Releasing the Video, Shocking the World!

Dead! No miracle would occur this time, nor would there be any unexpected turn of events. Even though Hong Chuan, this King of the Century, had temporarily broken his limits through the Three Forms of Thunder Fist, he had still failed to attain transcendence. At best, his state was barely equivalent to secondary growth—falling short even of Lu Changsheng during his own secondary growth. What was more, Lu Changsheng had already attained tertiary growth and stepped into the transcendent realm. Once one crossed into transcendence, all beneath it were mere ants! Hong Chuan had been crushed into paste by a single palm strike from Lu Changsheng. It had been effortless and leisurely, as simple as turning a hand. The members of the three great families stared blankly at the scene before them. In truth, they had prepared themselves for Hong Chuan's defeat. Yet none of them had anticipated that he would lose so utterly. Anyone could see that the two sides were not on the same level at all. Lu Changsheng cast a glance at the people from the three great families and said calmly, "What, are the snipers you prepared still not firing?" "Hmm, large-caliber sniper cannons." "Heavy weapons, too, and even massive quantities of high explosives buried underground, enough to reduce this entire estate to rubble." "If you don't make a move now, you won't have another chance." Lu Changsheng stood quietly where he was, his gaze sweeping over the members of the three families one by one. His voice was soft and his tone serene, as though none of this were of any consequence. Yet cold sweat broke out all over the members of the three families. Fury and disbelief surged in their hearts. Who had leaked the information? How had Lu Yuan gotten hold of their private intelligence? Indeed, the snipers, heavy weapons, and high explosives buried beneath the ground were all real. That was the three families' contingency plan. Once Lu Yuan set foot in this estate, they had been confident they could thoroughly eliminate him. Yet Lu Yuan had just exposed everything beforehand. That meant he had known about their preparations all along. Under such circumstances, could Lu Yuan possibly have come unprepared? Moreover, the sheer strength and uncanny methods he had displayed in his duel with Hong Chuan had shaken the three families to their core. They even doubted now whether the traps they had set could truly kill Lu Yuan. And if they failed to kill him, what fate would await their three families? Time ticked away. Eventually, the representatives of the three families exchanged glances. Although they maintained ties with the martial arts circle, those connections were far from worth gambling their lives and family fortunes on. Now, even Hong Chuan was dead. Did the outcome between the martial arts circle and the Limit Martial Dao style even need to be stated? The martial arts circle had lost. A crushing, total defeat! Just as firearms had risen in the past and caused traditional martial arts to decline, the emergence of the Limit Martial Dao style meant the martial arts circle would likely fade into total obscurity, if not vanish entirely. "Mr. Lu, you must be joking." "Today, Hong Chuan merely asked our three families to bear witness." "Now that Hong Chuan has fallen before our eyes, the contest between the martial arts circle and the Limit Martial Dao style is decided." "Starting today, the Yulong Kingdom will no longer place any restrictions on the Limit Martial Dao style." The three great families finally made their choice. "It worked!" Senior Sister Xiang and the others from the Limit Martial Arts Hall could hardly contain their surging emotions. The Limit Martial Dao style had finally gathered an unstoppable momentum! After this event, the Limit Martial Dao style would face no further constraints within the Yulong Kingdom and could develop unhindered. In the near future, the martial arts circle would lose its entire market, utterly eclipsed by the Limit Martial Dao style on every front! Such a monumental milestone filled every member of the Limit Martial Arts Hall with genuine joy and excitement. Lu Changsheng, however, remained calm. The three families were clever; they had made the most prudent choice. Had they dared to act, he would not have minded wiping them out entirely. Of course, doing so would have plunged the entire Yulong Kingdom into turmoil, and the Long family alone would have been unable to quell the chaos in the short term. A turbulent kingdom was hardly conducive to the broad dissemination of his Limit Martial Dao style. What Lu Changsheng needed was its widespread propagation. Now that the kingdom remained stable and the various aristocratic families had witnessed his terrifying power, they would not only refrain from interfering, but would even actively support the Limit Martial Dao style. After all, no one wanted to offend Lu Yuan any longer. "Very well." "Senior Sister Xiang will