Ryujin found himself encircled by members of the Frost Dragon Sect, which included several Core Disciples, Inner Disciples, and Outer Disciples. Three Inner Disciples lay unconscious on the floor, while a Core Disciple in Ryujin's right hand was losing consciousness due to his grip around their throat.
"You can't even defeat a blind mortal like me, yet you dare call yourself a Core Disciple?" said Ryujin.
"Let me go, you lowly servant!"
"Hmm, pathetic…" Ryujin tightened his grip once more, causing the Core Disciple, Liu Chen, to gasp for air before being thrown to the ground.
"Cough! Cough! How dare you!"
Ryujin then delivered a kick to Liu Chen's abdomen, leaving him unconscious on the ground with a broken hand and leg. Afterward, Ryujin adjusted his attire and stood in place, deep in thought. "Why is this Core Disciple so weak?"
Witnessing Ryujin's actions, the other disciples dared not approach and could only converse among themselves about what they had just seen. Some discussed Ryujin's actions, while others focused on his seemingly blind state and his use of the terms "servant" and "mortal."
Amidst the hushed conversations, one disciple murmured, "Did you see that? He took down Liu Chen effortlessly. And he referred to himself as a blind man?"
Another disciple chimed in, "Yeah, it's unbelievable. How could a mere mortal, let alone a servant, overpower a Core Disciple like that?"
"Murmur… Murmur… Murmuring!"
This had occurred ten minutes ago, after Ryujin had changed into a servant uniform. In truth, Ryujin hadn't changed his clothes completely; the servant uniform had a similar color and shorter sleeves than his robes. Thus, he layered the servant robe over the Black Elemental Robes to make use of the armor's stat-enhancing effects without wasting them.
"Well, this way I don't have to waste the effect," Ryujin said while looking into the mirror to ensure he didn't appear disheveled.
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[Black Elemental Robes]
TYPE: Armor
TIER: Spiritual Tier
EFFECT: +50 ENDURANCE
[SKILL]: Merging with Darkness [PASSIVE]
DESCRIPTION: The Black Elemental Robes are of spiritual tier. They seamlessly merge with darkness, allowing the wearer to move stealthily in the shadows. In the past, assassins used the Black Elemental Robes to conceal themselves.
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Ryujin emerged from the changing room and walked to the spot where he had been left by Master Xiao Mihwa and Elder Suwon. Before long, he stood there, and several disciples began to notice his presence, albeit with a different appearance. Many women initially thought Ryujin looked quite masculine with the blindfold, silky white hair, and clear skin. However, their perception shifted as they saw the attire he was wearing, which resembled that of an attendant or servant from the Frost Dragon Sect. Some even chuckled at the sight of a blind Ryujin carrying a sword at his hip. Laughter, jests, and mockery began to envelop Ryujin.
Yet, Ryujin paid no attention to the surrounding commotion until a few individuals called out to him.
"Mur... Mur... murmuring," uttered the disciples as they looked at Ryujin.
"Well, I used to be like this," thought Ryujin silently.
Core Disciple Liu Chen and his three followers—Zhao Li, Zhang Jie, and Sun Lei—approached Ryujin, addressing him loudly.
"HEY, LOWLY SERVANT!" exclaimed one of the Inner Disciples, Zhao Li.
Ryujin remained silent, observing his surroundings, and disregarding Zhao Li's words.
"MAYBE HE'S NOT JUST BLIND, BUT DEAF TOO, HAHAHA!" laughed one of the Inner Disciples behind Core Disciple Liu Chen.
"Hmm, it seems he's a servant of the Crimson Frostblaze Clan," Sun Lei whispered to Liu Chen, who led their group.
"Ooo, from The Lowest Clan?" Liu Chen replied, seeking confirmation from Sun Lei, his voice audible to everyone.
"Yes, the clan that's practically useless due to its lack of disciples," Sun Lei responded.
Upon hearing this, Ryujin furrowed his brows and glanced in their direction.
"So, you can hear me, Lowly Servant!"
"..." Ryujin contemplated what he should do with them. He continued to gaze at them without taking any action. His inaction wasn't rooted in fear, but rather in his consideration of the potential aftermath if he were to retaliate against them.
