A Declaration of War

Tong Yunfei's heart sank.

The Golden Battle Clan had collected numerous ancient texts, which documented the Immortal Martial World before the shattering of Heaven and Earth, as well as events in the Star Realm after the Blood Emperor had reunited Heaven and Earth.

Tong Yunfei had loved reading these ancient texts since childhood. In his opinion, discovering incredible events and races within these texts broadened his horizons and fueled his ambition the more he read.

Among the races recorded in those ancient texts was the Mad Bear Clan, and… they were documented in an entire volume.

He had clearly heard Xiong Tatian's low growl earlier, but hadn't thought much of it then. Now, seeing Xiong Tatian's thick, powerful arms, he suddenly made the connection.

What he never expected was that the person he was fighting was from the Mad Bear Clan? The Mad Bear Clan, known as battle maniacs and born war gods?

Recalling Xiong Tatian's foolish demeanor earlier, Tong Yunfei became even more certain that this was a sign of incomplete mental development.

Thinking this, Tong Yunfei felt an immense bitterness. He never dreamed that a lowly person from this remote small town would know someone from the Mad Bear Clan, and… their eldest brother at that!

Despite his shock and disbelief, Tong Yunfei didn't retreat. Instead, his fighting spirit intensified. Since he had encountered the Mad Bear Clan, he wanted to see firsthand how strong they were, the same clan that could once overpower the Golden Battle Clan.

As Xiong Tatian clamped down on the golden greatsword, the golden mark between Tong Yunfei's brows suddenly flared. The light barrier enveloping his body seemed to boil, and he immediately released the greatsword, punching towards Xiong Tatian's head with a force that tore through the air.

But the enraged Xiong Tatian ignored Tong Yunfei's attack. He gathered his strength and sat up, letting Tong Yunfei's punch land on his head. He clenched his left fist and threw a punch towards Tong Yunfei's head. A bear's paw materialized within the fist energy of this strike.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Xiong Tatian was sent staggering backward, while Tong Yunfei was sent flying backward by Xiong Tatian's punch.

However, unlike Xiong Tatian who was injured, Tong Yunfei's strange golden light barrier had neutralized Xiong Tatian's punch.

The moment Xiong Tatian stumbled, he slammed his right hand onto the ground. Disregarding the bloody mess on his forehead, he swiftly grabbed Tong Yunfei's neck with his left hand like lightning.

Tong Yunfei was startled. He hadn't expected Xiong Tatian to be so reckless. As Xiong Tatian gripped his neck, he unleashed golden light from both hands, striking Xiong Tatian's temples simultaneously.

Zi Xun'er, standing on the pavilion, watched the battle below with wide, astonished eyes. A hint of curiosity flickered across her beautiful face. After a moment of thought, she turned her head slightly to look at Qin Yu beside her and said in a sweet voice, "Xun'er is finding it harder and harder to understand Fellow Daoist Chen. In these past few months, he's made such powerful brothers?"

Though Zi Xun'er spoke casually, her heart was in turmoil.

She knew Tong Yunfei's background clearly. He was renowned in the eastern part of the Azure Lotus Heavenly Domain, and his strength placed him among the eastern prodigies. Yet, a barbarian youth at the middle stage of Gang Qi could force him to use his bloodline power, and still not gain the upper hand?

What was the origin of this person at the middle stage of Gang Qi? How could he be brothers with Qin Yu, who was at the sixth level of the Martial Realm, no, the ninth level of the Martial Realm?

This made Zi Xun'er extremely curious. She could tell that Xiong Tatian was no ordinary person, possessing a wild and fiery temper. But how could such a proud individual be brothers with Qin Yu, who was at the ninth level of the Martial Realm? And even call Qin Yu "Big Brother"?

Qin Yu didn't reply, his gaze fixed on the battle below with a solemn expression. He felt a sense of helplessness. Although Xiong Tatian seemed evenly matched with Tong Yunfei, he was actually at a disadvantage. Or rather, Tong Yunfei was not using his full strength, merely testing Xiong Tatian's power.

Xiong Tatian had a simple mind. Despite his extraordinary strength, he was completely suppressed by Tong Yunfei and unable to use his Mad Bear Clan's combat techniques. The longer this went on, the more disadvantageous it would be for Xiong Tatian.

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Yu turned his head slightly to look at Zi Xun'er and said, "Fellow Daoist Zi, could you ask Tong Yunfei to stop?"

Zi Xun'er glanced at Qin Yu, surprised. "That's easy, but can you make your friend stop?" Seeing Qin Yu not answer, she took it as his agreement and quickly called out, "Tong Yunfei, stop. What does it matter if you win against someone at the middle stage of Gang Qi?"

