Road to Mastery: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Chapter 334: Don Cranxiao

While Jack discovered the wonders of the Heavy Pagoda, Dorman waited outside. As a non-disciple, his privileges were limited; let alone entering the Heavy Pagoda, even existing in its vicinity was a stretch.

As Dorman cultivated, using the ambient Dao to nourish his Dao Tree, a rough voice suddenly reached him from behind.

Look at that, it said. The fat beggar!

Dorman opened his eyes and turned around. tall, barbaric-looking human stood there. His hairy chest was shirtless, revealing dense musculature, while long gray hair floated over his tanned shoulders. He had arms the width of tree trunks and thighs like barrels. Moreover, his handsome face was warped into a rough, aggressive scowl.

However, this wasnt a human. His eyes were gray.

Don Cranxiao, Dorman muttered calmly, remaining seated. What do you want today?

Come on, beggar. Is that any way to speak to your daddy?

Cranxiaos smile was wide and predatory. Seeing that Dorman wasnt going to fall for his provocations, his gaze sharpened. I am not here for you today. I heard that a man called Jack Rust came to the pagoda, so I wanted to take a look.

At this, Dorman finally showed some reaction. His brows fell, and his gaze was tinged with worry. What do you want with Jack?

You know him? Cranxiao raised a brow before bursting into roaring laughter. Birds of a feather flock together! I guess beggars and weaklings really are the same thing!

I said, what do you want with him?

Dont try your luck. Be a good boy and tell me how long ago he went in. Otherwise, you wont escape a beating today.

Don Cranxiao was an outer disciple ranked 811th. He was at the three-fruit boundarythe upper limit of the early C-Grade. Like most disciples of the Black Hole Church, he could jump tiers to fight. His actual battle strength was approaching the late C-Grade.

However, as far as power or talent were concerned, Don Cranxiao was only ordinary here. His greatest discerning feature on the Cathedral was his complete disregard for reputation.

Around the lower-ranked outer disciples, Cranxiao was known as a complete bully. He wasnt like Marcus William, who simply used a heavy hand to oppress his enemies. Cranxiao would go around and beat up others for no reason at all. Moreover, he only targeted people weaker than himself. He cultivated the Dao of Tyranny, so this incessant bullying was a form of cultivation for him.

Unfortunately, the Church wouldnt interfere in battles between the outer disciples. Everyone was on their own, and Cranxiao was allowed to rampage free.

Due to his conduct and zero consideration for face, Don Cranxiao had a peculiar place in the Cathedral. He worked as easy muscle. Whenever a cultivator wanted to suppress another but couldnt or didnt want to act personally, they could just hire Cranxiao. For one Dao stone, he would kick the shit out of anyone under the ranking of 850.

Currently, as Cranxiao came looking for Jack, it didnt take a genius to realize who had hired him. Marcus William had heard about his wifes humiliation and wanted to take revenge.

Dorman took a deep breath and rose to his feet. Compared to the towering Don Cranxiao, he seemed tiny and wholly unfit to fight. Their cultivations were far apart, too; this was absolutely not a battle he could win.

Whats one more beating? he asked with a smile, reaching for his daggers. All I have left is my honor. You arent getting a word out of me.

The large man was surprised for a moment. Then, his lips curved into a malicious grin.

***

Jack was peacefully cultivating in the Heavy Pagoda, admiring the mysteries of dense Dao and marveling at how it could help him break through faster. However, only thirty minutes after coming in, he was awoken from meditation by an urgent feeling.

His muscles felt sore. His chest was tight. His Dao, which partly neutralized the extreme force of gravity, felt strained and on the verge of running out.

I need to get out of here!

He instantly shot up, almost stumbling from the effort. His legs were numb and refused to work properly. It took him three tries to take a step. With the weight of a mountain pressing onto his shoulders, he slowly took one step after the other, following the thin stream of Dao that guided him outward.

When he reached the unadorned block of black stone, he almost couldnt open it. After he did, when the first crack of light was revealed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I must be careful, he reminded himself. When cultivating in the pagoda, I must save the energy to leave.

Finally, he made it out. The thousandfold gravity suddenly felt light as a feather, and Jacks Dao exclaimed in joy as it slowly began to replenish itself. He still felt weak and exhausteda good few hours of meditation would be great right now.

However, right as he thought that, he froze in his steps. Two daggers lay on the ground. Thirty feet away, a large, bare-chested, muscular man stood straight, using a single hand to hold Dorman in the air by the throat.

Dorman bled from the nose. His arms hung limply, twitching. His robes were torn, revealing all sorts of black and blue bruises. As for his left eye, it was swollen to the point where it looked completely unnatural.

As Jack exited the Heavy Pagoda, the large man spotted him. There you are, he said, turning back to Dorman. It wasnt so tough, was it?

