Chapter 64: Return to the Firmament 6

Le Kai thoroughly enjoyed this kind of warmth and care, yet he knew it was never truly his. The path ahead of him was still long and distant, filled with thorns and dangers, and he was in no position to deserve such sincere, personal affection.

Lanska shot a glare at Lambo. “You rascal, you’re older than Kai. From now on, at school, you must take good care of your younger brother. Do you understand?”

Lambo nodded gloomily, thinking to himself, “Taking care of this little monster? I’d need the ability to do so first! It’s already something if he doesn’t bully others—who could possibly bully him?”

“I’ve arranged everything, but there’s one thing I must tell you. Although I am the mayor, I have no authority to interfere with the selection of candidates. According to imperial regulations, as long as one has the ability, regardless of wealth or status, anyone has the right to participate in the Genius Tournament. Our Central China City already had two candidates before this. Originally, it was just a contest between two tigers, but now…”

Lanska glanced at Le Kai, knowing that with Le Kai’s intelligence, he would surely understand his meaning.

Le Kai merely smiled slightly and said, “Uncle Lan means that, at first, they were rivals, but now, with my joining, they’ll unite against me?”

This was obvious and did not surprise Le Kai. To win the championship, one naturally had to defeat all the other contestants. If he couldn’t even become the top of a single district on a minor planet, how could he ever trample over billions of geniuses and stand at the pinnacle of the starry sky?

Lanska continued, “It’s just that these two both come from extraordinary backgrounds and possess profound strength. Even I cannot offer you overt assistance; everything will depend on you. Their names are Hua Wu and Xi Bao. I believe you might have already guessed where they come from!”

“Hua Wu? Xi Bao? I... I don’t know them!” Le Kai was taken aback. He knew little about the affairs within the Vault of Heaven, so how could he possibly guess their identities? But his powerful memory suddenly sparked, recalling two surnames that had appeared before. Startled, he said, “Could they be related to Xi Runsi and Hua Keqiang?”

“That’s right. Hua Wu is Hua Keqiang’s eldest son, and Xi Bao is Xi Runsi’s younger brother. If it weren’t for the fact that their families produced such geniuses, do you think that, with their cowardly and self-serving natures, they’d dare oppose me?” Lanska sneered coldly. “The previous riot was masterminded by these two families, all to drive me out of Central China City, so they could seize full control here.”

Le Kai’s gaze grew cold. Human or beast, all live for their own benefit; pursuing interests in itself is not a fault. Yet the actions of these two had crossed his bottom line—they treated human life as a game, trampling on the natives without restraint. If their schemes succeeded, a hundred million compatriots in Central China City would fall into the same hell as other cities.

Le Kai was no moral crusader, nor had he ever felt any obligation to bear this planet’s burdens. He simply lived according to the laws of nature. But at this moment, he felt genuine murderous intent toward these two.

“What would happen if both of them died?”

Le Kai’s voice was calm, yet to Lanska and his son, it crashed like thunder on a clear day, leaving them both stunned and speechless.

“Kai, you must never do that!” Lanska, regaining his senses, paled and quickly tried to stop him. He knew Le Kai’s character—once spoken, he had the unwavering resolve to act.

“You have no idea of these families’ true strength. Although you’ve now become a true martial artist, their power still far exceeds your imagination. As far as I know, they have several Hall-level martial artists, and it’s even rumored that a true One-Star Martial Artist sits at the helm. Between martial artist ranks, each stage is vastly different in strength. Although you’re approaching the Expert level, to kill those two would be as hard as reaching the heavens.”

Beginner: 2,000–4,000 anks
Expert: 4,000–7,000
Hall-level: 8,000–10,000!

At present, Le Kai possessed only 3,000 anks of strength—no match at all for a One-Star Martial Artist, who could wield the force of ten thousand kilograms.

Le Kai looked at Lanska in astonishment. “Uncle Lan, how do you know all this?” He stared at Lanska, the surprise in his eyes growing until finally, he cried out in disbelief, “So you’re a martial artist too!”

This discovery was truly shocking. The gentlemanly Lanska, refined and courteous in every way, had always appeared the consummate scholar. Yet now, Le Kai realized he was not only a martial artist, but an expert as well.

Abilities were rarely used proactively for detection except in the face of danger. Only by actively probing had Le Kai just barely sensed the true energy within Lanska.

Lanska gave a bitter laugh and corrected, “You’re wrong. You should say ‘used to be.’ My meridians atrophied a decade ago and will likely never recover in this life.” His eyes shone with deep regret. “The reason I always wanted to become the Professor’s disciple was to serve as a subject for his experiments. Madness, isn’t it? What’s even more insane is that the Professor refused me for ten whole years!”

Le Kai felt a tinge of melancholy. Only now did he realize a fierce spirit also resided in Lanska’s bones. That fleeting flash of unwillingness and despair could only be understood by another martial artist.

Could it be that Lanska had now placed his hopes on him?

“Uncle Lan, I should tell you—the Professor’s methods are too extreme, too evil; there’s simply no chance of success. His refusal actually saved you. Atrophied meridians and blocked meridians are two completely different things. However…” He paused, then continued, “As far as I know, in ancient times, atrophied meridians weren’t considered a difficult problem. Many methods existed to resolve it. With your background, it shouldn’t be hard to find a solution. Why has it been delayed for so long?”

Lanska smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t hard in ancient times, but now it’s nearly impossible. Those ancient sects, for reasons unknown, have all closed their doors, even going so far as to shield entire planets. Outsiders can’t trace them. Besides, not everyone wants me to regain my strength, so it’s become a difficult matter.”

“You have enemies?” Le Kai guessed instinctively.

“Actually, no. The resistance comes from Lambo’s mother. She’s always wanted me to abandon martial arts for scholarship—why would she help me recover my strength? Because of this, we’ve been distant for years. Twenty years ago, I could be called a prodigy. At only twenty, I had already reached One-Star Martial Artist, shining at my peak, and was considered a prime candidate for the Genius Tournament. Yet at the crucial moment, the technique I cultivated went awry, causing my meridians to atrophy and my strength to plummet. In the end, I quietly withdrew and settled into my role as the Li family’s son-in-law.”

Lambo’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Dad, so you were a legend in your youth! Truly, people can’t be judged by appearances. Do you suspect Mom sabotaged your success?”

Lanska knocked him on the head, scolding, “Don’t insult your mother! We grew up together, childhood sweethearts, engaged at sixteen. Don’t you think I understand her temper?”

Lambo protested, “But the timing is awfully suspicious!”

Le Kai couldn’t help but smile wryly. Lambo was truly a character—playing as both his mother’s little spy and his father’s co-conspirator.

The revelation that Lanska had once been a One-Star Martial Artist truly shook Le Kai. At twenty, he had already possessed the strength of ten thousand kilograms. But what about himself? He was still far from reaching that level, and even if he did, would it be enough to overpower all the other geniuses and achieve his goals?

Suddenly, Le Kai felt acutely that his time was desperately short.

New book—please add to your library, recommend, and comment. Thank you, brothers, for your support. Every comment and recommendation is the driving force for continuous updates.