stay behind to discuss with everyone how best to promote the Limit Martial Dao." "I will take my leave." With that, Lu Changsheng walked straight out of the estate. Far from angering the three families, his haughty demeanor made them breathe a collective sigh of relief. This ordeal was finally behind them. As for helping to promote the Limit Martial Dao style? How could they dare refuse? Besides, if the Limit Martial Dao was truly so miraculous, they wanted to practice it themselves. What if it really could prolong life? In a sense, it was a good thing. Over the next few days, advertisements and promotional campaigns for the Limit Martial Dao style flooded the Yulong Kingdom across the internet, television, and print media. Countless people were discussing the Limit Martial Dao. "How did the Limit Martial Dao suddenly roll out so many ads?" "It's far more than just ads. Look at those prime-time slots—money alone can't buy that kind of coverage. The backing behind the Limit Martial Dao style must be enormous." "Yeah, everywhere you look these days, you see promotions for it. But is the Limit Martial Dao really that miraculous?" Ordinary citizens grew deeply curious, searching for information online. The wave even rippled abroad, prompting people in other nations to inquire about the style. Yet while ordinary people chatted about it with curiosity, for those in the martial arts circle, the sky had practically fallen. Hong Chuan was dead! Any veteran martial master of the older generation who cultivated internal force knew what the name "Hong Chuan" signified. The King of the Century! A supreme figure standing at the pinnacle of martial arts. And yet, Hong Chuan was dead. According to reliable intelligence, Hong Chuan had fought Lu Yuan head-on and been bludgeoned to death on the spot. In fact, he had been reduced to a puddle of minced flesh, leaving not even a complete corpse! This sent shockwaves through martial masters everywhere. Not a single master dared oppose or obstruct the Limit Martial Dao any longer. Public interest in the style surged at an astonishing rate. Even so, as Lu Changsheng listened daily to Senior Sister Xiang's progress reports, he remained unsatisfied. "Not enough!" "Far from enough!" "The promotion of the Limit Martial Dao style must be faster, broader, and far more aggressive." "Not just in the Yulong Kingdom—it must spread to other nations as well!" Lu Changsheng's tone was resolute and brooked no argument. Though the style was expanding rapidly across the Yulong Kingdom, he still found it lacking. Far from enough. For Lu Changsheng had a benchmark, a point of comparison. And that was the Martial Dao itself! Within this secret world, the embryonic form of a Martial Dao had already faintly emerged. It had begun to take shape the moment he stepped into the transcendent realm, but it remained merely an embryo. It was still a long way from condensing into a complete Martial Dao. For that embryonic form to fully coalesce, the Limit Martial Dao style had to be vigorously promoted so that an ever-growing populace took up its practice. Only when a critical mass of people practiced it could the Martial Dao truly materialize in this secret world. While the current pace seemed swift within the Yulong Kingdom, compared to the entire world, it was negligible. Lu Changsheng required the people of the entire globe, not merely one kingdom. "We can no longer afford such sluggish promotion." Lu Changsheng had been considering alternatives during this period, and now he had finally devised a method. He believed this plan would make the Limit Martial Dao even more popular, spreading it across the globe and driving countless people to take up the practice. "Sect Master, what is your plan?" Senior Sister Xiang asked. Lu Changsheng glanced at her and said slowly, "Senior Sister Xiang, what do you think can spread across the entire world the fastest, reaching every household and every individual?" Senior Sister Xiang paused, pondering various possibilities, but none seemed entirely right. "Something free!" "Something that is both free and undeniably useful." "Only that can propagate the Limit Martial Dao style at maximum speed." "I have decided to publicly release all training methods of the Limit Martial Dao style for free, allowing anyone to practice on their own." "The Limit Martial Arts Hall will only offer advanced training and practical combat instruction." "We can even establish rank certifications!" Lu Changsheng laid out his concept. The Limit Martial Dao style would be divided into several tiers, with the authority to grant certifications held exclusively by the Limit Martial Arts Hall. That alone would ensure the hall's sustenance. Next came simplifying the training regimen; the simpler it was, the easier it would be to spread. Yet Lu Changsheng knew full well that even a free offering had to prove its utility if it was to take root in every household. He had to prove that the Limit Martial