The car door slowly opened.
Leng Hanyuan and the others stepped out of the black sedan.
The many reporters who had long since seen his photograph immediately brightened when they saw the handsome young man stepping out.
Though the Federation officials who had prepared in advance kept them at a certain distance, it did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm for interviews.
In their eyes, Leng Hanyuan had already become the hottest source of their bonuses!
"Mystic Phoenix Douluo, are you confident about this spar with the Sky-Propping Douluo?"
"Mystic Phoenix Douluo, someone revealed that Shrek Academy originally intended to hold this spar privately, but the Phoenix Family demanded a public livestream across the continent."
"Was this truly meant to let young soul masters across the continent witness the splendor of the continent's top combatants and inspire their fighting spirit, or does the Phoenix Family intend to use this method to damage Shrek Academy's reputation?"
"..."
The reporters chattered incessantly, one question following another, enough to make anyone's head ache.
Wu Jie frowned.
He was just about to order someone to move the reporters aside when Leng Hanyuan spoke.
"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment."
His voice seemed to possess a certain kind of magic.
The reporters, who had been as frenzied as hunting dogs that had caught the scent of blood, unconsciously fell silent upon hearing him.
They had countless questions they wanted to ask.
Yet an invisible spiritual force forcibly made them suppress those thoughts in their hearts.
"I know you all have many questions, but time is limited, so I'll choose a few to answer."
"First, this is merely an ordinary spar. The Phoenix Family has no other intentions; we simply wish to stir up the fighting spirit of the younger generation in today's soul master world."
"Before this, the Sky-Propping Douluo and I had no prior dealings, and I do not know how strong he truly is."
"However..."
He paused, then a confident smile curved his lips.
"I don't think it'll be a problem."
Those words were like a massive boulder thrown into a still lake, sending the entire crowd of reporters into an uproar.
Leng Hanyuan had sounded quite polite.
But those words undoubtedly made his stance clear.
He believed his strength surpassed that of the Sky-Propping Douluo, hailed as the continent's number one.
The reporters' eyes gleamed with excitement.
They could already smell the headlines.
They had even thought of the titles.
Mystic Phoenix Douluo Claims Before Battle That the Sky-Propping Douluo Is Nothing to Fear.
Shocking! Mystic Phoenix Douluo Declares Certain Victory Over the Sky-Propping Douluo—Arrogance or Absolute Confidence?
Not far away.
The members of Shrek Academy, who had arrived earlier, also noticed the commotion.
Upon hearing Leng Hanyuan's answers to the reporters, Zhuo Shi was the first to voice his displeasure.
"Isn't this Mystic Phoenix Douluo being a little too arrogant?"
"The fight hasn't even begun, and he already thinks he can defeat the Pavilion Master. This is simply outrageous!"
"Exactly!" Feng Wuyu, who had always been deeply at odds with Zhuo Shi, rarely did not contradict him this time and nodded in agreement.
"The people of the Phoenix Family haven't changed after all these years!"
"They still have that infuriatingly arrogant attitude!"
As they spoke, the two old men prepared to go forward and argue with him properly.
However, Yun Ming stopped them.
"Enough."
Yun Ming's expression was calm and blank, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"Who is stronger and who is weaker? Won't we find out soon enough?"
He raised his gaze toward the front.
Leng Hanyuan's figure reflected in his eyes.
He could sense the faint threat emanating from Leng Hanyuan.
Ever since stepping into the quasi-god realm, Yun Ming had not felt this way in many years.
He clenched his fist, and a trace of excitement flashed through his eyes.
Ya Li, standing beside him, took in Yun Ming's subtle movement.
As the person who understood the Sky-Propping Douluo best in this world, Ya Li knew very well that Yun Ming's fighting spirit had been stirred.
He had never possessed a particularly mild temperament.
The title of Sky-Propping Douluo had been earned through strike after strike of his Sky-Propping Spear.
It was only after entering the quasi-god realm that Yun Ming had achieved fame and status.
Almost no trouble ever came looking for him.
That was why he appeared somewhat detached from worldly desires, unwilling to contend or compete.
But Leng Hanyuan's arrival changed everything.
He had made the Sky-Propping Douluo rediscover the fighting spirit of his youth!
Leng Hanyuan did not continue responding to the reporters' questions.
After saying those few words, he paid no heed to their reactions and directly led Leng Yaozhu and the other woman toward where the people from Shrek Academy stood.
He noticed Yun Ming's gaze.
The people of Shrek Academy also noticed Leng Hanyuan approaching.
Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu were still indignant over Leng Hanyuan's earlier remarks.
They stared at him with displeasure, their eyes full of hostility.
Yet Leng Hanyuan's gaze did not even pause on the two of them for a moment.
Their strength was not worthy of his attention.
No elephant would care about the hostility of two ants.
Leng Hanyuan raised his eyes to Yun Ming, the Sky-Propping Douluo who had been extraordinarily gifted in the original work and ultimately died after withstanding two level-twelve Soul Tool artillery shells.
Because none could compare to him before his death, and because other quasi-gods were always compared to him after it, he was called the Lu Bu Douluo.
After Lu Bu's death, everyone claimed to possess Lu Bu's valor.
It was indeed true.
At the very least, he was steadily above that old fellow Qiangu Dieting.
As a top powerhouse similarly exploring the path toward godhood, Leng Hanyuan could sense how far Yun Ming had advanced along that road.
Though he could not compare to him, Yun Ming had indeed taken a considerable step forward.
That was already very impressive.
At the very least, aside from himself and those who had received divine inheritances, Leng Hanyuan had not found anyone whose understanding of godhood ran deeper than Yun Ming's.
The title of the continent's number one was truly well deserved.
Yun Ming likewise ignored Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu, who were glaring with hostility.
He stepped forward.
And proactively extended his right hand toward Leng Hanyuan.
"Mystic Phoenix Douluo, I have long admired you."
"Likewise." Leng Hanyuan extended his hand as well and lightly shook Yun Ming's.
Both wore faint smiles.
Yet beneath those gentle smiles lay a clash thick with the scent of gunpowder.
Behind them, it seemed as though the Mystic Phoenix and the Sky-Propping Spear stood facing one another, each intent on suppressing the other.
The reporters nearby rapidly pressed the recording Soul Tools in their hands.
Camera flashes flickered continuously, capturing every frame of this historic moment.
"No more needless words, then. What do you say, Mystic Phoenix Douluo?"
Yun Ming narrowed his eyes, his fighting spirit fully roused.
His entire body was like a perfectly straight spear, radiating a chilling spear intent.
Leng Hanyuan showed no fear. He smiled faintly.
"Just what I wanted."
The strongest quasi-god of the modern era versus the strongest quasi-god in history!
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