Chapter 98
Zhao Qingmeng stood proudly, hands on her hips, taking credit for the accomplishment. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen and Ye Yun were furious, their faces dark with rage, their hatred for Lin Qi’an growing as though they could devour him.
“No need to worry. Even if we have to fight again, with the two of us combined, there’s no way we’ll lose to him,” Ye Yun said confidently.
“Exactly. We’re not the same as before!” Xiao Chen smirked coldly to himself. He still had a trump card, one that could possibly crush Lin Qi’an underfoot.
Finally, the white-haired elder who presided over the hunt recovered from his shock and officially announced, “Teams 108 and 1001, due to identical final scores, must compete in a tiebreaker to determine the Grand Hunt champion!”
“Go, prince!”
“We believe in you!”
“Take them down!”
Countless voices cheered for Lin Qi’an, their shouts growing louder, rumbling like thunder.
“Wait, isn’t the prince going to fight both of them at once?” someone asked.
“Yeah, the princess can’t fight, so the prince has to take on two opponents by himself. Can he do it?”
“Don’t worry. He’s been through so many battles already. Do you really think the prince is afraid of these two?”
Amidst the growing anticipation, Lin Qi’an, Ye Yun, and Xiao Chen all entered the arena. The battlefield spanned ten miles, exclusively for their use.
To prevent collateral damage, several powerful experts had set up a defensive formation, ensuring the utmost safety for the spectators.
“Sister, you’re probably rooting for your guard, right? I’m betting on Brother Lin. How about we make a little wager?” Zhao Qingmeng teased with a grin.
“Who told you I was supporting him?” Zhao Yunji responded irritably.
“What? Are you still supporting your ex-fiancé? He just broke off the engagement with you!”
“If you can’t speak properly, just don’t talk!”
“So fierce… so fierce…”
As the final battle was about to begin, Xiao Chen stepped forward and asked loudly, “Will this fight be unrestricted, with life and death left to fate? Otherwise, if we injure the prince, we might not be able to leave Beiyang alive!”
His words sparked outrage among the Beiyang crowd.
“What arrogance! Does he really think he can injure the prince?”
“He’s full of himself!”
“I spit on him! Who does he think he is?”
Boos erupted from the crowd. Even Ran Yuwei couldn’t hold back a cold snort, thinking, “If you dare harm the prince, I will make you pay!”
“Brother, teach him a lesson!” Lin Hongyu also sniffled angrily.
Despite the anger, rules still had to be clarified.
“During the match, if one side surrenders or can no longer fight, the battle ends. Until then, everything is part of the competition, and no one will be held accountable afterward.”
“Now that’s a relief,” Xiao Chen said, grinning. With millions watching, if something did happen, Beiyang wouldn’t dare pursue the matter, or they would lose face on a massive scale.
“Begin!” With the elder’s command, the final battle officially started.
“Attack together!” Ye Yun shouted, activating the Great Yang Heavenly Emperor Technique. He wielded the Yang Crown Sword, his body bathed in golden light, radiating like a divine son descended to the mortal realm.
Xiao Chen unleashed the Ten Thousand Beasts Diagram, enhancing his power with the strength of fierce beasts. His combat prowess soared.
As the crowd felt the aura from the two, they were shocked. One was at the peak of the Transcendent Realm, while the other bathed in sunlight, his aura climbing to nearly Celestial Realm!
Both of them were monstrous geniuses, far surpassing the talents of all the other sect prodigies. This battle would be even more difficult than Lin Qi’an’s previous fight against the Tai’an princess.
“Lin Qi’an! Last time, you ambushed me and broke my arm, not to mention the hundred lashes I received. Let’s settle old and new grudges today!” Ye Yun roared as he soared into the sky, almost merging with the sun itself, dazzling and radiant.
As he swung his sword, it brought with it an oppressive heat, seemingly thousands of degrees, distorting the air and causing the plains to catch fire.
“This sword could harm even someone in the Celestial Realm,” an elder murmured in appraisal.
Even Zhao Yunji was surprised. Ye Yun had grown stronger yet again. Under the sun, his strength was probably equal to ninety percent of her own!
At that moment, an ancient and obscure chant erupted from Lin Qi’an’s throat.
In an instant, a terrifying dragon’s might swept across the land! Everyone instinctively covered their ears. Even through the protective barrier, they could feel the overwhelming power, sending shivers down their spines.
For the members of the Dragon Sect, it felt as though they were compelled to bow in worship, utterly subdued by the dragon’s might! But this time, it was no ordinary dragon’s aura. It carried an incredibly powerful chill!
In the blink of an eye, the flames on the ground were extinguished, turning into a vast glacier. Every particle in the air crystallized into ice.
Ye Yun, who had been flying mid-air, was frozen solid, transformed into an ice sculpture. After extreme heat, came extreme cold.
The spectators were left dumbfounded. Could this battle get any more intense?
However, where did the prince’s terrifying icy power come from?
