Chapter Ninety-Six: Sparring

With the formation of the Heavenly Kings Alliance, unity prevailed among all. Over the following two days, nearly a hundred members of the alliance swept through the Chaos Domain like a torrent, utterly eliminating all other remaining contenders. In other words, all fifty who would qualify to enter the Ancient Ruins would hail from the Heavenly Kings.

A golden sun shone upon the land, filling the entire Chaos Domain with vibrant life. The air, still damp, was veiled with a faint mist. Today marked the final day of the trial, and within the alliance, the internal contest would also be held.

On the plain previously cleared by a youth from the Bilister Empire, every area save for the central zone was packed to the brim with people. This was a straightforward contest, but for some, this simple competition would alter the course of their lives.

Those of lesser strength were here today purely for the excitement. Having joined the Heavenly Kings Alliance, they could walk unchallenged through the capital from now on. As for entering the ruins, that would depend on their own abilities.

"Let us begin," Ye Feng declared, stepping boldly into the ring demarcated by the white line.

Below, nearly a hundred young experts formed a line, approaching a giant wooden chest one by one, each drawing a token from within and then seeking their corresponding match.

Ye Feng drew number fifty-six. He lifted the token high, signaling to the other who had drawn the same number to come forth and face him in battle.

As the leader, Ye Feng was obliged to conclude his own match first, so that he could then oversee the fairness of the entire contest.

This competition format was not without its flaws; two strong contenders might end up facing each other early. Therefore, after the fifty slots were decided, those defeated would have a chance to challenge a victor. If the challenged lost, their place would be taken by the challenger.

This arrangement greatly enhanced the fairness of the contest.

"Leader! Did you also draw number fifty-six?" a young man called out dejectedly, staring at his own token as Ye Feng raised his.

"Don't lose heart, brother. There's still a chance," Ye Feng replied with a helpless shrug, eyeing the young man, whose strength lay in the middle rank among Spirit Kings.

"Ah, never mind. I’ll just give you my token. I'll go watch the others' matches." With a sigh, the youth handed over his token, meeting Ye Feng’s sympathetic gaze.

Such was the rule: the defeated must surrender their token to the victor, and the victor must hold two matching tokens to be recognized.

Taking the token, Ye Feng swiftly left the ring, signaling for the other matches to begin.

Several hours later, nearly fifty bouts had come to an end. As Ye Feng had expected, five or six young men of mid-level Spirit King strength had, by chance, drawn strong opponents like Xiao Ye and failed to secure a spot.

Among the fifty who qualified, there were even three or four who had only just reached the initial level of Spirit King.

After the matches, Ye Feng did not immediately announce the beginning of the challenge round, as many of the victors were still recovering their breath after their bouts. As soon as the matches concluded, these individuals sat cross-legged on the ground to restore their energy.

After another half hour of idle waiting, everyone was more or less recovered. Ye Feng spoke again, "If anyone wishes to challenge, step forward!"

At his words, five or six young men of mid-level Spirit King strength, those who had been eliminated, quickly stepped out and stood before Ye Feng.

"Boss, let us pick our own opponents. If you stand here, we’ll feel pressured," one of the youths said, scanning those who had advanced before turning to Ye Feng.

"But I’m also waiting to be challenged. If I don’t stay here, where should I go?" Ye Feng replied helplessly.

"Who would be foolish enough to challenge you? Might as well save their energy for chatting!"

"Damn it! What kind of job is this? Haven’t even fought, yet already getting so many glares!" Making his way through the crowd to Qingwu, Ye Feng put on a long face, grabbing her sleeve and shaking it.

"What can you do? With your monstrous strength, do you think anyone dares fight you?" Huan Qingwu gave him a sidelong glance, a little embarrassed.

As Ye Feng and Huan Qingwu conversed, Xiao Ye from the crowd approached Ye Feng. "May I challenge you?" he asked.

"What’s this about?" Ye Feng was puzzled.

"A friendly match. I want to test your depth," Xiao Ye replied with a gentle smile.

"It would be my honor," Ye Feng answered with a warm smile, rising slowly to his feet.

Seeing this, the rest of the crowd quickly withdrew beyond the white line, waiting in silence for the duel to begin.

Xiao Ye, now twenty-one, was handsome, with a prominent aquiline nose, the very image of a striking young man. Among the ten greatest experts in the capital, he was the most reserved.

Boom.

Without another word, Xiao Ye launched a direct punch, the force of his fist tearing through the air, violet energy erupting like a beam of light.

Ye Feng did not dodge, but answered with a punch of his own. His clenched fist gleamed gold, his skin lustrous as jade. Though he did not employ the Dragon-Seizing Hand, a thunderous dragon's roar accompanied his strike.

Crash.

Their fists collided directly. Xiao Ye stood unmoved, while Ye Feng was forced back two or three steps before regaining his stance.

"Spirit Emperor, early stage! You made your breakthrough here?" Ye Feng shook his tingling fist with a smile.

"No way! What kind of freak can break through here? Doesn’t it take deep focus to shatter a bottleneck?"

"Ye Feng was actually forced back—could it be the leader’s position is about to change?"

"Nonsense! If the leader only had this much strength, could he have single-handedly defeated that terrifying ice python?"

Without doubt, the sight of Ye Feng being forced back stunned all the onlookers.

A sharp sound split the air as Xiao Ye, silent, shot upward, hovering in midair. Raising his hand, he unleashed streams of violet spiritual energy, which rained down fiercely on Ye Feng below.

Dust billowed as the devastating blasts struck the hardened earth, sending stones and soil flying. Ye Feng, wielding a broken blade, moved across the ground with an air of ease, slashing out arcs of light that precisely intercepted each strike.

The battle was intense from the very first exchange, leaving many below in disbelief.

Xiao Ye’s goal was simple: to gauge Ye Feng’s true strength, or perhaps to temper Ye Feng further with this trial.

Once the Chaos Domain was behind them, the Heavenly Kings Alliance would doubtless attract many more experts—no one here doubted it. As leader, Ye Feng would inevitably be compared with the others.

Defeating the third-ranked prodigy of his generation would be enough to silence many detractors. But if Ye Feng could not even best Xiao Ye, who had just entered the Spirit Emperor realm, then perhaps the Heavenly Kings Alliance would falter. After all, no amount of eloquence could make up for a lack of true strength.

But was that possible?