Fang Yuan'er's Confidence!

Fang Yuan'er was left speechless.

In front of everyone, he absolutely could not lose his composure or sense of propriety, much less break the rules.

Otherwise, he would give others ammunition to use against him.

As the young man of the Fang Family second only to Fang Yuan, he possessed outstanding talent, intelligence, and character. He quickly composed himself.

"He only wants to put off the challenge. What's wrong with that?"

Fang Yuan'er thought he had seen through the other man's little trick.

Fang Yuan had appeared in public, and he had openly declared that he would challenge him. So many people were watching from below.

Without a suitable excuse, how could Fang Yuan preserve his prestige while politely avoiding the fight?

It seemed that all they could do was use the Young Master's status to apply pressure, hiding behind some excuse about those tedious formalities.

"How clever!"

Fang Yuan'er thought to himself. "His injuries must be much worse than I realized."

Given Fang Yuan'er's status and strength, he knew far more than his peers. After all, he was a potential replacement for the Young Master.

"But then again, it makes sense. With his Dantian damaged, it's only natural that his strength has fallen. It wouldn't be surprising if he'd lost nine-tenths of it."

Once he had figured it all out, Fang Yuan'er's expression turned haughty again.

No matter how Fang Man explained things, his expression did not change. At most, he nodded in agreement.

At that moment, he might have been able to force Fang Yuan into a fight and knock the peerless genius from his pedestal in front of everyone.

But Fang Yuan'er had his own pride.

He would not indulge in the twisted pleasure of taking advantage of someone who was injured, just to vent his anger.

Besides, Fang Yuan was still the Young Master. His status and standing were undeniable. Forcing a fight and winning would hardly be honorable.

It would also affect how the Fang Family's elders viewed him in the future, hindering his prospects.

"In that case, I'll write up a challenge letter when I get back and deliver it to the Young Master in a couple of days," Fang Yuan'er said.

The people below saw nothing amiss in his words or actions. Instead, they looked as if this was only to be expected.

"Wait!"

Just then,

Fang Yuan suddenly called out, stopping Fang Yuan'er from leaving.

"What would the Young Master have to say?"

"My time is limited, so there's no need to wait. I'll give you a chance to challenge me right now."

Fang Yuan'er didn't know how to react. Wasn't Fang Yuan injured? Where did he get the confidence?

The crowd below erupted with excitement, their faces full of anticipation.

The two most outstanding members of the Fang Family's younger generation were about to cross swords again, after all these years!

"Fang Yuan'er broke through to the Xiantian Realm this time. This fight's bound to be exciting."

"Xiantian?" someone scoffed. "How long has the Young Master been stuck at that level? Who knows what his actual strength is?"

"Fang Yuan'er's just asking to be humiliated. In the Young Master's current state, he could take on ten of him without breaking a sweat."

A long-legged female disciple sneered. "I wonder who gave him the nerve."

The disciple beside her said nothing, but didn't argue either.

Though Fang Yuan'er had broken through to the Xiantian Realm, most people still felt that he couldn't compare to Fang Yuan.

He had reached the Xiantian Realm at fifteen. Two years had passed since then. Just how terrifying must his strength be now?

Ever since Fang Yuan broke through to the Xiantian Realm, he seemed to have left his peers behind and rarely fought in public.

"In that case, forgive me for what's to come."

Fang Yuan'er knew the truth of the matter, so he readily accepted.

Not even a miraculous pill could restore Fang Yuan's injuries in such a short time.

"This may be my best chance to defeat him!"

Fang Yuan'er was haughty, but he wasn't arrogant. He understood better than anyone just how terrifying Fang Yuan's talent was.

If Fang Yuan were at full strength, he wouldn't have the slightest confidence.

But now, whatever tricks Fang Yuan tried, Fang Yuan'er could break them with a single sword strike!

"Stop!"

A loud voice suddenly rang out across the arena.

The crowd turned to look. A white-haired old man in splendid robes had arrived, and their expressions immediately turned respectful.

