A Battle to Prove His Claim

The next morning, just as the sun rose above the horizon, Hoa Van Town had already awakened into an atmosphere more lively than anything it had seen before.

Golden sunlight spilled across the central square, where a black-stone arena had been erected in the middle of a sea of people. Four formation pillars stood at the corners, glowing simultaneously as lines of spiritual patterns extended from their bases and connected with one another, forming a transparent barrier around the entire fighting area.

From outside, spectators could still see every movement on the arena clearly, while sword energy, fist winds, and most of the spiritual shockwaves would be contained by the formation before reaching the viewing areas.

The surrounding spectator sections had been nearly full since early morning. Eastern Plains cultivators, members of Western Wastes tribes, wandering cultivators, merchants, clan disciples, and sect disciples crowded the seats that had been divided in advance, while the residents of Hoa Van Town gathered in areas reserved specifically for them.

Parents lifted children onto their shoulders so they could see over the crowd. Some younger cultivators chose to stand on rooftops around the square, while several large merchant associations had even erected private tents and brought artifacts capable of magnifying the images from the arena.

Along the roads leading into the square, stalls selling tea, food, medicinal ingredients, talismans, and all kinds of goods had opened before dawn.

Discussion filled the air without pause.

“Quan Hao Nhien really chose Sa Binh for his first match?”

“Thien Bao Pavilion confirmed it yesterday.”

“Sa Binh is ranked seventy-ninth on the Huyen Bang, and he's the Young Clan Leader of the Sa Moc Tribe. That's hardly an easy first opponent.”

“But Quan Hao Nhien is ranked first.”

Someone nearby immediately laughed.

“He's first because Doc Hanh passed the ranking token to him. Whether his strength actually matches that position is something we'll only begin to learn today.”

Another person shook his head.

“Even if he beats Sa Binh, that won't prove he's stronger than everyone on the Huyen Bang. But at the very least, it'll prove that first place isn't a seat just anyone can occupy.”

The uncertainty only drew more people.

In the front row east of the arena, the section reserved for the Hoa Van Alliance and those close to Hao Nhien was already nearly full.

Quan Nha sat in the middle, with Tieu Lan beside her and Tieu Nhan on the outermost seat. From the moment they entered the square, Tieu Nhan's eyes had barely left the two entrances to the arena.

Behind the three of them sat Luu Thanh, Quan Lam, and several of Hoa Van's stronger cultivators. Cat Thanh had also arrived early, accompanied by several Cat Loi elders.

In the section reserved for Tam Thanh, Lieu Thien Van spent far less time watching the arena than most of the others. His gaze repeatedly swept across the square, the town gates, and the elevated positions around the central district.

Too many people had gathered here.

Compared with the outcome of a single match, keeping Hoa Van secure mattered more to him.

Luu Thanh shared the same concern.

Patrol teams had already been deployed. Some guards wore their uniforms openly, while others had changed into ordinary clothing and blended into the crowd. Several high points around the square had been occupied before sunrise.

So far, everything remained under control.

A deep bell suddenly rang from the Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion.

The sound spread across the square, and the conversations gradually died away.

When the second bell rang, both entrances to the arena opened at the same time.

Sa Binh entered first from the west.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, with sun-darkened skin and slightly disheveled short hair. His dark green battle attire fitted closely around his body, while in his hand was a spear nearly two zhang long.

The shaft was dark brown, as though crafted from ancient wood, with green spiritual patterns occasionally flashing across its surface. Its black-jade spearhead carried a cold, heavy aura.

The moment he entered the formation, faint Wood energy naturally spread around his feet.

His late-stage Foundation Establishment aura was completely undisguised.

A fresh wave of discussion immediately rose from the stands.

“Seventy-ninth really does have substance.”

“Sa Binh entered late-stage Foundation Establishment quite some time ago.”

“Quan Hao Nhien chose him for the first match. Looks like he had no intention of picking a weak opponent just to build momentum.”

Sa Binh did not look toward the stands. He walked straight to the center of the arena and planted his spear beside him.

Then the eastern entrance opened.

Hao Nhien stepped onto the arena wearing a simple white robe. The Fire Spirit Sword hung at his waist, while the silver Tieu Dao Sword rested behind him. His aura was restrained extremely deeply. Most people in the stands could only tell that he was at Foundation Establishment, but not which layer he had reached.

As he walked forward, the surrounding voices gradually quieted.

For many people here, this was the first time they had seen with their own eyes the man whose name had suddenly appeared at the top of the Eastern Plains Huyen Bang.

