"Ah, it's Xiao Tian! Xiao Tian of the Peak Wheel Sea Realm! Is he going to make his move already?"
"Xiao Tian is an exceptional monster even in the Carefree Holy Land. He's a monster who actually killed a Golden Core expert with his Wheel Sea cultivation. Will the Holy Son be a match for him?"
"This time, the Holy Son may really be in danger. The Carefree Holy Land has clearly resolved to kill him!"
Seeing Xiao Tian ascend the battle platform, murderous intent radiating from his entire body, everyone below broke into discussion, cries of astonishment rising everywhere.
This was Xiao Tian, someone at the Wheel Sea Peak who had truly slain a Golden Core expert, far beyond the likes of Lin Hai.
And Ye Xuan, however formidable he was, was only at the Sixth Level of Essence Condensation.
Although Ye Xuan had overturned their understanding time and again in the earlier battles, displaying peerless talent and supreme combat strength, his brilliance breathtaking.
But against Xiao Tian, who could slay Golden Core experts, would he be a match?
Most likely, Ye Xuan would lose.
For someone at Essence Condensation to overcome a Wheel Sea cultivator was already utterly inconceivable.
But if someone said Ye Xuan could overcome Xiao Tian, who had slain a Golden Core cultivator, probably no one would believe it.
"Xiao Tian, disciple of the Carefree Holy Land. A battle to the death!"
Xiao Tian stopped in front of Ye Xuan, his cold, fierce eyes settling on him as he spoke.
His murderous intent soared into the sky. He made no attempt to conceal his desire to kill Ye Xuan, his presence overwhelming.
Ye Xuan looked at Xiao Tian and said mildly, "Your cultivation?"
Xiao Tian narrowed his eyes, and everyone below looked slightly taken aback.
What did Ye Xuan mean? Why ask about his cultivation?
But they soon understood.
Ye Xuan was deliberately humiliating Xiao Tian, deliberately slapping his face.
The reason Xiao Tian had not volunteered his cultivation was to give everyone the illusion that Ye Xuan was an expert on the same level as him.
In fact, many of those present had more or less fallen under that illusion.
Yet once Ye Xuan said this, those people realized the gap between their cultivation realms.
Xiao Tian was just about to speak when Ye Xuan continued, "Don't mind me. I'm just asking."
"After all, I said I'd only fight Wheel Sea cultivators. If some shameless Golden Core cultivator ran up here, wouldn't that break the rules?"
"If an expert above Golden Core ran up here for a battle to the death, wouldn't I die an unjust death?"
The entire audience was stunned. Everyone was speechless.
What he said made perfect sense.
After all, the Carefree Holy Land was clearly truly enraged now. It was not impossible that a Golden Core cultivator might impulsively take the platform for a battle to the death.
Ye Xuan had all but pointed at the Carefree Holy Land's nose and cursed them for being utterly shameless.
Xiao Tian gritted his teeth, but had no choice but to announce his cultivation. "Xiao Tian, Wheel Sea Realm Ninth Layer."
"Wheel Sea Realm Ninth Layer, huh." Ye Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, good. Not Golden Core."
He cupped his fist in a courteous salute. "I am Ye Xuan, Essence Condensation Realm Sixth Layer. Please instruct me."
Everyone present wore peculiar expressions. The Holy Son was simply too adorable. These slaps to the face were downright vicious.
One only needed to look at the faces of the Carefree Holy Land's disciples and those figures on the raised dais to see it.
Their faces were so dark that they were almost unbearable to look at.
A Wheel Sea Peak cultivator was fighting someone at Essence Condensation, and had even proposed a battle to the death himself.
Before the fight had even begun, the Carefree Holy Land had already lost all face.
Win or lose, the Carefree Holy Land's reputation would likely suffer from this battle and turn foul.
Xiao Tian, however, was so furious his hair seemed ready to lift his crown. He snorted coldly, giving Ye Xuan no chance to continue speaking.
Almost the instant Ye Xuan finished, a thunderous boom rang out, and Xiao Tian was already charging at him.
The next moment, a blade of saber light appeared, cleaving down toward Ye Xuan with sky-shaking force.
