As the words spread, the crowd behind immediately fell silent. A barrage of mocking and disdainful gazes swept back and forth between Xiao Yan and the man from the Abyss Hall. Hai Zhantian and Hai Mochen, on the other hand, reacted differently upon hearing the conversation: one wore a cold expression, while the other wore a mocking one.
"Father, look at this..."
Seeing the two on the field who had been locked in a tense standoff in the blink of an eye, the patriarch of the Sea Shark Clan couldn't help but look at Hai Zhantian. However, when he saw the cold expression on Hai Zhantian's face, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
"Alright, let's finish this quickly."
He raised an eyebrow and gave a curt reply. Then, Xiao Yan slowly clenched his right fist, gathering powerful energy in his palm.
Behind that Nine-Star Dou Di, the other members of the Abyss Hall exchanged glances, and then took a few steps back, leaving the space in front of them to the two.
Every gaze directed at Xiao Yan revealed a look of disdain. With the cultivation of Seven-Star Dou Di facing Nine-Star Dou Di, the outcome was predictable.
"Hmph, he actually dared to accept the challenge? This kid is really courting death. Xue Kui once single-handedly killed ten Dou Di. This kid is stupid enough to agree to fight him. I'm afraid one punch from Xue Kui would cripple him already, hahahaha!"
The group from the Abyss Hall stood with their arms crossed, watching the two people before them with sneers in their eyes. Although the two had not yet made a move, they seemed to have already seen Xiao Yan's miserable defeat and pain.
Of course, not everyone shared the same opinion. At least, the patriarchs of the two great Sea Tribe couldn't help but look at Xiao Yan with a hint of suspicion.
Someone who is so highly regarded by Hai Zhantian, and who dares to take the initiative and speak so arrogantly in front of twenty Nine-Star Dou Di, is either a fool or someone who has absolute confidence in his own strength.
The Xiao Yan before them was clearly not a fool.
Although they had already considered this point, the two clan leaders still couldn't help but harbor doubts deep down. After all, even in their view, the gap between Xiao Yan and this Nine-Star Dou Di was simply too vast, and no matter how they looked at it, Xiao Yan had no chance of winning.
"Hmph, kid, I admire your courage, but unfortunately, many things can't be accomplished with just courage!"
With a ferocious expression, Xue Kui sneered as he stared at Xiao Yan before him. His Dou Qi immediately began to circulate, flowing into the various meridians within his body.
"You talk too much nonsense."
The moment Xue Kui uttered those words, Xiao Yan followed with a cold voice. Almost simultaneously, he stomped his foot heavily and charged forward. The short-distance impact allowed Xiao Yan to appear in front of Xue Kui almost instantly.
Faced with Xiao Yan's sudden attack, Xue Kui's expression remained unchanged. He took a half step back and simultaneously raised his massive fist, his Dou Qi surging up. In the blink of an eye, it covered his entire arm, and the temporary Dou Qi transformed into a layer of energy crystals, directly meeting Xiao Yan's fist head-on and slamming it down.
"Die!"
A furious roar echoed, and almost simultaneously, the two men's fists collided heavily.
With a dull thud, an invisible ripple of energy spread outwards. Those nearby instinctively squinted, then looked again, their eyes widening in surprise.
The moment their fists clashed, the surging Dou Qi gathered in Xue Kui's palm poured out, the powerful force like a volcanic eruption slamming into Xiao Yan's fist. The terrifying force shattered the space around them instantly, and the raging energy ripples swept outwards once again.
The immense power was so overwhelming that even the people from the Abyss Hall behind Xue Kui couldn't help but become serious. They believed that no one below the Origin Transformation Realm could withstand such a ferocious punch, let alone Xiao Yan, whose cultivation was only Seven-Star Dou Di.
However, the reality once again overturned their assumptions, and what appeared before their eyes next left everyone present speechless.
No matter how fierce Xue Kui's attack was, it was completely blocked by a layer of solidified golden light when it landed on Xiao Yan's fist. Xiao Yan's figure remained completely still. The storm of attacks seemed to have no effect on him, as if it were just a gentle breeze.
"What? How is this possible!"
Upon seeing this, Xue Kui was immediately shocked, his expression changing drastically in an instant. When he regained his senses and looked at Xiao Yan, the latter's statue-like body trembled slightly...
