Chapter 486 Surrender Without a Fight! Lin Feng Admits Defeat in Public?!

Liu Qingshuang stood blankly in front of the Longxiang Pavilion formation.

Her eyes, usually as cold as frost, were wide open.

Reflected in her pupils was that slender, upright figure on the battle stage.

The scratch on her arm from the wind blade was still throbbing, but she couldn't feel any pain now.

All her attention was completely consumed by Jiang Yun's words.

She never expected that after Jiang Yun seized the platform, he would simply give it to her.

In her eyes, Jiang Yun standing up for them, descending from the sky on his Divine Roc, and instantly killing Lin Xinmu in front of the whole school was already enough to make them ecstatic.

It made them feel that joining Longxiang Pavilion after returning from the Bone Burial Area was the right choice.

When she was targeted by Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng on the stage, she gritted her teeth and refused to surrender, not because she thought she could win, but because she felt that since she had joined Longxiang Pavilion, she couldn't let the pavilion lose face or damage the Sacred Student's reputation, or let Longxiang Pavilion fail to secure a single spot...

But Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng were too strong.

The three of them couldn't hold out even working together.

In the end, they were beaten down one by one, and didn't get a single spot.

At that time, she was filled with suppressed rage, with nowhere to vent.

But now, Jiang Yun not only avenged them but also handed the seized platform directly to her.

This wasn't just standing up for them.

This wasn't just revenge.

This was picking the fruit of victory and placing it directly into her hands.

"He... he gave the platform to me?"

Liu Qingshuang's voice was so soft that only she could hear it, filled with disbelief.

She instinctively turned to look at Xiao Chen and Lei Qing beside her.

Her usually calm and composed eyes showed a rare trace of confusion.

"Hahaha! I told you!"

Lei Qing slapped his thigh hard, his rugged face beaming so much his eyes were nearly slits.

"I saw it back in the Bone Burial Area; this Sacred Student is just that kind of person. He either doesn't make a move, but if he does, he sees it through to the end! Lin Xinmu being killed instantly was just an appetizer; this is the main course... taking the platform directly and giving it to our Longxiang Pavilion! Didn't Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng target us? Didn't they try to stop us from getting a spot? Now look, the Pavilion Master has personally delivered the spot into our hands! Let's see how they stop us now!"

Xiao Chen wiped the dried blood from the corner of his mouth.

As steady as he was, he couldn't suppress the surging emotions in his heart.

He looked up at the young man on the battle stage, his low voice carrying an uncontrollable excitement for the first time.

"This kindness, Xiao Chen will remember it."

Throughout the stands, the shock of the other students was no less than Liu Qingshuang's.

Those Prodigies on the Heaven Ranking who had fought tooth and nail only to be eliminated now stared with wide eyes, their expressions as if they had been force-fed a bottle of aged vinegar.

"Directly... he just gave away the platform?!"

A student in the top forty of the Heaven Ranking gripped the railing, leaning out of the stands, his voice filled with incredulous shock.

"He just killed Lin Xinmu instantly, took the platform, and in the blink of an eye, gave it to someone from Longxiang Pavilion?! What about himself? Does he not want a spot anymore?!"

"Are you stupid?! Isn't it a matter of minutes for the Sacred Student to get a spot? He can even kill Lin Xinmu instantly; what's difficult about seizing another platform?"

Another student beside him took over, his tone filled with sour envy.

"Look at that Liu Qingshuang from Longxiang Pavilion. She was targeted by Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng repeatedly and was completely out of contention. And the result? As soon as the Pavilion Master returned, he handed her a ready-made platform. If I had known, damn it, I would have joined Longxiang Pavilion too! If I had joined, maybe I would be the one being personally escorted to the platform by the Pavilion Master! If I knew Longxiang Pavilion had this kind of treatment, why would I waste energy fighting in the tournament? Joining Longxiang Pavilion directly would be better than anything!"

"It's too late for you to join now. Didn't you see how those core members of Longxiang Pavilion gritted their teeth when they were being targeted earlier? They didn't retreat during the hardest times. Now that the Pavilion Master is back to back them up, it's what they deserve!"

