Chapter Thirty-One: Let the Battle Begin!

In the arena, Zhang Lin’s face was ashen, his breaths ragged and heavy, eyes wide with terror and disbelief as he stared at the young man before him as though he were a monster.

“I concede…”

A ripple of astonishment swept through the stands. For those who could see clearly, Zhang Lin’s decision was undoubtedly the right one. Though Liu Zhenqing’s earlier strike had been blocked by the defensive spirit artifact—the Purple Gold Bowl—at his chest, Zhang Lin had emerged physically unscathed. Yet he knew well that if he stubbornly persisted, not only was victory hopeless, but he might very well leave the arena on a stretcher.

A wise man does not court disaster before his eyes, and so he surrendered without hesitation.

Most spectators understood Zhang Lin’s choice, but as the match ended just as it reached its most thrilling point, disappointment reigned. The crowd erupted in boos, many feeling unsatisfied and craving more excitement.

In the Zhang family’s section, Zhang Tai’s expression remained unchanged, but the elders and clansmen nearby looked grim. With Zhang Lin’s concession, only Yang Yan remained as the Zhang family’s contender in this grand tournament.

After a brief moment of dejection, all eyes turned in unison to the last row, where Yang Yan sat.

Yang Yan ignored the scrutiny, simply nodding to Zhang Tai before striding confidently into the arena.

“Brother Yang Yan, go for it!”

…

A roar thundered through the stands as Yang Yan and Xu Shaoguang entered the fray. The showdown between the younger generation of the Xu and Zhang families was always the highlight of the annual tournament, and this year was especially remarkable. The once-disgraced young master of the Zhangs had risen unexpectedly, and even before the tournament, these two had clashed publicly, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation. The atmosphere in the martial field soared to its peak.

“Yang Yan, if you know what’s good for you, I advise you…”

“Can you spare me the nonsense?” Yang Yan interrupted, seeming impatient. “If you want me to yield, prove it with your strength. This isn’t a place for empty words.”

“Fine! I hope when you’re lying on the ground like a dead dog, you remember what you just said!” Xu Shaoguang retorted with a twisted sneer, his voice full of venom.

A clear toll of the bell echoed through the arena. Both Yang Yan and Xu Shaoguang knew further words were pointless. They channeled their spiritual power and charged toward each other.

With a deafening crash, both fighters staggered backward six or seven steps before regaining their footing.

Neither found common ground, so they fought with everything they had from the outset. Their fists collided, water-attribute spiritual power—almost translucent—clashed violently with pale red fire-attribute power. The explosion sent a cloud of white mist across the arena, obscuring their forms.

“He’s got tremendous strength!” Yang Yan silently praised. In the city of Jinhuan, he had never truly exchanged blows with Xu Shaoguang, only gleaning hints of his power from other matches. Now, feeling it firsthand, he realized Xu Shaoguang’s physique was formidable indeed.

Though Yang Yan hadn’t yet used his special pale blue spiritual power, his water-attribute energy should have held some advantage over Xu Shaoguang’s fire. But even with this elemental superiority, their clash left him with no clear edge.

Unbeknownst to Yang Yan, Xu Shaoguang was equally shocked. He specialized in brute force, preferring direct and violent combat. Though he had often derided Yang Yan as a “waste,” after the first round yesterday, he’d discarded any underestimation. He attacked with his full strength, yet found himself unable to gain the slightest advantage.

“If this continues, there’ll be no end. Unless I use my trump card, I won’t defeat this kid!”

With that thought, Xu Shaoguang abandoned all restraint, reaching into his spatial pouch and drawing forth a massive hammer.

Yang Yan watched intently. The hammer gleamed with a dark luster, deep as the night, its material unknown. The head was larger than a grown man’s skull, yet the handle was slender and long—an oddly mismatched sight.

“Looking for a swift victory? That suits me perfectly!”

According to the Nine Nether Lunar Arts, only when all five elemental spiritual nodes within the body are fully opened and brimming with power does one attain the rank of Heavenly-level technique. At present, Yang Yan had not even perfected his water node, so the Nine Nether Lunar Arts remained at its lowest level: Yellow-grade, low tier.

The Zhang family’s highest inherited technique was the Yellow-grade, high-tier “Mysterious Heart Formula.” The Xu family, being one of Jinhuan City’s three great clans, would surely have techniques of similar caliber, and as the second son of the Xu patriarch, Xu Shaoguang’s training would be top-notch. Though both Yang Yan and Xu Shaoguang stood at the peak of the second layer in the Spiritual Sensing Realm, if Yang Yan’s unique pale blue power were excluded, his water energy was less robust than Xu Shaoguang’s fire.

Thus, in a battle of endurance and spiritual consumption, Yang Yan was at a disadvantage.

“I didn’t expect you’d give him the treasure you’ve used for decades…”

In the Xu family’s section, a mysterious elder in fine robes glanced at Xu Tianlong and spoke quietly.

“My Starfall Demon Hammer was forged from Black Flame Iron found in meteorites from beyond the domain. Even among mid-tier spiritual artifacts, it’s top-notch. Moreover, since Shaoguang, like me, was born with an innate fire body, decades of nurturing have made the Starfall Demon Hammer perfectly attuned to fire energy. In the hands of someone with an innate fire body, its power increases by a third!”

“As far as I know, the Zhangs also possess several mid-tier artifacts, but their shapes are odd, making them difficult for most to wield. Zhang Tai’s Green Spirit Sword, though also mid-tier, is attuned to wood energy. The Zhang boy’s innate spirit is water; even if Zhang Tai gave him the Green Spirit Sword, he could only harness a fraction of its power…”

“So, this boy is absolutely no match for Shaoguang!”

Yet, as Xu Tianlong finished speaking, he saw on the white jade platform that Yang Yan had also reached into his spatial pouch. In a sudden motion, a flash of silver whirled and danced—Moonshadow Frost appeared in his hand!