Dao was extraordinarily effective! "Go and release the video recording of my battle with Hong Chuan." "Also release the footage I took earlier of catching bullets barehanded and withstanding bomb blasts." "Have the major families of the Yulong Kingdom throw their full weight into promoting it." Lu Changsheng issued his instructions one by one. He had long since recorded all those feats on video. Once released, they were bound to shock the world! Yet merely releasing the footage was not enough; practical action had to follow. "After releasing the videos, issue invitations in the name of the Limit Martial Arts Hall to experts across the globe to participate in the Limit Martial Dao Tournament!" "Whoever can defeat me at the tournament will receive a prize of one billion!" "As for the tournament rules... there are no rules! Bringing rocket launchers, strapping on explosives, or driving tanks is all permissible." "As long as you can defeat me, the one billion is yours!" Lu Changsheng's voice was deep and steady. Hearing that he intended to host a Limit Martial Dao Tournament with absolutely no rules, Senior Sister Xiang felt her heart tremble. This was simply too incredible! Yet the wilder it sounded, the greater the global sensation it would create. With this two-pronged approach, the Limit Martial Dao style might truly sweep the globe in the shortest possible time! Provided, of course, that Lu Yuan remained undefeated and invincible at the tournament. On that point, Senior Sister Xiang harbored no doubt whatsoever. "Understood, Sect Master," she replied respectfully. Lu Changsheng had always trusted her efficiency. Sure enough, in just a few days, several video clips appeared across internet platforms, television stations, and various media outlets. They showed Lu Changsheng's duel against the King of the Century, Hong Chuan, alongside footage of him catching bullets barehanded and withstanding bomb blasts. Instantly, the internet erupted, and the entire world was set ablaze. "Look at this! Is this really not a movie? Catching bullets barehanded, shrugging off bombs—this is unbelievable!" "It's real! This footage was released through official channels in the Yulong Kingdom; it's definitely authentic!" "The man in the video is named Lu Yuan, the founder of the Limit Martial Dao style. A classmate of mine from the Yulong Kingdom told me that Lu Yuan's self-created style makes one invulnerable to blades and spears. He's practically a living legend over there." "The video seems completely genuine... Enduring bombs with flesh and blood, catching bullets with bare hands... It defies belief." For the general public, catching bullets and enduring bombs drew the most attention. As for Hong Chuan? They had never heard of him. Furthermore, visually speaking, the duel between Lu Changsheng and Hong Chuan was not particularly cinematic; it merely showed two men expanding their muscles into small giants, which looked somewhat exaggerated. The apparent destructive scale was not as visually striking as catching bullets barehanded or withstanding an explosion. For grabbing eyeballs, barehanded bullet-catching reigned supreme. Yet for those in the know, the battle between Lu Yuan and Hong Chuan drew far more scrutiny. They knew who Hong Chuan was—the illustrious King of the Century! And yet, even that legendary king had fallen at Lu Yuan's hands. Moreover, the feats displayed by both men defied ordinary comprehension. Especially Lu Yuan, who had suddenly expanded into a small giant over three meters tall and crushed Hong Chuan—himself a formidable two-meter muscular titan—into a puddle of meat with a single strike. What kind of monstrous strength did that require? "Investigate! We must thoroughly investigate what happened. Did Lu Yuan and Hong Chuan truly engage in such a duel?" "Lu Yuan is reportedly quite young. How could he have beaten the King of the Century to death? And he made it look so effortless!" "Rumors claim that the Limit Martial Dao style he created can prolong life. Is there any truth to that?" "Within three days, I want every scrap of intelligence on Lu Yuan and the Limit Martial Dao style on my desk..." Influential figures in various countries mobilized all their resources to look into Lu Yuan and his style. For roughly a month, the videos continued to cause a stir across the globe. Then, another massive piece of news broke from the Yulong Kingdom. Lu Yuan, founder of the Limit Martial Dao style, openly invited the world's top combatants to participate in the Limit Martial Dao Tournament! Anyone who defeated or killed Lu Yuan at the tournament would receive a cash prize of one billion! It was a mind-boggling sum. To prove its legitimacy, the prize money was immediately notarized and transferred to a third-party escrow account. It was absolute and authentic! Crucially, weapons were not prohibited in the tournament. That included firearms, explosives, and anything else. The most important rule of the