"HEY!! CAN YOU HEAR US!! WE NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN BRING OUR YOUNG MASTER'S STUFF!!" Zhao Li repeatedly called out to Ryujin.
"..." Ryujin remained unmoved by their words, thinking, "Is it not just leaving a barking dog be?" He reminded himself to stay patient.
"THIS DOG, HOW DARE YOU IGNORE US!!" Sun Lei exclaimed, attempting to strike Ryujin.
"..." However, Ryujin simply evaded Sun Lei's attack, which seemed slow and tedious.
"Poor servant..." murmured one of the female disciples.
"Shouldn't we report this?" remarked another disciple.
"Somebody has already reported it to the Disciple Hall," answered an Inner Disciple.
"SUN, YOU CAN'T EVEN PUNCH A BLIND MAN, HAHA! LET ME TEACH YOU!!" Zhang Jie followed, attempting to strike Ryujin.
"..." Yet again, Ryujin effortlessly dodged both Sun Lei and Zhang Jie's sluggish attacks.
Observing this, Liu Chen's expression turned somewhat angry as he turned to Zhao Li. "Zhao Li, go and teach that blind man a lesson."
Zhao Li nodded and drew his sword, launching an attack from behind on Ryujin. Nonetheless, Ryujin evaded the strikes from all three Inner Disciples. The Inner Disciples witnessing this were flushed with embarrassment at how a blind person could easily avoid their attacks.
The crowd grew larger, forming a circle around the confrontation between the Core Disciple and Ryujin.
Then, Liu Chen spoke up, "Are you kidding me? You can't even hurt a blind man?"
"Do any of you remember that their Core Disciple is just a worthless without skills?" Liu Chen continued with a mocking tone directed at Ryujin.
Hearing this sentence, Ryujin's patience snapped, and he delivered powerful kicks to the chests of three Inner Disciples.
"PUFF!! Cough!! Cough!!" The Inner Disciples coughed up blood after the kicks.
"HOW DARE YOU!!" one of the Inner Disciples, Zhao Li, exclaimed.
"Can you take responsibility for what you just said?" Ryujin asked Liu Chen, ignoring Zhao Li.
"Of course. Your lady is beautiful, but she's a useless Core Disciple," Liu Chen retorted to Ryujin.
"I see. Then why don't you show me your skill? Or is your skill just average?" Ryujin said with a smile, though anger simmered beneath the surface. He was waiting for the four of them to draw their swords, so he could defend himself if they attacked.
"HEHEHEHE!! HOW DARE A LOWLY SERVANT SAY THAT TO ME," Liu Chen laughed.
"Don't laugh, you stink!" Ryujin retorted, holding his nose.
"BASTARD!! ALL OF YOU, KILL HIM! HE'S JUST A LOWLY SERVANT!" Liu Chen ordered his subordinates.
Zhao Li, Zhang Jie, and Sun Lei charged at Ryujin, swinging their swords from various directions.
Ryujin spoke loudly, "This is self-defense, OK."
In an instant, Ryujin activated his skills, [Weakness Detection Lv.Max] and [Acceleration Lv.Max], which maximized his senses and allowed him to identify the vulnerabilities of the three Inner Disciples. Ryujin moved incredibly fast, using his elbow to break Zhao Li's sword, striking Zhao Li's face with his right hand, followed by a kick to Zhang Jie's neck, and finally knocking Sun Lei's jaw with his knee. All of this happened in less than 2 seconds.
"Hey... He didn't kill them, right?" one of the disciples questioned.
"I don't think so, but they're not moving at all."
"Mur... Mur... murmuring!" Some of the disciples panicked and ran to the Disciple Hall to report.
"Did you see his moves?" Yan Hua asked.
"Yes, senior. It was fast," Bai Wei replied to Core Disciple Yan Hua.
Several Core Disciples were astonished by Ryujin's movements. They couldn't believe that Ryujin was blind, but it was evident that he was mortal. The three Inner Disciples lay motionless on the ground, and some disciples even suspected they might be dead. Liu Chen, seeing this, turned red with anger.
Then Core Disciple Liu Chen continued, "Is that ugly sword in your hand just for show? Why don't you demonstrate it?"
