Upon hearing this, all the officials and guests looked up and around.
A figure rose from the seat of the noble young masters, walked Diligent Governance Tower, and bowed to the Emperor of Yan and his officials.
Ye Xingge from afar and could see that the man was dressed in a blue satin martial arts uniform, of medium build, and under thirty years old, with nothing particularly special about him.
But the officials in the square became noisy, whispering among themselves:
"Is this the eldest princess's eldest son, Dugu Xuan?"
"Why did he come out...?"
Ye Xingge was slightly surprised when he heard the name.
The Dugu Clan was once one of the Eight Pillar States of Hezhong. Before the Emperor of Yan ascended the throne, his elder sister had married into the Dugu Clan.
Later, when the Eight Pillars of the State were in turmoil, the Dugu Clan rebelled along with the Yuchi Clan, but the son-in-law still sided with the Xiao Clan.
Although the prince consort lost his Lineage support and didn't have much say, the princess was very favored. Her son, Dugu Xuan, called the Emperor of Yan "uncle," so his treatment was certainly not bad.
As for Dugu Xuan's strength, he is 28 years old this year, Third Rank 128, which is nearly 140 places higher than his actual ranking.
Ye Xingge breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that it wasn't Zhang the old scoundrel who personally intervened.
However, a difference of 140 places doesn't mean they're evenly matched...
Fortunately, Eunuch Fan then spoke up:
"Martial arts are all about skill; judging someone solely by brute force is a inferior approach. Young Master Dugu's skill is far superior to Lord Ye's. To be fair, Duke Zhang has already sealed his meridians, making their skill levels completely equal..."
"Oh..."
Only then did the officials and guests present understand the meaning.
Even if the Heaven-Observing Decree suppressed his power to be completely uniform, Dugu Xuan was still the emperor's nephew, and had received extraordinary treatment and had countless famous teachers since childhood. His attainments were not something ordinary people could catch up with.
Shen Yueyao and Lady of Anyang had not expected the opponents arranged by the imperial court to be so formidable, and both of them looked solemn at this moment.
Even though Luo Xuanqing had some understanding of Ye Xingge's skills, he still sat up straight.
Of course, not everyone looked solemn.
Outside the palace walls, Ye Yuanshan had spent a fortune to buy a good spot on the Myriad Phenomena Tower, just to watch his son's martial arts competition. He was craning his neck to look out at the scene.
Wang Shouyin, standing to the side, saw this scene and slapped his thigh in frustration:
"Oh dear! Why did the imperial court let this man out? What if he were killed by the emperor's nephew in three punches...?"
Ye Gucheng stood on the eaves with his arms crossed. Because he had announced his nephew's name beforehand, none of the patrolling officers dared to say anything and responded in response:
"A chivalrous swordsman wields his sword, but the key is to know when to stop; going too far breeds deep resentment, while going too little weakens his resolve..."
Liu Ping'er peeked upwards to look:
"Second brother, get down here! General Cao has been eyeing you for days..."
"Oh..."
And outside the palace corner tower diagonally opposite.
To guard against assassins, Cao Xiong stood beneath the eaves with two maces hanging from his waist, facing off against the white-clad figure from Myriad Phenomena Tower.
Because of the distance, he initially thought some fellow Daoist of the First Rank had come to watch the excitement.
Upon hearing from his attendant that he was Ye Xingge's eccentric second uncle, Cao Xiong turned his attention to the two people in the room.
Dugu Xuan is about to enter the top 100 of the Third Rank, and with his extraordinary background and numerous teachers, he is already an invincible prodigy in the eyes of ordinary martial artists.
But Cao Xiong, who ranked First Rank, knew all too well how much perseverance and talent it took to get to where he was.
Therefore, Dugu Xuan is considered a 'lower-class horse' today.
Only if Ye Xingge can he prove that his heroic act the other day was indeed his own doing.
But if someone can't even last ten moves, then there must be an old demon helping them from behind.
As the competition began, Cao Xiong also focused his attention on Ye Xingge's every move.
But soon his tiger-like eyes widened, and the meaning in his eyes was probably:
How dare you kill my horse?!