Only at this moment did the power in Xiao Yan's arm fully erupt. The extremely powerful force surged forth like a mad herd of bulls, rapidly filling the layer of energy crystal covering Xue Kui's entire arm with clearly visible cracks. Then, the instant the energy crystal shattered completely, Xue Kui's entire arm twisted uncontrollably, along with his face, which had been contorted with rage just moments before.
All the bones in his arm were broken, and the muscles in his thick arm were twisted and tense as if in spasm. His face was also flushed red. Xiao Yan's punch had almost completely destroyed his arm. In his current state, it would be difficult for him to recover from this injury in less than a few months after he returned.
With the two forces erupting one after the other, Xue Kui appeared so vulnerable that one couldn't help but wonder if he had truly used his full strength.
For the sake of the Sea Tribe's dignity, Xue Kui naturally wouldn't hold back in his attack. Even a powerhouse of the same level wouldn't dare underestimate his punch. However, facing Xiao Yan...
It can only be said that it wasn't that Xue Kui was too weak, but rather that Xiao Yan, whom he was facing, was simply too strong, so strong that he had absolutely no room to resist!
The overwhelming victory shocked everyone in front of Xiao Yan, and even the patriarchs of the two great Sea Tribe had very interesting expressions on their faces.
They simply couldn't believe that someone with Xue Kui's cultivation as Nine-Star Dou Di would be defeated by a Seven-Star Dou Di, and so decisively at that. It was simply unbelievable!
Is this level of power truly something a Seven-Star Dou Di could unleash?
Xiao Yan's punch defeated Xue Kui, Nine-Star Dou Di, and at the same time, it was like a slap to the face of the group of the Sea Tribe leaders behind him. Their Elder Zhang turned ashen, their emotions churning. They looked at each other, and found that everyone's eyes were filled with shock.
"This kid... how could he possibly..."
"He's clearly just a Seven-Star Dou Di!"
"Damn it, he injured Xue Kui! Let's attack together and make this kid pay!"
The remaining nineteen members of the Abyss Hall all wore expressions of disbelief, but even more so, they were filled with anger.
With a sharp shout, the nineteen people trembled, and a powerful aura surged outward from their bodies, ready to launch another attack on Xiao Yan.
"Enough! A bet is a bet, and you chose this method yourselves. Losing is losing. The most important thing now is the matter of the Undersea Void Realm. You're still fighting over this? Do you want others to see that the Abyss Hall, nurtured by my Sea Flood Dragon Clan, is just a bunch of unruly brats?!"
However, just as the remaining nineteen members of the Abyss Hall were about to make their move, the red-haired middle-aged man who was the clan leader finally spoke up with a gloomy expression, and immediately, everyone, including the clansmen behind him, fell silent.
His authority as the clan leader was on full display at this moment.
Then, the red-haired middle-aged man looked at Xiao Yan again, his expression changing instantly to a kind smile, and said:
"Young man, we apologize for any offense we may have caused earlier. We hope you won't take it to heart. If possible, we would like to entrust the matter of the Undersea Void Realm to you."
The moment these words left his mouth, everyone present knew that the Sea Flood Dragon Clan had surrendered. Immediately afterward, the patriarch of the Sea Shark Clan also stepped forward, cupping his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan naturally dared not neglect these two; after gently shaking back Xue Kui in front of him, he bowed to them and said:
"You two are too kind. Since I have already promised Senior Hai, I will naturally do my best. As for what happened just now, I didn't take it to heart, so please rest assured."
Upon hearing this, the two of them secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hmph, Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon, keep your people in check and make them understand their place. If it weren't for the matter of the Undersea Void Realm, I would have already slaughtered most of these fools behind you! Just because I haven't appeared in the world, have they all forgotten who I am?!"
Just then, Hai Zhantian stepped forward again, arriving at Xiao Yan's side. His icy gaze swept over everyone before finally settling on the two before him. The words he uttered sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. They had no doubt about the truth of Hai Zhantian's words. In the past, he would likely have already been enraged, using his blood blade to intimidate the assembled heroes. However, after so many years, his temper had become much more restrained. But this did not mean that he could allow these guys to act recklessly.
Once this matter is over, Hai Zhantian will probably make fun of some of them again.