Meanwhile, everyone below the platform turned to look, immediately catching sight of the burly young man.
The instant they saw him, countless people shuddered involuntarily and began murmuring.
"It's Huang Sha! That born killer from the Carefree Holy Land, Huang Sha!"
"Holy shit, what's he doing here? I didn't see him earlier. This is terrifying."
"What? Huang Sha? The Huang Sha who started cultivating at six, reached Essence Condensation at ten, Wheel Sea at fifteen, and Golden Core at eighteen, then slaughtered his way through an entire layer of the Asura Battlefield, massacring a hundred Golden Core cultivators?"
"Yes, him! Wasn't he in the Asura Battlefield? When did he come back?"
"Who knows? Now things are getting interesting. Let's hope Holy Son Ye doesn't get hotheaded and challenge that born killer by name."
Everyone below the platform buzzed with discussion. Even some of the powerful figures on the raised dais had slight changes in expression.
Huang Sha.
He was an anomaly within the Carefree Holy Land, an extremely powerful one.
The Asura Battlefield was a battlefield in another realm, inhabited not only by humans, but also by demons, barbarians, and many other races.
Ordinary people lacked the courage to enter the Asura Battlefield at all, because entering meant an eighty-percent chance of never coming out alive.
Of course, even if someone wanted to enter, doing so was extremely difficult. They needed a quota slot and had to fulfill certain conditions.
At least in the Eastern Wasteland, the Asura Battlefield was synonymous with hell. Only disciples who had committed monstrous crimes and could no longer be tolerated by their sects would be thrown inside.
As for ordinary geniuses and monstrous talents, their sects would never let them enter, and most of them would not dare enter anyway.
A year ago, Huang Sha had slaughtered many cultivators without cause because of his excessive bloodlust, offending countless factions.
Under pressure, the Carefree Holy Land had been left with no choice but to pay an enormous price to send him into the Asura Battlefield.
Only then had the various factions' fury subsided.
After all, the money had been paid, and the man had been thrown into the Asura Battlefield, where death was certain. What more could those factions say?
Could they really wipe out the Carefree Holy Land?
They could only let the matter rest.
But now Huang Sha had returned. He had actually appeared here alive.
Compared to a year ago, Huang Sha's presence had become far more restrained, without any of his former domineering arrogance.
But that also meant he had become even more terrifying.
At that moment, even Han Bingning and the Ancient Desolate Holy Land's patriarchs could not help looking toward Huang Sha, shock rising in their eyes.
They had paid no attention to the disciples below, nor had they examined them carefully. Thus, only now did they discover Huang Sha's presence.
Looking at Huang Sha, they suddenly began to feel a faint worry for Ye Xuan.
Surely this fellow wouldn't get hotheaded and challenge Huang Sha?
Give Ye Xuan another ten years-no, one year-and there would certainly be no problem. Killing Huang Sha would be no difficult feat for him.
But right now, he was probably still far from it.
On the martial platform, Ye Xuan naturally heard the discussion below, but paid it no mind.
He looked down at Huang Sha from above and said indifferently, "Who are you? What's your cultivation?"
Huang Sha smiled proudly, stepped forward, and said disdainfully, "Huang Sha, Golden Core first layer. What, do you want to challenge me?"
Indeed, a year ago, he had been at the Golden Core first layer. Today, a year later, he was still at the Golden Core first layer.
But although his cultivation had not changed during his year in the Asura Battlefield, his combat strength had increased far more than just severalfold.
"Ye Xuan, I'm only at the Golden Core first layer, just a tiny bit above Wheel Sea peak."
"You can already kill someone at the Wheel Sea ninth layer. Why not try challenging me? Don't worry, I won't kill you or force you into a death match. How about it?"
Although Huang Sha said this, his gaze was already growing colder and colder.
Because he very much disliked the look in Ye Xuan's eyes, that lofty gaze looking down on him as though he were an ant.
That gaze was far too irritating. He wanted to beat Ye Xuan to death.
A breeze swept past, fluttering Ye Xuan's holy robes as he stood with elegant poise.
Looking at Huang Sha, he smiled. "Golden Core first layer? Very well. Is there a Heavenly Position senior from our Ancient Desolate Holy Land here?"
