Chapter 465 - 462: Standoff

Chapter 465: Chapter 462: Standoff

"Fang Han, the number one on the Qingyang County Celestial Pride List?"

Lie Yunting’s gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Fang Han.

"That’s me."

Fang Han met Lie Yunting’s stare.

"We have no intention of starting a conflict with everyone from Qingyang County. It’s just that this man injured Xue Wu, which will inevitably affect his ability to clear the subsequent trials. I’m just looking for an explanation from him."

Lie Yunting said, staring at Fang Han.

"An explanation?"

Fang Han glanced at Lie Yunting, then at Xue Wu, who was being supported to the side, his face pale and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

The corner of his mouth curled into a barely perceptible smirk. His voice remained level, but a hint of derision could be heard within it.

"Two days ago, when Xue Wu was running his mouth and insulting the younger generation of Qingyang County, why didn’t I see any of you from Donglu County try to stop him?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the young people from Donglu County standing beside Lie Yunting.

"Now that Xue Wu has been taught a lesson for being outmatched, you want an explanation?"

Lie Yunting’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He hadn’t expected Fang Han to be so assertive.

"Xue Wu has a filthy mouth. He deserved to be taught a lesson."

Fang Han said, meeting Lie Yunting’s gaze.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present with perfect clarity.

"If you’re not convinced and want to stand up for Xue Wu—"

He paused slightly, his right hand resting on the hilt of the Cloud Splitting Sword at his waist.

"Then I will be the one to face you."

As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense.

On the Qingyang County side, the younger generation all took a step forward, showing their support for Fang Han through their actions.

Over on the Donglu County side, the faces of the young people beside Lie Yunting flushed with anger, provoked by Fang Han’s unyielding stance.

Lie Yunting was also provoked, and fury welled up inside him.

However, as he stared into Fang Han’s calm yet faintly dangerous eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart and an inexplicable urge to back down.

His gaze lingered on Fang Han for a moment, then shifted to Mad Saber, before he chose to concede.

"Xue Wu was indeed in the wrong for speaking insolently first. Now that he’s been taught his lesson, how about we let the matter end here?"

"Fine."

Fang Han glanced at Lie Yunting, nodded slightly, and released the hilt of his sword.

He wasn’t the type to seek the spotlight unless there was something to be gained.

Looking back at everything he had done since joining the Qingxuan Sect, from doing his utmost to raise his Sub-Branch’s ranking to boosting his position on the overall list, it had all been for personal benefit.

He wasn’t as enthusiastic about competing for a spot on the Celestial Pride List, as it offered no tangible rewards. He often chose to hide his true strength and didn’t go all out to climb its ranks.

This time, however, he had to step forward.

Mad Saber had stood up for the younger generation of Qingyang County, and they had all stepped out to support Mad Saber. Fang Han couldn’t afford to be a lone wolf.

Otherwise, he would isolate himself from the rest of the group from Qingyang County.

"Thanks."

Kuang Tu hoisted his giant saber, grinned, and turned to walk back to where the young people from Qingyang County were gathered.

"..."

On the Donglu County side, the youths looked displeased.

However, as the number one on the Donglu County Celestial Pride List, Lie Yunting commanded immense prestige. Since he had chosen to back down, no one dared to defy him and cause him to lose face.

COUGH COUGH—

Xue Wu was helped to the side. He took a Healing Elixir, but his face remained pale, and he coughed intermittently.

He kept his head down, not daring to look at anyone. He couldn’t win with words, and he couldn’t win with his fists.

He had been utterly humiliated this time, practically "publicly executed" in front of the younger generation from all the counties.

The atmosphere in the hall gradually relaxed.

The prodigies from the other counties who had been watching the confrontation now looked away and began to converse in low voices.

The twelve members of the Celestial Essence Sect stood to one side of the hall.

Bai Yan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze lingering on Fang Han for a brief moment.

Beside him, Xu Qing spoke in a low voice.

"Senior Brother Bai, that Fang Han is quite young to be number one on the Qingyang County Celestial Pride List. Even in the Celestial Essence Sect, he’d be considered quite good for his age."

Bai Yan nodded slightly but didn’t say anything more.

The young people from Songquan, Bailu, and Taishun Counties were also murmuring amongst themselves.

"That Fang Han from Qingyang County has some backbone."

"Lie Yunting from Donglu County actually backed down. I thought we were in for a good show."

"Lie Yunting probably figured there was no need to start a conflict at a time like this."

"True. The fourth trial hasn’t even started yet. Fighting now wouldn’t benefit anyone."

Amid the discussions, the transformation of the wall at the front of the hall had finished.

Another passage was revealed.

In the center of the passage stood five Metal Puppets in a circular formation.

The one in the center resembled a Fierce Tiger, its body dark gold. It was nearly ten feet long, with thick limbs and claws that gleamed with a cold light. Its eyes were scarlet.

To its left was one that looked like a Giant Bear. It stood upright, about twenty feet tall, and was pitch-black. Its arms were as thick as tree trunks, and the ten claws on its paws glowed with an eerie blue light.

To the right was a Giant Python Puppet, coiled on the ground. It was as thick as a water bucket and silvery-white. Its vertical pupils were an ominous green, and its forked tongue flickered, emitting a faint hissing sound.

At the back left was a Giant Ape Puppet. It was lean, with a dark silver body and arms that hung past its knees. Its eyes were dark gold, radiating a cold indifference.