Below, Tong Yunfei, who was locked in a fierce battle with Xiong Tatian, was also having a difficult time. Although Xiong Tatian had a simple mind, Tong Yunfei was confident he could dodge two out of ten of his attacks. However, Xiong Tatian's desperate assaults often caught him off guard. After taking a few blows, Tong Yunfei was also struggling. If this continued, even if he won, he wouldn't escape unscathed.

Zi Xun'er's words provided Tong Yunfei with a way out. He seized the opportunity to break free from Xiong Tatian and retreated.

Immediately, Tong Yunfei retreated, ceasing his attack.

But Xiong Tatian had already entered a berserk state and had no intention of stopping.

"Xiong Tatian, stop!" Qin Yu said in a low voice.

Xiong Tatian paid no heed. Seeing this, Qin Yu leaped down, appearing instantly before Xiong Tatian. Looking at Xiong Tatian, whose body was covered in blood, Qin Yu felt a pang of distress and said softly, "Xiong Tatian!"

The enraged Xiong Tatian looked at Qin Yu before him, shaking his head vigorously to flick away the blood from his eyes. He stared at Qin Yu, his face contorted in a ferocious expression, his eyes bloodshot. He roared hoarsely, "Big Brother, get out of the way! He insulted you, I'll kill him!"

Qin Yu's heart ached. Looking at Xiong Tatian in this state, he felt deeply uncomfortable. He said softly, "It's not the time. We'll talk about it later. Listen to Big Brother."

Xiong Tatian struggled for a long time, then glared fiercely at Tong Yunfei and snarled, "One day, I'll rip your head off! I warn you all, anyone who dares to bully my Big Brother is my enemy, Xiong Tatian's enemy." With that, Xiong Tatian wiped the blood from his face, stood beside Qin Yu, and glared at Tong Yunfei with anger.

Tong Yunfei stared at Xiong Tatian in shock. Based on his understanding of the Mad Bear Clan, young Mad Bears with undeveloped intelligence were almost impossible to stop when enraged. He hadn't expected Qin Yu to be able to restrain a berserk Mad Bear. This made Tong Yunfei's heart sink. This feud was now established, and Qin Yu could not be allowed to live!

Qin Yu took out a pill and handed it to Xiong Tatian. "Come with me!" he said, turning and walking towards the Qin Manor.

A large crowd had already gathered around, consisting of many civilians and even more cultivators. They had all witnessed the battle and were awestruck by Xiong Tatian's ferocity. They knew that despite the significant difference in their cultivation realms, he had managed to injure Tong Yunfei. If Xiong Tatian were to reach the Heavenly Tempering Realm in the future, even Tong Yunfei might struggle to defeat him.

"You think you can just leave?" Tong Yunfei suddenly said with a cold laugh, not taking more than a few steps. Although he was wary of Xiong Tatian, he wasn't afraid of Qin Yu.

Hearing this, Xiong Tatian clenched his fists and glared fiercely at Tong Yunfei. Just as he was about to speak, Qin Yu grabbed him. Qin Yu slowly turned to face Tong Yunfei, his gaze chilling. He suddenly said, "Your cultivation is higher than mine. Even if you win, it won't be a righteous victory."

Tong Yunfei laughed even harder. He had been waiting for Qin Yu to say this. "Then I'll suppress my cultivation to fight you. You are at the ninth level of the Martial Realm, I'll suppress my cultivation to the eighth level of the Martial Realm to fight you. How about that?"

Tong Yunfei didn't know that Qin Yu was also waiting for him to say this. With Tong Yunfei at the peak of the Heavenly Tempering Realm, Qin Yu had no chance of winning, no matter what. But if he suppressed his cultivation…

Qin Yu smiled faintly. "If you really want to fight, how about we meet on the arena in a month, half a month before the Heavenly Martial Grand Gathering?"

It wasn't that Qin Yu was afraid of Tong Yunfei now, but he was worried that if he won, Tong Yunfei might become enraged and attack him secretly. However, if he delayed the fight for a month, Qin Yu's concerns would disappear. After defeating Tong Yunfei, the grand gathering would begin soon after. By then, he and Qin Xue would have entered the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect, and Tong Yunfei wouldn't dare to do anything.

Seeing that Qin Yu actually dared to accept the challenge, Tong Yunfei sneered, "A month it is. Time and place."

"You'll know when the time comes," Qin Yu replied, then pulled Xiong Tatian and turned to leave.

Zi Xun'er, watching from above, her eyes flickered. Half a month before the grand gathering? Could it be… Qin Yu intended to fight Tong Yunfei after fighting Cui Shuo? Even if Tong Yunfei suppressed his cultivation, his strength was not to be underestimated. Did Qin Yu have confidence?

As she pondered, a smile and a hint of anticipation involuntarily appeared on Zi Xun'er's lips.

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