110: The strength of champion Hou

After Lin Tian's "emotional battle royale," filled with extreme indulgence and possessive dominance, ignited the flames of jealousy in all the male Prodigies present to their Peak, a suffocating, gunpowder-filled silence enveloped the entire Taihe Hall Plaza.

Everyone knew that an unavoidable bloody battle, triggered by "the hatred of having one's wife stolen," was about to erupt.

But who would be the first to step forward and challenge that "Sole King"?

Was it the resentful Kyle from "Holy Mountain"? No, he had already been dragged away for treatment like a dead dog.

Was it Adam, also from "Holy Mountain," whose Aura was even more unfathomable?

Or was it Arthur, the Saint from the European "Holy Temple"?

Or perhaps... just as everyone was guessing who would fire the first shot in this "Prodigy Hegemony"...

A figure moved.

That figure did not come from any prominent aristocratic family's seat but from the inconspicuous, mixed Loose Cultivator area.

Dressed in a green robe and wearing a bamboo hat, he silently leaped onto the colossal, attention-grabbing "Platform of Deification" like a ghost.

He slowly raised his head, removed his bamboo hat, revealing a handsome yet resolute face.

It was Ye Fan!

The entire audience erupted in an uproar!

"It's him! That former 'Son of Destiny,' Ye Fan! Wasn't he crippled by Lin Tian? How could he still be standing here? And... his Aura... so strong!"

"S-class! Absolutely S-class! Even stronger than Kyle just now! He... he actually, after being crippled, turned misfortune into a blessing and rose from the ashes?!"

Countless exclamations and discussions rose like a tide.

However, Ye Fan was deaf to all of it.

His reborn eyes, as deep as an ancient well yet containing endless sharpness, did not look at Lin Tian, who was sitting in the Long Family's seat and had caused all of this.

Instead, they pointed in another direction.

Towards that supreme existence in the military's seating area, who had been meditating with his eyes closed the entire time, as if nothing concerned him.

"Marquis Champion, Huo Qubing!"

Ye Fan's voice was not loud, but it pierced into everyone's ears like the sharpest Sword Qi.

"Do you dare to fight me!"

This unexpected challenge plunged the entire audience into stunned silence once more.

He didn't challenge Lin Tian but instead challenged another recognized "combat power ceiling"? What did he want to do?

In the military's seating area, Huo Qubing slowly opened his eyes. His sharp, hawk-like gaze, for the first time, truly acknowledged this former loser whom he had once regarded as an "ant." In his eyes, a genuine interest in a worthy opponent emerged.

"I can," he replied concisely. Then, he took a step, his figure appearing on the other side of the arena as if teleporting, facing Ye Fan from afar.

"Why?" Huo Qubing asked, very curious about his opponent's motive.

Ye Fan turned his head, his gaze passing through the crowd and landing on the beautiful figure on the high platform—Qin Yubing—the one who haunted his dreams and had tainted his Dao Heart.

His voice was filled with unprecedented determination and confidence.

"Because I want Yubing, the Qin Family, and everyone under heaven to see!"

"Who is the true strong one worthy of her!"

"Who, in this generation, is truly qualified to contend with Lin Tian...!"

He wanted to use "Marquis Champion," this hardest and most perfect "stepping stone," to declare his powerful return as the "Sword Emperor" to the whole world!

"Good!" Huo Qubing's eyes erupted with monstrous Battle Intent upon hearing this. "I hope your strength matches your arrogance!"

As soon as his words fell, the great battle erupted!

Ye Fan moved.

He didn't use any flashy opening moves; he simply pointed his fingers like a sword and thrust forward with a single sword strike!

[Nameless Sword Song · First Form · Asking the Heart]!

This sword strike seemed ordinary, yet in an instant, it seemed to drain all the light from heaven and earth! A seemingly slow but actually extremely fast and utterly pure gray Sword Qi ignored the distance of space, appearing directly before Huo Qubing's glabella!

This sword strike did not sever the Physical Body, only the Dao Heart!

"Excellent swordsmanship!"

Huo Qubing, instead of being surprised, was delighted, and he roared!

He didn't dodge but instead threw a punch!

[White Tiger Seven Kills Art · First Kill · Breaking Courage]!

His punch was filled with the iron-blooded Killing Intent of a soldier, a spirit of charging forward without looking back, burning all bridges! A solid, roaring White Tiger phantom erupted from his fist, precisely colliding with that gray Sword Qi!

