"That punch of yours just now."
Long Yuan spoke.
"Was far too weak."
"If that is truly all you are capable of, then you are unworthy of being my opponent."
"Those who can stand here are bound to be no simple characters."
"So... you are hiding something."
Zhao Leer's smile stiffened slightly.
This time, the stiffness was more pronounced than before, visible even to the naked eye.
The baby fat on her round face twitched faintly, and the curve of her lips remained frozen for several breaths before slowly returning to normal.
"What is Young Master Long Yuan talking about?"
She tilted her head and blinked those large eyes.
"How could a little girl like me be hiding anything?"
Long Yuan did not answer her.
He slowly raised the golden saber above his head.
The blade stood upright, its tip pointing straight at the Sky Vault.
In that instant, an incomparably mighty dragon's might surged from within him. It solidified into a golden pillar of light that shot from the top of his head into the enormous golden web of laws above the Arena, shaking the entire net until it rustled and trembled.
"Since you refuse to use your full strength."
He spoke, his voice gaining a rare sharpness of fighting intent beneath its dignified calm.
"Then I will force it out of you."
"Or else, you will die beneath my blade."
Gripping the saber with both hands, he slashed down fiercely.
The posture of that slash differed from the straight chop before. As the blade fell, it dragged out an incomparably long golden arc.
The arc began at the blade tip and stretched all the way into the Void behind Zhao Leer, as though the entire Arena's space had been sliced open along that curve.
"Heaven-Sundering Arc."
The instant