Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Diamond Transformation, Once More (Part 1)

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King of Wastrels, Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Diamond Warrior Transforms Again (1)

(Even though it’s past midnight and I’m still updating, please excuse the delay—I had to rush, and didn’t prepare on time. My apologies from a humble heart.)

Azure Dragon was ranked among the world’s top ten martial warriors, so Fang Meng dared not be careless. He drew a deep breath and summoned his Diamond Qi, his body once more assuming that formidable state from before. Azure Dragon made no move to attack, nor did his face betray any surprise, for he knew that the transformation of the Diamond Warrior was completed in an instant—ambushing him was all but impossible. As a mercenary, his aim was only victory, only the mission, only the elimination of his target; if a sneak attack were possible, he would not hesitate for a moment.

He had only learned from his younger sister what the Diamond transformation truly entailed. He and his sister had both studied martial arts and inner cultivation techniques—their very names were chosen in accordance with these traditions. Over the years, he had seen many styles, but never one like the Diamond’s: focusing first on inner strength and then driving external power.

Many countries, not just the United States, had warriors who underwent physical enhancement, creating soldiers who could be produced in quantity and possessed tremendous strength. Yet few could resist bullets, and none could withstand heavy weaponry. Others, through specialized external techniques, cultivated pure strength; such individuals might deflect ordinary bullets if not struck in a vital area, but none could stand up to heavy arms or specially crafted rounds.

Fang Meng’s current state was a mystery even to Azure Dragon—he truly had no idea how Fang Meng managed it, nor how powerful he had become. Information from his sister’s mouth was already no longer reliable.

“The Old Monster says you’re the strongest to emerge in the last decade or so. Today, I, Azure Dragon, would like to see for myself.”

Hearing him mention the Old Monster, Fang Meng snorted coldly. “Hmph, I don’t need his commentary. Sooner or later, I’ll find that old man and give him a good match.”

“Oh!” The Old Monster—Old Bastard Xiao Tianci—stood to the side, listening, thoroughly baffled. But it was clear from the way Azure Dragon and Fang Meng spoke that they were referring to the same person, someone even more formidable than themselves. Interesting. Xiao Tianci’s interest only grew; perhaps it was in his blood, but from childhood he’d never cared for a quiet, mundane life.

To his mind, everyone dies, but the journey is what sets them apart. Life is for striving, for adventure, for experience. If your path to death at seventy is already laid out before you’re thirty, what’s the point of living? One should charge forward, take risks, and embrace all that life offers.

Hmm, Azure Dragon is top ten—just how strong is he? I must watch closely. Yet now he was almost gnashing his teeth in annoyance; talking with him just now seemed fine, but how could such a formidable figure be such an old stick-in-the-mud? Would he even object to his sister going to the swimming pool? If so, that could be troublesome—such people are usually rigid and hard to reason with.

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All he did was watch her at the pool in a swimsuit; was that really so outrageous as to impugn the entire Xiao family’s character? Yet now, he really had become a playboy, a lecher, a rake—what a fate!

By now, Azure Dragon had made his move—a barrage of attacks like a tempest. Cold flashes of steel danced as Fang Meng slipped through them, blocking with his hands when needed, utterly at ease. Both men were probing, testing each other out; in the span of a few seconds, they had already exchanged dozens of blows before leaping apart again.

Fang Meng rolled his neck. “Warmup’s done. Let’s get serious.”

Azure Dragon sneered. “Then let me see just how formidable the Diamond Warrior Fang Meng truly is.”

A sharp sound—Azure Dragon’s hands suddenly plunged into the ground, which was paved with massive marble slabs. “Rise!” Two rows of marble blocks, starting from where Azure Dragon’s hands had pierced the earth, surged into the air, flying straight towards Fang Meng.

“Protect the boss!” With so many projectiles, scattered as they were, everyone behind Fang Meng became a target as well. With a shout, Fang Meng surged forward, fists swinging. “Bang! Bang!” Every marble slab in his path was smashed to pieces.

At his cry, four men sprang from the security team, forming a line. Any stones that slipped past Fang Meng were blocked by these four. Though none could match Fang Meng’s effortless, tofu-crushing might, each had particular strengths: some deflected the stones, others shattered them outright. The man standing foremost before Xiao Tianci was the fiercest of the lot, only slightly smaller than the transformed Diamond Warrior himself. He hefted a heavy machine gun—one normally mounted on aircraft—and fired at the airborne stones, pulverizing them to dust.

“Wow…” Xiao Tianci quickly covered his ears. What kind of people were these? He had a sharp memory; even if he had met the security team before while drinking, he remembered most of them—yet these four were strangers…

It all happened in an instant. Chief Steward Lin Jian, noticing his boss watching the four men blocking the way, murmured quietly, “Those four are the Diamond Warrior’s direct subordinates—just reassigned here.”

“Oh!” Xiao Tianci nodded, keeping that in mind as he continued to watch the duel.

This round was nothing like the warmup before. Human strength may not match bullets for speed, but now, with their incredible velocity, only explosives or a hail of machine-gun fire could stop them—no sniper could land a solid hit.

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After several direct clashes, Azure Dragon began to fall slightly behind. Yet, wielded by his skill, his alloyed weapons were even deadlier than ordinary bullets, and Fang Meng had to dodge and block with utmost caution.

Azure Dragon’s movement, like Fire Phoenix’s, was all about speed and agility. Though they exchanged blows constantly, Fang Meng circled in a tight loop, while Azure Dragon swept around him in a wide arc, launching attacks from every angle. From the outside, it looked as though the Diamond Warrior was surrounded.

The fight dragged on with no clear winner. Suddenly, Azure Dragon slowed, meeting Fang Meng’s fists head-on—then, in a flash, his fists became claws, stabbing straight for Fang Meng’s heart. Fang Meng reached out and seized his wrist, but as he gripped Azure Dragon’s arm, the latter’s fingers abruptly straightened. Fang Meng had no time to change his defense.

With a sickening “thwack, thwack,” two sharp spikes shot out. Fang Meng sensed danger and flipped backward, but it was too close, too fast; the spikes missed his heart but pierced both shoulders.

On the sidelines, Xiao Tianci’s fists clenched in anxiety for Fang Meng’s safety. Chief Steward Lin Jian, though he trusted Fang Meng, knew that Azure Dragon was no ordinary foe—he already had his gun at the ready.

Though younger, Fang Meng had made his name long before Azure Dragon and was far more renowned. Azure Dragon had only risen to fame in recent years; it had been years since the two had last met, and in this rapidly changing world, years were enough to be forgotten. In his heyday, the Diamond Warrior was a terror, but to Azure Dragon, he was now just a name, a legend in old files and data.

Though the warrior community held Fang Meng in high esteem, Azure Dragon wasn’t truly afraid. What troubled him most was that, should he truly cross Xiao Tianci tonight, he would be facing the might of the entire Xiao family. If they decided to spend money, there would be no end to those willing to hunt him down for a price—that was the real danger.

Even so, Azure Dragon’s mind was already racing, considering how best to deal with Xiao Tianci. Yet his movements did not slow—he leapt like a hawk striking a rabbit, pursuing the wounded Diamond Warrior through the air.