On the high platform, the deans watched this scene unfold completely.

Zhan Qiong gripped the railing, his rugged face showing a wry smile, not knowing what to say.

"This kid... he finished fighting and immediately gave the platform away. What is this? I don't think this has ever happened in the history of the tournament."

"Although there are no rules explicitly forbidding the transfer of a platform to another person," Vice Dean Yan Lie frowned slightly, his tone cautious, "but this approach is ultimately... ahem, a bit inconsistent with the original intention of the tournament, where the capable should reside. The Heavenly Saint Student certainly has the strength to take another platform, but if everyone imitates this, the fairness of the tournament might..."

"Fairness?"

Medicine Dust Son stroked his beard and interrupted Yan Lie's words unhurriedly.

"When Lin Xinmu, Feng Ziyue, and Lin Feng were taking turns targeting those three Little Fellows from Longxiang Pavilion, why didn't anyone come out to talk about fairness? Although this move by the Heavenly Saint Student is unconventional, at the end of the day... he used his own strength to capture the platform and voluntarily conceded it to his companion; everything is within the rules. Compared to those who used numbers to bully the few and the strong to bully the weak, the Heavenly Saint Student has acted quite openly and honorably."

"What does Dean Ming Jing think?"

Tie Kuang asked in a muffled voice.

Vice Dean Ming Jing sat on the main seat, his gaze resting calmly on the slender, upright figure on the distant stage.

The corner of his mouth still held that faint, elusive arc.

He was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Within the rules, no more needs to be said. Besides... have you counted how many times those three Little Fellows from Longxiang Pavilion were targeted today? Their Pavilion Master returned to seek justice for his own people. Although his methods were unexpected, he spoke with strength in the end. Lin Xinmu was inferior in skill, and Lin Feng and Feng Ziyue will face the same situation... All of this is within the tournament rules, so we Old Fellows don't need to worry too much. Let the young people solve their own matters."

Zhan Qiong chuckled upon hearing this and lowered his voice to say to Vice Dean Yan Lie beside him, "See that? The Dean's bias is so obvious he doesn't even bother to hide it anymore. But to be honest... with a Pavilion Master like this, Longxiang Pavilion will probably be able to walk sideways in the academy from now on."

On the platform where the three members of the Jingfeng Sect were, Sect Master Feng Tianyang still had his arms crossed, but his gaze finally showed a visible ripple the moment Jiang Yun shouted that the platform belonged to her.

It wasn't shock, nor anger, but a kind of condensation after re-evaluating his opponent.

He had expected Jiang Yun to take advantage of the momentum to attack the Jingfeng Sect directly.

After all, in everyone's expectation, Jiang Yun's momentum was at its Peak after killing Lin Xinmu instantly.

According to the sharpness and decisiveness he displayed during their standoff from a distance, the next target should have been the Jingfeng Sect.

But Jiang Yun didn't.

Jiang Yun stopped.

It wasn't a retreat, but a way of redefining this reckoning in his own way.

He crippled Lin Xinmu first, then seized the platform and gave it to his own people, unhurried and methodical.

Every step was taken precisely and calmly.

Every move hit the opponent's most painful spot, yet he was neither rushed nor impatient.

What did this mean?

It meant the opponent was not acting on impulse at all.

It meant he was not afraid of his Jingfeng Sect at all.

"Interesting," Sect Master Feng Tianyang said in a low voice, his tone having lost some of its playfulness.

It was replaced by a genuine sense of caution and gravity.

"Is he not in a hurry, or is he giving me time to prepare? If it's the latter... this kid is more troublesome than I imagined."

Feng Yu, on the other hand, could no longer smile.

He watched Liu Qingshuang walk slowly toward the battle stage at Jiang Yun's call, watching the envious and awe-filled gazes of the surrounding students.

The emotions churning in his heart were extremely complex.

He understood better than most people present what this meant.

Jiang Yun publicly giving the platform to a Longxiang Pavilion member was not a simple transfer of a spot.

It was a declaration.

Longxiang Pavilion's people were under his protection; whoever moved them would suffer the same fate as Lin Xinmu, and whoever was not convinced could come up and try.

And this declaration was understood by the entire academy.

