With Luo Hefeng’s death, the entire Martial Arts Arena fell into a dead silence. Life was truly fragile. One moment, he was the champion of the Outer Sect; the next, he was a departed soul beneath a blade.
On the arena stage, Lin Huang, clad in white clothes stained with mottled blood, wore a cold and ruthless expression. His demeanor exuded an overbearing aura of the Tyrant Path, making it so that no one dared to look him directly in the eye.
The crowd was deeply shaken. They racked their brains but still couldn’t figure out why Luo Hefeng had died under Lin Huang’s blade. They wondered if it was due to carelessness. Or perhaps his previous battle with Lu Panshi had drained too much of his stamina, giving Lin Huang an opening to exploit? Otherwise, how could Lin Huang possibly kill Luo Hefeng? Yes! That had to be it! The crowd consoled themselves with these thoughts.
Hidden within the crowd, Lu Han let out a faint chuckle. So far, Lin Huang had merely used Three Thousand Miles. If he were to unleash Godslaying One Slash, the consequences would be truly unimaginable.
"Second match of the Battle Eight Directions, Lin Huang versus Hee Baichuan!"
While the crowd was still caught in a state of shock and bewilderment, Nan Yunlie’s voice rang out once more.
Hee Baichuan, having been called out by Nan Yunlie, turned pale. He stared at Lin Huang on the stage with a hint of apprehension, his palms breaking out in a cold sweat. Moments later, he stepped onto the arena stage.
Lin Huang turned his head and glanced at him. The young man wore blue clothes embroidered with water patterns and gripped an Ice Staff in his hand. His slightly effeminate face gave off an icy, frost-like vibe.
Hee Baichuan. His Martial Soul was the Hundred Rivers Qilin Fish!
"Apologize to my sister, and I will spare your life." Lin Huang pressed two fingers together and wiped the fresh blood from the Demon-Suppressing Blade.
"Do you really think that killing Luo Hefeng by a stroke of luck means you actually have that kind of strength?" Hee Baichuan forced himself to remain calm. As he waved the Ice Staff in his hand, streams of water materialized and swirled around his body.
Lin Huang raised an eyebrow and sighed. "I gave you a chance!"
As his words fell, Lin Huang charged toward Hee Baichuan. His body moved like a hunting cheetah, leaving an afterimage in the air. Reflected in the lights of the Martial Arts Arena, the Demon-Suppressing Blade shot forth a chilling gleam.
Hee Baichuan furrowed his brows tightly and directly unleashed his ultimate killer move. With a wave of his arm, the streams of water around him condensed, converging like a hundred rivers pouring in at once. From the torrents of water flooding the entire arena stage, a massive Qilin Fish—standing a full thirty feet tall—suddenly leaped out. Flapping its fins, it opened its jaws to swallow Lin Huang whole.
Tangled within the raging currents, Lin Huang couldn’t dodge in time and crashed headlong straight into the Qilin Fish’s mouth.
Seeing the Qilin Fish swallow Lin Huang, Hee Baichuan immediately breathed a long sigh of relief. He had observed earlier that Lin Huang’s Martial Technique was incredibly fierce and overbearing, whereas his own Hundred Rivers Qilin Fish was highly yielding and supple. It was perfectly suited to entangle Lin Huang. Combined with the Qilin Fish’s colossal size, he was certain he had a chance to thoroughly slay his opponent.
And in the end, he had succeeded!
"Do you really think you’re something special just because you’re Lin Cangxue’s younger brother? Now that you’ve fallen into my Qilin Fish’s trap, you can be food for my Martial Soul." Hee Baichuan smiled faintly, then raised his Ice Staff. "Icebound Imprisonment!"
BANG!
Before the smile on Hee Baichuan’s face could even fade, and just as the surrounding currents began freezing into solid ice, a loud explosion suddenly erupted on the stage.