Hao Nhien stopped a little over thirty zhang from Sa Binh.

The two looked at each other for several breaths.

The presiding cultivator stepped into the center of the arena. Behind him stood a low stone platform containing two recessed slots, each sealed by its own formation. Beside the platform was another position used to verify the Huyen Bang token held by the current rank holder.

“Before the match begins, both sides will confirm the stakes.”

Hao Nhien took out the golden Huyen Bang token.

The moment its golden light appeared, countless eyes in the stands immediately focused on it.

He placed the token into the verification slot, then took an exceptional-grade spirit stone from his storage ring and set it into the left-hand stake compartment.

The moment its pure spiritual energy spread outward, the expressions of those closest to the arena changed at once.

Across from him, Sa Binh also took out an exceptional-grade spirit stone and placed it into the remaining slot.

Two streams of pure spiritual energy spread around the stone platform before being sealed by the formation.

Only after completing the inspection did the presiding cultivator speak.

“The rank holder and challenger have both completed their stakes. If Quan Hao Nhien wins, both exceptional-grade spirit stones will belong to the rank holder, and the Huyen Bang position will remain unchanged. If Sa Binh wins, the stakes will belong to the challenger, and the Huyen Bang token will register the new holder according to the rules.”

He looked at both men.

“Any questions?”

Sa Binh shook his head.

Hao Nhien also replied:

“No.”

The presiding cultivator stepped aside.

Sa Binh did not immediately assume a fighting stance. He looked at Hao Nhien for a while before speaking.

“The last time we were in Cat Loi, many things changed after you appeared.”

Hao Nhien understood what he meant.

Sa Binh's gaze briefly shifted toward the eastern seating area and paused on Tieu Nhan for a moment.

Hao Nhien naturally still remembered how the Sa Moc Tribe had once gone to Cat Loi to propose a marriage. Tieu Nhan had personally refused, and the matter had ended there.

Hao Nhien looked at Sa Binh.

“What happened in Cat Loi is already over. Today, we only decide victory and defeat.”

Sa Binh withdrew his gaze.

“I know.”

He raised his spear.

“We never had the chance to fight back then. Today I want to see just how strong the man who changed Cat Loi so much really is.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“Then let's fight.”

At that exact moment, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the eastern seats.

“Hao Nhien!”

He did not need to look to know who it was.

“You'd better win!”

Tieu Nhan had pushed her voice with spiritual power, making it ring clearly across the now-quiet square.

Quite a few people nearby laughed.

Tieu Lan gently tugged on her sleeve.

“Sit down.”

“But everyone else is shouting too.”

“You're shouting the loudest.”

Quan Nha spoke calmly.

Only then did Tieu Nhan finally sit, though her eyes remained fixed on the arena.

Sa Binh's grip on his spear tightened slightly.

Hao Nhien said nothing more.

The presiding cultivator stepped into the center of the arena, his voice carrying clearly through the formation.

“Eastern Plains Huyen Bang challenge match. Quan Hao Nhien against Sa Binh.”

He retreated beyond the barrier, raised a small bronze bell, and struck it.

Boong!

“Begin!”

The stone beneath Sa Binh's feet immediately cracked.

He did not waste time probing. His large frame shot forward, and the spear in his hand became a dark green line thrusting straight toward Hao Nhien's chest.

The spear arrived quickly, and with tremendous weight behind it.

Hao Nhien shifted half a step to the side, letting the spearhead skim past his robe. Sa Binh immediately twisted his wrist, sweeping the shaft sideways with the momentum while a layer of Wood energy burst around the weapon, widening the area of attack.

Hao Nhien raised his left hand, gathered spiritual power, and punched directly into the side of the spear shaft.

A deep explosion rang out.

The spear was knocked off line. Sa Binh's arm trembled slightly, but he immediately used the force to turn his body and draw the spearhead back around.

Within only a few breaths, green spear shadows filled the space in front of Hao Nhien.

Real and false spearheads overlapped, while Wood energy flowed between each strike, making it more difficult to distinguish them with spiritual perception alone.

Hao Nhien activated Phong Van Step and continuously shifted his center of gravity within a few zhang.

He tilted his shoulder to avoid a thrust grazing his neck, lowered his body to let another spearhead pass over him, then changed steps at the exact moment the shaft swept toward his waist.

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Sa Binh kept pressing.

Hao Nhien still did not rush to counterattack.

He was watching.