And as for Feng Ziyue...

He no longer cared about the tournament at all.

The only thought in his mind now was... Is the next one me?

"Senior Sister Qingshuang."

Jiang Yun's voice sounded again, this time a bit softer than before, yet it clearly penetrated the noise of the Longxiang Pavilion formation.

Liu Qingshuang snapped back to reality and turned to look at Lei Qing and Xiao Chen beside her.

Lei Qing grinned and patted her shoulder carelessly.

"Go, go! The Pavilion Master has spoken personally, what are you hesitating for? We were targeted by Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng all day, and now the Pavilion Master has personally taken back the platform and given it to you. You cannot refuse this kindness. And think about it... why did the Pavilion Master go to find Lin Xinmu first? He could have safely guarded his own platform, so why did he have to go and trouble Lin Xinmu? It's because Lin Xinmu blocked us before. He killed Lin Xinmu, then took the platform and gave it to you... This was all calculated by the Pavilion Master from the beginning, just to win back the spot for us!"

Liu Qingshuang pursed her lips slightly, a flash of emotion crossing her cold eyes.

She didn't say anything sentimental, just took a deep breath and started walking.

She passed through the crowd, her pace gradually becoming firm from initial hesitation.

Every step landed on the eager gazes of the Longxiang Pavilion members.

When she stepped on the stone steps of the battle stage, her pace paused for a moment.

She looked down at the stone slab under her feet; the bloodstains were still there, left by Lin Xinmu's Void Shadow Mink.

Just a moment ago, she had watched with her own eyes as that spatial beast, which had once made her miserable, was cut down by Jiang Yun's beast.

And now, Jiang Yun had handed this blood-stained stage to her.

It wasn't charity, it wasn't pity, but a silent affirmation.

The people of Longxiang Pavilion were worthy of standing here...

She looked up, met Jiang Yun's gaze, and bowed slightly.

She didn't say thank you, but her eyes were clearer than any words.

Jiang Yun watched her stand firm, nodded slightly, then turned around and swept his gaze across the entire Colosseum again.

His voice was not loud, but it pressed down on the hearts of everyone present like an invisible sword.

"Everyone! This platform now belongs to my Longxiang Pavilion member, Liu Qingshuang."

His voice was calm and composed, yet carried an unquestionable pressure.

"If anyone is not convinced, you are welcome to come up and challenge."

He paused, his gaze scanning the Prodigies on the surrounding battle stages like a physical force.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and he didn't finish the second half of the sentence.

But every person present understood the meaning in that gaze.

You can come up if you're not convinced.

But what happens after you come up, just look at Lin Xinmu.

The entire arena fell into a tacit silence at that moment.

Those Prodigies who had been jealous of Liu Qingshuang for getting a spot for nothing now shifted their gazes elsewhere.

Are you kidding? Go up and challenge Liu Qingshuang?

That's the same as going up to challenge the Sacred Student, isn't it?

He just killed Lin Xinmu, and the platform was taken down by his punch.

If you go up and beat Liu Qingshuang down, then what?

Then the Sacred Student comes back and beats you down?

That's not a challenge; that's suicide.

Moreover... Liu Qingshuang's own strength was not weak, Purple Crystal Second Stage, already possessing combat power not inferior to the top thirty of the Heaven Ranking.

Even without Jiang Yun suppressing, there were few people present who could steadily defeat her.

Now, added to that, Jiang Yun's subtext of "you are welcome to challenge if you are not convinced"... Who would dare to go up?

Liu Qingshuang's platform could be said to be completely set.

No one would dare to go up and challenge her again.

This was not only out of fear of Jiang Yun's combat power, but also because Jiang Yun had made the rules clear just now.

If people don't offend me, I won't offend them; if people offend my Longxiang Pavilion, Lin Xinmu is the outcome.

But what everyone was more curious about was... Jiang Yun took Lin Xinmu's platform and gave it to Liu Qingshuang, so what about his own spot?

His previous platform was still empty.

Although no one dared to go up now, if he went back to guard it, it would mean he took one spot, Liu Qingshuang took one spot, and Longxiang Pavilion took two at once, which would be a happy ending for everyone.