The crowd looked up, only to see a snow-white figure violently slashing its way out through the back of the Qilin Fish. The figure darted rapidly toward Hee Baichuan. Before he could even react, the snow-white figure had already appeared right behind him.
Blood dripped slowly from the Demon-Suppressing Blade.
With his back to Hee Baichuan, Lin Huang slowly sheathed his blade and stated without a shred of emotion, "Next!"
As Lin Huang’s voice faded, the torrents of water and the Qilin Fish on the stage vanished into thin air. Behind him, Hee Baichuan slumped onto the ground, his severed head tumbling off the arena stage with a THUD THUD THUD.
Staring at Hee Baichuan’s wide, lifeless eyes, the disciples in the Martial Arts Arena stumbled back in shock. They still hadn’t processed the sudden turn of events.
"How on earth did he do that?"
"Or was Hee Baichuan just too overconfident in his Qilin Fish?"
"He must have used some underhanded tricks!"
While the crowd was marveling, a young man in black robes stood in a corner of the Martial Arts Arena, leisurely watching Lin Huang. A tiny character, "Jiang," was embroidered on the collar of his robes. The eyes that stared at Lin Huang flickered with a strange, intimidating light, as if they could see right through him.
At that exact moment, several figures appeared at the entrance of the Martial Arts Arena.
Fatty Bai’s massive frame resembled a large polar bear. He stood restlessly beside Yann Qing’er and Lin Cangxue, his burly body bobbing and weaving around Yann Qing’er with a surprising sense of agility. Yann Qing’er and Lin Cangxue’s gazes landed directly on Lin Huang—the young man on the stage, dressed in white clothes and covered in mottled blood.
Yann Qing’er pouted, looking somewhat displeased and somewhat worried. She kept grumbling under her breath, her angry little face still carrying a trace of innocence. "This guy actually sneaked off to join the Battle Eight Directions. If he dies, there won’t even be anyone to collect his corpse!"
In contrast, Lin Cangxue was much calmer. Her snow-like complexion bore only a faint smile as her clear, autumn-water eyes gazed at Lin Huang with encouragement. Standing in the Martial Arts Arena, she no longer possessed her past glory, yet she remained remarkably striking and ethereal. Paired with her snow-white gauze dress, she looked just like a pure lotus resting on the water.
Looking at Lin Cangxue in the distance, Lin Huang also broke into a warm smile, though his grip on the Demon-Suppressing Blade tightened.
Within the crowd, Lu Han’s expression shifted. He quickly smoothed out his robes, pulled a relatively valuable cloak from his Storage Ring, and draped it over his shoulders. With a flushed face, he hurried toward Lin Cangxue.
"Sister Xuee, aren’t you worried about this guy? I heard that three Outer Sect disciples at the Earth Element Fifth Heaven are all on his challenge list," Yann Qing’er said indignantly.
Lin Cangxue merely smiled softly but didn’t respond to her.
On the arena stage, Lin Huang, who had been looking in Lin Cangxue’s direction, suddenly turned cold.
Another beautiful figure had appeared at the entrance of the Martial Arts Arena. Dressed in tailored pink clothes that accentuated her alluring, curvaceous figure, she left her snow-white shoulders and thighs exposed. Under the arena’s lights, she was incredibly eye-catching, causing countless disciples to let their gazes linger on her. Her appearance was quite striking as well—fiery red lips and picturesque features. However, it was a face that completely disgusted Lin Huang.
Yun Feifei!
Lin Huang stared at the scantily clad Yun Feifei in the distance. Her red lips curled in a sneer as she watched him. His expression grew even colder. Clenching his hands, he muttered, "Here to enjoy the show, are you?"
When the crowd noticed that Lin Cangxue’s group and Yun Feifei had appeared in the Martial Arts Arena, they were all somewhat taken aback. After all, Lin Cangxue hadn’t been seen in public for three whole years. However, her presence today would likely only bring her more bad news. No matter how strong Lin Huang was, how could he possibly fight eight people in a row without suffering defeat? They couldn’t forget that Wenn Daochang and Jiang Huaiyin were still on Lin Huang’s challenge list—especially the incredibly enigmatic Jiang Huaiyin.
