The dust settled over the Martial Arena.
Chen Changming stood tall in the center of the platform, his white robes fluttering in the wind. Looking down at Wang Lin, who had fallen below the platform in utter disgrace, he spoke calmly, yet every word rang with weight. "Wang Lin, you have lost."
Wang Lin slumped on the ground, the bones in his shoulder faintly fractured. All color had drained from his face, leaving it as pale as dead ash.
He had always been arrogant and conceited, proud of his standing as a leading prodigy of the Wang Family. He had run roughshod over the younger generation of the Cold Abyss Nation, never imagining that he would lose to a member of the Chen Household whose cultivation was only at the first layer of Void Refinement.
Humiliation, resentment, and disbelief tangled in his heart. He opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately had no argument to offer. He could only clench his fists tightly, his dignity utterly lost.
The next instant, the deathly silent Martial Arena erupted!
All the pent-up frustration from days of being crushed, mocked, and bullied by the Wang Family burst forth at once. Countless Chen Household disciples and outer-branch clansmen lost all composure, their cheers exploding with such force that the formations throughout the Martial Arena trembled faintly.
"We won! Our Chen Household won!"
"Senior Brother Chen Chuan is incredible! He completely crushed the Wang Family's prodigy!"
"We saved it! We saved our Yin-Yang Token!"
The young disciples raised their arms and cheered. Many flushed with excitement, their eyes brimming with tears.
Everyone had thought the situation was beyond saving and that their lineage's supreme treasure would surely be lost. They had even prepared for the worst: submission and tribute. No one had expected the seemingly unremarkable