Huang Sha was dumbfounded, and everyone below was stunned.
What was that supposed to mean?
Never mind them-even the Ancient Desolate Holy Land's elders, Holy Lord Han Bingning, and the patriarchs were somewhat bewildered.
What was this brat trying to do?
Even so, a middle-aged man stood up and smiled at Ye Xuan. "Holy Son, my cultivation is at the Heavenly Position third layer. What guidance do you have for me?"
Ye Xuan smiled. "You jest, Senior. I'm not the one who wishes to offer you guidance. That Golden Core monstrous genius from the Carefree Holy Land down there wishes to offer you guidance. Why don't you have a match with him, Senior?"
At those words, everyone froze slightly. They were all dumbstruck.
The corner of Huang Sha's mouth twitched as well. Then he said coldly, "Ye Xuan, what do you mean? If you don't dare accept the challenge, then just admit it. What is this supposed to mean? Are you humiliating me?"
Ye Xuan laughed. "Humiliate you? Are you worthy?"
He pointed at Huang Sha without the slightest courtesy. "What's your cultivation? What's mine? You're two realms above me, yet now you want to challenge me."
"Then what's wrong with me having a holy land elder two realms above you challenge you?"
"The strong remain strong. Didn't you say that yourself? Could it be that you only dare challenge me, someone two realms below you, but don't dare challenge an expert two realms above you?"
Above Wheel Sea was Golden Core, above Golden Core was Nascent Soul, and only above Nascent Soul came Heavenly Position.
Thus, a Heavenly Position Realm expert was two full realms above Huang Sha, who was in the Golden Core Realm.
Hearing this, Huang Sha's fury nearly sent his hair standing on end.
His eyes suddenly turned savage. Like a wild beast, he glared viciously at Ye Xuan, his killing intent already surging beyond his control.
Yet he truly could not refute it.
Ye Xuan ignored Huang Sha's murderous gaze and continued, "If you don't dare fight someone at Heavenly Position, how about I find you someone at Nascent Soul?"
As he spoke, Ye Xuan carefully counted on his fingers. "I'm at the sixth level of Essence Condensation, and you're at the Golden Core first layer. I won't count the two major realms. I'll count it in minor realms for you."
"You're a full eleven realms above me. How about this? I'll find someone at the fifth level of Nascent Soul to fight you. What do you say?"
Huang Sha's mouth twitched. He was practically going mad.
He was at the Golden Core first layer. How could he fight someone at the fifth level of Nascent Soul? Never mind the fifth level of Nascent Soul-even someone at the ninth level of Golden Core could probably crush him with ease.
With his current combat strength, he could at most fight someone at the fourth or fifth layer of Golden Core. That was already considered incredibly heaven-defying.
Besides, was that how you fucking calculated it?
The higher one's cultivation realm, the harder it became to bridge the gap.
Was fighting Wheel Sea at Essence Condensation remotely the same as fighting Nascent Soul at Golden Core?
He could only feel that Ye Xuan was utterly shameless, yet he had nothing to say.
He truly had nothing to say, because logically speaking, Ye Xuan's words made perfect sense. There was nothing wrong with them at all.
"Holy Son, I happen to be at the fifth level of Nascent Soul. If that Carefree Holy Land disciple doesn't mind, I could play with him for a bit."
"Holy Son, you possess the Chaos Sacred Body and are the holy son of our Ancient Desolate Holy Land, peerless throughout the ages. How could he compare with you? There's no need for someone at the fifth level of Nascent Soul. Let me fight him at the Nascent Soul first layer. I guarantee I'll beat him to death in three punches."
"What are you saying? What are you saying? Bullying! You're bullying him far too much! What does he amount to? Is he even worthy of being compared to the Holy Son?
"The Holy Son can fight across realms. Can he? I'm at the ninth level of Golden Core, in the same realm as him, and I'm willing to fight him. Don't worry. If I can't beat him to death within ten moves, I'll cripple my own cultivation and leave the sect."
The entire gathering fell deathly silent.
Fucking hell.
Now this was awkward.
Would Huang Sha dare accept?