actually knows how to use the Vibrating Fist, and judging by the look of it, he has already brought it to the realm of mastery. To practice the Vibrating Fist to such a complete degree is simply unbelievable!"

"Isn't that too overpowered? The power of this punch could probably kill a bull with one hit!"

"What? Kill a bull? You are severely underestimating the Vibrating Fist! The punch thrown by Count Shen An could at least blast a gaping hole through a truck. Thinking the Vibrating Fist can merely kill a bull shows how much you underestimate him."

"Blast a hole through a truck? You aren't bragging, are you? No matter how strong a human fist is, how could it possibly punch through a truck?"

"That just goes to show you're not on Count Shen An's level. Once you reach his level, you'll realize that punching through a truck is really nothing special."

"Talked as if you've already reached that level yourself."

The Black Warrior was forced back several steps, a stinging pain throbbing vividly in his arms. He had used both arms to block Shen An's Vibrating Fist.

One could only imagine the terrifying magnitude of the force his arms had just endured.

"I never imagined I would be forced back by you. Ordinary mastery of the Vibrating Fist could never reach this level; it seems your Vibrating Fist is already powerful enough to easily punch through a tank, isn't it?" The Black Warrior stared at Shen An, his eyes filled with profound shock and disbelief.

Hearing these words, the awakeners watching from below erupted into a frenzy of astonishment.

"What? Punching through a tank with a single punch? Is what the Black Warrior said true? Or are my ears playing tricks on me? How can anyone's fist possibly pierce through a tank?" a young awakener blurted out in utter amazement.