Just as the crowd was preparing to excitedly debate Lin Huang’s ultimate fate, Nan Yunlie grew somewhat impatient. His aged voice interrupted everyone’s thoughts:
"Third match of the Battle Eight Directions, Lin Huang versus Yangg Yehai!"
Shortly after, a towering, burly figure in gray stepped onto the stage. Wielding a heavy blade weighing over three hundred pounds, he stomped heavily over and stopped in front of Lin Huang.
"Apologize to my sister, and I will spare your life." Looking at Yangg Yehai, Lin Huang repeated the exact same words he had said to Hee Baichuan.
Yangg Yehai slammed his heavy blade into the ground, causing the entire arena stage to tremble. He let out a brazen, booming laugh. "Do I look like the kind of man who would apologize to a little broad? Do you think I don’t know the secret behind your Martial Technique? It’s just speed. This blade of mine weighs a solid three hundred pounds. If I were to use a regular blade like yours, my speed would be ten times faster than yours!"
With that, Yangg Yehai pulled a standard-weight longblade from his Storage Ring, a fierce, malicious grin spreading across his face.
Staring at Yangg Yehai’s utterly confident smile, Lin Huang’s expression remained completely unchanged as his thin lips parted: "Three Thousand Miles!"
In an instant, Lin Huang vanished from his spot.
Yangg Yehai roared with laughter. Moving like a phantom, he charged rapidly toward Lin Huang. However, the difference in their speeds was immediately apparent. Seeing the blade light racing toward him, Yangg Yehai’s expression changed drastically. He forcefully twisted his body to dodge Lin Huang’s slash. Yet even so, a deep gash that exposed the bone appeared on his arm.
Yangg Yehai had never imagined that after practicing with a heavy blade for ten years, his speed would still be completely outclassed by Lin Huang’s.
In the heat of the battle, Lin Huang gave Yangg Yehai absolutely no time to catch his breath. The moment the Demon-Suppressing Blade pierced the man’s skin, Lin Huang’s figure flashed violently. He reached out and yanked the three-hundred-pound heavy blade straight out of the stage floor, his chilling voice suddenly ringing in Yangg Yehai’s ears.
"Shooting the Celestial Wolf! Slaying Kunlun!"
On the arena stage, Yangg Yehai’s expression twisted in horror. As he stared at the heavy blade crashing down on him like the collapsing sky, his bell-sized eyes widened dramatically, radiating endless terror.
BOOM!
A tremendous blast echoed, causing everyone in the Martial Arts Arena to pale in shock. They could only watch as Lin Huang, wielding the heavy blade, savagely cleaved down onto Yangg Yehai’s head. The man’s skull burst open like a smashed watermelon, and his body fell backward off the arena stage.
"Next!"
Lin Huang’s voice rang out once again. It fell upon everyone’s ears, bone-piercingly cold.
Behind the arena stage, Nan Yunlie had been watching the spectacle with great interest before realizing he had seemingly forgotten his role as the Arbitration Elder. He cleared his throat and said sternly, "Lin Huang, the Battle Eight Directions is not a life-and-death struggle, nor is it a place for you to murder and vent your anger!"
Lin Huang turned around, offered a slight cupped-fist salute to Nan Yunlie, and grinned with an innocent smile. "I already said it. As long as they apologize to my sister, I will spare their lives."
"Do you not know that killing too much makes it easy to fall into the Demon Realm?" Nan Yunlie’s expression looked incredibly sour.
Lin Huang nodded but didn’t bother responding to Nan Yunlie’s words. Instead, he turned around and swept his gaze back and forth over the crowd below the stage, like a fierce tiger patrolling its hunting grounds for prey.
"Why don’t... you all just come at me together!"