But what if he didn't go back?

What if his goal was more than that?

Everyone's gaze focused back on Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun did not fly back to his original platform immediately.

He stood on the back of the Little Skylark, turned around slowly, and cast his gaze toward the direction of the Jingfeng Sect again.

In that instant, the air solidified again.

Thousands of gazes followed Jiang Yun's line of sight and landed on Sect Master Feng Tianyang at the same time.

Two Auras climbed again.

Jiang Yun's Falling Star Rank Mental Energy Domain spread forward like an invisible sword edge, and the sharp Killing Intent on Sect Master Feng Tianyang exploded at the same time.

The two Auras collided silently in the mid-air of the Colosseum, shaking the defensive formations on the battle stages between them slightly.

"They are going to face off again! The Sacred Student is going to face off against Sect Master Feng Tianyang again! This time he definitely won't hold back! Lin Xinmu has been killed, the Sacred Student must be going to challenge Sect Master Feng Tianyang directly this time!"

Someone in the stands stood up excitedly.

"Number six on the Heaven Ranking! The Purple Crystal Ninth Rank Peak Sky-Splitting Golden Roc! If this battle really starts, it will definitely be the most exciting one in this tournament!"

Sect Master Feng Tianyang's mouth also curled up with that smile full of Battle Intent again.

His hands hung by his sides, his fingers slightly spread, and the Sky-Splitting Golden Roc in his Beast Taming Space had already let out an eager battle cry.

He had even rehearsed the rhythm of the next battle in his mind.

The suppression range of the Domain skill, the duration of the true body, Jiang Yun's tactical habits.

From the process of him killing Lin Xinmu just now, Sect Master Feng Tianyang had already captured a lot of information.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Jiang Yun to fly over.

However, Jiang Yun withdrew his gaze.

It was exactly the same as before.

Calm and composed, light and breezy.

It was as if the two aerial clashes from just moments ago had been nothing more than turning a page of a book.

Immediately after, Little Skylark flapped its wings, transforming into a cyan-purple streak of light. It streaked across the sky above Liu Qingshuang's battle stage, not returning to its previous arena, but flying straight toward a battle stage on the other side of the Colosseum.

Standing on that battle stage was a tall, thin youth with a cold expression.

Lin Feng.

After a brief moment of shock, the entire arena roared with realization.

"It is Lin Feng!! The Sacred Student's next target is Lin Feng!! Not Sect Master Feng Tianyang!! It is Lin Feng!!" someone in the stands shouted out in shock.

"Right!! Right!! Lin Feng was also one of the people targeting Longxiang Pavilion earlier!! He and Feng Ziyue took turns attacking those three from Longxiang Pavilion. When Liu Qingshuang and the others were being targeted just now, Lin Feng was also one of the main perpetrators!! The Sacred Student is going to settle scores with everyone who targeted Longxiang Pavilion, one by one!! He didn't rush to find Sect Master Feng Tianyang because he still has to deal with Lin Feng first!! One by one, he won't let a single one go!! First Lin Xinmu, then Lin Feng, then Feng Ziyue and Feng Yu, and finally, Sect Master Feng Tianyang!! He wants to settle the accounts one by one!!"

"Lin Feng... Lin Feng is ranked thirty-first on the Heavenly Ranking!! Although he is over thirty spots higher than Lin Xinmu, in terms of combat power, he should be slightly weaker than Lin Xinmu... But then again, if Lin Xinmu was insta-killed, no matter how strong Lin Feng is, how long can he last??"

"Don't you see it yet? The Realm is not the problem at all!! Lin Xinmu was at the Amethyst Sixth Stage Peak and was insta-killed with one strike; how many more strikes can Lin Feng last?? I am afraid he won't even be able to withstand one!! The combat power of the Sacred Student's Divine Roc cannot be measured by Realm. Is that the kind of damage an Amethyst Rank can deal?? That is Diamond Rank!!"

On the battle stage.

Lin Feng watched helplessly as that cyan-purple streak of light streaked over from the distance.

He watched as the Wind-Thunder Divine Roc, blotting out the sky, hovered slowly in front of him.

He watched as the youth on the back of the Divine Roc looked down at him from above.

