CHAPTER 191: HIGHER LEVEL DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN HIGHER STRENGTH

From the mansion, Kairos’s smile faltered for the first time. Smoke curled around his lips as his cigarette trembled.

"Bai Young..." he muttered, watching the red-haired figure march through fire and rubble without slowing. "If you don’t crush him now, this entire camp will burn."

After a moment of hesitation, the towering figure moved from his position, slowly heading toward the door.

"I’ll get rid of him, young master." Bai Young’s gruff voice echoed as he stepped out with a furious look on his face, the air trembling.

"Good," smirked Kairos as he leaned back in his seat while watching the screen. He replayed the scene where Gabriel had destroyed the armored truck with a single attack, and he couldn’t help but feel a cold shiver run down his spine.

"Fortunately, Bai Young is here to handle the mess. If not, I would have found myself in a very troublesome situation," he mumbled, eyes fixed on the monitor.

Outside, Gabriel had dealt with all the bandits single-handedly, and the path leading toward the tower-like structure where the big boss lived was now clear.

However, Gabriel didn’t rush in. He could feel a foreign aura, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is it the boss?" Gabriel muttered under his breath. He wasn’t frightened or intimidated; rather, he felt a strange anticipation in his heart—an inward wish that whoever stepped out of that door would be a powerful opponent.

While he was deep in thought, he finally saw the towering silhouette of a person.

The man was easily seven feet tall and had a muscular physique. He was bald and wore a robe covered with dragon engravings.

Furthermore, he wore a single purple earring in one ear, which gave him a striking look even though his features were subpar at best.

’A martial artist...’ Gabriel deduced. The foreign energy he sensed earlier was because this person brimmed with a vast pool of qi that stirred everything around him.

Gabriel activated Sapphire of Deep, and information about the martial warrior was revealed to him.

"Hero Rank." Thinking about his class advancement requirement, which demanded a certain number of Hero Ranks defeated, a wicked smile touched his lips.

"Why are you laughing, brat?" Bai Young couldn’t help but ask, irritated by the smile.

"I just discovered that killing you would help me progress my strength." Gabriel was brutally honest as he held the gaze of the seven-foot martial artist.

Bai Young’s face turned red, and a large vein threatened to explode across his square yet chubby face.

Moments later, he exhaled, and his expression slowly returned to normal. "With a simple glance, I can tell you have yet to complete your first class advancement. And even if you’re powerful, how confident are you to think you’ll escape the clutches of I, Bai Young, a disciple of the strongest martial artist alive!"

Strongest martial artist alive? There was only one person with that title: Bai Tian, Patriarch of the Martial Palace, whose headquarters were situated in the Tialan Kingdom.

Bai Tian—a Champion Rank human.

Despite recalling this, Gabriel’s expression remained cold. He had no memory of this man from his previous life, but knowing how the Martial Palace operated, he had an idea.

"Let me guess, you were banished from the guild?"

Bai Young didn’t respond, which proved Gabriel’s suspicion correct.

"Thought as much. You’re not as special as you think."

BANG!

Bai Young stomped the ground, the earth sinking as he exploded forward, charging toward Gabriel with his fist coated in qi.

His charge was like a bull let loose. The ground split under his steps, dust spiraling around his frame as his qi-coated fist cut through the air toward Gabriel’s chest.

The pressure alone made weaker bandits in the distance stumble and clutch their throats.

Gabriel took a single step back, his muscles tightening, and then he swung his fist forward as well, without holding back.

BANG!

The collision was like two mountains slamming together. Gabriel’s arm shot forward, Bai Young’s punch met it head-on. The shockwave blasted outward, tossing rubble like dry leaves and snapping nearby wooden structures in half.

BOOM! BOOM!

For a brief moment, both men stood locked in place, veins bulging as raw force battled against raw force.

"You’re strong," Bai Young growled, teeth clenched, his robe flaring as qi surged through him like a roaring river. "But you’re not on my level!"

Gabriel only grinned wider, his voice cold. "Funny... I was about to say the same thing. You’re higher level than me, but a higher level doesn’t always mean higher strength."

Bai Young’s expression twisted, his eyes flashing with confusion. What kind of cryptic nonsense was this?

Right then, Gabriel twisted his wrist at the last second, redirecting Bai Young’s power and slamming his free fist upward into the martial artist’s chest.

Bai Young staggered back half a step, eyes flashing with surprise.

-5000

A smirk appeared on Gabriel’s face when he saw the damage bar floating above Bai Young’s head.

Inside the mansion, Kairos’s expression darkened. No one had ever forced Bai Young back in a direct clash.

Subconsciously, he crushed the cigar in his grasp. The women surrounding him and showering him with kisses sensed the shift in mood and quickly distanced themselves before they got hurt.

The Hero Rank martial artist steadied himself, his aura flaring brighter, the dragon engravings on his robe glowing faintly as if answering his rage.

Gabriel didn’t plan on wasting too much time taking over this base, so he proceeded with another attack.

"Dark Flame Orb!"

Two flaming orbs of dark fire shot toward Bai Young, who roared in turn. "Heaven’s Shield!"

A golden qi barrier covered him from head to toe.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

All three overcharged orbs exploded against the barrier without leaving a dent. Afterwards, he deactivated the shield, bared his teeth, and charged again—this time even faster, his qi forming the phantom outline of a roaring dragon around his arm.

***

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