tournament was that there were no rules! The sole objective was to defeat or kill the opponent. The announcement set the entire world ablaze. "This is insane! A one-billion prize, and you can use any means necessary without any rules—as long as you defeat Lu Yuan, the billion is yours!" "With one billion, you wouldn't spend it all in ten lifetimes..." "Heh, one billion is a fortune, but it won't be easy to claim. If those earlier videos are genuine, Lu Yuan is invulnerable, can catch bullets barehanded, and can survive bombs. What could possibly kill him?" "Ha, you actually believe that? Lu Yuan is just pulling a stunt to make a name for his style. Do you really think flesh and blood can withstand bullets and bombs?" "Beyond ten paces, the gun is fast. Within ten paces, the gun is both fast and accurate. I don't believe flesh and blood can stop bullets. Let me, the Twin Gunslinger, enter the tournament—I'll take Lu Yuan down and claim that billion!" With the one-billion bounty made public, countless people went wild. The sensation was overwhelming. Now, even those in the most remote corners of the world learned of the Limit Martial Dao and its tournament, as well as Lu Yuan, its founder. At this moment, Lu Changsheng's initial objective was achieved. All that remained was the tournament itself. Under the watchful eyes of the entire world, he would defeat challenger after challenger, demonstrating in person that catching bullets and enduring bombs was no camera trick. When that happened, the Limit Martial Dao would be embraced worldwide, and countless people would begin practicing it. Three months passed in the blink of an eye. The start of the Limit Martial Dao Tournament drew near. All manner of extraordinary figures from every corner of the earth converged on Yudu, each possessing remarkable skills. Most had come to compete in the tournament, though intelligence agents from various nations naturally mingled among them. As the tournament commenced, countless eyes turned toward the arena. Viewership ratings skyrocketed straight to number one, outstripping every other program by an astronomical margin. That alone spoke to the sheer volume of people tuning in. Lu Yuan, however, did not show himself initially. Instead, the masters from various lands battled among themselves. The tournament required selecting the top ten contenders before any would earn the right to challenge Lu Yuan. Because there were so many participants, it took an entire month to whittle them down to the final ten. Fortunately, the contestants hailed from across the globe and brought diverse, exotic fighting styles, making the bouts thoroughly entertaining and keeping ratings at record highs. In recent days, the ratings set yet another record. Everyone knew the time had come: the founder of the Limit Martial Dao would finally step forward to accept the challenges of the top ten. People had waited a long time for this day. Inside the largest Limit Martial Arts Hall in Yudu, Senior Sister Xiang was reporting on the tournament's progress. "Sect Master, the top ten contenders have emerged. Whose challenge do you plan to accept first?" she asked. "Whose challenge?" Lu Changsheng shook his head and replied calmly, "Tomorrow, have all ten of them come at me together." "What? All ten at once?" His words caught her off guard. "Yes, all ten together. I don't have the spare time to dawdle with them one by one." "Finishing all ten at once tomorrow will create a far greater impact!" "When that happens, countless people will believe in the Limit Martial Dao style and actively take up its practice." Lu Changsheng spoke placidly. He had done so much: releasing the videos, staging the tournament, offering one billion in prize money, and preparing to release the training methods for free the moment he won tomorrow. He could already envision the grand spectacle of the majority of the world's population actively practicing the Limit Martial Dao. "Understood, Sect Master. I will make the arrangements at once." Senior Sister Xiang pressed no further and immediately went to carry out the orders. Lu Changsheng brought up his attribute panel to examine his status. Host: Lu Yuan Limit Martial Dao style: Tertiary Growth (52%) Counting the time, five months had passed since he broke through to tertiary growth. Reaching 52% in five months averaged roughly 10% progress per month. That was despite his having increased the voltage and consumed massive amounts of potent tonics every day. Even so, the pace continued to slow. In a few more months, he might not even be able to sustain 10% per month. "Fifty-two percent... Almost there. Reaching one hundred percent, the limit of tertiary growth, will take another few months." "And there is roughly one year left until the three-year deadline." "With only one year remaining, I must condense the Martial Dao..." Lu Changsheng had a premonition that this world was on the verge of forming its Martial Dao. Hadn't all his efforts