Jiang Yun stood with his hands behind his back, his posture as straight as a pine, the Falling Star Rank Mental Energy field still not fully retracted around him.

He looked down at Lin Feng with an expressionless face.

His gaze was as calm as water; there was no anger, no Killing Intent, only a detachment that had seen through the Karma and Reincarnation.

But this calmness made Lin Feng's heart colder than any rage could.

"You are Lin Tao's older brother?? Lin Feng??"

Jiang Yun's voice was not loud.

Yet it struck Lin Feng's eardrums like a clap of thunder.

His voice was very calm.

So calm that it was as if he were asking about the weather today.

But suppressed beneath this calmness was an icy coldness that made Lin Feng's scalp tingle.

Lin Feng's heart shrank violently.

He had considered many possibilities.

Perhaps Jiang Yun would return to his own arena first.

Perhaps he would go directly to challenge Sect Master Feng Tianyang.

Perhaps he would let him go for the time being and deal with Feng Ziyue first.

But he never imagined that Jiang Yun's next target would be him.

Because although he had targeted Longxiang Pavilion, he was, after all, a Lin.

The Lin Family and the Su Family were hereditary enemies, and there was no direct conflict of interest between him and Longxiang Pavilion.

The reason he cooperated with Feng Ziyue to suppress Longxiang Pavilion was more because Feng Ziyue had approached him, and because of a minor friction his brother had with them. The two had hit it off immediately.

He thought that the first person Jiang Yun would find would be Feng Ziyue.

After all, Feng Ziyue was the most arrogant one.

But he was wrong.

Lin Xinmu was the first, and he was the second.

Jiang Yun's settlement of accounts had no distinction of severity, only an order of sequence.

He looked up at the Divine Roc hovering above the battle stage, his pupils contracting violently.

Little Skylark slowly folded its wings, its feathers interwoven with sky-blue and pale purple shimmering in the morning light, and the miniature thunderstorm pattern in its pupils slowly rotated.

Its Domain of Thunder did not expand, its true Bloodline form was not activated; it just hovered there quietly.

But that majestic pressure still crushed down like an invisible mountain.

This was the Innate rule of the Primordial Divine Roc over ordinary beasts.

It was a suppression carved into the deepest part of the Bloodline.

Lin Feng felt the beast inside his body trembling.

His beast.

The Silver-Armored Earth-Splitting Rhino.

It was known for its defensive power among those of the same rank.

Its entire body of silver armor was indestructible.

Facing opponents of Amethyst Eighth Tier or even Ninth Tier, it could hold its own for dozens of rounds without losing ground.

But at this moment, it was cowering in the depths of the Beast Taming Space, curled into a ball, its entire silver armor shivering.

It was not afraid of the opponent's Realm, but of the opponent's Bloodline.

The Bloodline pressure of the Primordial Divine Roc.

It had an almost instinctive, Innate suppression over almost all low-level Bloodline beasts.

This suppression crossed the gap of Realms.

So what if it was Amethyst Seventh Tier??

In front of a Primordial Divine Beast, an ordinary Bloodline of the Amethyst Rank is like a rabbit in a pack of wolves.

No matter how strong a rabbit is, it is still a rabbit.

Lin Feng's hands began to tremble.

He remembered the scene where Lin Xinmu's Void Shadow Mink had been knocked down by a single slash just now.

He knew all too well the speed and trickery of that spatial-type beast.

If he encountered Lin Xinmu on the battle stage, he wouldn't last twenty rounds.

But Jiang Yun had severely wounded Lin Xinmu's beast with one slash.

He hadn't even let Lin Xinmu unleash a complete combo.

If Lin Xinmu was insta-killed, what about him??

Although his Silver-Armored Earth-Splitting Rhino had stronger defense, could even the strongest defense block that slash??

Intuitively speaking.

It could not be blocked, absolutely not.

Fear was like a cold hand.

It climbed up from Lin Feng's spine.

It gripped his heart.

His forehead began to sweat, the beads of sweat refracting fine light in the morning sun, rolling down his cheeks.

His lips were trembling slightly.

That pair of eyes, usually cold and stern, had completely lost their composure at this moment.

