Chapter Twenty-Three: Not One to Be Easily Defeated-Eu só aceitei discípulos por acaso, como eles se tornaram Grandes Imperadores?(Espalhadas como estrelas sobre o rio inteiro.)

Luo Sanfeng’s face, which had been brimming with the certainty of victory, flashed with a trace of astonishment. However, this was swiftly replaced by an even more intense killing intent. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "Ye Xinghe, do not think you can scare me with such petty tricks! Today, you shall certainly die!"

With that, he began weaving seals with frantic speed. The spiritual energy surging around him grew increasingly violent, and the black lightning vortex instantly swelled several times in size. Within it, bolts of black lightning writhed and hissed like vipers seeking prey, spiraling toward Ye Xinghe. The overwhelming pressure of his spiritual energy blanketed the entire arena, as if intending to crush everything in its path.

Such was the dominance of his power! Many in the crowd began to sigh for Ye Xinghe.

Ye Xinghe’s strength had long since been elevated to the Mahayana realm by the system. Facing Luo Sanfeng’s seemingly ferocious attack, he merely flicked his sleeve with casual indifference, as if shooing away an annoying fly.

Upon touching the breeze of spiritual energy released from Ye Xinghe’s sleeve, the surging black lightning vortex dissipated like snow under a scorching sun, vanishing into nothingness. Only a few wisps of faint black electric sparks flickered in the air before being extinguished completely.

A mocking smile tugged at the corners of Ye Xinghe’s lips. He looked at Luo Sanfeng with disdain and shook his head, sighing, "Alas, you are truly trash; you are far too weak! With such meager ability, you dare to show off before me and boastfully claim you will take my life? It is utterly laughable."

Luo Sanfeng’s eyes widened. He could not believe that the signature technique he took such pride in was so utterly fragile before Ye Xinghe.

"This... this is impossible! How could you possess such immense power?"

Luo Sanfeng’s voice trembled slightly. The confidence and killing intent in his heart began to waver, and a sliver of fear quietly spread through him. The spectators below were so shocked by this scene that they gasped, the entire arena falling into a deathly silence as everyone stared at Ye Xinghe in bewilderment.

Ye Xinghe, however, paid no further heed to Luo Sanfeng’s shock or the crowd’s reaction.

"Luo Sanfeng, since you are so impatient to meet your end, I shall grant your wish."

Ye Xinghe’s icy voice echoed throughout the venue. As he spoke, his form flickered and vanished from the spot.

Luo Sanfeng felt a blur before his eyes, followed by an aura of death rushing toward him. He widened his eyes in terror, attempting to unleash a defensive maneuver, only to find his body bound by an invisible force, unable to move a muscle.

Ye Xinghe appeared before Luo Sanfeng like a ghost, his sword pressed lightly against his throat. The cold blade rested against his skin; a mere fraction of force would be enough to end his life.

"Well, Luo Sanfeng? Do you have any final words?" Ye Xinghe stared at him, expressionless.

Luo Sanfeng’s cold sweat poured down like rain. He swallowed hard, trying to beg for mercy, but his throat was so parched that he could only emit a few weak, rattling sounds. At this moment, his heart was filled with regret—regret for provoking such a terrifying existence as Ye Xinghe—but it was already too late.

The crowd below held their breath, watching the scene tensely, unsure if Ye Xinghe would truly deliver the killing blow.

At this critical juncture, an elder suddenly shouted, "Ye Xinghe, wait! Although the grand competition allows for life-or-death contracts, one must still abide by the rules of the Sacred Land. You are not to slaughter the defenseless. While Luo Sanfeng was in the wrong, his crimes do not warrant death. Spare him."

Ye Xinghe frowned, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes as he retorted, "Elder, this life-or-death contract is no child’s play. Since Luo Sanfeng dared to sign it with me, he should have anticipated these consequences."

"Now that I hold the absolute upper hand, why should I let him go? If such a contract can be violated so easily, will the rules of the Sacred Land not become mere scraps of paper, to be trampled upon by anyone at will?"

The elder was left speechless by Ye Xinghe’s retort, unable to find a response. Among the crowd below, some felt Ye Xinghe was in the right—once a life-or-death contract is signed, the agreement must be honored. Others felt that the rules of the Sacred Land were paramount and must not be broken for the sake of personal grievances.

Just as the debate grew heated, Luo Sanfeng, taking advantage of Ye Xinghe’s distraction while speaking to the elder, flashed a look of malice and decided to stake everything on one final gamble. He forcefully gathered his remaining spiritual energy and, catching Ye Xinghe off guard, launched a desperate sneak attack.

His spiritual energy surged violently, expanding several times over as a brilliant golden light erupted around his body. Within the light, a massive golden manifestation of a deity slowly emerged. The figure bore a majestic face with three heads and six arms, each hand clutching a different artifact—a demon-subduing pestle, a heaven-turning seal, or a celestial-binding rope—all radiating powerful spiritual fluctuations like an ancient god of war descending.

"Die, Ye Xinghe!"

Luo Sanfeng roared, commanding the golden manifestation to lunge at Ye Xinghe. The artifacts held by the figure attacked simultaneously, with the demon-subduing pestle striking down toward Ye Xinghe’s head with the weight of a mountain. A deluge of powerful spiritual energy poured down upon him like a storm.

Feeling the powerful attack coming from behind, Ye Xinghe’s eyes turned icy cold.

He snorted, "Luo Sanfeng, you despicable worm. Did you truly think a sneak attack would succeed?"

With a sharp turn, his sword transformed into a streak of light, quickly carving a circular screen of light before him. The sword screen shimmered with flowing energy, forming a sturdy defensive shield.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Luo Sanfeng’s attacks rained down upon the screen like pellets, producing crisp ringing sounds and sparks of spiritual energy. Ye Xinghe remained cold-faced, his feet planted firmly on the arena floor without budging an inch, his sword humming as it continuously dispersed the force of Luo Sanfeng’s attacks.

Once the barrage ended, the killing intent in Ye Xinghe’s eyes intensified. He retracted the screen and tapped his toes against the ground. Moving with the speed of a teleportation, he instantly closed the distance between them.

Ye Xinghe raised his sword high. A brilliant light erupted from the blade, coalescing into a massive sword aura, like a blade that could cleave the heavens, and slashed fiercely toward the golden manifestation.

*Crack!*

With a thunderous crash, the golden manifestation suffered a deep fissure under Ye Xinghe’s lethal blow, its golden radiance instantly dimming. Luo Sanfeng himself suffered the backlash; he turned deathly pale, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena.

Watching the disheveled and wretched Luo Sanfeng, Ye Xinghe couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Luo Sanfeng, you are truly fragile. I had hoped for a hearty, spirited duel, but to think I would force you into this state so easily—it is truly boring."

He hadn't even had to bring out his divine weapon.

The various peak masters watching from below were shocked beyond measure. They were speechless for a long time. They knew that Luo Sanfeng was a renowned powerhouse of the Sima family, having achieved great glory in countless battles; his fame was known far and wide throughout the world.

In the eyes of the crowd, his strength was unfathomable. Even if he wasn't the absolute pinnacle, he was certainly not someone who could be defeated with such ease.