"Greetings, Elder!"

The Fifth Elder gave a slight nod. He did not linger over the disciples, but instead looked at the two people on the platform.

"Fang Yuan, the family head has something important to discuss with you."

"Cancel this match for now. You can fight another time."

Fang Yuan'er's expression darkened.

Just as they were about to fight, the Fifth Elder had appeared so "coincidentally."

And at this very moment, there was something important to discuss?

The favoritism and protection were enough to make Fang Yuan'er resentful—and even jealous.

"Oh, they were so close to fighting!"

"Now that they've missed their chance, who knows when they'll fight again?"

Many people felt regretful. A showdown this thrilling was rare, especially between two celebrated figures of the Fang Family's younger generation.

"Looks like the rumors were true."

A few disciples watched with strange expressions. They had no concrete information, but they had heard some rumors.

The Fifth Elder's actions seemed to confirm what some of them had suspected.

"Now even Fang Yuan'er's challenge has been stopped by an elder. Does that mean I might have a chance to rise further?"

Fang Yuan had been a mountain weighing on his peers for far too long, and the burden had been far too heavy.

Some had bided their time in silence for ages. Now, at last, they saw a glimmer of hope!

"Fifth Elder, could I meet with the family head after fighting Fang Yuan'er?" Fang Yuan asked with cupped hands.

The moment the Fifth Elder appeared, Fang Yuan knew he had probably been watching in secret for a while, waiting to step in and put out the fire.

But Fang Yuan didn't need to build up strength or hold back to deal with Fang Yuan'er.

Although he was still at the Houtian Ninth Layer, a true genius could defeat an opponent of a higher realm with ease.

Besides, he had done it before.

Seeing the Fifth Elder hesitate, Fang Yuan smiled and said, "Everyone's been looking forward to this for a long time. We can't just waste their time."

"It won't take long, at most the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

The Fifth Elder sighed inwardly. He knew Fang Yuan's temperament, so he could only agree reluctantly.

Still, he gave Fang Yuan'er a meaningful sidelong glance.

"The Young Master really is approachable."

"A cup of tea? Is the Young Master that confident? Fang Yuan'er is in the Xiantian Realm, after all."

Fang Yuan's words moved the disciples below. For a moment, they broke through the invisible barrier between them and felt closer to him.

But to Fang Yuan'er, those words grated on his ears.

"Brother Yuan!"

As Fang Man headed down from the platform, he turned back, worry in his eyes. He was concerned about Fang Yuan's condition.

By contrast, Fang Ke'er's beautiful eyes brimmed with confidence in Fang Yuan.

"Let's begin."

Once the platform had been cleared, only Fang Yuan and Fang Yuan'er remained. The Fifth Elder took on the role of acting referee.

Facing Fang Yuan, Fang Yuan'er didn't dare lower his guard for even a moment. He drew his long sword and tensed every muscle in his body.

"Ke'er, lend me your sword!"

Fang Yuan caught the light sword Fang Ke'er tossed to him. It felt a little awkward in his hand, but it didn't matter.

"You should make the first move. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't get the chance," Fang Yuan said calmly.

"Fine!"

Fang Yuan'er's eyes flashed with anger. He felt insulted, but didn't refuse. His attack was ferocious.

"That's the Gale Nine Swords! Looks like Fang Yuan'er has cultivated it to the eighth sword. Impressive!"

The Gale Nine Swords was one of the Fang Family's high-grade sword techniques. It was extremely difficult to cultivate, with each sword representing a new level of mastery.

Even many elders had only reached the level of great accomplishment, while Fang Yuan'er was nearing the peak, close to perfection!

As the sword shadows grew sharper and sharper, Fang Yuan's figure flickered. His steps were nimble, leaving behind one after another afterimage.

"Phantom Step at the Perfection level." The Fifth Elder looked surprised, his expression unusual.

Movement techniques were harder to cultivate than other martial arts of the same grade.

With Phantom Step perfected, one could almost never be defeated by an opponent of the same realm.