Duel Begins

The Duel Begins

It was a gloomy day. Above the hazy gray sky, clouds churned and mist roiled. Accompanied by a low rumble, the sound was not loud, yet the entire world seemed to tremble beneath it, striking terror into the hearts of all who heard it. The power of nature was truly frightening. Even legendary War God level experts probably could not withstand it by force!

A cold wind whistled through the world. A broad flag flapped loudly in the breeze. Crossed upon it were a long sword and a hammer. The octagonal hammer had a long handle extending from it, while the cross-shaped sword seemed like a living being sleeping quietly upon the flag, giving off a soul-stirring presence.

This was the universal Duel Flag of the War God Continent. A flagpole more than ten meters tall was planted in a platform ten meters square. The platform looked somewhat ancient, exuding the aura of passing years. Grooves crisscrossed its surface, and looking upward, one could almost see vigorous silhouettes darting across it.

There were not many types of weapons on the War God Continent. Warhammers were the standard weapons of its male warriors, while long swords were used by women. There were also a few types of blades, along with accessories and other auxiliary equipment such as rings and belts.

The War God Continent was a world where the strong were revered, and its people were fierce by nature.

The weight and shape of warhammers all revealed an unrestrained, rugged aura, making them highly favored by male warriors. Their broad, powerful sweeps and direct, ferocious attacks were especially beloved by them.

The lightness and elegant form of swords, meanwhile, made them treasured by women who loved beauty. Their attacks were also strange and unpredictable, making them difficult to guard against—a stark contrast to the broad, forceful movements of warhammers.

This Death Arena had been passed down in the village. It was said to have a history of several hundred years.

The entire platform had been forged from sturdy, wear-resistant Adamant Ore. Adamant Rock was an extremely rare ore on the continent. It was hard and corrosion-resistant, making it a superior material for forging weapons. Adding even a little Adamant Rock while forging a weapon would greatly increase its hardness.

Yet there was such a huge quantity here. It should not even be called a piece—this enormous platform had actually been forged entirely from Adamant Rock.

Fortunately, the place was remote, and the platform had been hidden in an extremely secret location. Only a few elderly villagers knew about it. Of course, Old Ent knew as well. The other villagers had merely heard that such a Death Arena existed, but did not know where it was, since the platform had not been used for a very long time.

The area around the platform was packed with people. They examined it with curious eyes. They had never seen the platform before, and it was regarded as the village's sacred ground. Now that they could finally see it, the villagers naturally could not help exclaiming in astonishment again and again.

Two small figures stood atop the platform. One wore clean, somewhat luxurious clothes, while the other was dressed in simple cloth garments. Yet his face was so delicate and handsome that he would surely grow into a beautiful man. A flash of brilliance occasionally passed through his clear eyes, ensuring that no one would overlook him because of his clothing.

These two were Wright and Chen Yun. Today was the day of their duel.

Several elderly men sat beside a few small tables beneath the platform. One of them was a middle-aged man with short hair. His face was stern and imposing, and his tiger-like eyes gleamed with contained brilliance. His towering, heavily built body stood there like a pillar, radiating waves of pressure. This was the village chief, Peter Hams—the peak of the fifth rank, a Battle Ancestor.

At that moment, he was watching Chen Yun on the platform with a grave expression. He had originally thought that, with his son's Battle Adept-level strength, there would be no suspense in this fight. Yet he could clearly sense that Chen Yun was different. Although no battle aura fluctuated from Chen Yun, Peter still felt waves of unease.

He had intended to use this opportunity to eliminate Old Ent's grandson. Old Ent had always been at odds with him, and his son usually swaggered arrogantly around the village. Old Ent often used that to criticize him. On one occasion, Wright had even been shaken until he vomited blood and needed several days to recover. Because Peter doted on his son, he had consequently harbored resentment toward Old Ent.

However, Old Ent was one of the village's elders, with a highly respected status. Peter's father had also instructed him to treat Old Ent courteously, and he did not dare disobey.

Moreover, he faintly sensed that Old Ent was not merely a Blacksmith Master, as he appeared. Otherwise, given his father's strength, his father would not have treated him that way. That meant Old Ent either had a powerful background or possessed astonishing strength.

Who could have imagined that a man who looked so rough and rugged would be so narrow-minded? It truly fulfilled the saying: "A man cannot be judged by his appearance!"

At that moment, Old Ent was smiling and chatting with three other white-haired elders. These three were the village's most respected sages, their status far higher even than that of Peter, the village chief. They simply did not often appear before the villagers.

From the faint bearing surrounding the three sages, and the profound light that occasionally flickered in their eyes, it was clear that all three were deeply accomplished cultivators. Ordinary people simply could not detect it.

"Old fellow! Your grandson is no simple boy! He was born unable to sense battle aura, yet his body is so powerful. I imagine he could even contend with some second-rank warriors! He must have benefited greatly from your instruction!" one of the elders said with a faint smile after glancing at Chen Yun on the platform, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes. On closer inspection, the elder's face bore several similarities to Peter's.

Old Ent gave a faint smile. "Heh heh, old fellow, your eye is still as sharp as ever!"

"Heh heh, but you must make your grandson show mercy! Wright is my grandson too!" the elder said imploringly. As it turned out, this old man was Peter's father, Cyril Hams.

"Hahaha, don't worry. I've already spoken to Chen Yun. He knows his limits! But you'd better discipline that grandson of yours—and that son of yours as well!" Old Ent said, a trace of anger in his voice.

When the elder heard this, he gave an apologetic smile, then said angrily, "Don't worry, old fellow. I'll certainly teach those two little rascals a proper lesson. Who would have thought that, after I stayed away for so long, they would turn out like this? Hmph!"

The other two elders merely smiled faintly and stepped forward to console him. In the distance, Peter caught sight of the anger on his father's face, and his heart immediately gave a lurch!

"Brat! If you kneel now, kowtow to me three times, and loudly admit that you're trash, I'll spare your life later. Otherwise, heh heh..." Wright said with a sinister grin.

When Cyril heard this from below the platform, he was instantly shocked and enraged. He was about to stand up, but the two elders beside him hurriedly held him back.

"Old fellow, don't be rash. Have you forgotten the rules of a life-and-death duel? Once someone steps onto the Death Arena, outsiders are forbidden from interfering!"

Cyril immediately came to his senses and cursed, "That little rascal! Hmph!"

Hearing Wright's words, Chen Yun merely gave him a mocking glance. Then he raised the middle finger from his previous life toward him and said calmly, "Come on!"

Although Wright did not understand what the gesture meant, he knew it was certainly nothing good. He instantly laughed in fury, gripped the gleaming warhammer in his hands, and charged toward Chen Yun.