Whether in speed or power, this saber strike was far beyond anything Lin Hai had shown earlier.
Seeing Xiao Tian charge, Ye Xuan sneered and grasped at empty air with his right hand. A longsword appeared in his grip.
It was a magical artifact, a very high-grade one named Yaoguang, given to him by Han Bingning.
Holding Yaoguang, Ye Xuan flickered into motion and likewise charged at Xiao Tian.
He slashed his sword, sending towering waves of sword light surging forth.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A rapid series of impacts rang out as saber and sword collided in midair, humming repeatedly as sparks flew everywhere.
Under the force of those impacts, Ye Xuan actually seemed to be suppressed and began staggering backward.
He felt his arms go somewhat numb, and even the Spiritual Qi within his body no longer flowed smoothly.
Xiao Tian fared little better in their head-on clash.
He likewise staggered backward, each footfall raising a thunderous boom from the martial platform.
He retreated seven or eight steps in succession before finally steadying himself, his expression aghast.
In truth, saber cultivators followed a path of fierce power, emphasizing overwhelming all techniques with strength and unrivaled dominance.
Sword cultivators, on the other hand, emphasized agility and speed. As the saying went, only speed could not be overcome; one strike must kill.
Thus, sword cultivators generally avoided head-on clashes with saber cultivators, since that amounted to pitting their own weakness against their opponent's strength and seemed rather foolish.
Xiao Tian had also possessed absolute confidence in his previous saber strike.
Even some Golden Core cultivators would have faced certain death if they met it head-on.
Of course, monstrous talents from major powers were an exception.
Yet not only had Ye Xuan met him head-on with a sword, he had not fallen behind in the slightest.
This was simply inconceivable!
"What? The Holy Son actually clashed head-on with Xiao Tian and even seemed to gain a slight advantage?"
"Just how much explosive power does he have? How many meridians has he opened? Isn't this far too terrifying?"
"That's Xiao Tian! He actually failed to gain the upper hand in a head-on clash?"
Everyone below was stunned once again. Many even rose involuntarily to their feet, their minds trembling, unable to calm down.
Breathing rapidly, they stared fixedly at Ye Xuan on the martial platform. It all felt utterly unreal, simply inconceivable.
Ye Xuan paid no attention to their stunned expressions. He stared at Xiao Tian and mocked, "A monster from the Carefree Holy Land, at the Wheel Sea Peak, and this is all you've got?"
"I thought you would be so strong. I never expected you to be barely any different from that Lin Hai!"
Although Ye Xuan said this, he was also deeply shocked.
This Xiao Tian was definitely stronger than Zhu Pi, the Golden Core cultivator he had killed back then, and by a great deal.
If his cultivation had not broken through and he had still been at the Essence Condensation First Layer as he was then, he would most likely have been no match for Xiao Tian.
Fortunately, he, Ye Xuan, was a man with cheats and a protagonist halo, and had improved greatly during this time.
"Hmph, sharp-tongued brat!" Xiao Tian sneered. His presence erupted again, Spiritual Qi boiling throughout his body as he charged at Ye Xuan once more, longsaber in hand.
Ye Xuan had humiliated him like this. He had to kill him.
Besides, if he failed to kill Ye Xuan, even if he lived, he would probably have no face to meet anyone again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Xiao Tian attacked madly, streaks of saber light instantly illuminated the entire martial platform, like a violent storm so dense that not even wind could pass through.
Those streaks of saber light slashed wildly toward Ye Xuan, as though to engulf him and tear him to pieces!
Ye Xuan sneered, an uncanny light flickering in his eyes as he instantly activated his Divine Eyes.
The next moment, divine sword Yaoguang in hand, he rushed forward.
Thunderous rumbling resounded as Ye Xuan's feet struck the ground, the tremors shaking the entire martial platform.
Under everyone's disbelieving gazes, he charged straight through layer upon layer of saber waves and appeared before Xiao Tian in an instant.
The next moment, a streak of sword light flared, like lightning tearing through the air, vanishing as soon as it flashed.
Deadly Sword Strike!