Chapter 239: Hu Yan Zhen — Could It Be...?
Chen Xin’s defeat was like a massive boulder hurled into a placid lake, sending ripples surging throughout the entire venue.
Those ripples spread to every corner, touching every heart present, and for a long time, they refused to subside.
At the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect’s seating area...
Jiang Li’er leaned in close, lowering her voice to ask, "Jiang Bai, do you think that old swordsman will ever recover?"
Jiang Bai shrugged. "Who knows?"
His gaze drifted toward the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect’s section—specifically toward that white-robed figure slumped in a chair, eyes staring blankly into space.
"However, even if he does recover, his sword will never be the same sword it once was."
Jiang Li’er nodded, appearing only half to understand.
The Ice Empress crossed her arms over her chest and gave a soft snort.
"That sword strike of yours was actually rather interesting. Defeating him using his own swordsmanship—that was ruthless."
Jiang Bai smiled. "You flatter me."
The Ice Empress curled her lip and said nothing more. Yet, a fleeting, enigmatic glint flickered within her eyes.
The Snow Empress remained as cool and aloof as ever; she would only occasionally cast a glance at Jiang Bai—a look in those icy-blue eyes that held emotions no one else could decipher.
Bi Ji offered a gentle smile and spoke softly, "Surely, no one would dare step up to challenge us next, would they?"
Jiang Bai shook his head. "Not necessarily. As for Yu Yuanzhen’s side—since they still have one remaining opportunity after stepping down in this round—I expect they’ll give it another try."
...
Down on the arena stage, the referee’s voice rang out.
"The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has successfully defended the stage against the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect! We now invite the next challenging sect to step forward!"
The entire venue fell into a profound silence.
Across the seating areas of the various sects, the Sect Masters exchanged bewildered glances.
Hu Xiaotian, the Sect Master of the Black Tiger Sect, shook his head and whispered to Camis, who sat beside him, "Forget it, forget it. Going up there now would just be serving ourselves up on a platter."
Camis nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Exactly! That guy Jiang Bai managed to take down even the Sword Douluo—if we go up there, aren’t we just asking to get beaten to a pulp?"
The Sect Master of the Fire Leopard Sect remained silent, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
Huyan Zhen, Sect Master of the Elephant Armored Sect, sat there like an iron tower. He remained silent, yet within his bell-like eyes, a glint of shrewdness could be discerned.
The towering white jade pillar of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had cracked. Sword Douluo Chen Xin’s sword-heart was shattered; he was no longer capable of battle.
Aside from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, his cultivation was the highest among the remaining Sect Masters. Coupled with the defensive prowess and sheer strength of his Diamond Mammoth spirit...
If Chen Xin truly could not take the field, then the Elephant Armored Sect might just have a chance to claim a seat among the "Upper Three Sects"!
He calculated these possibilities silently in his heart.
Ultimately, no one else stepped onto the stage to issue a challenge.
The first round of the "Battle of the Strong" concluded, followed by a one-day recess.
...
The following day.
The second round of the Battle of the Strong began.
Another drawing of lots was held to determine which sect would serve as the defending champion.
When Yu Yuanzhen received his lot, he was utterly dumbfounded.
How was it that his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had to defend the stage again?!
He sighed; there was no helping it. He would simply have to take the stage once more to trounce some weaklings, only to be eventually driven off by the members of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Now that Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was all but incapacitated, aside from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect itself, Yu Yuanzhen truly had no worthy opponents left.
The mere thought of being able to reliably rack up a few more points brought a smile to Yu Yuanzhen’s face.
That smile carried a distinct air of satisfaction—a blend of unbridled delight and smug triumph.
Upon seeing Yu Yuanzhen take the stage, Ning Fengzhi turned his gaze toward Chen Xin, who sat beside him looking utterly despondent; his voice held a final, desperate glimmer of hope: "Uncle Sword... can you... can you still fight?"
Chen Xin lowered his head to look at his hands.
Those hands—once as steady as bedrock, gripping a sword as if it were life itself—were now trembling ever so slightly.
He no longer trusted his own sword.
Was the Seven Kill Sword truly a weapon of protection, or merely an instrument of slaughter?
He did not know.
He was lost.
Chen Xin shook his head and sighed: "Fengzhi... I’m sorry. I can’t go on..."
His voice was heavy with exhaustion and profound desolation.
Upon hearing these words, Ning Fengzhi clenched the cane in his hand with a death grip until his knuckles turned stark white and his veins bulged beneath the skin.
The two towering white jade pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—they had snapped!
With Uncle Sword unable to fight, who would step up to secure some points for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and preserve their status among the Three Upper Sects?
He fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and instructed a nearby disciple: "Go quickly and summon Elder Fang Zhiyuan!"
