Chapter 200

Chapter 200: No Holds Barred

Yan Zhong He let out a laugh: “Stop before it goes too far? In a fight like that, how can we see real strength? People say sword cultivators are unmatched in attack. Sect Master Meng, are you worried a Sword Sect disciple might hurt a disciple of my Tyrant Blade Sect? You do not need to worry. My Tyrant Blade Sect disciples like fights without chains. Even if they are injured, even if they die, I will not complain.”

Meng Yi Fei’s eyes turned cold as he said, “Yan Zhong He, this is only an exchange match.”

Yan Zhong He put away his smile, his tone turning mocking as he said, “Our Tyrant Blade Sect disciples are used to giving it their all in every match. Sect Master Meng, tell your Sword Sect disciples to go all out too. If someone is hurt or crippled, our Tyrant Blade Sect will bear it. Or is it that your Sword Sect disciples are simply scared of ours? Is your young generation just not as good as ours?”

As he finished, his voice rose sharply and rolled across the whole Martial Arena.

On the Martial Arena, faces across the crowd shifted.

The young Sword Sect disciples especially could no longer help clenching their fists.

In truth, for days they had been warned again and again not to fall for the other side’s taunts.

If this stayed as a plain exchange, then even if they lost, they could accept the shame, train harder, and win it back next time.

But Yan Zhong He was not satisfied with only crushing them in spirit.

What he wanted was a life and death fight without rules.

What he wanted was to cripple Sword Sect disciples right on the stage.

“Sect Master Yan, please be careful with your words,” Meng Yi Fei said coldly: “Exchanges between sects have existed since ancient times. I have never heard that such exchanges should be to the death.”

Yan Zhong He smiled and said, “To the death is just an exaggeration. But too many limits keep the disciples from showing what they can do. How about this: remove the protective Barrier Formation. There will be only one rule, do not take a life. Besides that, nothing is forbidden. And to end a fight, one side must shout their surrender. Without that, the fight is not over. How about it?”

Meng Yi Fei started to answer.

Yan Zhong He raised a brow and said, “Sect Master Meng, is your young generation all cowards, not daring to fight?”

Yan Zhong He then acted as if he were making a concession as he said, “We will take one more step back. I have three disciples, at the Divine Transformation Stage, the Nascent Soul Stage, and the Golden Core Stage. They will each face Sword Sect disciples of the same realm. But we can add one condition: you may select ten disciples of the same realm to fight each one of mine at the same time. That is, Ren Gu, Wu Ling Chuan, and Cong Xin will each fight one against ten.”

He swept his gaze over his three men and said loudly, “If we lose the one against ten, we admit defeat. Ren Gu, Ling Chuan, Cong Xin, do you dare?”

Ren Gu and the others wore mocking smiles.

Ren Gu stepped forward and said, “Master, forget one against ten. With these turtle-hiding Sword Sect cowards, I could beat a hundred easily.”

Cong Xin let out a cold laugh as he said, “They say the sword is king of a hundred weapons, and they say sword cultivators are unmatched in attack. But the blade in my hand does not agree. One against ten is no problem, but if I win, I want every sword cultivator who sees a Tyrant Blade Sect disciple to give us a wide berth.”

Wu Ling Chuan spoke calmly as he said, “I do not fear anything.”

Yan Zhong He nodded and said, “My three disciples have agreed. Your Sword Sect… if you fear single duels, then surely you do not dare even to try ten against one.”

His voice dripped with scorn.

Meng Yi Fei’s face darkened at once.

Below, the Sword Sect disciples could stand it no longer. One against ten?

The Tyrant Blade Sect disciples were pointing right at their noses and insulting them.

Their Master and their Sect Master had told them to endure.

But how were they supposed to endure now?

The honor of the Sword Sect, the honor of a sword cultivator, would not allow them to retreat at this moment.

Meng Yi Fei drew a long breath, then glanced at Jiang Rong Yi, signaling his most trusted First Disciple to calm the crowd.

But the moment he looked, he felt a jolt of dread in his heart. [Not good.] Jiang Rong Yi’s face was as still as water; in the next instant he leaped onto the stage, drew his sword, and pointed it straight at Ren Gu as he said, “Ren Gu, come fight.”

The sword tip flashed with cold light.

Ren Gu looked and suddenly laughed as he said, “I said I would allow ten of you. Do you not have another Divine Transformation Stage one, that girl named Luo Ming Yue? Let her come too.”

Luo Ming Yue’s anger flared. She raised a fist and was about to charge up to smash Ren Gu.

Jiang Rong Yi gave her a single look. Luo Ming Yue ground her teeth and forced herself to hold back.

Jiang Rong Yi spoke calmly as he said, “One against ten? You do not deserve it.”

Yan Zhong He chuckled as he said, “As expected of a Sword Sect disciple, so proud. Ren Gu, go. Have a good exchange with Senior Brother Jiang.”

Of course he had never planned to let his disciples actually fight one against ten; that had only been a ploy to provoke them.

Now that Jiang Rong Yi had taken the bait, they could move into normal ring matches.

Ren Gu bared his teeth in a savage grin and sprang onto the stage.

He was massive. The moment he landed, the whole platform seemed to tremble.

Wu Ling Chuan, silent as ever, moved onto the second platform. He looked toward the Sword Sect disciples as if asking, Who dares come up?

“Sword Sect’s Wen Lin asks for your guidance,” Wen Lin said as he stepped onto the stage.

The two faced each other from a distance.

Both were men of few words, and both had Variant Spiritual Roots of thunder. This would be thunder against thunder.

Cong Xin took the third platform, lifting his chin in challenge as he said, “Who dares to fight?”

Liu Jun Cheng gave a cold laugh and was about to step up.

Then a hand grabbed his arm.

He turned, and his eyes narrowed a little.

It was Jiang Yi.

Most of the time, Jiang Yi hid herself away and tried to make her presence as small as possible.

But now her eyes had turned a ghostly blue, and blue flames seemed to coil around her whole body.

“Second Senior Brother, let me,” Jiang Yi said softly.

She looked to be bearing some great pain; her body trembled slightly.

Liu Jun Cheng’s brows twitched. [Jiang Yi…?]

He stepped aside.

Jiang Yi walked straight onto the platform.

Yan Zhong He smiled at Meng Yi Fei and said, “Sect Master Meng, your disciples have more backbone than you. Now, remove the Barrier Formation. Rest easy. My disciples know their limits. No one will die.”

Meng Yi Fei stayed silent for a moment.

He looked at the three disciples on the stages. Each face was firm and unshakable.

For a moment, he did not know whether to worry or to feel proud.

Under the Tyrant Blade Sect’s taunts, the Sword Sect disciples seemed to have gained something strange and new in their spirits.

If they could get through this test, their future would be bright.

He flicked his sleeve, and the Barrier Formation fell away as he said, “Then fight to your heart’s content.”

A thin, satisfied smile crossed Yan Zhong He’s lips.

This time he meant to shatter the Sword Sect disciples’ spirit. Three years from now at the Grand Sect Assembly, he wanted them to tremble the moment they saw anyone from the Tyrant Blade Sect.

Standing behind Yan Zhong He, Ye Zhao Zhao watched with great interest.

She knew that in the long run, the Sword Sect disciples had the brighter future.

After all, those three Tyrant Blade Sect disciples had already cut off their road ahead.

But that was why the Heaven Severing Blade they practiced, which burned away future potential, was especially overbearing.

This time, the Sword Sect disciples were bound to lose.

The only question was how badly.