Sa Binh's spearwork was solid.

The weapon's reach allowed him to control distance extremely well. His footwork was not especially fast, but it was steady. Every time the spear changed direction, his rear foot adjusted immediately to maintain pressure.

If his opponent retreated, the spear advanced.

If they dodged sideways, the spear swept after them.

If they tried to close the distance, the Wood energy around the shaft expanded the dangerous range.

It was a style perfectly suited to a strong body and stable spiritual power.

But the longer Hao Nhien observed, the clearer the gaps became between each withdrawal of the spear.

Sa Binh thrust again.

This time, Hao Nhien did not retreat.

He stepped directly into the dangerous range, allowing the spearhead to come within less than a foot of his chest before suddenly dropping his body and sliding beneath the shaft.

Sa Binh immediately pulled back.

One beat too late.

Hao Nhien was already in front of him.

A fist struck directly at his chest.

Sa Binh raised his left forearm to block.

Fist wind exploded.

His large body was forced back three steps, each footfall leaving a shallow depression in the stone.

The stands immediately erupted.

“He's counterattacking!”

“So fast!”

Sa Binh stopped, let his left arm hang slightly, and shook out the numbness.

He looked at Hao Nhien.

“You were only waiting for an opening?”

Hao Nhien answered naturally.

“If I see an opening, of course I hit it.”

Sa Binh gave a faint snort and slammed the butt of his spear into the stone.

Wood energy erupted.

Green patterns resembling roots rapidly spread around his feet, while the skin of both arms gradually turned brown-green. A layer of wooden armor quickly formed over his chest, shoulders, arms, and legs, its surface covered in dense grain-like patterns.

The spear in his hand was also enveloped in Wood energy.

The stands immediately stirred.

“Wood Armor Body!”

“The Sa Moc secret art.”

“Now it's really starting.”

Sa Binh raised his spear.

This time, he did not create dozens of spear shadows.

He simply swept once.

Wood energy extended into a broad arc.

Hao Nhien immediately drew the Fire Spirit Sword.

Sword and spear collided.

The force transmitted through the blade was far heavier than before, numbing Hao Nhien's arm slightly and pushing him back two steps.

Sa Binh immediately followed with another strike.

Hao Nhien blocked again and was driven back another three steps.

The stands gradually fell quiet.

Hao Nhien lightly rotated his wrist.

Seventy-ninth on the Huyen Bang truly had real strength.

Sa Binh attacked again.

A spear strike came crashing down from above. Hao Nhien angled his sword to meet it, and several cracks immediately appeared in the stone beneath his feet.

This time, he held his ground.

His body, tempered through Black Wind and forty days in the Lightning Domain, absorbed the force. Hao Nhien lowered his shoulder, let the power travel from his feet through his waist and into his arm, then pushed the Fire Spirit Sword back upward.

The spear was knocked aside.

Sa Binh had barely begun to turn it back when Hao Nhien closed in from the front.

The Fire Spirit Sword slashed toward his chest.

Sa Binh did not retreat. He twisted his body, taking the blade on the wooden armor covering his shoulder and arm while rotating his wrist to sweep the spearhead back toward Hao Nhien.

The moment the blade struck the armor, Hao Nhien felt the recoil run up his arm.

He did not stop.

The invisible Spirit Wings behind him burst open for an instant.

His body shifted to Sa Binh's flank, slipping out of the spearhead's returning line while driving a second, extremely fast thrust into his side.

Keng!

The sword struck the wooden armor, leaving a dent and several small cracks.

Sa Binh reacted just as quickly.

The advantage of the spear's length became obvious. He tightened both hands on the shaft and swept it horizontally with full force, forcing Hao Nhien to deal with it at extremely close range.

Hao Nhien turned, gripping the Fire Spirit Sword with both hands and raising it across his side.

Boom!

The spear shaft slammed into the blade.

The heavy force pushed Hao Nhien half a step sideways, but he still maintained close range, refusing to let Sa Binh pull the spear back into a comfortable distance.

The instant the sweep lost its force, Hao Nhien turned his shoulder.

His elbow smashed into Sa Binh's ribs.

Boom!

The wooden armor shook violently.

Sa Binh was blasted backward, his feet striking the stone several times before he managed to stabilize himself.

Cheers immediately rose from the stands.

Hao Nhien did not pursue.

He simply remained where he was, the Fire Spirit Sword lowered slightly, his breathing still steady.

Sa Binh looked at him for a while longer.

His expression had completely changed from the beginning.

