Chapter 103 - 100: The Day of the Challenge

Chapter 103: Chapter 100: The Day of the ChallengeIn Green Sun City, the Cao family mansion. In the tallest building at the center of the mansion, two figures appeared; one of them was Cao Jian, while the other was a middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious fur robe, whose eyebrows exuded an aura of authority as he sat in the main seat of the hall, his face showing a thoughtful expression. This middle-aged man was none other than the current Family Head of the Cao family, Cao Qiudao. "Ten days from now, to determine the winner, did he really say that to you?" After pondering for a moment, Cao Qiudao also lifted his head, his eyes twinkling with a hint of light, and asked. "Yes, he made it very clear. On the day of the challenge, on the arena, he himself will fight against father." Cao Jian nodded. Although he had been surprised when he heard it, that was exactly what Ye Xuan had said; the one who would fight Cao Qiudao was none other than Ye Xuan himself. "This Ye Xuan, so young, what exactly is his background? I’ve heard that even Nie Tao treats him with great respect. Could it be that this kid has some powerful backing even I am unaware of?" Cao Qiudao couldn’t help but frown. He wasn’t particularly wary of Ye Xuan himself; after all, what kind of waves could a young man under twenty years old possibly make? The key lay in Ye Xuan’s background, which was impressive enough to make Nie Tao act courteously—something that definitely should not be underestimated. "Father, no matter what formidable background Ye Xuan has, as long as you win against him on the arena, he’ll have nothing to say. According to the agreement, the Tang family will have to obediently relocate, and our Cao family will still be able to dominate Green Sun County." A sharp light flashed in Cao Jian’s eyes. "Although Ye Xuan’s moves are tricky, his actual cultivation is only at the level of a Fifth Grade Martial Master, there’s no way he can be a match for you." "That’s true." Cao Qiudao nodded, but he still did not feel completely at ease in his heart. "But this Ye Xuan dared to challenge me so confidently, he must have something to rely on. We must spread the news of this challenge, and make sure all the forces in Green Sun County witness this battle. When the time comes, even if Ye Xuan wants to go back on his word after losing, he will have no opportunity." His plan was simple; in front of everyone’s eyes, once Ye Xuan lost, he would have to admit defeat and there would be no way out. But it never crossed his mind that he might lose to Ye Xuan. Such a thought simply wouldn’t appear in his mind. ... Ten days was not a very long time. In the blink of an eye, nine days had passed, and the day of the scheduled challenge was upon them. Such an event, involving a struggle between the two strongest forces in Green Sun County, naturally drew considerable attention. Not to mention that the Cao family had actively spread the news, fanning the flames. For a time, the atmosphere in Green Sun City heated up, with most people eagerly anticipating the spectacle of tomorrow’s battle. Ye Xuan was completely unaware of the excitement outside; at this moment, he was in a quiet room in the Tang family’s backyard, fully engaged in cultivation. Now, with his strength fully recovered after a long period of refining and recuperation using Spiritual Medicine, Ye Xuan found that the True Qi Seed in his dantian seemed to be expanding again. This undoubtedly meant that with just a little more progress, Ye Xuan would be able to break through his current cultivation bottleneck and reach the level of a Sixth Grade Martial Master! The last time he had advanced was before the Hundred Tribes Trial. Now, with the conditions ripe for a breakthrough, Ye Xuan’s mindset was flawless. An upgrade in cultivation would be as effortless as lifting a feather. Swish... In his dantian, the True Qi gathered like flowing water, and the floating True Qi Seed in the center of the dantian grew rapidly, and after soaring victoriously, it finally expanded once more, its aura becoming even more solid. The realm of a Sixth Grade Martial Master, achieved! Sigh... Ye Xuan gently exhaled a breath, a hint of joy appearing on his face. This advancement to the level of a Sixth Grade Martial Master had come faster than he had expected, and advancing at this critical juncture would undoubtedly be of great help for the challenge against Cao Qiudao tomorrow. Knock, knock, knock! Just as Ye Xuan had successfully advanced, a series of knocks came from outside the door. "Come in." Ye Xuan dusted off his clothes and stood up. With a creak, two figures entered through the door, it was Tang Zhen and his daughter Tang Xiaoyan. At this moment, although Tang Zhen was able to get out of bed and move around, he still needed a long time to fully recover his strength. Naturally, he could not participate in tomorrow’s battle. Seeing the arrival of the Tang family father and daughter, Ye Xuan could guess that they had most likely come regarding the matter of tomorrow’s challenge, wanting to probe his intentions and inquire about his confidence. After all, the one he was going to fight tomorrow was Cao Qiudao, the Family Head of the Cao family and the top expert in Green Sun County with a Half-step Martial Sect Cultivation — no ordinary opponent. Furthermore, the