Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)
Chapter 332: The beginning of the conflict (2)

'Arial pay respect to Eastern Devil, Northern Badger and Western Serpent. It is an honor to meet all these wonderful heroes today' he said.

'Pay respect! Hah!' Western Serpent rebuked.

Yet, Arial is unaffected, still wearing a pleasant smile.

'I heard what happen. You want to challenge us? YOU!' she said with disdain clear in her tone

'Yes.' He answered confidently; his eyes did not leave Western Serpent scrutiny relaying his determination and courage.

'Don't you know to measure your own abilities, kid?'

'No' Arial reply grinning at her. He will contend with this serpent to the end. Did she really think he is afraid of her?

He has fought dragons, participated in wars, inflicted with a fatal poison and he has killed countless of people calling themselves the strongest….and haven't he defeated all of them? What does he fear under the heavens? Nothing…. but himself.

Arial scoffed and then he reply

'I am an idiot, to be honest, low of understanding. The more people said I shouldn't do something, the more I want to do it. That is one of my flaws; one might even say, my quirks. I don't like people telling me what I can do, or can't do. I need to try it for myself to know whether I really can't do it or not'

'HAHAHAHA' The crowd laugh. They all could see Arial is playing around with the Western Serpent, denigrating himself like that.

He continued his words.

'Wouldn't it be hilarious if an idiot manages to defeat one of the Immortals? It would be funny to me. Though with the Immortals prodigious skill, I might make a fool of myself but an idiot like me always make an overestimation of my own ability…. This is after all the idiocy of youth' and he chuckled.

Western Serpent is red on the face, her eyes glaring at the audacity of Arial to play around with words around her. Rarely have she been challenged this boldly.

'You! You have won the tournament but you want the gift and the right to fight us? Who do you think you are! That is-' Western Serpent is beginning to lecture

'Greedy?' Arial quickly cut Western serpent words.

'You would be absolutely right. I am a greedy bastard. A very greedy, greedy bastard.' And the crowd laugh again as they see Arial make a very greedy expression resembling that of a merchant.

In a way Arial is a merchant. Then he continued

'If I am allowed, I would even take the world, and everything in it, hoard all the gold from the Western Sea to the Eastern Sea, drain all its resources from the High Heaven to the Deepest Oblivion. I want the Pills, the treasures and also I want to fight the figures, people said the strongest in the land. I want to usurp your title, defeat you. I am greedy, Western Serpent, greedy and prideful but at least not hubris. My pride has its limits. Your pride….is vast like the Plains, high as the Heaven. Strongest in the world! Hah…. What kind of hubris this is? Just because people kept calling three of you Immortals do you really think you are invincible?'

The Elders clapped. The word they want to hear is spoken so boldly by this young man. In a way the scene is really pathetic.

All of this elders dare not act this boldly but instead, as the older generation they should be the one doing things like this, yet they put all their hope in this young man.

Arial lecture the Immortals with no hint of fear. The Northern Badger is creasing his eyebrow, showing an amused expression, while the Eastern Devil is expressionless.

'What!' Arial yelled out as he realized the glaring of Serpent Maidens.

'DO YOU WANT TO DIE! HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! LOWER YOUR GAZE!' He shouted and he put some internal energy in it.

There is a blast of energy and the Maidens quickly lower their gaze as they tried to calm the blood that is roiling inside their body.

'YOU DARE!' Western Serpent rebuked Arial ordering around her maidens. Nobody does that to her maiden but her.

'I dare do all that may become a man!' Arial reply boldly.

'YOU!'

'Why? Afraid? To part with your treasure or afraid getting beaten by me?' Arial quickly speak giving no chance for Western Serpent to retaliation in this battle of words

'Fine, if you want to fight us so badly so be it! I am not afraid at all. I as the organizer of this Meet accept. Winner takes all. If you win, take the treasure and take the title that comes with it. If you lose, then your life will lose here. If you think offending me is not a big deal, you will understand when you felt your last breath leave your body! I will gladly take this chance to kill yo-'

'Who said anything about fighting you?' Arial said once again chuckling with delight seeing the embarrassed face of the Western Serpent.

'I want to challenge the Eastern Devil. Let us decide which one of us, is truly the strongest in the east.'

Hearing this, Eastern Devil perked up.

'Pick another boy. You will not survive me. At least pick Northern Badger. He seems to have some soft spot for you.'

Arial look around and see that the Northern Badger is smiling. Beside him is Liao Bao, hiding near Northern Badger and smile sheepishly. Then Arial look back at the Eastern Devil

'Hah! I am stubborn, old man. I pick you.'

Suddenly the blue haired girl jumps in front of her teacher and then addresses Arial.

'Lord Arial please take that back. That is a rash decision to fight with my teacher.' Arial voice smoothens.

'We meet again, blue hair girl. I never got your name the last time we meet.'

Arial said. There is a hint of blush in the Veiled lady cheeks.

'Yes, we meet again. I have thought you have forgotten me' She reply; her voice stutters a bit.

'How could I ever forget?' Arial reply seeing that the girl speaks so softly to him, that even his heart fluttered.

The other martial artist all could sense there is something between these two people.

From what they know of the Veiled Lady, she is very cruel but she is also reported to be very pretty.

But anyone who has seen her face is either blinded for seeing her or being subjected to tongue cutting so that they could not describe her beauty.

But seeing the silky voice of the lady when confronted with this young lord, of course there are many speculations abound in terms of their relationships.

'I must fight one of them. And I have chosen.' Arial said.

'My teacher is very powerful. Please Lord Arial there is no need to risk your life. There are other opportunities. Take this as a guiding lesson for your future improvement.' Arial snorted.

'What? Do you think I am weak then? That my words are not spoken after great deliberation? Your teacher is powerful? So am I.'

'Please, I don't want you to get hurt.' There is some affection, a hint of earnest yearning, a hint of worried gesture, like a lover advising her man not to go to war, one that is recognized by everyone but Arial.

'I'm sorry my lady, but I have decided.'

The Veiled Lady looks at Arial and sighed. She has thought that this would happen even if she persuades him.

All this years…and still so, so stubborn.

To be honest their meeting was years ago, and they only met one time but…. she recognizes something when they clashed. Fist to fist, kick to kick. He is stubborn, a quality that he shared with her.

'You are stubborn, Divine Dragon.'

'I take that as a compliment.' Arial reply

'Then do not hold anything against me if you are injured heavily by my teacher. And if I attack you…. know that I have no choice.'

'Hahaha. Why would I burden you with such responsibilities?' The Veiled Lady turn her face to her teacher cupped her hand and asked.

'Will you accept his invitation to a duel, teacher?'

Even the other Immortals are curious of Eastern Devil answer.

'I accept'

'Hmph.' The Western Serpent snorted.

'You are dead, kid.' She said as she steps down of the arena.

'I will become the judge for this battle since I doubt that the Western Serpent will be impartial in her judgment' said Northern Badger drawing laughter from the crowd.

Most of the martial art world knows that Northern Badger is joking. He has a disposition like that.

Of all the Immortals he is the most sociable with people since he meddles incessantly with the matter of the martial art world compared to the other three.

'Shall we begin this?' the Northern Badger said, his voice is still jolly. He is rarely offended if it's just personal attack on him which is why he is still jolly.

Arial get up the arena and began preparing himself. The Eastern Devil also steps up to the arena and takes a deep breath.

Power swirls on the arena as this two figures are about to clash. The other spectators all moved a fair distance from the arena.

This is a battle between an expert and an Immortals. This is not the place for them to meddle. This is a battle between the Devil...and the Dragon.

’Begin' with that shout the battle begins.

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