The plan was for the delegations from the Tsuitsui and Kusakabe Clans to rest for a day after their long journey from their respective provinces, then leave for the vicennial gathering of the Arcane Alliance the day after.

But now, a hungry beast had been let loose within the Baihua Sect, and the name of the beast was Goro Tsuitsui.

"Where is he?!" He roared, standing in a public square within the compounds of the sect.

Many disciples, who were passing by, shuddered after hearing his voice and immediately scattered. But Goro did not care.

The elders of the Tsuitsui Clan gathered around him, trying to calm him down. But, of course, that turned out to be utterly useless.

"Young Master, please calm down!"

"This isn't our home! You cannot misbehave here!"

"Please, think of the image of our Tsuitsui Clan!"

"If the Patriarch hears of this—"

The elder, who had taken the Patriarch's name, suddenly found himself hovering in the air. Goro had grabbed his collar and brought him closer to his eye level.

"How dare you threaten me with my father's name?" The Venom Dragon growled.

"…Because it always works," the elder muttered, his back drenched in cold sweat.

"Tsk!" Goro clicked his tongue in annoyance, then put the man down. "Damn it!"

He straightened the creases on the man's robes, then looked around in annoyance. "Where is Brother Xun? And Sister Ge? Surely, they know this Ao's whereabouts."

"Young Master, it's five in the morning," one of the elder's helplessly said. "They're probably still sleeping."

The frown on Goro's face deepened. He wanted to scold these elders, but thought against it. They were still his seniors, after all.

"Fine, whatever." He turned around and walked away. "Tell them to find me when they wake up."

"Young Master, where are you going?!" One of the elders screamed in panic.

"I'm going to train," Goro muttered without turning around. "And don't follow me."

The elders of the Tsuitsui Clan helplessly glanced at one another, but none of them followed after Goro, lest he do something that tarnished the clan's name.

Instead, they planned to speak to the Sword Dragon about dealing with Goro since the two were childhood friends.

***

Goro aimlessly walked through the compound of the Baihua Sect, deep in thought.

I dare say Brother Ao's physical strength is greater than even Brother Goro's.

Bai Ge's words echoed in his mind. That was the first time she'd said anything like that to him, and she wasn't one to tease or spout lies.

For as long as he could remember, Goro had always been strong.

As a Mana Foundation Magus, he had no equal. As a Mana Liquefaction Magus, no one could match his prowess. Now, as a Mana Vortex Magus, he remained unrivaled.

Of all the young men and women who had been bestowed the titles of Dragons and Phoenixes, none could hope to defeat him. Even without using the poison arts of the Tsuitsui Clan, he was still incredibly strong.

Yet, now he was being told that there existed an unknown man who was physically stronger than him?

"Hehe," Goro chuckled as he stroked his chin.

Of course, his pride wasn't hurt by that statement. If anything, he was wildly excited to finally go against someone in the same rank who could match his prowess.

Yes, there's no way Sister Ge is lying, he thought with a smirk.

If this man named Ao has repeatedly defeated her and Brother Xun in sparring matches, then he's definitely strong. Add to that, he's also blind? Just what kind of monster is this? And why haven't I ever heard of him?

Father always said that the Magus world is filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Could this Ao be one of them? Very interesting.

Suddenly, he thought of a possibility that shocked him. However, if Bai Ge's claims were true, then this was very likely to be the case.

Could it be that just like me, he walks the path of…

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he noticed a figure standing by a small pond, idly skipping stones across the water's surface.

Something about this man drew Goro's attention.

The figure wore a deep navy-blue robe, secured at the waist by a double black leather belt. His sleeves were rolled up slightly, revealing fitted black bracers. The lower part of his attire was layered, with dark trousers tucked into leather boots.

His hands were wrapped in layers of white cloth strips, and so was his neck and head. Additionally, he wore a plain white mask with faint blue markings on it.

When Goro set his eyes on this man, his pupils constricted. In that moment, he knew that this masked man was just like him…

A beast!

Goro found himself drawn towards this man for some inexplicable reason. His legs moved on their own, and before he knew it, he was standing right next to Adam.

He observed the masked man with utmost fascination.

He's tall, well-built, and his muscles ripple with vitality, he thought in approval.

Although he's more on the leaner side, he still seems very strong. As I thought…

His lips curled into a wide grin, and he couldn't help but ask:

"You walk the way of the Paladin, don't you… Ao?"

Adam turned to him and smiled. "Auhh."

"Eh?" Goro was startled. "You can't speak as well? Sister Ge didn't tell me that…"

"Auhh." Adam shrugged.

Inwardly, however, he was equally startled.

I never imagined there'd be another one just like me, he thought.

What are the chances of finding someone who walks the path of Magus and Paladin on this backwater planet?

No, more importantly… where did he find the knowledge for body enhancement? I thought such a technique had long since become extinct in Tron.

Both of them observed one another, thinking to themselves how the other person knew about the existence of Paladins and how they got their hands on a body enhancement technique.

A long bout of silence settled between the two as they observed one another.

At last, Goro's lips curled into a wide grin, and he asked:

"Wanna fight?"

Underneath the mask, Adam grinned like a madman. "Auhh!"

The next moment, the two of them disappeared from their spots. It seemed that they had teleported away through the usage of a magic spell, but no…

That was thier pure speed granted to them by their powerful physiques.

A few moments later, the two stood at opposite ends of a training ring reserved for the sect's elders.

The battle of the beasts was about to begin!

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