That close-range exchange had left him almost no opportunity to exploit the full reach of his spear.

Sa Binh slowly raised the weapon upright.

Then the aura around him suddenly changed.

The phantom of an ancient tree nearly ten zhang tall appeared behind him. Illusory roots spread across the arena, while a dark green canopy stretched overhead.

Streams of Wood energy flowed from the tree into Sa Binh's body, thickening the wooden armor around him. Short spikes even began growing along his shoulders and arms.

His already powerful aura rose again.

Several Sa Moc cultivators in the stands immediately changed expression.

“Wood Spirit Tree.”

An elder from the Sa Moc Tribe frowned slightly.

“The Young Clan Leader is already using this secret art.”

Sa Binh did not turn around.

His gaze remained fixed on Hao Nhien, though it briefly shifted toward the stands.

Tieu Nhan was still watching the arena.

Hao Nhien noticed the motion.

The old matter clearly still affected Sa Binh, but once the Wood Spirit Tree appeared, his spearwork became heavier and more decisive.

He stamped down.

His body shot forward far faster than before.

A spear strike came crashing down with much greater speed.

Hao Nhien barely had time to raise his sword.

The moment the two weapons collided, the heavy force drove straight through his arm, forcing him back four consecutive steps before he fully dispersed it.

Sa Binh immediately followed.

The second spear came almost at once.

Hao Nhien had barely blocked when the third changed angle and drove toward his side.

This time, it was faster than he expected.

He twisted away from the spearhead, but the Wood energy erupting around the shaft still struck his waist.

Boom!

The inner armor beneath his robe lit up immediately.

The impact carried through, knocking Hao Nhien sideways several zhang. The moment his feet touched the ground, a dull ache spread from his ribs into his chest.

In the stands, Quan Nha's hand tightened at once.

Tieu Nhan also fell silent.

Sa Binh did not waste the opportunity.

The Wood Spirit Tree behind him trembled, feeding even more Wood energy into his body. His spear came again and again with heavy pressure, forcing Hao Nhien to retreat while blocking.

Each collision sent obvious ripples across the barrier around the arena.

For the first time since the battle began, Hao Nhien was being truly pressured.

Sa Binh grew stronger with every exchange.

The Wood Armor Body allowed him to accept certain counterattacks in exchange for maintaining pressure, while the constant flow of Wood energy from the phantom tree let him sustain his spearwork at extremely high intensity.

Another horizontal sweep came.

Hao Nhien blocked with the Fire Spirit Sword, and his arm shook again.

Sa Binh immediately rotated the shaft and drove the spearhead back toward his shoulder.

Hao Nhien shifted half a step with Phong Van Step, but the spear still tore a long line through his robe.

The stands slowly fell silent.

By now, no one thought seventy-ninth was merely a number.

Hao Nhien understood just as clearly.

If he continued fighting the same way as before, the pressure would only increase.

Sa Binh came again.

The spear descended with dense Wood energy, as though intending to drive Hao Nhien directly into the stone.

Hao Nhien raised the Fire Spirit Sword.

The Hoa Ky Jade trembled faintly.

The Fire-element spiritual power within his body immediately became far more active, flowing through his meridians into the arm holding the sword before pouring into the Fire Spirit Sword.

The blade reddened.

A moment later, firelight erupted along its length.

The flames did not spread out of control. Instead, they clung closely to the blade, forming a thin layer of red-gold fire.

Sa Binh's spear arrived.

Keng!

Wood energy and Fire collided.

A sharp sizzling sound came from the point of contact.

Sa Binh immediately noticed the change.

The Wood energy surrounding his spear thinned slightly under the flames.

Hao Nhien felt it just as clearly.

Fire countered Wood.

It was not absolute suppression.

Sa Binh was still extremely strong, and his Wood energy remained dense enough to resist. But the elemental interaction meant that with the same amount of force, Hao Nhien's Fire could pressure Sa Binh's Wood more effectively than before.

Hao Nhien's gaze changed.

Sa Binh pressed forward with another strike.

This time, Hao Nhien did not retreat.

The Fire Spirit Sword slashed diagonally.

Firelight ran along the blade and cut into the layer of Wood energy around the spear shaft, leaving a clear black scorch mark.

Sa Binh changed direction.

Hao Nhien advanced again.

A sword struck the shoulder.

Smoke immediately rose from the wooden armor.

Sa Binh was forced back half a step.

The Tieu Dao Sword simultaneously circled in from the flank.