Ding~
As the golden gong sounded, the officials on both sides of the square, and even the nobles under the eaves, all held their breath and waited expectantly.
Dugu Xuan, dressed in a blue satin martial arts uniform, walked towards the center of the square, facing the recently infamous ' Ye Grand Duke Jupiter was ranked much higher, Dugu Xuan showed no disrespect and bowed respectfully.
"I've often heard tales of Lord Ye's deeds, and seeing him in person today, he truly is no ordinary man."
Ye Xingge, having been repeatedly reminded by Duke Wu not to be careless and to be prepared to die, rising again and again, showed no arrogance at this moment. His face remained calm as he carefully observed his opponent's details, responding with a cupped hand.
"Young Master Dugu's name is renowned throughout the martial world, and I have long heard of him. It is truly an honor to be able to fight against Young Master Dugu today, even though I am of a higher level."
As the saying goes, a great reputation is never undeserved.
Dugu Xuan was also under great pressure. If he couldn't withstand ten moves, he would lose and be laughed at for the rest of his life.
At this moment, Dugu Xuan stopped talking nonsense. He raised his palms and pressed them lightly against his abdomen. A slight heat emanated from his body, and he became as still as a mountain peak, with no trace of emotion.
The Great Nine Yang, the Two Forms Rising Strike...
Upon seeing the immortal-grade cultivation technique and the inner sect stance of the Eight Pillars Hall, Ye Xingge dared not underestimate them. He immediately spread his feet, channeled his qi through his meridians, and wisps of yang energy stirred his gray robe. His eyes instantly became as still as dead water.
As soon as this scene unfolded, a slight commotion arose around the square:
" Great Nine Yang?"
How come Ye Xingge too?
"Didn't General Cao teach you?"
"That teaches methods of body refinement..."
Most of those present knew that Ye Xingge had been awarded the " Great Nine Yang " technique.
However, Great General Cao was stingy and copied the cultivation method from Wu Chenglie, but he divided it into three parts and only gave Ye Xingge one body-refining method.
You cannot cultivate ultimate Yang internal strength by relying solely on body-refining methods.
But Ye Xingge was clearly the supreme Yang energy of the 'Three Meridians and Nine Gates', leaving many people full of doubt.
However, the gentlemen in the corridor reacted rather indifferently.
After all, for ordinary people living down the mountain, being able to deduce immortal cultivation techniques from one instance is a rare talent.
However, for someone who is the master of divine weapons and possesses the qualities of First Rank warrior, being able to comprehend it only means that their comprehension is barely passable. Only those who have the ability to transform it into their own use, or even innovate upon it, can be considered truly excellent.
Seeing that the two men displayed the same skill level, the Emperor of Yan also rose from his throne, went to the railing, and observed them with one hand behind his back.
Dugu Xuan noticed that Ye Xingge's stance was exactly the same as his, as if he intended to teach Ye Xingge a lesson. His eyes clearly changed, and after staring at Ye Xingge for a moment, he made a slight movement.
Thud--
A soft sound came from the square.
Before the guests could even see clearly, they noticed two figures, seven steps apart, simultaneously lunging forward and closing in on each other in the blink of an eye!
Faced with the same approach, Dugu Xuan directly forced open the door with his left hand and struck the chest and abdomen with a heavy elbow strike with his right hand.
Ye Xingge appeared to start with Single Form Rising Strike strike, but halfway through the charge, his entire body changed. His right arm, which should have struck horizontally at his ribs, instead swung down like a single whip.
The left hand, having risen halfway through its Single Form Rising Strike, inexplicably transformed into a blocking and intercepting strike.
?!
Dugu Xuan sensed something was wrong and immediately raised his left hand high to forcefully block the powerful swing of the sword.
But the tentacles were astonished to find that Ye Xingge was actually not exerting any force at all!
The instant Ye Xingge's right arm touched his palm, he bent his body downwards, transforming it into a pincer movement, and with a heavy step, he instantly slipped under his left arm and into his embrace, striking directly at his vital point:
"Drink--"
His own powerful elbow strike, delivered with the same move, was intercepted by Ye Xingge's unexpected blocking and parrying hand, striking him just inches from his chest before it could fully land:
Thud--
The intense Yang energy flowed into his body, and a noticeable dent appeared on Dugu Xuan's chest, while a gap the size of a washbasin burst open in the back of his robe!
