As the crowd was still gazing at the figure in the sky, Taro had already landed lightly on the Broken Mountain Arena, leaving only a faint afterimage of his flight. He gave a slight nod to Monkey D., Noah Robe, and the host on the stage. "Apologies for the delay."
It wasn't that he intended to show off, but to Taro, whether he walked out or flew over made little difference. He never altered his actions to cater to others' opinions.
"No, no, not at all… You're too kind," the host waved his hands repeatedly, not daring to say anything more.
To put it bluntly, if this man was in a bad mood today, delaying the match because of him would be inevitable. A minor delay like this? Nothing at all. As for Monkey D., this was his ancestral master—forget about being late, even if he had to wait here for days and nights, he would do so without a second thought.
Only Noah Robe remained expressionless. However, from the moment Taro appeared, his gaze had been locked onto him, and his previously indifferent eyes had sharpened into an intense focus.
Taro gave him a faint smile and sent his voice directly to Noah Robe's ears. "You're quite good, young man."
Noah Robe's heart pounded, but he forced himself to remain calm. He gripped his wooden sword tightly, pursed his lips, and murmured in a deep voice, "Not good enough…"
"Give it your best shot," Taro said, then turned to Monkey D.
"Yes, sir!" Monkey D. replied, his excitement barely contained.
The host adjusted his sunglasses, feeling like his job had just been hijacked…
"Caw!—"
At that moment, a resounding cry echoed across the entire arena.
Everyone instinctively looked up. A massive crimson bird spread its wide wings, soaring majestically above the venue. Its feathers gleamed with a breathtaking radiance, and its presence exuded an undeniable authority.
The audience erupted in excitement. Countless flashes sparked from the crowd as people hurriedly took out their phones to capture the sight. Even the broadcast cameras immediately shifted their focus, and those watching the livestream from home felt envious—how amazing would it be to witness this scene in person?
Meanwhile, in a small restaurant in Sayuan City, Tsuru was sipping on his drink and grumbling internally. That damn tournament is everywhere… He glanced at the television mounted on the wall, where a familiar-looking crimson bird was soaring through the sky.
"That bird?!" Tsuru slammed his chopsticks down, his brow furrowing as he recalled something. He immediately extended his senses towards the tournament grounds outside the city, and sure enough, in midair, he detected a presence…
A presence so terrifying it made his breath catch.
His face turned pale, and he slumped back into his chair, murmuring, "Even the bird by Taro's side… is this frightening? Has he lost his mind? If that thing ever goes out of control, who on Earth could possibly stop it…?"
But then, realization struck him. With a self-deprecating chuckle, he muttered, "Out of control? Heh… Would that ever happen? Would that old bastard ever let something like that happen? …Damn it, I thought I'd already given him the highest possible estimation, but even that wasn't enough…!"
Grabbing his cup, he downed the rest of his drink in one gulp before slamming it onto the table with a dull thud. With a low sigh, he muttered, "Truly infuriating."
Back at the special viewing booth, Ninn was also snapping photos of the Bird's dramatic display with his phone. The moment Taro had flown off, the bird had stealthily followed. Now, seizing the opportunity, it made its grand entrance before the entire audience.
"What kind of bird is that? Could it be—?" The host deliberately dragged out his words, clearly having done some research on the legends surrounding the Martial Immortal. Many versions of the tales spoke of a divine bird accompanying him. He glanced between the crimson avian in the sky and Taro standing in the ring. "Could this possibly be that bird?"
"Yes!"
"No doubt about it!"
"It's the exact same one Master Tam posted about last night!"
"It has to be!!"
"So beautiful!"
The Bird continued soaring proudly, basking in the awe and admiration from below. But then, its gaze drifted downward…
Taro was staring at it, his expression calm and unreadable.
Go back.
The Bird understood the meaning behind Taro's gaze. Its prideful aura immediately extinguished, and it lowered its head, obediently flying back.
"Uh... for some unknown reason, the bird that everyone thought was here suddenly flew away, and it seems... a bit down," the host said into the microphone on the arena stage.
"Let's start the match," Taro said, glancing at the host. The main focus of the World's Strongest Martial Arts Tournament should be the fight itself. His identity, the Undying Bird's identity, and the history of Master Tam—those were secondary. If that child, Aragon, wanted to handle those things, Taro wouldn't stop him, but he wouldn't be the one to promote them.
"Uh… ahem! Well then, I'm sure everyone has been eagerly awaiting this moment! Let's now begin the final match of the First World's Strongest Martial Arts Tournament! In this final match, we have two contestants who are very familiar to us—Monkey D. and Noah Robe! And, of course, the most revered contestant, Taro!"
The host rambled on for a bit, stirring the atmosphere in the arena, but the other two fighters on stage, eager to begin, couldn't help but narrow their eyes at him. Seeing this, the host felt a little uneasy. These contestants were no pushovers. So, he quickly cut off his spiel.
"The match—starts now!!!"
Bang!!
With the sound of a gong, the final match for the title of World's Strongest officially began. The surprising thing was, whether inside the arena or watching from outside, most of the audience already had a clear idea of who the eventual champion would be. However, everyone was still eager for the match, because they wanted to see how Taro would elegantly and spectacularly win this battle, and just how long his two opponents would hold out.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Finally, it's starting!!"
"I bet Master Taro will finish the match with a single move!"
"You're dreaming. Master Taro always fights with a teaching mindset when it comes to worthy juniors! There's no way he'll end it that quickly!"
"I suddenly feel sorry for Tao Pai Pai. So does this mean he's not a worthy junior to train?"
"Shut up! The match is starting!!"
The audience was buzzing with chatter, while on the arena stage, Taro and the other two fighters had already silently taken their positions.
Watching Monkey D., with his solemn expression, take the proper stance of the Martial Immortal style, and Noah Robe, standing in a cooperative angle with Monkey D., his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword at his left waist, ready to strike at any moment… Taro smiled.
"Heh, have you already silently reached an understanding with each other?"
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