been directed toward this single goal? Currently, it was merely an embryonic form, still some distance from a true Martial Dao. Everything hinged on tomorrow's outcome. The next day, the tournament arena's tens of thousands of seats were packed to capacity. This was a global spectacle! The entire world was watching this battle. "He's here! Lu Yuan, the founder of the Limit Martial Dao style, has arrived!" "It's him! It really is him! He looks just like the video—so incredibly young..." "Indeed. They say it's only been two years since he created the style. Two years ago, he was eliminated in the first round of a martial arts tournament and nearly beaten to death." "In just two years, he has vaulted to become one of the most talked-about figures on earth. Is his self-created Limit Martial Dao style truly that powerful?" "Whether it's that strong or not, we'll find out shortly..." Countless pairs of eyes converged upon Lu Changsheng inside the arena. The founder of the Limit Martial Dao style. The man who crushed the King of the Century! The warrior said to be invulnerable to blades and spears, able to catch bullets barehanded and withstand bombs. Every one of Lu Yuan's exploits had become household knowledge. And now, he had finally appeared. Step by step, Lu Yuan walked to the center of the arena floor. Arrayed below were the top ten contenders who had fought their way through a month of brutal eliminations. These ten experts watched Lu Yuan with solemn, measuring gazes that nonetheless carried a provocative edge. Each hoped to be chosen first, for the one-billion prize could only be claimed once. Whoever defeated Lu Yuan first would take the entire purse. Once Lu Yuan fell, the tournament would be over. Thus, claiming the reward required a touch of luck. Lu Changsheng's gaze swept over the ten contenders. Then he spoke. "All ten of you, come at me together." His words plunged the entire arena into absolute silence. "Did I hear that right? Lu Yuan wants to fight all ten?" "You heard right, that's exactly what he said." "This... this is sheer arrogance! None of these ten are simple. Over a month of battles, each has displayed terrifying quirks and trump cards. Take that bomb maniac—nobody knows where he pulls explosives from, but every single one of his opponents was blown to bits without exception!" "And that short man in black—who knows how many guns he carries? He once controlled twelve firearms simultaneously using fine wires, an unbelievable technique. Against him, opponents were riddled with bullets before they could even brush his clothes." "Then there's that woman covered in chemical reagents, concocting horrific mixtures that take people down before they even realize it..." After the initial hush, the arena erupted into an uproar. Who could have imagined that Lu Yuan would be so reckless as to take on all ten at once? Every single one of them was terrifying in their own right, let alone all ten together. Lu Yuan was practically seeking his own death. Yet their clamor could not sway Lu Changsheng. Hands clasped behind his back, he stood calmly in the arena and said coldly, "What are you waiting for? All ten of you, come!" The ten contenders' expressions darkened. One of them called out, "If all ten of us attack together, who gets the one-billion prize once you're dead or defeated? That would be up for debate." "Right! Are we supposed to split it?" "I have no interest in splitting it—that billion belongs to me!" The primary reason they hesitated to fight together was the prize money. Lu Changsheng let out a light sigh. "If I die, each of you will receive one billion!" It was merely ten billion in total; the Limit Martial Arts Hall could easily afford it. Besides, if he died, what use would money be to him? He would simply return to the Saint Domain, and his efforts in this secret world would go to waste. Of course, the likelihood of that was microscopic. Having entered the transcendent realm, how could Lu Changsheng possibly lose? "Fine! Then all ten of us will attack!" With Lu Changsheng's promise of one billion each, the ten experts hesitated no longer and stepped forward together, glaring at him like beasts stalking their prey. Through his senses, Lu Changsheng could tell that none of them were easy targets. Even as they walked up, someone had already made a covert move—namely the woman, who was discreetly mixing chemical reagents. Her movements were so subtle as to be virtually undetectable. Yet Lu Changsheng had no intention of stopping her. His body had undergone tertiary growth; not only was it impervious to blades and bullets, it was immune to all poisons. Fire and water, toxins, chemical reagents—none of them posed the slightest threat to him. "Can we begin?" someone asked. "You may." As soon as the host spoke, one man's face twisted into a cruel grin. "Detonate!" he roared. *Rumble! Boom!* Deafening explosions tore through the air, and towering flames instantly swallowed Lu Yuan's figure.