At the back right was a Giant Eagle Puppet, its wingspan nearly ten feet. Its body was bronze, its talons gleamed with a cold light, and its eerie blue eyes stared coldly at the crowd before the passage.

Five puppets, five pairs of eyes, all staring coldly at the people in the hall.

An invisible pressure emanated from the passage.

"The fourth trial..."

Someone murmured, their voice grave.

"According to the records, the strength of each of these five puppets... is comparable to an Early Third Grade Martial Artist."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent.

Early Third Grade.

That was the threshold to the Upper Three Grades, a Realm that countless Martial Artists could never hope to reach in their entire lifetime.

And here, there were five of them.

And they were Metal Puppets that coordinated perfectly, felt no fatigue, and knew no pain.

"How... how are we supposed to fight this?"

Someone who hadn’t known the details beforehand muttered in disbelief.

No one answered him.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the five puppets, their expressions grim.

The five Metal Puppets stood in a circle. Dark gold, pitch-black, silvery-white, dark silver, and bronze—the five colors glinted coldly under the light of the Luminous Pearls.

They were motionless, like five immobile statues.

But their variously colored eyes radiated a heart-stopping indifference.

Everyone who stood here was a top-ranking figure from their respective county’s Celestial Pride List, and all had already stepped into the Third Grade.

But even they couldn’t help but feel a chill in their hearts when faced with five Metal Puppets comparable to Early Third Grade Martial Artists.

Just as everyone was feeling intimidated, twelve moon-white figures on one side of the hall began to walk slowly toward the passage.

Bai Yan was still at the very front.

His pace was unhurried. His moon-white robes shimmered faintly in the light of the Luminous Pearls, and the light cyan wind patterns on his cuffs were barely visible.

His gaze fell upon the five puppets in the passage, his expression calm and unreadable.

The moment he stepped into the passage, all five puppets moved at once.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet kicked off the ground, its dark-gold metal body transforming into a streak of light as it lunged straight for Bai Yan’s face.

The Giant Bear Puppet took great strides, the ground trembling slightly with each step. Its palms descended fiercely from the left, carrying a Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering Momentum.

The Giant Python Puppet coiled and then shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, its giant metal jaws snapping at Bai Yan’s waist from the right.

The Giant Ape Puppet leaped from behind, its dark-silver, knee-length arms clasping its fists together, bringing them down like a giant hammer.

The Giant Eagle Puppet beat its wings, its bronze metal feathers slicing through the air with a piercing shriek as it dove from above, its talons aimed straight for the crown of Bai Yan’s head.

Five puppets, five directions, a simultaneous attack.

They sealed off all avenues of escape.

Bai Yan’s right hand finally rested on the hilt of his sword.

CLANG—

The longsword left its sheath.

The blade was a faint cyan, shimmering with a gentle luster under the light of the Luminous Pearls.

A sharp Sword Qi erupted from his body. It was so condensed it seemed tangible, as if countless invisible blades were slicing through the air.

A flash of sword light.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!

Five clashes of metal rang out almost simultaneously, echoing through the hall like a single, long-drawn-out chime.

The five lunging puppets were all knocked back at the same time.

The Fierce Tiger Puppet was sent flying, smashing heavily against the passage wall.

The Giant Bear Puppet’s massive body was thrown off balance, and it stumbled back several steps.

The Giant Python Puppet’s head was knocked aside, its metal body rolling twice on the ground.

The Giant Ape Puppet’s fists were forced apart, and its entire body flipped backward.

The Giant Eagle Puppet was struck by the sword and sent soaring into the air, crashing against the ceiling before plummeting back down.

With a single strike, he had forced back five puppets of the Early Third Grade.

Bai Yan sheathed his sword, his steps never faltering.

Before the five puppets could regroup and surround him, he had already passed through the passage and reached the other side.

From entering to exiting, only a few breaths of time had passed.

From beginning to end, Bai Yan’s expression remained serene, as if he had just done something utterly insignificant.

Low gasps of astonishment echoed through the hall.

"One strike... with just one strike..."

"Is this the power of a prodigy from an Overlord-level Influence?"

Xu Qing was the second to enter the passage.

She drew her sword, its light like a bolt of silk, and engaged the five puppets in battle.

Her Swordsmanship was extremely sharp and possessed a relentless, continuous quality.

Although the five puppets coordinated too perfectly, their attacks coming wave after wave like a tide,

she still managed to seize an opportunity and pass through the passage.

The third disciple of the Celestial Essence Sect entered the passage.

His strength was somewhat weaker than Xu Qing’s. After exchanging dozens of blows with the five puppets, he managed to pass through, looking rather disheveled.

The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...

The disciples of the Celestial Essence Sect entered the passage one after another.

This time, even they, who hailed from the Overlord-level Influence, the Celestial Essence Sect, could not all succeed.

In the end, of the twelve who attempted the fourth trial, three failed and nine succeeded.

The three who failed each received a Jade Box containing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures as a reward before being enveloped in a golden barrier and sent out of the Ancient Ruins.

In the hall, the prodigies from the various counties watched this with mixed expressions.

"Of the twelve from the Celestial Essence Sect, someone finally failed..."

Someone spoke in a low voice, a hint of relief in their tone.

"But for a single Sect to have a full nine people pass the fourth trial... that’s still an achievement one can only look up to."

Another person chimed in, their voice filled with complicated emotions.