Chapter 96: Arm Wrestling for Victory

As the bet between Master Huo Yuan and the Venerable Lama Gu Le began, people quickly scattered to form a large circle.

This wasn't a martial arts duel, but rather a contest of sheer strength. The higher one's practice of the Dragon Elephant Skill, the greater the power behind their palm strikes. Even without using inner energy, the raw strength of one's limbs was impressive. Of course, when combined with inner energy, the strength would be magnified further.

Huo Yuan had already planned this meticulously. Lama Gu Le's strength was said to surpass that of Guan Shan Yue, and if it came to physical combat, Huo Yuan felt his chances would be slim. Instead, his strategy was to lure the Lama into his trap, step by step.

No matter how much the old monk pondered, he would never guess that Huo Yuan had already reached the seventh peak of the Dragon Elephant Prajna skill.

This was the real peak, with absolutely no falsehood to it. Although the Lama claimed to have also reached the seventh peak, Huo Yuan was confident that they were more or less on par, with the possibility that the Lama might even be weaker.

To test their strengths, Huo Yuan had prepared several items.

The first item to be brought up were two massive wooden posts.

Each post was four feet high and nearly as thick as a person.

"Venerable Lama, do these wooden posts raise any concerns?"

Lama Gu Le stepped forward, circling them a few times, then nodded. "The size and height are similar, and they aren't hollow or worm-eaten. They're basically identical."

"Then, Venerable Lama, how much force do you think is required to break one of these posts without using inner energy?"

Gu Le thought for a moment. "To break this post, you would need at least four to five hundred pounds of strength. Without reaching the fourth or fifth peak of the Dragon Elephant skill, it's impossible."

"Then please choose one to break, and let's see if this monk can do the same?"

Lama Gu Le glanced at Huo Yuan, thinking to himself, "You're still pretending? Let's see how long you can keep this up."

Turning to his disciple Mo He Sa, he ordered, "Disciple, go ahead and break one of these posts to show the abbot here."

Mo He Sa nodded and approached the posts. Without hesitation, he slapped the one closest to him with great force.

"Hi!"

With a sharp shout, the post snapped in half!

It was obvious to everyone that no internal energy was used in the strike.

Lama Gu Le laughed heartily. "Abbot, my disciple has embarrassed himself. Now, it's your turn. If you can't break it, you may as well concede. But if you do, you'll have to accept whatever conditions I give you!"

"That would truly disappoint you, Venerable Lama."

Huo Yuan casually raised his hand and snapped the post next to him with ease. His motion was far more relaxed and effortless compared to Mo He Sa.

Lama Gu Le, who had expected to see Huo Yuan make a fool of himself, fell silent.

A sense of unease welled up in his heart. This abbot had been acting completely at ease the entire time. Could it be that he was playing the fool, intentionally leading him into a trap?

Or perhaps he was an ancient expert who had reached such a state of cultivation that he seemed young again?

But when Gu Le had arrived, he had carefully inquired about Shaolin, including the abbot, who was supposed to be a young monk. The news he had gathered confirmed this.

"Wait!" Lama Gu Le's eyes suddenly sharpened. "This abbot brought out these posts, which even my disciple could break. Although he did it effortlessly, this is his strategy—to undermine my confidence. He won't even prove that he's reached the seventh peak, and yet he keeps me guessing!"

He thought to himself, "It must be his plan to make me lose confidence, to trick me into conceding or withdrawing from the bet. That would be exactly what he wants."

He then said, "Little monk, stop with these tests. I see two grinding stones over there. They are even harder to break than the wooden posts. But never mind. Since you claim to be as strong as I am, let's settle this with an arm wrestle. The stronger one will prevail!"

"Arm wrestle?"

Huo Yuan thought to himself, That old monk is quite resourceful. This is indeed the fairest method. There's no need for props; it's just strength now. With my Dragon Elephant power at the seventh peak, I'm not afraid of this old monk.

The two men moved to a nearby stone table. Shaolin had many stone tables and chairs for people to rest on, and this was one of them.

People gathered around, excited to watch the arm wrestling between the abbot and the old monk. It was even more thrilling than a martial arts duel.