Only panic and fear remained.

With a thud.

Lin Feng's knees went weak, and he knelt directly on the battle stage.

This action of his was too sudden, too decisive, leaving everyone in the audience unable to react.

Lin Feng knelt without the slightest hesitation, the sound of his knees hitting the stone slabs crisp and dull.

He braced his hands on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold stone slabs, his voice trembling so much it was almost incoherent.

"Sacred Student... Sacred Student, spare me!! The previous matters were all because my good-for-nothing younger brother, Lin Tao, was spouting nonsense in front of me, saying how you bullied him and were arrogant; I, as his older brother, was foolish for a moment and believed his ghost stories!! I had no idea that the one he offended was you, Sacred Student!! That brat Lin Tao has been like this since he was a child... if he cannot win, he comes back to complain, adding oil and vinegar to the story, turning black into white; I, as his older brother, have failed to discipline him!! No, it is that I have no eyes!! I am blind!! I shouldn't have believed his words, and I especially shouldn't have stood up for him!! I beg the Sacred Student, considering that I was momentarily blinded, to be the bigger person and spare me this once..."

In a corner of the crowd below.

Lin Tao was squeezed into the stands with a few friends.

A moment ago.

He was still bragging to his companions beside him about how strong his brother Lin Feng's combat power was.

Saying that Lin Feng would definitely be able to secure a spot for the Lin Family today.

Saying that the Heavenly Saint Student just had good luck to survive in Ash Town.

But in the blink of an eye.

He watched with his own eyes as Lin Xinmu was insta-killed.

That spatial-type beast, which even his brother could not defeat, was slashed into an unknown state of life or death.

Then he saw Jiang Yun fly onto his brother's battle stage.

Then he saw...

His brother kneel.

Kneel in public.

In front of the entire school.

Kneel to that Jiang Yun he had always looked down upon.

Every word he said was pushing the responsibility onto him.

Lin Tao's face lost all color in that instant.

His legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his back hitting the railing behind him with a dull thud.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but could not utter a single word.

He felt his world collapsing.

The older brother he was most proud of, the Lin Feng who had always been his backer in the Lin Family, was currently kneeling in front of the person he hated the most, kowtowing on the cold stone slabs, begging for mercy in the most humble tone.

And the person his brother was desperately trying to distance himself from was him, Lin Tao.

"Lin... Lin Tao, your brother..."

A friend beside him finally recovered from the shock.

His voice was full of disbelief.

"Is your brother... is this him begging the Sacred Student for mercy?? Didn't you say your brother was very powerful?? Didn't you say that your Lin Family would definitely be able to secure a spot today?? He knelt down without even fighting, what is this..."

"Don't... don't come near me."

Another friend took two steps back violently.

His face was full of terror.

He remembered the things Lin Tao had bragged about earlier.

"My brother is ranked thirty-first on the Heavenly Ranking."

"That kid Jiang Yun just has good luck."

"Wait until my brother makes his move, he will get what is coming to him."

He had once believed these words.

But now, it seemed, those were all jokes.

"Lin Tao, you... do not come looking for us in the future. We do not want to be implicated by you, especially with a ruthless person like the Sacred Student who settles grudges."

Another companion backed away from Lin Tao.

The few friends who had originally surrounded Lin Tao.

At this moment, they scattered quickly as if avoiding the plague.

Leaving Lin Tao sitting alone on the ground.

Within a few steps around him, there was no one.

Lin Tao collapsed on the ground.

His eyes looked hollowly at his brother kneeling on the battle stage.

His lips moved for a long time.

Finally, a hoarse, broken whisper squeezed out of his throat.

"It is over... it is all over..."

On the battle stage.

Jiang Yun looked down from above at Lin Feng, who was kneeling before him.

His expression remained calm.

No triumph, no pity, no anger, only a detachment that had seen through Karma.

Lin Feng knelt very standardly and begged very earnestly; that appearance of tears and snot streaming down did not look like it was faked.

But he was not moved.

Because Lin Feng was not kneeling to him, Jiang Yun.

Lin Feng was kneeling to the Divine Roc hovering above the battle stage.

