Kayden set down his chopsticks, sighed deeply, and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to call for more people?”
His eyes locked onto Bruce Peters, completely ignoring Mr. Alfredson’s earlier remarks.
Why pay attention to a low-ranking cultivator?
Who was he? He was Seclela’s Defender. Did a mere cultivator deserve his regard?
Not at all.
Mr. Alfredson felt insulted, his face darkening as he furrowed his brows.
“You little punk, you’re pretty damn arrogant, aren’t you? How dare you ignore me?” Mr. Alfredson spat, clearly offended.
Kayden remained silent, his eyes still fixed on Bruce Peters.
Bruce, unnerved by Kayden’s piercing gaze, swallowed hard and said grimly, “You’re asking for a beating. These people are more than enough to kill you several times over.”
“Mr. Alfredson, this guy doesn’t even understand what it means to be a cultivator!”
Kayden nodded slightly and said, “Alright, if that’s the case, let’s get started.”
The man called Mr. Alfredson waved a hand grandly and ordered, “Go, teach him a lesson! Don’t kill him-leave him breathing. I want to break him myself. I’ll show this bastard what it means to be a man!”
The group of cultivators stepped forward, cracking their knuckles and radiating disdain.
Kayden didn’t even bother to glance at them. Instead, he pointed at the men standing beside Bruce Peters and said calmly, “You, you, and you-all of you, come at me together. Don’t waste my time. I’ve got other things to do after this.”
“Damn, kid, you’re cocky as hell! I’ve been around for years, and I’ve never seen someone so full of themselves,” one of the cultivators sneered as they began closing in.
One man, a hulking brute, charged first. “Feel the wrath of my fists, kid!” he shouted, a grin of mockery spreading across his face.
But just as the brute reached Kayden, there was a dull thud. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
It had been a single punch from Kayden-straight to the man’s forehead. That one strike was enough to knock him out cold.
The brute lay motionless, as if in a deep slumber.
The others froze, stunned, staring at Kayden in disbelief. Their faces reflected pure confusion.
A single punch? Was it even possible to flatten a cultivator with one hit?
Bruce Peters was utterly dumbfounded. The scene before him felt surreal. Cultivators were supposed to be invincible-capable of taking down dozens, even hundreds of ordinary men.
How could one fall so easily?
The stories Bruce had heard about the strength of cultivators made this moment all the more unfathomable. Could Kayden also be a cultivator-one even stronger than these men?
No, impossible. That couldn’t be true.
Bruce quickly dismissed the thought.
“Mr. Alfredson, this-”
Before Bruce could finish, Mr. Alfredson cut him off. “It’s a fluke. That fool must’ve hit a vital spot by accident! Underestimating your opponent always comes at a price, even for a cultivator. That guy’s just paying the price for his arrogance.”
A fluke? Yes, that had to be it.
“Don’t take him lightly. Attack!” Mr. Alfredson barked, his tone serious.
He couldn’t believe the young man before him was a true master. After all, Kayden was much younger than him.
He, Mr. Alfredson, was an advanced cultivator. There was no way this kid could be one.
It had to be luck.
But as his words faded, several dull thuds echoed in quick succession.
The remaining cultivators all hit the ground, one after another.
Each of them had been taken down with a single punch.
They were cultivators-every single one of them.
And yet, they were felled as if they were nothing more than paper targets.
Bruce Peters turned pale, his heart pounding as fear gripped him.
These were supposed to be the mighty cultivators he had heard so much about. How could they lose so easily? What had gone wrong?
A storm of questions raged in Bruce’s mind. He turned to Mr. Alfredson and stammered, “Mr. Alfredson, what… what’s going on? How is this possible?”
Sweat beaded on Mr. Alfredson’s forehead. He now fully understood that he had provoked someone extraordinary.
This man’s strength far exceeded his own-and perhaps by a terrifying margin.
Taking down cultivators with a single punch… this was no ordinary feat.
“Do I know you well?” Mr. Alfredson suddenly snapped at Bruce Peters, his voice sharp.
Before Bruce could respond, Mr. Alfredson slapped the back of his head.
The slap left Bruce bewildered. He rubbed his head and asked, “Mr. Alfredson, what do you mean by this?”
“Get lost!” Mr. Alfredson roared, kicking Bruce in the chest and pointing an accusing finger at him. “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you even know who this man is? Do you have any idea what kind of person you’re dealing with? And you dared to try to steal his girlfriend? You’re nothing but a pig with eyes on your backside!”
Bruce was utterly dumbfounded. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
But seeing Mr. Alfredson’s fierce expression, he didn’t dare speak further.
After venting his anger, Mr. Alfredson shot Bruce one last glare before turning to Kayden.
He dropped to his knees with a loud thud, bowing deeply.
“Sir, I’ve long heard of your legendary reputation-it’s like thunder echoing in my ears! My admiration for you is as endless as the waters of the Yangtze River, flowing ceaselessly and forever! Your noble features-your dragon-like brows and phoenix-like eyes-mark you as a true paragon among men. Meeting you today is the greatest honor of my life.”
Bruce Peters stood frozen, his mind blank.
Did they know each other? Could it be that Mr. Alfredson and Kayden were acquainted?
No.
In truth, the two had never met. Kayden didn’t know Mr. Alfredson, nor did Mr. Alfredson know Kayden.
Mr. Alfredson had simply realized that Kayden was no ordinary man.
To challenge him would be suicide-it would be offering himself up as a sacrifice.