Sa Binh used the spear shaft to knock the flying sword aside and tried to reverse the pressure, but Hao Nhien had already used that instant to take another step forward.

The Fire Spirit Sword came down again on the same crack.

Crack!

A section of wooden armor on Sa Binh's shoulder broke apart.

The stands erupted.

The battle had shifted quickly.

The Wood Spirit Tree continued feeding power into Sa Binh, but once Fire entered the fight, the armor's regeneration slowed noticeably. Every place struck by the Fire Spirit Sword retained scorched marks, forcing the Wood energy to spend more power on restoration.

Hao Nhien adjusted his approach as well.

He began concentrating the Fire Spirit Sword on several already damaged areas: the left shoulder, the ribs, and the chest. Every time he opened another crack in the wooden armor, the Tieu Dao Sword immediately pressured from a different angle, forcing Sa Binh to divide his attention between maintaining his spearwork and protecting the weaknesses gradually appearing.

The momentum Sa Binh had held earlier began to fade.

He was still strong, but the amount of Wood energy within the Wood Spirit Tree was starting to fall.

The phantom tree behind him also grew dimmer.

After several more exchanges, Sa Binh suddenly retreated.

His breathing had grown heavier.

Hao Nhien stopped as well.

The ache in his ribs from the earlier sweep remained, but the inner armor had absorbed most of the impact. The injury was not serious.

The two stood more than twenty zhang apart.

Sa Binh looked at the scorch marks and cracks covering his wooden armor, then raised his head.

“Quan Hao Nhien.”

“Be careful.”

Hao Nhien raised the Fire Spirit Sword.

“Come.”

All of the remaining Wood energy within the phantom tree suddenly began to move.

The canopy dissolved first, then the branches, and finally the trunk itself faded away. All of the remaining power converged into the spear in Sa Binh's hands.

The phantom of a massive green serpent slowly coiled around the shaft.

The moment its head rose, oppressive force spread across nearly half the arena.

An elder from the Sa Moc Tribe immediately stood up.

Hao Nhien watched the serpent phantom and tightened his grip on the Fire Spirit Sword.

Fire continued flowing from the Hoa Ky Jade.

Wind simultaneously gathered around the blade.

Sa Binh stamped down.

His entire body shot forward.

The Wood serpent and spear nearly became a single line.

The thirty-zhang distance vanished rapidly.

Hao Nhien remained still.

He waited.

When the pressure from the spearhead had already reached him, his robe began whipping backward.

Ten zhang.

Five.

Three.

Hao Nhien stepped forward.

The Fire Spirit Sword came down.

Sword Slash.

There was no sword energy stretching dozens of zhang.

Only one extremely fast slash wrapped in red-gold firelight, cutting precisely into the head of the Wood serpent.

Xoẹt!

Fire and Wood energy collided violently.

The serpent phantom shook.

Flames immediately caught along the section of Wood energy that had been cut open, rapidly weakening the spiritual power at the front.

Hao Nhien twisted his wrist and let the sword slide along the spearhead rather than meeting the attack head-on.

The Wood serpent was forced off line.

At the exact moment the opening appeared, the Tieu Dao Sword shot in from the right and struck precisely at the connection between the spearhead and shaft, pushing the spear's trajectory off by another beat.

Sa Binh immediately tried to pull the weapon back.

But Hao Nhien's invisible Spirit Wings had already burst open.

His body crossed the remaining distance.

The spear's momentum was completely broken.

Sa Binh still tried to retreat and rebuild his range, but Hao Nhien had already closed in directly before his chest.

A fist struck the section of wooden armor that had been weakened by Fire.

Boom!

The armor shattered.

Sa Binh was driven back several steps.

By the time he regained his balance, a silver gleam had already appeared before his throat.

The Tieu Dao Sword stopped less than an inch from his skin.

The Fire Spirit Sword in Hao Nhien's hand had also lowered, its point aimed directly at Sa Binh's shoulder.

Every movement on the arena stopped.

The Wood energy around Sa Binh slowly dissipated.

The Wood Spirit Tree phantom vanished completely.

His breathing was heavy, the spear in his hand trembling slightly, and the Wood energy around him had thinned dramatically compared with its peak.

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Stop.”

Sa Binh remained silent.

After a long moment, Hao Nhien lowered the Fire Spirit Sword slightly and said:

“Your first spear strikes were better.”

Sa Binh paused.

He looked down at the spear in his hand, then slowly turned his gaze toward the stands.