The force of the impact, as powerful as a thunderclap, sent Dugu Xuan flying off the ground. He was thrown into the air, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he flew backward more than ten meters before crashing onto the White Stone Square.
thump--
Splash...
He landed and slid back a few steps.
The square fell silent instantly.
Myriad Phenomena Tower, Constable Wang was intently observing when he saw what was happening, and he gasped in shock.
"You little brat, the sage's nephew, you're really going to beat me to death, you *****..."
The officials in the corridor and Emperor of Yan straightened up a bit. Although they had seen it clearly, they were still in shock, their eyes fixed on Dugu Xuan who had flown away, their expressions incredulous.
The same was true for the guests present.
Ye Xingge, having been instructed by Duke Wu to fight to the death, truly dared not hold back this time!
Upon discovering that Dugu Xuan had coughed up three liters of blood and flown away, and that he possessed no extraordinary abilities, Ye Xingge's expression changed drastically, and he quickly flashed forward:
"Hey? Young Master Dugu, are you alright?"
"Cough cough..."
Dugu Xuan lay on the ground, his heart meridian severely injured by the extreme yang energy. He was not far from death, coughing up blood from his mouth and nose. But when he looked at Ye Xingge, his eyes were not filled with horror, but with a deep-seated bewilderment. After opening his mouth, he turned his head to the side and remained motionless.
"Hey? Young Master Dugu, please don't die, wake up..."
Ye Xingge was well aware of how heavy his blows had been, and now he understood that Duke Wu had instilled in him a death wish.
He beat the emperor's nephew to death right in front of everyone, with the princess present; it would be a miracle if he survived.
"Doctor? Imperial physician? What are you all standing there for...?"
The opponents were all arranged by Cao Xiong, who originally intended to observe and assess this young man's abilities.
But Cao Xiong really didn't expect that his inferior horse could be defeated in one move.
If Dugu Xuan were to die suddenly, Cao Xiong would be primarily responsible. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately waved for help.
The imperial physicians who were originally preparing to save Ye Xingge, and even Sun Wang, the " Earl of Remaking," came to their senses and rushed over to provide on-site rescue.
Sun Wang, with his otherworldly air, frowned after only a brief examination of the pulse:
"You brat, in a friendly spar, you should stop when you've made your point. How could you possibly kill me?"
Ye Xingge knew when to stop, but that old scoundrel Wu had misled him and disturbed him. He was now speechless with bitterness, and could only clasp his hands together in a gesture of respect.
"I really lost control, Mr. Sun, you absolutely must save him..."
"I will do my best."
"Don't overdo it, you absolutely have to save him. I'll cover the medical expenses; this person really can't die..."
The countless guests in the square watched Ye Xingge repeatedly begging his opponent not to die, and they were all stunned into silence for a long time.
Luo Xuanqing was dumbfounded. He really didn't expect that Ye Xingge against Dugu Xuan would have the same effect as his fight against Ruan Jinyu's henchman.
Lady of Anyang's reaction was normal. After all, he was the " Crown Prince of Western Shu " and a descendant of Long Zaiye. It would be a case of hiding his true abilities if he couldn't perform at this level.
After being stunned for a while, Shen Yueyao jumped up, put her hands on her hips, and raised her breasts:
"Huh?! This is considered top Third Rank? If I were in this position, I could achieve the same result..."
Then Lady of Anyang pressed him down again.
Old Master Yan, who was initially worried that Ye Xingge would be knocked down by three punches from the other side, now frowned and glanced at the old scoundrel Zhang beside him:
"Have you sealed too much of your power? Dugu Xuan was defeated in one move? This isn't the kind of protection you give your own..."
Zhang Zhiqing acts with integrity and would never tamper with his skills. He calmly said:
"This is a inferior horse; it's not surprising that it can win. Let's see what happens next."
"If he takes me down in the next round, Wu Chenglie will be worried."
"It's impossible to take them down in one fell swoop."