outcome of the duel was tied to the rise and fall of the Tang family; Tang Zhen and the others could hardly be anything but nervous. "Regarding tomorrow’s battle, I also have no absolute certainty; I can only do my best." Ye Xuan’s expression was indifferent as he spoke the honest truth. His opponent was, after all, a renowned Half-step Martial Sect Master. Without using the Blood Demon Body Sacrifice Skill, he indeed had no complete assurance of victory over the opponent. Before the battle, all factors remained uncertain, and making any assertions now would be premature. "Alas, it’s our great fortune in the Tang family that you can help, as for winning or losing, let’s leave it to fate," Tang Zhen sighed deeply and said. If Ye Xuan were to be defeated tomorrow, then the prestige of the Tang family would undoubtedly plummet. Once they moved out of Green Sun County, the family’s power would rapidly decline, and revitalizing it would be difficult. "Father is right. If you can’t beat him, Brother Ye Xuan, please don’t force yourself." Beside him, Tang Xiaoyan added her opinion, though her words seemed slightly out of tune with what her father had said. However, from her words, one could still hear her concern for him, which touched his heart slightly. Even just to help Tang Xiaoyan, he absolutely could not lose in tomorrow’s duel... After sitting for a little while longer, Ye Xuan sent the two out of the room, then his gaze turned toward the sky. It seemed as though a layer of dark clouds was gradually enveloping it, seemingly foreshadowing that the battle tomorrow would undoubtedly be intensely fierce. "Half-step Martial Sect, who is stronger and who is weaker, we’ll know tomorrow." ... The next day, as sunlight sprinkled over Green Sun City, the whole city seemed to come alive at that moment. Countless people flocked towards the center of the city; everyone knew that today, on the central square’s platform, a breathtaking battle was about to unfold. The two major families of Green Sun County, the Tang family and the Cao family, although constantly clashing with each other, had never reached the point of a fight to the death. But after today’s battle, only one of them would continue to stay in Green Sun County. And the other would undoubtedly lose all their glory and status in this city. By now, the vast square was packed with a sea of people; everyone understood that whoever emerged victorious from the platform would be the overlord of Green Sun County. This was indeed a life-and-death battle for both families. "After today, there will only be one ruler in Green Sun County." "Yes, the strengths of the duelists in this fight are somewhat mismatched. One side is the Family Head of the Cao family, Cao Qiudao, who possesses the strength of a Half-step Martial Sect, while the other side is just a young martial master under twenty... This duel, the Tang family is afraid they’re set to lose." "I don’t quite see it that way. This young man called Ye Xuan is not just any ordinary person; even the head of the Spiritual Items Workshop, Nie Tao, shows great respect for him. Perhaps his strength is not as simple as it seems..." ... Amidst the murmuring in the square around the platform, Ye Xuan and the Tang family members had already arrived at the center of the square. Regarding the myriad of gazes from the crowd, he paid no attention and directly approached where Nie Tao and other powerful figures from the Spiritual Items Workshop were. "It’s really crowded today." Ye Xuan glanced around; the number of people who had come to watch the battle today was indeed a bit excessive. "The Cao family has been heavily promoting this duel for the past few days, probably attracting martial artists from all over Green Sun County and even nearby counties, so naturally there are more people," Nie Tao said with a smile. "The Cao family has really gone to great lengths." With Ye Xuan’s intellect, he quickly guessed the reason behind it—the Cao family was clearly worried that he would deny the account if he lost; hence, they invited so many spectators. It remained to be seen whether, in the end, this would backfire on them. "Cao Qiudao’s cultivation technique, named the Nine Raging Sun Skill, is a Low-level Heavenly Grade cultivation technique of extreme toughness and yang, with astonishing power, complemented by his more than decent mastery in two types of martial arts. His strength is extremely formidable. Mr. Ye Xuan, you have to avoid direct clashes when you face him later," Nie Tao, obviously having crossed hands with Cao Qiudao, whispered a warning immediately. "Thank you for the information." Ye Xuan nodded; knowing more about his opponent before the battle was extremely helpful. As the saying goes, knowing the enemy and knowing oneself leads to victory in a hundred battles, and this saying was not unfounded. "Here they come." While whispers filled the sky, suddenly a large group of martial artists in uniform appeared on the periphery of the square. They forcefully parted the sea of people and made their way to the spot closest to the platform. Among the group from the Cao family, a middle-aged man dressed in fur light armor, imposing and dignified, was unmistakably the Family Head of the Cao family, Ye Xuan’s opponent today, Cao Qiudao. An intense showdown was about to ignite! PS: Breaking a hundred Chapters. Roar, brothers, give support!