He then flicked his arm and tossed Dorman, letting him crash-land on the ground under the force of a thousand gravities. Finally, the man wiped his hands on his pants as if to clear away the filth.

Jacks complexion darkened.

Whats going on? he asked, kneeling to check on Dorman. Who are you?

Im Don Cranxiao. Pleased to make your acquaintance, though you wont be. The large man gave Jack a wide, toothy grin. Im here to make your life hell.

What exactly is your problem?

Careful, Dorman said from the ground, coughing up a bit of blood. Heshired.

Jack wasnt sure what was going on. However, it didnt take a genius to figure it out. His only enemies here were Marcus William and Ley Viceone of them had hired this big brutish guy to kick his ass.

But how was Dorman involved?

An outer disciple, even one as weak as yourself, shouldnt touch beggars, Cranxiao said patronizingly. To be honest, I will wash my hands after this.

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Who the hell is a beggar? Jack sparked out. If youre here for me, why did you harm Dorman?

I was bored. But dont worryhes used to it by now. Seeing Jacks incredulous stare, Cranxiao broke out into roaring laughter. Oh, thats hilarious! He didnt tell you? That homeless beggar by your feet is my favorite punching bag!

Firecrackers erupted inside Jacks chest. His exhaustion disappeared as righteous fury took over. Is that true, Dorman? he asked, but the young man did not respond. It didnt matter. The gritting of his teeth was answer enough.

Jack stood up slowly, a wind of Dao billowing around him. The void was colored purple. Stars shimmered into existence, forming constellations around his body, while green shadows flickered through his eyes. A piercing, bone-biting cold spread out, making the Cranxiaos shorts flutter.

Oh, youre angry? he taunted Jack with a lazy smile. What are you going to do? Tickle me?

Suddenly, Cranxiaos own Dao erupted from his body like a burning, oppressive desert wind. Jack only felt a colossal force ram into his Dao Domain. It shattered. The purple stars winked out, and Jacks face went pale. It felt like he was tied naked to a plank and Cranxiao stood over him holding a steel, barbed club. The club came crashing down.

In the next moment, Jacks Dao roared out. The Dao Root of Indomitable Will flared, breaking the illusion, and Jacks Brutalizing Aura spread out, countering the other mans skill.

Though he stumbled, he could still stand.

Oh? Cranxiao said with a hint of surprise. You possess a skill similar to my Terrorizing Aura?

I will destroy you, Jack replied with conviction. This man disgusted him. If he didnt plant his fist in that ugly face, he wouldnt be a cultivator of the Fist. The question was, could he do it right now?

Oh yeah? Give it a shot, see what you can achieve.

Jack was painfully aware of his own weakness. This man was far stronger than the planetary overseer hed once barely defeated, while Jack was currently exhausted from enduring the Heavy Pagoda. Even putting the exhaustion aside, he wouldnt be the other mans match.

The Dao of the Fist was that of a warrior. Unstoppable, unfettered, laughing in the face of the enemy. Not suicidal.

Sapasun, the canine whod once broken all of Jacks limbs, had taught him that lesson. A warrior never loses their mind. They always strive for victory. That lesson was precisely why Jack was still alive, while Sapasun had died to a single slap in front of the entire galaxy.

However, stepping back now would just make him a coward!

I challenge you to a duel, Jack declared solemnly. The Dao billowed around him, an ominous wind of death. Right now, our cultivations are too far apart. Give me three months. In three months, we will meet on the fields, and we will do battle with our honor on the line.

Three months was the maximum he could stand. Anything more would be too long. Moreover, though the Sage had agreed to help him break through after six months, special circumstances called for special measures. Three would have to work.

If he did break through before the duel, he had absolute confidence in defeating Cranxiao. As for fighting right nowthat would only be venting his own frustration, but a true warrior was not controlled by their base emotions. A defeat now would harm him in the long run. A promised duel would keep his anger alive, forcing him to his limits for three months, at which point he would defeat Cranxiao and take revenge. Most importantly, promising a duel at a later point was the only way not to retreat right now.

Three months? Fool! Cranxiao laughed. What do I care about three hours or three months? I will beat you up today, tomorrow, and the day after. I will show up at your house every week for a little lesson. Why would I wait?

If I lose in three months, I will give you twenty Dao stones, Jack declared. Cranxiaos eyes instantly shone with avarice, but Jack wasnt done yet. Moreoverin a battle between cultivators, it is hard to restrain ones strength. Accidents can happen. In our duel three months from now, we can agree that if one of us happens to kill the other, there will be no consequences. If such an accident occurs, the debt will be paid by the losers friends.

Cranxiaos eyes widened further. His lips broke into a wide smile.