Tieu Nhan was standing there.

This time she did not shout.

She simply looked at him.

Sa Binh paused for one breath, then gave her a small nod.

Tieu Nhan froze slightly.

Then she nodded back.

Neither of them said anything more.

Sa Binh turned back toward Hao Nhien and slowly relaxed his grip on the spear.

“I lose.”

The Tieu Dao Sword immediately withdrew from his throat.

Sa Binh cupped his hands.

“Thank you for the guidance.”

Hao Nhien also sheathed his sword.

“Likewise.”

Sa Binh looked at him for a little longer.

“The matter in Cat Loi…”

He paused, then shook his head.

“There is no need to mention it again.”

Hao Nhien understood.

“All right.”

The presiding cultivator immediately stepped onto the arena, checked the condition of both men, and raised his hand.

“Sa Binh concedes. The challenge is over.”

He paused for one beat.

“The winner, Quan Hao Nhien!”

The square fell silent for an instant.

Then cheers erupted like a wave.

“Hao Nhien!”

“Quan Hao Nhien!”

“Number One!”

“Alliance Leader of Hoa Van!”

The people of Hoa Van rose to their feet, while warriors who had fought beside him raised their arms high.

Even the Eastern Plains cultivators who had come hoping to see the new number one pulled down from his position now looked at the battle with different eyes.

Sa Binh had displayed everything expected of someone whose name appeared on the Huyen Bang.

His spearwork, Wood Armor Body, Wood Spirit Tree, and late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation were not things anyone could dismiss.

Hao Nhien had been forced back.

He had taken a strike strong enough to activate his inner armor.

Yet in the end, he had still won.

He had dismantled Sa Binh's pressure layer by layer, found the correct moment to bring Fire into the battle, and ended the match before the situation could drag on any longer.

The presiding cultivator walked to the stone platform.

The formations sealing the two exceptional-grade spirit stones slowly dimmed, while the golden Huyen Bang token still displayed the same holder.

The two spirit stones were removed and brought to Hao Nhien.

He took back his own first, then accepted the stone that had belonged to Sa Binh.

Pure spiritual energy immediately flowed across his palm.

Hao Nhien looked at it briefly before putting both spirit stones and the ranking token into his storage ring.

Below the arena, Tieu Nhan immediately jumped to her feet.

“I told you!”

“Hao Nhien was definitely going to win!”

Tieu Lan laughed as she pulled her back down.

“Sit first.”

“The match is already over.”

“Exactly. Which means you have even less reason to stand on the chair.”

Quan Nha said nothing.

Only now did the hand she had kept tightly clenched since Hao Nhien had been pressured by the Wood Spirit Tree slowly relax.

The corner of her mouth lifted faintly.

Hao Nhien looked toward the three of them.

Tieu Nhan was still waving.

He could only shake his head and smile.

Across the arena, members of the Sa Moc Tribe had already gone to meet Sa Binh.

An elderly clan member checked his aura and said something quietly.

Sa Binh nodded, and the group soon departed.

In the Tam Thanh section, Lieu Thien Van did not watch Hao Nhien for long.

His gaze shifted around the square instead.

Merchants were already discussing the match and Hoa Van Town.

Several merchant association representatives had taken out communication jade slips.

A group of sect disciples remained where they were, clearly analyzing every exchange they had just witnessed.

Farther away, the Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion was already packed, and the small auction planned for that evening was likely to become far more lively than anyone had expected.

Lieu Thien Van watched all of it and slowly understood.

Hao Nhien had won one battle on the arena.

Hoa Van had gained far more than a single victory.

On the arena, Hao Nhien stood amid cheers that had still not faded.

Defeating the cultivator ranked seventy-ninth could not prove that he was stronger than every Foundation Establishment cultivator under thirty in the Eastern Plains.

But from today onward, at the very least, the name Quan Hao Nhien no longer sat at the top of the Huyen Bang solely because Doc Hanh had chosen to pass him the ranking token.

Hao Nhien looked over the sea of people before him.

Among those standing below, there were undoubtedly people far stronger than Sa Binh.

But if anyone wanted to claim that he did not deserve his current position, they would first have to step onto the arena.

And defeat him.

At a distant corner of the square, three figures stood among the crowd, their cold gazes still fixed on Hao Nhien.

One of them spoke quietly.

“That's all he amounts to.”

The man in the middle watched a little longer before turning away.

“Pressure Thien Bao Pavilion.”

“Next match, I'll drag him down.”