"..." Ryujin remained silent, pondering whether to torture him for mocking his precious sword. However, he realized that would be childish.
Seeing Ryujin's silence, Core Disciple Liu Chen's face reddened. He attacked Ryujin. Observing the slow and feeble attack, Ryujin commented, "That's it?"
Liu Chen then activated one of his Earth-tier skills called "A Thousand Sword Light." Despite its name, only ten swords were summoned. The performance left everyone amazed, except for Ryujin, who burst into laughter.
"PFFT!! Even a blind me can see if there are only 10 of them! HAHAHA!" Ryujin exclaimed while laughing.
Liu Chen launched an attack targeting Ryujin's vital areas, shouting, "DIE, LOWLY SERVANT!"
However, Ryujin had already activated [Weakness Detection Lv.Max] and [Acceleration Lv.Max]. He lightly touched each of the ten light swords before disappearing.
"WHAT THE...!!" Before Liu Chen could fully comprehend it, Ryujin was already in front of him, delivering a punch to Liu Chen's abdomen.
Ryujin whispered softly, "Don't think it will be over so quickly," to Liu Chen, who was doubled over in pain. Ryujin's left hand held Liu Chen's shoulder, while his right leg delivered a swift kick to Liu Chen's kneecap, forming an inverted "L" shape.
Liu Chen, in pain and tears, managed to say, "How dare you!! After recovering, I will pay you back ten times, no, a hundred times...!!!"
"Really? Then I'll eagerly await your revenge. But for now, let me teach you a little more," Ryujin said.
"NO... Please, don't you know who I am?" Liu Chen pleaded with a mix of desperation and pride.
"How can I know? I just joined the sect today!"
"F*ck you! DON'T THINK YOU CAN SLEEP AFTER ALL YOU'VE DONE..." Liu Chen's words were cut off by a slap from Ryujin.
"SPANK!"
"Can you stop blabbering? It hurts my ears, and I'm not lying when I say your mouth stinks," Ryujin commented, covering Liu Chen's mouth with his hand.
"MMMHMMM!!"
Ryujin followed with another blow to Liu Chen's abdomen, rendering him unable to speak due to the pain. Then, Ryujin broke Liu Chen's right hand using his own leg.
"AGGH!! SNIFF! AGGH!! SNIFF!" Liu Chen cried in agony but couldn't articulate any words.
"You can't even defeat a blind mortal like me, yet you dare call yourself a Core Disciple?" Ryujin taunted.
"L-LET M..E GO!!, lowly servant!" Liu Chen sobbed, clutching his broken hand and foot.
"Hmm, pathetic..." Ryujin tightened his grip once more, causing Liu Chen to struggle for breath before throwing him to the ground.
"Cough! Cough! How dare you!"
Ryujin then delivered a kick to Liu Chen's abdomen, leaving him unconscious on the ground with a broken hand and Broken leg. Afterward, Ryujin adjusted his attire and stood in place, deep in thought. "Why is this Core Disciple so weak?"
[Congratulations! You have advanced to a new level]
"..."
"..."
Witnessing Ryujin's actions, the other disciples dared not approach and could only talk amongst themselves about what they had just witnessed. Some discussed Ryujin's actions, while others focused on his seemingly blind state and his interactions with the term "servant" and "mortal."
Amidst the hushed conversations, one disciple murmured, "Did you see that? He took down Liu Chen effortlessly. And he referred to himself as a blind man?"
Another disciple chimed in, "Yeah, it's unbelievable. How could a mere mortal, let alone a servant, overpower a Core Disciple like that?"
"Mur..Mur...Murmuring!"
This incident didn't escape the notice of the Elders and Grand Elder who were observing Ryujin's battle with the four disciples. Some of the Elders were baffled by Ryujin's ability to defeat both Core Disciples and Inner Disciples. After a while, Xiao Mihwa and Elder Suwon, who were observing the situation from a distance, grasped the underlying dynamics. However, they remained silent.
"Looks like you have one more problem student," Elder Suwon remarked.
"..." Xiao Mihwa could only remain silent before responding, "No, he is doing the right thing. Anyway, let's go to Ryujin; he has been waiting for too long."
"Well, he is so cool, isn't he? HAHAHA," Elder Suwon chuckled.
"..."
"..."