The two men sat across from each other.

Huo Yuan rolled up his sleeves and extended his right hand.

The Lama, who was a bit of an exhibitionist, casually bared his shoulder and extended his hand as well.

Their strong arms pressed down onto the stone table, their hands clasped tightly.

Lama Gu Le chuckled, "Little monk, you truly don't know your limits. I've reached the seventh peak of Dragon Elephant power. Not even an advanced innate expert would win in an arm wrestling match against me. You're only embarrassing yourself."

Huo Yuan responded, "Before we start, I'd like to confirm something. You said that if my strength matches yours, you'll commit seppuku. If you don't dare to do that, you'll accept any terms I give you. Is that right?"

"That's correct. But if you lose, there will be no mercy. You'll find no one standing in Shaolin!" Gu Le replied.

"Then, let's begin!" Huo Yuan said confidently.

"Let's do this!" Gu Le shouted.

With a roar, both men exerted force simultaneously!

Their arms bulged with muscle, veins popping out like ropes!

The stone table groaned under the pressure, as if it might shatter at any moment!

The crowd gasped. The abbot can really match the Lama in strength!

Mo He Sa was stunned. He knew how strong his master was. To say his strength was limitless was no exaggeration. His grip was so powerful that it could break a tree. How could this monk possibly compete with him?

The two men's hands did not move an inch. Neither could force the other's arm down.

Huo Yuan furrowed his brow, pressing his lips together, saying nothing.

Lama Gu Le, on the other hand, was red-faced, his exertion so intense that his face looked like a monkey's backside. He shook his head and desperately tried to push Huo Yuan's hand down. But no matter how hard he tried, Huo Yuan's hand stayed firmly in place.

My god! This little monk really has the strength of the seventh peak of Dragon Elephant power! He's at least my equal, if not stronger. How did he achieve this?

Although shocked, Lama Gu Le didn't have time to consider how Huo Yuan trained. He could only keep straining, determined to win this battle. If he lost, it would be his doom.

Molan, standing nearby, had temporarily forgotten her plan to conquer Huo Yuan. She was frantically shaking her fists and cheering him on.

"Abbot, go! Crush this old monk!"

In the tense atmosphere, Molan's shout made many people look at her, including Lama Gu Le, who couldn't help but feel a bit disoriented. Who is this unlucky child? Is my presence really that unappealing?

Huo Yuan didn't take advantage of Lama Gu Le's moment of distraction. Instead, he waited for the Lama to recover before speaking, "Lama Gu Le, now it's my turn!"

Lama Gu Le broke into a sweat, realizing that the young monk hadn't used all his strength yet. This is bad.

Could he have reached the eighth peak of Dragon Elephant?

Now, Lama Gu Le wasn't sure. This monk had already created a miracle. Who knew what other miracles might emerge?

Huo Yuan was certain: the Lama's Dragon Elephant power was indeed at the seventh peak, but he was still a step behind Huo Yuan. Moreover, the Lama's physical strength was inferior to Huo Yuan's youthful vigor.

In a contest of strength, even the slightest difference could determine the outcome, and in an arm wrestling match, even a tiny disparity in strength could decide the winner!

Slowly, Huo Yuan shifted from defense to offense. His arm began to push Gu Le's hand down, little by little.

Gu Le gritted his teeth, holding onto the table with one hand, his face red with frustration. He refused to concede.

But that tiny difference in strength rendered his efforts useless. Despite his struggles, his hand began to fall, inch by inch.

The crowd watched in complete silence, afraid to disturb the fierce battle.

Huo Yuan, confident of victory, smiled and said, "Lama, are you ready for seppuku?"

With a final burst of strength, Huo Yuan slammed Gu Le's wrist down onto the stone table.

"Boom!"

The stone table shattered under their immense strength, completing its task.

Amid the flying stone fragments, Lama Gu Le sat on a broken stone, his face as white as paper.

He had lost!

The great Gu Le, a master of the seventh peak of Dragon Elephant power, had been defeated in an arm wrestling match by this young monk.

It was over. His doom had come.