Lachlan watched the formation of Skiola warriors, feeling that if he didn’t step up, this matter wouldn’t end. Originally, he just wanted to leave quietly. But because of a single word, these warriors seemed relentless. They even wanted his wife to report on their martial arts? Ridiculous!
Onlookers began to jeer and at least verbally supported Lachlan. After all, they were all Priocia people, and the derogatory comments from the Skiola warriors about Priocia’s martial arts had rubbed many the wrong way.
Some individuals stepped forward, egging Lachlan on to challenge them. Of course, there were also many worried about Lachlan. These Skiola warriors seemed quite formidable, despite Lachlan appearing robust; he might not match up to seasoned fighters.
“Challenge?”
“Sure! How do you want to challenge?” Lachlan coldly chuckled, feeling irritated by Akaishi’s gaze towards Miranda.
Thinking about a challenge? Watch me play you to death!
Miranda and Nora, however, showed no concern for Lachlan. Especially Nora, who seemed more expectant than worried.
The crowd, hearing Lachlan’s inquiry about the challenge, seemed surprised by his willingness to face off, and some expressed their doubts about his ability to fare against the Skiola warriors.
“You’ve been looking down on our karate, calling it a sideshow, right? It’s simple. As long as you come up on stage, do what we did just now, and if you can, I’ll admit that what we did is just a sideshow that any ordinary person could do.”
Akaishi provoked Lachlan.
The audience was in an uproar upon hearing this.
“How can this be? How could this young man withstand a blow from a steel rod?”
“That was real granite, how could this young man possibly break it with a punch?”
“Young man, don’t act rashly!”
“Yes! If you can’t do it, it will only make the Skiola people look down on us even more!”
At this moment, some even quietly blamed Lachlan, feeling that he was being too impulsive.
The Skiola warriors were already quite arrogant. If Lachlan didn’t fare well against them, Priocia’s reputation might suffer.
However, Lachlan shook his head, “No! This rule isn’t fair.”
As his words landed, the crowd erupted into boos!
It seemed like Lachlan was backing down, not daring to take on the challenge.
“Now you’re backing down, how will the Skiola people view Priocia and Priocia’s martial arts now?”
“… Let’s go! I don’t want to see the Skiola warriors’ smug faces later.”
“Really embarrassing! If you knew it would end up like this, why didn’t you keep your mouth shut?”
The crowd buzzed with discussion, and accusations against Lachlan were rife.
It seemed that by backing out, Lachlan wasn’t just losing face for himself but for all the Priocia people present.
“Oh? Scared to show your mettle?”
“Priocia people really are cowards.”
“If you’re afraid, then step up on stage and apologize for your previous words, admit the strength of our karate. Then, have this young lady enroll in our martial arts school!”
“If not… hmm!”
Akaishi smirked, his arms crossed triumphantly.
Lachlan, however, burst into laughter, shook his head, and said, “I think you’ve misunderstood. What I meant was, it wouldn’t be fair for me to just replicate what you did. We must add a rule. You must do what I do as well. Do you dare?”
As his words sank in, everyone was stunned.
So, Lachlan’s idea of unfairness was this?
“Hmph! I’m not afraid!”
Akaishi snorted, gritting his teeth.
“Very well!”
Lachlan nodded, then leaped up onto the high platform. Upon witnessing his move, the onlookers expressed astonishment. Akaishi raised an eyebrow, “No wonder you dare to challenge us. Turns out you have some skills? But all this jumping around and showing off is useless.”
With that thought in mind, Akaishi snatched a solid steel rod from a nearby warrior, identical to the one that had been bent earlier. “Priocia people, come on! Just as our warriors withstood the blows of this steel rod, you must do the same,” Akaishi declared.
As he spoke, a hint of malice flickered in his eyes. He planned to be harsh on Lachlan shortly. Breaking this Priocia person’s spine would be child’s play! However, as his words trailed off, he felt his hand lighten. The next moment, the steel rod landed in Lachlan’s hand. “Let me handle this myself!”
Letting the Skiola people strike him? Even if they couldn’t harm him, Lachlan didn’t agree.
Clang!
After Lachlan spoke, there was a metallic clang as he firmly swung the steel rod at his own head. To everyone’s surprise, the solid steel rod shattered upon impact!
The Skiola warriors, who had been waiting for Lachlan to embarrass himself, were left dumbfounded. Their expressions turned from arrogance to disbelief. The onlookers were shocked, some even questioning if the steel rod was a prop.
At this moment, Akaishi’s expression fluctuated, finally taking Lachlan’s actions seriously. Without a word, Lachlan picked up a granite rock from the ground and crushed it into powder with a single punch, sparking cheers and applause.
The Skiola warriors were taken aback, their demeanor significantly altered. “Okay, what you did, I’ve replicated it! Now it’s my turn!”
Lachlan, with a serious expression, approached a solid wooden board.
This wooden board was a prop the Skiola warriors used to demonstrate their strength. It had been soaked in oil, making it exceptionally durable. Beside it lay steel nails over a foot long. As Lachlan walked towards it, the Skiola warriors exchanged puzzled looks.
“Are you going to clap the nails with your hands? I thought you had something more impressive in mind?” Akaishi sneered with a hint of disdain. Clapping these steel nails into the wooden board bare-handed was one of their performance acts. They assumed Lachlan would follow suit.
However, the next moment left everyone dumbfounded. Lachlan placed five steel nails on the board, but with the sharp ends facing upward!
“What are you going to do? You’re not… going to clap them like that, are you?” Akaishi’s Adam’s apple bobbed, swallowing hard.
“Hehe, just watch and learn!” Lachlan’s face hardened, and with no hesitation, he firmly clapped his hands onto the sharp ends of the steel nails.
“Ah!” Witnessing this scene, the audience erupted into screams. Even those with children quickly covered their eyes, expecting something gruesome to follow. In contrast, Miranda and Nora, who should have been most concerned for Lachlan, remained calm.
Akaishi and the Skiola warriors were in shock, their pupils contracted as they stared at Lachlan’s actions. With several resounding claps, all five steel nails were nailed into the wooden board, head down and tips up!
The crowd gasped and murmured in amazement. “Our Priocia martial arts are truly profound.”
“This is beyond the capabilities of a typical iron palm technique. He clapped the nail tips, withstanding an incredible pressure in an instant.”
“I’m starting to doubt if his hands are titanium alloy prosthetics?”
Akaishi and the Skiola warriors were visibly shaken, their faces twitching.
“Your turn! Please!” At that moment, Lachlan clapped his unharmed hands and gestured to Akaishi, leaving the latter looking as if he had seen a ghost.