Kneeling to the terrifying combat power of Little Skylark that had insta-killed Lin Xinmu.

Kneeling to the Primordial Divine Beast pressure that was currently crushing his beast's heart.

If Jiang Yun had not insta-killed Lin Xinmu.

If Jiang Yun's Divine Roc had not erupted with such terrifying combat power.

Would Lin Feng have knelt??

No.

He would have been like when he targeted Liu Qingshuang.

He would have attacked without hesitation.

Then, after winning, he would have lightly said that the other person was inferior and deserved it.

And then, smugly, he would have returned to his own battle stage to continue guarding it.

So Jiang Yun's expression did not change at all.

He just looked at Lin Feng calmly.

Watching him kowtow on the stone slabs.

Watching him push all the responsibility onto his younger brother.

And then, when he finally stopped, panting heavily.

He spoke slowly.

"This matter is not entirely about whether your brother has a grudge against me."

His voice was not loud.

Yet it was like a cold blade cutting through Lin Feng's rambling excuses.

Lin Feng's kowtowing motion froze, his forehead still pressed against the stone slab, not daring to look up.

"On the battle stage, you used dishonorable means to repeatedly target the people of my Longxiang Pavilion... This matter has nothing to do with Lin Tao; it was a choice you made yourself on the battle stage."

Jiang Yun's voice remained calm.

Yet it carried an unquestionable certainty.

"Since you made the choice, you must bear the cost of that choice. Now—summon your beast and fight me. Compete for this battle stage."

He paused.

His gaze slowly moved away from Lin Feng.

He looked toward the distant horizon of the Colosseum.

As if he were speaking of a trivial matter.

"If you have already lost the courage to fight... then walk off the battle stage yourself. Do not let your beast pay the price for your cowardice."

These words were like a heavy hammer striking Lin Feng's heart.

He knelt on the ground, his hands bracing the stone slabs, his whole body trembling violently.

He understood.

Jiang Yun was not threatening him, nor was he humiliating him.

Jiang Yun was giving him one last chance.

Either fight, or leave.

Fight, and he could not possibly win.

Lin Xinmu had been insta-killed; even with his Silver-Armored Earth-Splitting Rhino's high defense, it could not withstand that wing slash.

Going up would just be asking for humiliation, his beast would certainly be severely injured, and it might even die on the stage.

Leave, and he, Lin Feng, ranked thirty-first on the Heavenly Ranking, after kneeling in public, would not even have the courage to fight, and would roll off the battle stage in disgrace.

From then on, he would never be able to hold his head high in the academy.

Both paths were dead ends, and whichever one he chose was his own choice—from the moment he decided to cooperate with Feng Ziyue to target Longxiang Pavilion, this ending had already been determined.

Lin Feng knelt on the ground in silence for a long time.

On the battle stage behind him that belonged to him, spiritual light flowed silently on the protective array, casting his shadow in shifting lengths.

Finally, he slowly raised his head.

His eye sockets were red, his face covered in tear stains and snot, and that appearance was like a completely different person from the imposing Heavenly Ranking thirty-first he had been on the stage before.

His lips moved several times, his voice hoarse to the point of breaking.

"I... I concede."

Every word felt like it was being gouged out of his throat.

"This battle stage... I yield it to you. I beg the Sacred Student... to be magnanimous and spare me."

After saying this.

His whole body slumped to the ground as if all his strength had been drained.

Then he braced himself against the stone slabs and stood up staggeringly, his legs still trembling violently, unable to even stand steadily.

He kept his head down, not daring to look at Jiang Yun, not daring to look at anyone in the audience, turned around, and walked down the battle stage step by step.

His footsteps were floating and staggering, as if stepping on cotton.

When he reached the last step, he stumbled.

Almost falling, but he did not look back.

He did not dare to look back.

On the stage, the morning light remained.

Jiang Yun stood on the back of Little Skylark, hands behind his back, watching Lin Feng's hunched and wretched figure disappear into the edge of the crowd.

His expression remained calm; there was no ecstatic joy of victory, no mockery of the loser.

Only a detachment that had seen through the Karma and Reincarnation...

He was simply using their own methods to deal with them...