Of the powerful experts he had brought along for the tournament, Fang Zhiyuan—a Soul Douluo—was the only one left who was still fit to take the field.
The disciple acknowledged the order and departed.
...
Over at the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s section, Jiang Li’er asked, "Jiang Bai, should we go up first?"
Jiang Bai thought for a moment. "No rush. We’ll go last."
"Alright then." Jiang Li’er pouted slightly, but she obediently sat back down.
...
The Sect Masters of the three minor sects—the Rock Antelope Sect, the Fire Leopard Sect, and the Black Tiger Sect—took the stage one after another to issue their challenges.
The outcome was entirely predictable: they all failed.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan’s score continued to climb steadily.
While the challengers were taking their turns on stage, Huyan Zhen quietly made his way over to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan’s seating area and sought out their second-in-command, Yu Luomian.
Seeing Huyan Zhen approach, Yu Luomian looked somewhat surprised; raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Sect Master Hu Yan, is there something you wish to discuss with me?"
Huyan Zhen smiled. "I was wondering, Second Master—would you be interested in making a deal?"
Yu Luomian’s eyebrows twitched, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "What kind of deal?"
Huyan Zhen leaned in close and whispered a few words into his ear.
Upon hearing the proposal, Yu Luomian’s expression shifted slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded.
"I’ll have to run this by my elder brother first. But if I end up taking the stage myself, then consider it done."
Huyan Zhen was overjoyed. "Excellent! Afterward, my Mammoth Sect will surely reward you handsomely!"
Having reached an agreement there, Huyan Zhen then hurried over to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s section to speak with Jiang Bai, requesting that he take the stage last.
Jiang Bai cast a brief glance at him and replied indifferently, "Very well."
Huyan Zhen profusely thanked him, then turned and took his leave.
...
"The Fire Leopard Sect’s challenge has failed! One point awarded!"
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has successfully defended the arena! Two points awarded!"
The referee announced. Seizing this brief interval, Yu Luomian channeled his voice into a thin thread, telepathically relaying to Yu Yuanzhen a brief summary of the events that had just transpired.
Upon hearing this, Yu Yuanzhen raised an eyebrow.
Targeting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Interesting!
Although he held no particular fondness for the brutes of the Elephant Armored Sect, if they intended to cause trouble for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, then he absolutely had to step in and lend a hand!
After pondering for a moment, Yu Yuanzhen gave Yu Luomian a slight nod.
Subsequently, the challenger for the next round stepped onto the stage.
It was Fang Zhiyuan from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—an eighty-first-rank Soul Douluo.
Ning Fengzhi was well aware of the vast disparity in strength, but he had no choice; he could only send Fang Zhiyuan out to try and scrape together a single point.
The outcome, naturally, held no suspense; Yu Yuanzhen defeated Fang Zhiyuan in a mere two moves.
Afterward, the Sect Master of the Black Tiger Sect stepped up to challenge him.
Once Yu Yuanzhen had defeated him, he used the excuse that he "needed to rest" to have Yu Luomian take the stage and defend the arena.
Witnessing this scene, Ning Fengzhi frowned.
What did this signify?
He was suddenly overcome by an uneasy premonition.
Seeing Yu Luomian take the field, Hu Yanzhen slammed his hand against the armrest of his chair, his heart swelling with delight.
It was a done deal!
A successful challenge yielded three points; combined with the single point from the previous round, that brought their total to four!
Even if they only managed to secure one point in the third round, they would still end up with five points.
Meanwhile, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect currently stood at a mere two points!
Hu Yanzhen had also clearly assessed the strength of Fang Zhiyuan—the man who had just fought—and found it to be vastly inferior to his own!
Smiling broadly, Hu Yanzhen stepped onto the arena stage and engaged Yu Luomian in a purely symbolic exchange of blows.
After a dozen or so rounds, judging that the time was right, Yu Luomian feigned defeat and allowed himself to be knocked out of the ring by a single punch.
"The Elephant Armored Sect has successfully challenged the arena! Three points awarded!" the referee announced.
Clutching his backside, Yu Luomian hobbled back to his seat, grimacing as he muttered in a low voice: "Damn that Hu Yanzhen! Where does he get all that brute strength? Big Brother, when we get back, make sure you demand some extra compensation for me!"
Yu Yuanzhen looked at his younger brother, shaking his head with feigned helplessness—though his eyes were brimming with amusement. Finally, Jiang Li’er stepped onto the stage to issue her challenge.
Naturally, the outcome was entirely without suspense: with a single punch, she sent Huyan Zhen flying.
Fortunately, Jiang Bai had reminded her beforehand that Huyan Zhen was "one of their own" and urged her to go easy on him.
Otherwise, given Jiang Li’er’s temperament, Huyan Zhen would likely have been bedridden for days.
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