Han Sen felt as if Liu Meng could predict all of his moves.
When Han Sen moved, Liu Meng was already turning to where he proposed to go. This resulted in Han Sen having to change his formation.
But no matter what he tried, whenever Han Sen sought to attack Liu Meng, his hits were deflected. The formidability of his opponent surprised him a good deal.
"Does Liu Meng know Heavenly Go, too?" Han Sen frowned.
It was strange, though. While the traits were there, it didn't quite look like Heavenly Go.
Liu Meng's performance was almost as if he was cheating, and there were flickers of the Falsified-Sky Sutra in his moveset, or so it seemed.
The most remarkable trait of the Falsified-Sky Sutra was that it never missed. Liu Meng acted as if he was omnipotent, as if he could predict or see the outcome of a person's destiny when they committed to a choice in battle. If needed, he could change his own course in a flash.
Wanting to prove some of his theories, Han Sen decided to madly attack his opponent, and when he did, the sound of thunder echoed throughout the training room.
But amidst those crazy attacks, Liu Meng merely stood still and used the most simple of blocks to deflect each and every hit.
Liu Meng was like a bastion of impenetrable defense. There was not a single flaw in his movements, and with each hit he blocked, a spark of Han Sen's hope was dashed against that wall.
Annie's hands were sweating as she watched. While he had not gained an advantage, she was surprised at how powerful Han Sen had become. After all, he had only just entered the Third God's Shelter.
Liu Meng's power, however, scared her even more. He looked invincible before Han Sen.
The dominating feeling he exuded was overwhelming, and it almost choked the breath from his onlookers. Annie could not see a way in which Han Sen might overcome this foe.
Annie believed that if she had been the one competing against Liu Meng, her confidence would have snapped against his intimidation. She'd have been rendered unable to fight.
Failing once was not scary, but repeated failings can wear down the stoutest of hearts and minds.
Fighting with Liu Meng was to suffer failing, over and over. Every skill used against him would prove useless.
"He is stronger than you used to be, when you were that age," Zhuo Donglai sighed.
With a proud tone of voice, Green said, "I told you he is the best in our family. No one is stronger than him. Not even some mutt of the Luo family."
Zhuo Donglai shook his head. He wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.
Green was an old friend of his, so there shouldn't have been anything they'd refrain from saying to each other. But this was different, and he knew he could not speak it.
When Green was young, he was famous in the Alliance. He wasn't born into fame and prosperity like Liu Meng; it was earned. He was a genius, and he was highly respected by all. And appearance-wise, Green was even more eye-catching than Liu Meng.
With Green at the family helm, the Lan Te family maintained a relatively low profile. But they also attracted certain animosities, and forged many rivalries with other families.
With their power, though, most of the Alliance still feared the Lan Te. Power could often breed hubris, and Green was wise enough to steer the family in a slightly humbler direction whilst also maintaining its influence.
There was once a time, though, when Green—who had practiced Odin's Eye—challenged the renowned Luo Haitang, the "Godslayer."
Luo Haitang defeated Green without trouble, and while no one was able to spectate the match, Green shied away from the public eye after this.
Being Green's old friend, Zhuo Donglai knew about the fight.
Green was beaten badly, and he viewed it as the most terrible of shames. He still felt the sting of that day, and Zhuo Donglai knew this. As such, he never brought it up in conversation.
Zhuo Donglai knew how much Green had invested in Liu Meng, and he knew how much he wanted him to defeat Han Sen. Despite being a descendant of Luo Haitang, though, Han Sen had not been trained by his forefather. He had also refused to learn the Falsified-Sky Sutra. This gnawed at Green's belief in the significance and the self-wrought poetic notion of the fight he was spectating; he was just not keen to admit it.
"I think Liu Meng can beat the Falsified-Sky Sutra," Green excitedly commented.
Zhuo Donglai smiled and said, "There's always the possibility. He is still young, too."
Green shook his head and said, "If he practiced the Purple-Manor Sutra, he could most certainly beat it. And even learn it!"
"As we have already established; if he can beat Han Sen, I will teach it to him," Zhuo Donglai spoke with a tone of surprise seriousness.
"Thank you, Zhuo." Green looked touched, as if it was already a confirmed commitment.
"Let us eagerly await the results, shall we?" Zhuo Donglai smiled wryly.
Liu Meng was good, and he was most certainly a stronger fighter than Green had been, back when he was the same age. But Zhuo Donglai was still firm in the faith he could not defeat Han Sen. Even though Han Sen had not practiced the Falsified-Sky Sutra, he believed the young man was a better fighter.
"I'm going to fight back." After blocking all of Han Sen's attacks, Liu Meng finally moved. He swung his fist towards Han Sen like the flaming lunge of a wrathful dragon.
Han Sen blocked the fist, resulting in an explosion of fire and electricity. Without reprieve, Liu Meng then brought down his other fist. It was wreathed in ice, and all of a sudden, the training room dropped to low temperatures.
The attacks came quickly, as wind, fire, and thunder burst out of Liu Meng.
He was like a machine, and every part of Liu Meng's body possessed the capacity to murder. He was able to utilize every ounce of strength effectively, and coordinate every part and component of his body with incredible precision.
Everything about his performance was amazing. It was almost as if he'd transcended the capabilities of a human and operated with the perfection only achievable by a machine.
Annie stood up. She had known Liu Meng for the past few years in the army, but she had never seen him strike before.
With the kicks and punches that were thrown, and the constant collision of elements, the training room was filled with the raucous noise of battle. It was so loud, it felt as if the very atmosphere was getting hammered to the breaking point.
But Green frowned. He noticed that when Liu Meng attacked, Han Sen managed to guard effectively. Liu Meng had been unable to penetrate his defense.