'This is humiliating, but I have no choice. I have to swallow my shame, for I do not have the strength to defend myself against him yet.
Strength makes the world go round, and the weak are doomed to be oppressed. If they want to survive, they have to learn to endure.
Survival should be my priority right now because, after that, everything is possible, ' Ricky carefully reflected himself in his heart.
"Huh? I'm surprised you can still stand up. Perhaps, I'm being too charitable," remarked Lanny with a nasty smirk. As soon as he finished speaking, he put more pressure on Ricky with his domineering aura.
He was well aware that he couldn't kill Ricky while the other man was a disciple of the Misty South Palace, and especially not in such a public setting.
Thus, he traveled all the way here just to humiliate Ricky, intending to provoke the other man until he went berserk or to discourage him, at the very least. He planned to show that no matter how hard Ricky worked, he would always be superior, and Ricky's efforts would always be in vain.
Of course, Lanny went through all this effort, not because he was confident, but because he felt threatened by Ricky's talent.
Not only that, but he also believed Ricky had acquired Eli's inheritance.
Eli wasn't the best warrior in his era, but he was certainly one of the most powerful warriors at the Potentate Level.
And if Ricky possessed two spiritual potentates' inheritances, he would be an obstacle in Lanny's path. Even if he lacked talent, Lanny couldn't underestimate him. But he knew that Ricky was a genius.
That was why he had to nip this in the bud. He had to cripple Ricky before he became too strong. And he planned to do this by discouraging Ricky until he lost heart and gave up on martial arts.
Just then, a voice resonated from nowhere, carrying an energy that prevented Lanny's energy from reaching Ricky. "Lanny, the Misty South Palace is not a place for you to clown about.
As a mere mutant, you're quite daring."
The surrounding warriors who heard this cried out in disbelief, "What?! That's just Lanny's mutant?"
It seemed like the mutant had performed too well, and it had everyone convinced that it was stronger than most of the demi-saints.
And if Lanny's mutant was this strong, they could guess how much stronger Lanny himself truly was.
'It looks like only Mister Ryker can handle this Lanny guy, ' thought most of the Misty South Palace's disciples.
Meanwhile, Ricky was in despair. He found it hard to accept that even though he had cultivated for years, he still couldn't do anything against Lanny's mutant. It had already been humiliating when he succumbed to the energy the mutant sent to him, believing it was Lanny's real body, but to know that he had lost to Lanny's mutant and not even the man... The shame was indescribable.
Ricky clenched his mouth so tightly that his lips bled, and his nails dug into his palms until they created reddened quarter-moon patterns.
"This may be too much to accept right now, but the truth hurts, kid. You just have to live with it. If you can't accept it, you can never make progress.
The martial world is a cruel place for those who have failed. However, there's still hope as long as you're alive. You will always have the chance to improve and get stronger," the Dragon Intent Grass comforted Ricky.
Hearing that pulled Ricky out of the spiral of his dark thoughts. He activated the bright ancestral spirit again, which helped him clear his mind of negative emotions.
The next moment, Ricky's eyes gradually fell closed, and he couldn't help cursing his luck. Why did this have to happen today?
"Well, well, well, look who the cat dragged in. The Third Mister!" Lanny disdainfully remarked as his gaze swept over the person who came to Ricky's aid.
Honestly, among all the disciples of the Misty South Palace, Lanny only took Ryker and the Second Mister seriously.
He didn't think the others posed a threat to him, not even the Third Mister.
The young man in front of him, the Third Mister, had a lean and toned body.
He wasn't good-looking, but the invisible wind power that continuously swept about him added to his mysterious charms. The young man looked fresh and innocent, clad in all-white clothes and a pair of white iron boots, which were rumored to be as heavy as several mountains.
"You people from the Phoenix tribe never change. You've always been so arrogant. Anyway, it doesn't matter what you want, you are not welcome here." With that, the Third Mister took a stride forward and reached Lanny.
The next instant, he lifted one foot and stomped on the ground, trampling Lanny's mutant until it vanished into thin air.
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