On the high platform.
Han Bingning and the patriarchs also looked somewhat grim.
Clearly, they too were in a difficult position.
If they agreed and Ye Xuan was killed, they could not accept the consequences.
But if they refused, the challenge had been issued by Ye Xuan. Had he been an ordinary disciple, they could simply have refused on his behalf.
But Ye Xuan was the Holy Son, representing the dignity of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land. How could his words and actions be treated as a joke?
Ye Xuan seemed to see his beautiful master's dilemma. He smiled and said, "Master, it's all right. Agree to their terms. I want to prove myself too."
Ye Xuan's tone was unusually earnest. "As the Holy Son, I should suppress an entire generation and sweep through every prodigy in my realm. This is a perfect chance to see whether I can actually do it."
Hearing this, Han Bingning stared hard at Ye Xuan for a while.
She looked at his resolute expression, at that unquestionable gaze.
Finally, she nodded and turned to the elder of the Carefree Holy Land.
"The Holy Son can naturally represent our Ancient Desolate Holy Land. If he dies on the martial platform, it can only mean that his skills were inferior and he was unworthy of being the Holy Son. Our Ancient Desolate Holy Land will not pursue the matter."
At these words.
The entire gathering erupted.
She had actually agreed?
The mighty elders of the Carefree Holy Land also looked somewhat excited.
Now that Han Bingning had agreed, they had no further worries.
If Han Bingning dared to intervene by force, not only could they join forces against her, but the Ancient Desolate Holy Land's long-standing reputation would be utterly ruined.
Since Han Bingning was giving them this opportunity, they could not be blamed for showing no mercy.
Just then, however, Han Bingning abruptly changed tack.
"If the Holy Son dies, he is unworthy, and our Ancient Desolate Holy Land will not pursue the matter. What about you?"
"If your disciples are killed and still fail to kill the Holy Son in the end, can you do the same?"
Hearing this, the Carefree Holy Land elder immediately stood and declared with absolute conviction:
"Naturally. All the factions here bear witness to this challenge between the two sides. If they die, they can only blame their inferior skills. No one will pursue the matter."
"Good!" Han Bingning nodded. "Then let it begin. No one besides the combatants may interfere in the battle on the martial platform. Otherwise, death!"
As that final word fell, Han Bingning's presence erupted, her killing intent soaring into the sky.
Everyone trembled with fear as they felt that killing intent.
Their gazes toward Han Bingning filled with admiration and awe.
This breathtakingly beautiful Holy Lord of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land was truly one of the Eastern Wasteland's most dazzling extraordinary women, peerless in her splendor.
By comparison, even the Holy Maiden of the Jade Lake Holy Land fell far short.
The Carefree Holy Land elder sneered. Without further words, he rose and said, "Challengers, take the platform!"
As his voice rang out-
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
A series of reverberating surges of presence suddenly rang out. Everyone turned to see dozens of figures stepping out of the crowd and heading straight for the tallest martial platform in the center.
All of them radiated powerful presences. Every single one was at the Essence Condensation Realm peak, with not one below the Essence Condensation Realm.
A careful count revealed exactly a hundred, no more and no less.
That was not even the most important part. Most importantly, they were not all from the Carefree Holy Land, but from thirty-six factions in total.
It could be said that eighty percent of those attending the ceremony who were at the Essence Condensation Realm peak had stepped forward.
"Zhang Hong, Zhuo Yao, Wang Shan, th-this... they're all fighting together?"
"A hundred Essence Condensation Realm peak cultivators are joining forces against Holy Son Ye, who's only at the sixth level of Essence Condensation? And in a battle to the death?"
"This is terrifying. Can the Holy Son handle it?"
At this sight, countless people trembled with fear, their hearts surging.
After all, those hundred people included quite a few exceptionally outstanding prodigies and monstrous talents.
Normally, wherever they went, they were the protagonists, the focus of everyone's attention.
Now, however, these people were joining forces against Ye Xuan.
"Hmph, he truly doesn't know his own limits! Does he really think the Chaos Sacred Body makes him invincible? That killing someone at Wheel Sea peak means he can run rampant and do whatever he pleases?"
"What an arrogant fellow. I was worrying about how to kill you, but now it seems I won't need to worry anymore."
In the area occupied by the Ancient Desolate Holy Land's disciples, the ten Holy Son candidates also sneered at the sight.
Ye Xuan's performance had already exceeded their expectations, putting enormous pressure on them all.
Especially after Ye Xuan killed Xiao Tian, who was at Wheel Sea peak, they had no longer believed there was any chance of killing Ye Xuan today.
As for later, killing Ye Xuan would only become more difficult.
Yet they had never expected that, just as they were despairing over how to kill him, the conceited Ye Xuan would declare that he wanted to challenge every Essence Condensation cultivator of the Carefree Holy Land.
In their eyes, he was truly courting death.
The hundred Essence Condensation Realm peak cultivators strode toward the martial platform, their presences soaring into the sky.
Their combined presence made the entire space feel oppressive.
Feeling this, countless people grew tense as well, their hearts pounding like thunder, their eyes fixed on the outstanding figure on the martial platform.
"Despicable! Shameless! These aren't just disciples of the Carefree Holy Land. There are clearly disciples from other factions too!"
Among the crowd, Lin Xue clenched her delicate fists, worrying for Ye Xuan.
Han Bingning likewise stared coldly at those people, but said nothing.
Because she had seen Ye Xuan's gaze, that resolute gaze.
Clearly, even so, Ye Xuan was unafraid. He would fight!
Soon, people began ascending the platform one after another, their presences soaring and their eyes icy.
Some had excitement in their eyes, seemingly thrilled by the coming slaughter of the Holy Son.
Others wore bitter expressions, clearly forced up there by their sects.
But regardless, they had all come.
Looking at them, Ye Xuan extended a finger. "One, two, three, four, five... a hundred..."
"Tsk, the Carefree Holy Land certainly went all out. You actually found a hundred Essence Condensation Realm peak cultivators to kill me. Interesting."
"Unfortunately, these hundred pieces of trash probably aren't qualified to kill me!"
As his words fell, Ye Xuan suddenly stamped down. With a thunderous boom, he charged at the few people who had already ascended the martial platform.
Yaoguang in hand, he shot forward like a streak of lightning, his speed as elusive as a phantom.
In an instant, Ye Xuan appeared before two of them.
Seeing Ye Xuan charging at them, their expressions changed drastically, and they moved to retreat.
Yet all they saw were two sword rays slashing across the air, vanishing in a flash.
The next moment, their bodies stiffened, then collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Dead!
Ye Xuan did not pause, nor did he show any mercy.
Almost the instant he killed those two, he swept his sword horizontally, unleashing streaks of dazzling sword light.
Spiritual Qi poured out of his body like a surging tide.
Psh, psh, psh.
The few people behind them had yet to recover their senses before they were either cut in half at the waist or killed outright.
Crimson blood spurted up and showered down. It was as though blood rained from the sky, filling the air with its stench.
At this sight, everyone below trembled with fear, their hearts pounding like thunder.
Their entire bodies shook uncontrollably, and they felt as though their breathing was about to stop.
This was simply too savage, too bloody.
Seeing this, the Carefree Holy Land elder could not help springing to his feet in fury and roaring, "Get onto the platform! Surround him and kill him!"