Su Xueni’s beautiful eyes filled with delight as she realized the source. She had put in tireless effort, day and night, helping the heir cultivate this extreme cold power. She never expected its first use to be so overwhelmingly powerful.
Zhao Yunji, on the other hand, finally understood. It seemed that Lin Qi’an and Su Xueni had been working together, benefiting each other. He was truly impressive.
Meanwhile, as Ye Yun’s initial attack was thwarted, Xiao Chen immediately stepped up, his fists imbued with the power of the Mountain Shattering Ape, each punch stirring a gust of wind. A single punch from a Transcendent Realm cultivator like him could heavily injure most opponents.
Yet, his confident strike was effortlessly blocked by Lin Qi’an’s casual palm, unable to advance even an inch.
“How is this possible…?”
With a simple push from Lin Qi’an, the force surged forward like a mountain collapsing. Xiao Chen was sent flying back several hundred meters, leaving deep grooves in the ground where his shoes skidded. His chest churned as if a raging sea storm was about to make him vomit blood.
“Did I see that right? The prince’s physical strength is just as terrifying!”
“I’m stunned. I thought the prince was graceful and specialized in swordsmanship, not close combat.”
“With this kind of strength, he’s on par with monsters of the same level!”
Zhao Yunji was left murmuring in a daze. Could it be that Lin Qi’an had been holding back during their battle yesterday? How strong was he really?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt. To think such an extraordinary man had once been her fiancé!
“Xueni knows the strength of the prince all too well…”
Lin Qi’an’s body was endowed with the Dragon Bone and Sword Bone, and he had consumed the Heavenly Spirit Physique Pills twice. His physical strength had long surpassed ordinary limits. Yet, he rarely used close combat because he found it inelegant.
In the first round, neither Ye Yun nor Xiao Chen had gained the upper hand. This outcome surprised everyone.
*Crack!*
Ye Yun broke free from the ice. Under the immense heat radiating from him, the frozen air turned into mist, filling the battlefield.
“Great Yang Overturning Mountain Palm!” Ye Yun unleashed another attack, his Yang Crown Sword shooting forward like a meteor chasing the moon.
Lin Qi’an’s Nine Yang Divine Sword rose from its sheath, clashing with the Sun Crown Sword head-on as Lin Qi’an pointed out a finger.
“It’s the Heavenly Sword Finger from our Tianjian City!”
“Go, prince!”
As the two forces were locked in a stalemate, Xiao Chen attacked again. Lin Qi’an split his attention, sending the Seven Stars Dragon Spring Sword to engage Xiao Chen. Despite being outnumbered, Lin Qi’an showed no signs of being overwhelmed.
“Great Yang Overturning Sea Palm!” Ye Yun followed up with another strike, each palm stronger than the last.
The sunlight grew more blinding, and the pressure mounted! The Nine Yang Divine Sword burned with divine flames, straining to block the onslaught.
“Great Sun Heaven and Earth Palm!” Ye Yun’s third palm descended, capable of shattering even the clouds.
The ice plains beneath them melted away into nothingness. This was the might of the sun, unstoppable! The Nine Yang Divine Sword was knocked aside, and Lin Qi’an was forced to take a step back, retreating at high speed.
“The prince… he retreated…”
Seeing this, countless hearts filled with shock. Even when faced with the Purple Sky Divine Thunder, Lin Qi’an hadn’t taken a single step back. But now, with his retreat, it felt like the invincible legend had been shattered.
Perhaps even the prince had techniques he couldn’t withstand. Disappointment crept in.
On the other side, the swordsmanship of a single sacred weapon could no longer suppress Xiao Chen. Especially as he unleashed various divine abilities of many beasts, combined with his high cultivation, he was now gaining the upper hand.
*Buzz!*
The Seven Stars Dragon Spring Sword was struck away by Xiao Chen’s punch, embedding itself into the ground.
“Could the prince lose?”
“Oh no, the heir is at a disadvantage…”
The two adversaries exchanged smug glances, their eyes filled with disdain. Satisfaction bloomed in their hearts. At last… they were finally able to turn the tables and suppress the once-invincible Lin Qi’an! Their intentions were clear. They aimed to deal a fatal blow.
But just at that moment, a terrifying aura descended from above! Looking up, they saw a flash of purple light descending from the sky, its sharpness threatening to pierce the heavens and earth.
A third sword—Thunder’s Judgement.
All along, Lin Qi’an had been secretly controlling this third sword. Was he really fighting both of them while controlling three swords at once?
By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late to escape. The sword technique unleashed was none other than Sword Bone Divine Art: Blue Sky Yellow Springs!
The terrifying power exploded across the plains like a nuclear bomb. Dust and debris spread ten miles wide, only stopping when they hit the protective formation.
The ground now had a crater over a kilometer wide, with cracks spreading for thousands of meters like a spider’s web!
As for Xiao Chen and Ye Yun? Whether they were dead or alive remained uncertain… The might of that single strike left everyone in shock. No one had expected to have underestimated the heir’s abilities so greatly.