Boom—!

Invisible mental shockwaves and a tangible energy storm detonated in the center of the arena! The entire arena, forged from special alloys, trembled violently!

The two were evenly matched!

The entire venue completely erupted!

"Oh my god! He can actually contend head-on with Marquis Champion?!"

"What kind of swordsmanship is that? I've never seen it before! It can directly attack the spiritual level!"

On the high platform, Qin Yubing's cold, beautiful eyes, for the first time, revealed a hint of genuine shock. She couldn't imagine how Ye Fan, who had been crippled by Lin Tian and reduced to a useless person (cripple), had undergone such a complete transformation and grown to such a terrifying extent in less than a year!

In the Long Family's seating area, Lin Tian, looking at the crisscrossing gray sword light in the arena, also, for the first time, curved his lips into a truly interested arc. He picked up his teacup and took a light sip, as if enjoying a splendid play.

'Somewhat interesting. It seems this leek (metaphor for harvestable resource/easy target) has gained new 'fertilizer' without my knowledge. Its growth... is even better than I imagined.'

On the arena, after an even draw, Ye Fan's Aura did not diminish but instead increased!

His figure flickered like a ghost, his sword-fingers continuously pointing out!

[Nameless Sword Song · Second Form · Soul Severing]!

[Nameless Sword Song · Third Form · Reincarnation]!

Supreme sword techniques filled with profound Dao Rhythms of annihilation, Reincarnation, and impermanence flowed effortlessly from his hands! The entire arena was enveloped by his crisscrossing gray sword net, as if transforming into a Domain of swords, intending to completely annihilate Huo Qubing within it!

Facing Ye Fan's fierce sword techniques, which were like a violent storm, full of spirituality and Dao Rhythm, Huo Qubing finally became serious!

"Good, bring it on!"

He roared, no longer holding back in the slightest!

[White Tiger Seven Kills Art · Greedy Wolf! Army-Breaking! Seven Kills!]

He pushed this S-class top-tier killing combat technique, secretly passed down by the military, to its limit! Every punch and kick of his was wide and open, full of iron blood and dominance, as if an invincible War God had walked out of an ancient battlefield! The roaring White Tiger phantom behind him became increasingly solid, and each pounce erupted with earth-shattering roars against Ye Fan's sword light!

The battle between the two instantly entered a white-hot stage!

Sword light and fist shadows intertwined, Dao Rhythm and Killing Intent collided!

The two battled for a full hundred moves, yet they were still inseparable!

However, at this moment, Huo Qubing, who had been steadily fighting, suddenly had an extremely sharp glint flash in his eyes!

He keenly seized a fleeting, tiny flaw in Ye Fan's sword move transformation, one that was not yet perfectly controlled due to a surge in power!

Now is the time!

"It's over!"

Huo Qubing roared, gathering all his strength into his right fist, unleashing the strongest and most dominant ultimate Profound Truth of this killing move!

[White Tiger Army-Breaking Kill]!

Roar—!

The roaring White Tiger phantom, at this moment, seemed to materialize! Its massive body was covered in a layer of blood-colored battle armor filled with destructive Aura! It opened its bloody maw, crashing fiercely into Ye Fan's seemingly impenetrable sword net with an irresistible, unstoppable posture!

Crack!

Ye Fan's sword net shattered in response!

The blood-colored White Tiger, its momentum undiminished, slammed heavily into his chest!

Pfft—!

Ye Fan was struck as if by lightning, a mouthful of fresh blood gushed out, and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string, finally falling heavily to the edge of the arena, struggling a few times, but unable to stand up again.

He lost.

Though defeated, his strength and his miraculous Sword Dao earned the recognition and respect of everyone present!

And Huo Qubing, who had defeated him, slowly withdrew his punching stance. His chest heaved, clearly having expended considerable energy, but that invincible Aura belonging to the "combat power ceiling of the younger generation" became even more deeply ingrained in people's hearts because of this battle!

He did not look at Ye Fan on the ground again.

He slowly turned around, casting his gaze, burning with endless Battle Intent and as bright as a scorching sun, once again towards Lin Tian, who was in the Long Family's seating area, casually sipping tea and watching everything unfold from beginning to end...

The preliminary match was over.

The true Peak showdown was about to begin!