On the Cathedral, fighting others was tacitly allowed by the Envoys, but stealing was not. Cranxiao couldnt just take the Dao stones of weaker cultivators.

However, a gambling stake was different. If Jack agreed to owe him twenty stones, then Cranxiao could certainly take that amount! Even if Jack didnt possess any at that point, Cranxiao would have the right to pick up Jacks yearly Dao stone for the next twenty years, or harass his friends for those stones, provided they agreed to it before the fight. To him, who had stayed here for two millennia already, twenty years was nothing!

As for the second part of Jacks promiseCranxiao couldnt help but lick his lips. Though he beat up others, he couldnt kill them. However, if they agreed on a life or death duel, it was naturally allowed. Killing a talented opponent would enhance his Dao of Tyranny by leaps and bounds!

But Don Cranxiao was not an idiot. For Jack to offer something like this, he must have had confidence in winning. Cranxiao racked his brains for traps but found none. Regardless of treasures, breaking through to the C-Grade was very difficultotherwise, everyone would do it. Even assuming that Jack was talented enough and could acquire enough treasures in three months to breakthrough, Cranxiao remained absolutely certain of victory.

As for the Life Drop, since Ley Vice and her friends hadnt recognized it before, Cranxiao didnt know about it. Even if he did, it would change little.

After Jack broke through, he would be a one-fruit C-Grade. Cranxiao was a three-fruit C-Grade, and he possessed enough battle power to match a normal six-fruit cultivator. Moreover, his heavily Strength-oriented stats gave him an almost unfair advantage on the Cathedral, as he could resist the gravity better than others.

Under those circumstances, there was no way Cranxiao could lose!

Good! he exclaimed, hurrying to agree before Jack could change his mind. This was a pie that fell from the sky! We have a deal! In three months, we will duel for twenty Dao stones, and any accidents will be forgiven. The esteemed Envoy over there can be our witness. Deal, Jack Rust, deal!

The Envoy responsible for managing the Heavy Pagoda was just to the side. Hearing the agreement between two parties, she could only shake her head in disappointment. I witnessed, she said. In her heart, she didnt think Jack had any chance of winning. She could only lament that such a talent could be so stupid.

Like most newcomers, he doesnt understand that everyone here is talented she thought, sighing inwardly. Whatever. That is his path to take. If luck favors him, he will escape death and use that experience to temper himself. If not, he can only blame himself.

Good, Jack said darkly. It is a deal. Don Cranxiao, we will meet in precisely three months from now. Until then, you cannot touch me!

Naturally. A deal is a deal. I would not cheat, Cranxiao said, suddenly splitting his lips into a grin. However, to ensure you dont forget about our promise, I might come by every month to play with my favorite punching bag. If you want to stop me Hehe, dont blame me for fighting back.

You wouldnt dare.

Hah! Im Don Cranxiao, kidI do whatever I want!

If you touch Dorman, our duel is off.

Oh, you would go back on your word so easily? Heres what were gonna do. For the next three months, I will not touch you so you can cultivate at peace. But I will touch my punching bag, as well as anyone else I want. If thats not fine with you, feel free to not show up in three months. If you want to challenge me at any time before that, feel free!

Cranxiao laughed. As for Jack, his gaze bore deep into the other mans eyes, but there was nothing he could say. If he wanted to protect his friends, he couldnt rely on the enemys conscience. He had to do it himself.

Said enemy was currently feeling proud of himself. He wasnt leaving anything to chance. By targeting Dorman, he could pressure Jack into a dead-end, either forcing him to step in and take a beating or doubt his own Dao. As for Jack bringing any backers to stop that from happening

Idiot! Im Don Cranxiao! Half the high-rankers hire me regularlyif you want to find a backer, lets see if you can find someone stronger than I can!

Of course, Cranxiao was aware of Jacks relation to the Head Envoy, but someone like that wouldnt meddle in lowly affairs unless they were prepared to soil their reputation.

Even though Don Cranxiao had a hundred percent certainty in victory no matter what, he still played dirty. Under his rough exterior, he could be a calculating man. He didnt gain the qualifications to join the Black Hole Church by accident!

Jacks face darkened further, but there was nothing he could say to protect Dorman. He would have to find a way later. Before he could reply, Don Cranxiao laughed and turned away, walking into the distance.

Enjoy your life, Jack Rust! he shouted as he left. See you in a month!

Jack kept staring at the other mans back.

What a sly maneuver In one month, I absolutely cannot let Dorman get beat up again because of me. I have to find someone to protect himor stop Cranxiao myself.

But that was impossible. Even Jack, who knew his talent was far above that of Don Cranxiao, didnt have confidence in defeating him within a month. Hell, he didnt have confidence in beating him within three months. He just refused to step back.

Jack sighed. Did I dig my own grave?