Chapter 264: Maxed Out Hatred

Silence.

Lu Chen’s face twisted.

"Don’t talk about things you don’t understand."

"Then stop using them as excuses."

BOOM!

The floor cracked beneath Lu Chen’s foot.

His fist moved.

Fast.

Rose’s eyes widened.

"LU CHEN!"

Shen Tian moved.

THUD!

His hand caught Lu Chen’s fist.

Dead stop.

The shockwave blew napkins and broken glass across the room.

Shen Tian didn’t move an inch.

Lu Chen stared at his captured fist.

Shen Tian’s eyes became cold.

"Don’t."

Lu Chen growled.

"Let go."

"No."

"LET GO!"

Lu Chen twisted.

His knee shot upward.

Shen Tian shifted.

Blocked.

Lu Chen’s elbow followed.

Blocked.

Palm.

Blocked.

Kick.

Blocked.

Every strike...

Stopped.

Shen Tian hadn’t even released his fist.

Lu Chen’s eyes became bloodshot.

"STOP LOOKING DOWN ON ME!"

His Qi exploded.

Shen Tian’s expression changed.

"You’re doing this here?"

He glanced around.

Rose.

Lin Yue.

Bear.

Ghost.

The restaurant employees downstairs.

Shen Tian looked back.

"You really don’t care who gets hurt anymore?"

That hesitation...

Lasted less than a second.

But it existed.

Shen Tian used it.

He twisted Lu Chen’s wrist.

Stepped inside.

Shoulder.

Hip.

Turn.

BOOM!

Lu Chen slammed onto the floor.

The building shook.

Shen Tian still held his wrist.

Lu Chen immediately kicked upward.

Shen Tian released him.

Lu Chen rolled.

Back to his feet.

He attacked again.

Shen Tian sighed.

"Fine."

The moment Lu Chen entered range...

Shen Tian disappeared.

Lu Chen’s eyes widened.

Too late.

A hand touched his chest.

Not a punch.

A palm.

"Sit down."

BOOOOOOM!

Lu Chen flew backward.

CRASH!

He smashed through a wooden table.

Bear jumped aside.

Ghost stared.

Rose’s mouth slowly opened.

Lin Yue looked at the destroyed table.

Then...

At Shen Tian.

"...You two are paying for that."

Shen Tian looked toward her.

"He started it."

Lu Chen exploded from the wreckage.

"I’LL PAY FOR IT!"

He charged.

Lin Yue stared.

"...That wasn’t the point."

Rose almost laughed.

Then immediately stopped herself.

Lu Chen was serious.

Completely serious.

He attacked Shen Tian again.

This time...

No restraint.

His cultivation erupted.

His killing intent spread.

Shen Tian’s expression finally lost all amusement.

That changed everything.

Lu Chen threw a punch.

Shen Tian dodged.

Another.

Dodged.

Elbow.

Dodged.

Kick.

Caught.

Shen Tian grabbed his ankle.

Lu Chen’s eyes widened.

Shen Tian swung.

BOOM!

Lu Chen hit the floor.

Before he could recover...

Shen Tian lifted him.

And slammed him again.

BOOM!

Bear winced.

"Ouch."

Shen Tian released him.

Lu Chen rolled away.

Blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He wiped it.

Looked at the blood.

Then...

Smiled.

"Finally."

Shen Tian stared.

Lu Chen slowly stood.

"Finally you’re taking me seriously."

"No."

Lu Chen’s smile disappeared.

Shen Tian rolled his shoulder.

"I’m stopping you from destroying the restaurant."

"..."

Rose covered her mouth.

Bear turned away.

Ghost stared at the wall.

Even Lin Yue’s lips twitched.

Lu Chen’s face slowly turned crimson.

"I..."

His entire body trembled.

"...hate..."

Qi gathered.

"...you."

Shen Tian’s green eyes glowed.

"I know."

The air distorted.

Lu Chen froze.

Shen Tian’s Domain opened.

Not completely.

Not even close.

A fraction.

Just enough.

WHOOOOOOM!

Everything became still.

The broken glass stopped rolling.

Dust hung in the air.

The pressure became overwhelming.

Lu Chen’s Qi...

Collapsed.

His eyes widened.

"What..."

Shen Tian walked toward him.

One step.

Lu Chen’s knees bent.

Second step.

His shoulders lowered.

Third.

CRACK!

The floor beneath him fractured.

Lu Chen gritted his teeth.

"NO!"

He forced himself upright.

Shen Tian’s expression remained calm.

"Better."

Lu Chen stared.

"What?"

"That’s the first impressive thing you’ve done tonight."

Lu Chen froze.

Shen Tian stopped in front of him.

"You hate me?"

"Good."

"Use it."

His eyes narrowed.

"Get stronger."

"Become smarter."

"Learn humility."

"Fix your team."

"Stop treating women like possessions."

"Stop blaming everyone else."

"Then..."

Shen Tian leaned slightly closer.

"...come challenge me."

Lu Chen’s entire body shook.

Shen Tian smiled.

"But until then?"

The pressure increased.

Lu Chen dropped to one knee.

BOOM!

"You’re boring."

Silence.

Complete.

Absolute.

Silence.

Lu Chen looked upward.

Hatred filled his eyes.

More than ever.

But...

Something else appeared.

Determination.

Dark.

Obsessive.

Unhealthy.

But powerful.

"I’ll kill you."

Rose’s expression instantly changed.

Bear stopped smiling.

Ghost’s eyes narrowed.

Lin Yue became pale.

Shen Tian...

Stared.

Lu Chen repeated it.

Slowly.

Clearly.

"I will kill you."

Shen Tian’s smile disappeared.

No teasing.

No arrogance.

Just coldness.

"You just crossed a line."

Lu Chen laughed.

"Good."

The pressure vanished.

Lu Chen nearly collapsed.

He caught himself.

Shen Tian looked down at him.

"If you come after me..."

"Fine."

"If you challenge me..."

"Fine."

"If you try to kill me..."

His green eyes became frighteningly calm.

"...then you’d better be prepared for me to stop treating you like some annoying protagonist who needs his ego corrected."

Lu Chen froze.

Shen Tian leaned closer.

"Because I won’t hesitate."

Rose stared.

She had never heard Shen Tian speak to Lu Chen like that.

Neither had Lin Yue.

There was no joking.

No playful humiliation.

He meant it.

Lu Chen slowly stood.

Their eyes met.

"Neither will I."

Good.

Now...

They understood each other.

This wasn’t rivalry anymore.

This wasn’t competition over women.

This wasn’t wounded pride.

They were enemies.

Real enemies.

And neither intended to reconcile.

. . .

Xu Ning appeared.

Her expression became complicated.

A system notification opened.

[Ding!]

Major Relationship Change Detected

Lu Chen has permanently designated Host as his primary enemy.

Protagonist mentality has shifted.

Original Route: Lu Chen views Shen Tian as a temporary domestic rival.

Current Route: Lu Chen views Shen Tian as an existential enemy.

Fate structure destabilized.

Fate stolen: 7,000

Current Fate Value: 402,000

Another notification.

Warning

Hatred Value: 100/100

Special State Activated: Nemesis

Xu Ning stared.

[Host.]

"What?"

[You have officially maxed out his hatred.]

Shen Tian looked toward Lu Chen.

The mercenary protagonist was staring at him like he wanted to tear him apart.

"Achievement unlocked."

Xu Ning stared.

[THAT IS NOT AN ACHIEVEMENT!]

Shen Tian almost smiled.

Almost.

Then...

Lu Chen turned.

Rose frowned.

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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

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