Chapter 117: The Ultimate Speed Under Heaven

"Well struck!"

Lin Dapao was never a man to sit still; his demeanor made that abundantly clear. Seeing the old man strike first, his heart tightened, but he immediately spat out the straw he had been holding in his mouth.

The straw whistled through the air, darting toward the old man at a treacherous angle. The old man instinctively twisted his body in mid-air, then performed a backflip to retreat. He had no choice; "The Venerable One" cast such a long shadow over him that it had become an indelible trauma deep in his soul. By extension, he felt a profound wariness toward the Venerable One’s disciple.

"Tell me, old man, is that all the guts you’ve got? I think you’d be better off going home to rock a baby!" From telling someone to go home and drink milk to telling them to go home and rock a baby—Lin Dapao certainly lived up to his name.

"Junior, today I shall teach you how to respect your elders!" Perhaps the old man was infuriated by Lin Dapao’s words, or perhaps he was only now truly preparing to fight. Regardless, the aura surrounding the old man underwent a sudden, violent shift. A fierce, crushing pressure surged toward Lin Dapao like a tidal wave. Even Song Nianqiang, standing off to the side, felt the intensity of that power, leaving him and his companion struggling to catch their breath.

Seeing that the old man was finally getting serious, the mischievous grin on Lin Dapao’s face faded. He watched the little old man with a solemn expression. After all, this man was from the same era as his master—a man who had survived the turbulent years of the past, and whose strength, honed over so many decades, could not be underestimated.

"Don't try to pull rank on me. I’m not buying it. If you have the strength, put me on the ground so I can't get back up. If you don't, then stop flapping your gums!" Lin Dapao took a step forward, bracing for combat, though he couldn't resist a bit of verbal sparring before the clash.

In truth, Lin Dapao’s theory, while blunt, was practical. He was right: if you have the strength, you don't need to talk; you just strike. Once you beat your opponent to the ground, your strength is self-evident. Conversely, no matter how eloquently you talk, your true capability is revealed the moment you make a move. Thus, wasting time with useless chatter before a fight was pointless.

"Hmph!" This time, the old man didn't waste words. He struck instantly, pouncing toward Lin Dapao like a hawk soaring through the nine heavens. Lin Dapao was utterly unfazed. He retreated three steps, then clenched his right hand into a fist and lashed out at the incoming old man.

The punch carried immense power. The old man likely sensed its lethality and dared not take it head-on; with his aged frame, a single hit would surely leave him crippled. Instead, he vaulted upward, his body rising sharply until he hit the low ceiling of the KFC.

"Dammit! Get down here!" Seeing the old man retreat upward, Lin Dapao roared. He unleashed a powerful kick at a nearby table. Although it wasn't bolted to the floor, the quality of furniture in a KFC was sturdy, and sturdy meant heavy. Yet, Lin Dapao sent the entire table flying through the air, straight toward the ceiling.

Suspended in mid-air with nothing to push off from, the old man saw the table hurtling toward him from behind. He drew a sharp breath, and with an incredible feat of flexibility, his arms flipped one hundred and eighty degrees. His palms faced backward, and he delivered a powerful strike to the flying table.

The blow was heavy and forceful. While it didn't shatter the table, the result was quite satisfactory to the old man. The strike not only resolved his immediate danger and allowed him to land safely, but it also sent the table spinning back toward Lin Dapao.

"Damn it!" Seeing the table he had kicked now hurtling toward him, Lin Dapao cursed. But he wasn't as foolish as the old man; he ducked, and the table sailed over his head, crashing into another table behind him and knocking them both over.

"Not bad! Little old man, I didn't expect you to have a few tricks up your sleeve. But that move you just used reminds me of an old geezer. My master once told me that back in his day, there was a fellow with a body as supple as if he had no bones—he could even fit himself into a washbasin. My master had intended to witness this for himself, but he gave up on it because he was rushing to battle the Ghost King. Who would have thought I’d run into you here today? Well, this is perfect—it’ll finally settle the regret my master left behind all those years ago!"

Lin Dapao didn't rush to attack; he stood there, watching the little old man with great interest. Upon hearing this, the old man felt a slight jolt of shock. It was fortunate that the Ghost King had existed, or his life would have long since ceased to be his own. Thinking of this, he glanced toward the Venerable One, who was sitting in a corner, contentedly eating fries and sipping a cola.

Sighing inwardly, the old man realized the chasm between his level and that of the Venerable One was as vast as heaven and earth. Ever since he had accidentally caught a glimpse of the Venerable One years ago, he had sworn to follow in his footsteps. He had poured out so much sweat and effort, but looking at it now, he wasn't just a step or two behind—he was a hundred thousand miles away.

"Sigh." A strange thought crossed the old man's mind: had his life been lived in vain? Now, even a junior had the gall to point a finger at him and curse. He offered a self-deprecating smile, feeling a sudden sense of indifference. He said to Lin Dapao, "Come, let us end this battle quickly. Do not let the Venerable One grow impatient."

As he spoke, he produced a red skull. A flash of red light filled the room. Lin Dapao’s expression grew even more solemn; he realized the little old man had changed, though he couldn't quite put his finger on how.

In the corner, the Venerable One’s eyes brightened. He muttered something, then smiled, shook his head, and went back to his meal.

"Good! Now you finally look like a powerhouse. Now you’re worthy of being defeated by my hand!" Lin Dapao finished his sentence and lunged, moving with blistering speed. In the blink of an eye, he was before the old man, his fist tracing an arc as it slammed into the old man’s chest.

With a muffled groan, the old man stumbled back five or six steps, only steadying himself when he hit a table. He leaned against it, clutching his chest and coughing violently. Song Nianqiang, watching from the side, was deeply shocked by Lin Dapao’s speed. Was this even humanly possible? It was damnably fast; his eyes couldn't even track how Lin Dapao had closed the distance.

"Is this the 'World’s Ultimate Speed' of the Venerable One? Truly formidable!"

After a minute, the old man stood back up. His eyes, however, burned with an intense, fiery brilliance as he stared at Lin Dapao. When he heard the question, Lin Dapao nodded slowly.

"Heh, indeed, it is the fastest speed in the world. But I have lived long enough to study the Venerable One’s speed deeply. Now, let the Venerable One and you witness the technique I created specifically to counter that speed!"

The old man stepped forward with his left foot and pulled his right hand back, assuming a strange stance. Lin Dapao didn't care about his self-created technique. He moved again, turning into a blurred shadow, and reached the old man in an instant. But what happened next made even the Venerable One’s eyes widen.

Just as Lin Dapao’s fist was inches from the old man’s chest, the old man’s body drifted back three steps like a piece of downy fluff, as if he had been blown away by the force of the punch. The maneuver was truly miraculous.

Missing his mark, Lin Dapao accelerated again, even faster this time. But as he reached the old man and his fist was about to land, the same scene played out once more.

"Good!" Even Lin Dapao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. He skidded to a halt, but before he could catch his breath, he charged again. This time, he pushed his speed to the absolute limit; his figure was now completely invisible to the naked eye.