"My name is Ye Wenqiang. May I ask whether what I heard people outside saying about the arena is true?" the black-haired youth asked, neither servile nor overbearing.
On closer inspection, the black-haired youth had delicate, handsome features, but an unmistakable wound ran along one cheek, lending him a somewhat savage look.
Ye Wenqiang had appeared suddenly and soundlessly. Only after he finished speaking did the guards protecting Ling Yunxiao belatedly surround him.
"Ye Wenqiang? Isn't he the last person on the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking?"
"That's right. He was added to fill the vacancy after Yu Hongyan killed Yin Rushe."
"I remember he's a rogue cultivator, isn't he?"
"Isn't that obvious? If he belonged to some major sect, the young city lord of High Firmament City couldn't get him to come no matter how many spirit stones he offered!"
"Keep it down. This is quite a sum. Major sect disciples might turn their noses up at it, but rogue cultivators like us would fight until our heads split to get it."
"A pity the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!"
Some cultivators could not help sighing. That sum of spirit stones was no small amount to most of those present, but most lacked the confidence to step into the arena.
Ling Yunxiao merely seemed somewhat overbearing and arrogant. His actual strength was not weak: he was in the early Spirit Condensation realm. With his background as the young city lord of Cloud Firmament City, he would have no shortage of magical treasures either.
"Win, and you can enter the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking!"
Some cultivators sighed with feeling.
According to the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking, Ye Wenqiang was also in the early Spirit Condensation realm, exactly like Ling Yunxiao!
"It's hard to say who'll win." The cultivators shook their heads, unwilling to place their bets lightly.
Had someone higher on the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking come, Ling Yunxiao might well have suffered a crushing defeat. But the very last person on the ranking... against Ling Yunxiao, the outcome really was uncertain.
"Of course it counts!" Ling Yunxiao had already waited quite some time and was thoroughly bored. Seeing that someone had finally come, he instantly perked up.
Ling Yunxiao's sudden leap startled the maids attending him, but he paid them no mind.
"After all this waiting, someone with guts has finally shown up!" As Ling Yunxiao spoke, he waved away the guards surrounding Ye Wenqiang.
Even so, there was still a hint of contempt in Ling Yunxiao's gaze as he looked at Ye Wenqiang. "It doesn't matter if you're last on the Eastern Wasteland Heaven's Chosen Ranking. In courage alone, you're already better than far too many people!"
"If anyone else has come, listen up! I'll take on all comers! If you still don't know what's good for you and come forward, I'll challenge you myself!"
Ling Yunxiao's lofty declaration left the watching cultivators speechless. Even Ye Wenqiang, standing in the arena, wore an expression of having nothing to say.
At that moment, all the cultivators shared a single thought: Isn't this Ling Yunxiao a little too confident? His confidence has reached the point of arrogance. If he could, he might want to trample the whole world beneath his feet!
"What bullshit Primordial Hall! They dared publish a ranking without putting me on it. Just wait until my cultivation rises one day! I'll tear it down!"
Unable to hear the thoughts of the cultivators below, Ling Yunxiao continued speaking indignantly.
Listening made Ye Wenqiang's head ache. This young master really talked far too much. His grip on his treasured sword was already creaking, and he had to fight the urge to draw it and hack this overly talkative young master straight to death!
"Can we begin?" Ye Wenqiang spoke coldly, interrupting Ling Yunxiao's self-admiration.
Ling Yunxiao had just gotten carried away. He had even intended to map out in detail his glorious future of punching Feng Lingao, trampling Teng Longtian, and smashing the Primordial Hall apart with a flurry of punches, only for Ye Wenqiang to interrupt him so rudely!
Thoroughly displeased, Ling Yunxiao's face darkened. He leaped into the arena in a single bound. "We can!"
The instant the words fell, Ye Wenqiang's treasured sword left its sheath, and his entire presence underwent an earth-shattering change!
Boom!
Following that thunderous sound, Ye Wenqiang unleashed his Spirit Condensation realm cultivation in full, pressing down on Ling Yunxiao like a mountain a hundred thousand feet high.
At the same time, Ye Wenqiang did not remain idle. Sword in hand, he charged toward Ling Yunxiao!
"Shadow Moon Sword Technique!"
Ye Wenqiang shouted, unleashing more than a dozen sword shadows from his hand. Terrifying sword scars instantly covered the smooth arena floor, and they kept spreading toward Ling Yunxiao!
Somewhat startled by Ye Wenqiang's sudden transformation, Ling Yunxiao faced a succession of attacks as swift as lightning and as unstoppable as splitting bamboo. He had no time to block and could only hastily raise the magical implement in his hand to shield himself.
Hum!
Almost the instant Ling Yunxiao raised his hand, dozens of streaks of sword light were already closing in around him.
The magical implement he had just raised met Ye Wenqiang's unstoppable blade head-on. In a single instant, Ling Yunxiao was sent flying out of the arena like a kite with its string severed!
"Pfft..."
Having crashed to the ground, Ling Yunxiao simply could not believe it. His head buzzed as he spat blood, still unable to process that he had lost so quickly.
Not only Ling Yunxiao, but even Ye Wenqiang, who had launched the attack, was somewhat surprised.
He and Ling Yunxiao were at the same realm. By rights, it should have taken at least a hundred exchanges to decide the winner. Ye Wenqiang had expected a drawn-out battle, never imagining he would win so easily!
The watching cultivators were dumbstruck as well, their mouths hanging wide open without a word.
Those cultivators who had said earlier that "the outcome is uncertain" seemed especially to have lost their voices.
Lin Yu, however, silently watching the screen from ten thousand li away, immediately saw the crux of the matter.
Although both were in the early Spirit Condensation realm, Ye Wenqiang had solid foundations, clearly the result of cultivating one steady step at a time.
Ling Yunxiao was different. His presence was weak and unstable; at a glance, his cultivation had plainly been piled up with spiritual medicines.
Moreover, given his status as the young city lord, even instruction from renowned masters would mostly consist of encouragement. Few would criticize him harshly, so Ling Yunxiao's swordsmanship was not particularly accomplished either.
Compared with Ye Wenqiang, Ling Yunxiao naturally did not measure up in the slightest. He had not even had a chance to struggle.
"And he wanted to trample me underfoot with that? He really is far too confident!" Lin Yu shook his head helplessly.
Seeing the shocked cultivators, Lin Yu suddenly seemed to think of something. He touched the corner of his mouth and gave a mischievous smile.
"Since so many people are watching, I'll give them a hand too!"
With that, Lin Yu raised a finger and lightly tapped the teacup beside him twice.
The next second, the expressions of Xuan Ziyi and the others watching changed.