After a few seconds, Chen Dong’s clothes were already soaked in blood.
The Celestial Palace Disciple’s twin hooks clashed, and a cold light burst forth. The hook blades tore through the air with a hissing sound, like a viper spitting venom. Chen Dong staggered and retreated, and a deep wound on his right shoulder, down to the bone, was exposed. The hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably.
He was only Ninth Grade, while his opponent was Eighth Grade.
"Junior Brother Chen, admit defeat."
Li Yuan spoke. Such words were not appropriate for Junior Brother Lin to say, but coming from him as the Senior Brother, Junior Brother Chen could accept it.
Chen Dong’s face showed an expression of unwillingness, but he knew that Senior Brother Li was advising him to yield for his own good. In the recent exchange, he had been suppressed at every turn, especially by that pair of hooks with their strange and unpredictable attack angles, making them impossible to defend against.
"I..."
Just as Chen Dong was about to speak, his opponent suddenly shouted, and the twin hooks in his hands transford into several hook shadows, enveloping Chen Dong instantly.
Bian Xinjie and Ling Tianhao saw this scene, their faces revealing cruel smiles.
"Not good!"
Li Yuan’s expression changed drastically; the opponent intended to deliver a killing blow, not giving Chen Dong a chance to surrender.
"Stop!"
Li Yuan’s eyes were wide with rage, yet he saw the Celestial Palace Disciple’s cruel smile as the twin hooks suddenly crossed each other like a poisonous dragon’s tail. Chen Dong’s sword clattered to the ground, and two jets of blood spurted from his wrists, his entire body collapsing as if a puppet with severed strings.
A noticeable bloodstain was on his throat, and a rasping sound ca from it—his vocal cords had been injured by the hook’s aura, rendering him speechless.
The blood trail winding across the arena’s blue stone surface glead an eerie purple under the sunlight. The Celestial Palace Disciple mocked, "If you want to admit defeat but can’t speak, you can write it on the ground."
Write it on the ground!
The other Martial Academy Disciples frowned. Writing ’admit defeat’ with blood on the ground was a great humiliation.
If it were them, they would rather die than do such a thing.
"Bastard!"
Li Yuan’s neck veins bulged like a dragon, ready to rush forward, but the Celestial Palace Disciple on the arena sneered, "This is a martial duel; outsiders cannot interfere, and there’s a referee watching."
"Senior Brother Li, stay calm." Lin Chen stopped Li Yuan.
"But Junior Brother Chen..."
"I know."
Lin Chen’s gaze shifted to the Celestial Palace Disciple, who had a smug look. Even if Lin Chen was stronger, with the referee present, he couldn’t disrupt the duel, and the Celestial Palace Disciple planned to take full advantage of Chen Dong.
Whoosh!
However, just as the Celestial Palace Disciple prepared to approach Chen Dong, Lin Chen suddenly pulled out a longbow.
The instant the Dragon Shadow Bow was drawn, the Celestial Palace Disciple’s face instantly changed: "Lin Chen, what are you doing? Are you trying to break the rules of combat?"
Not only did the Celestial Palace Disciple’s expression change, but everyone present was in an uproar when Lin Chen drew the bow and arrow.
What was Lin Chen planning to do?
A mont ago, he urged Li Yuan to stay calm, and now he was drawing a bow and arrow?
"Outrageous!"
Lu Qiguang’s face turned cold, but he did not intervene. If Lin Chen broke the rules, it would only benefit Han Kingdom.
"Referee!"
The Celestial Palace Disciple looked towards the referee on the arena. The referee first glanced at Murong Song, then said to Lin Chen, "In a duel on the arena, outsiders are not allowed to interfere."
Lin Chen pulled the bowstring, which quivered, emitting a threatening dragon’s roar.
Bian Xinjie’s mocking laughter ca from the opposite side: "Junior Brother Lin, you must play by the rules; a single wrong move and Canglan Martial Arts Academy forfeits collectively."
"Rules of the arena, then?"
Lin Chen ignored Bian Xinjie’s threat and coldly stared at the Celestial Palace Disciple.
"If I break the rules, Canglan Martial Arts Academy only loses its ranking, but you lose your life. Or, if you’re willing to sacrifice your life for the Celestial Palace Academy, go ahead and take another step."
With the bowstring fully drawn, Lin Chen remained silent, his deadly intent clear and undeniable.
The Celestial Palace Disciple’s face turned extrely unsightly; he certainly didn’t want to die.
As a martial prodigy, he had a promising future; how could he die here?
But the bow from Lin Chen gave him an imnse sense of crisis, and as Lin Chen pointed out, if Lin Chen broke the rules, Canglan Martial Arts Academy would lose its ranking, and Celestial Palace Academy would lose a formidable opponent.
But what did that have to do with him? He would already be dead by then.
The atmosphere on-site beca instantly tense.
"Senior."
The Celestial Palace Disciple looked to the referee for help, but the referee rely shook his head: "He hasn’t interfered, hasn’t stepped onto the arena, so it doesn’t count as breaking the rules."
As long as Lin Chen hadn’t interfered physically, it didn’t count as breaking the rules, and the referee wouldn’t interfere.
The Celestial Palace Disciple gambled that Lin Chen’s arrow wouldn’t kill him, or that the referee would intervene when the arrow was released.
As for Lin Chen killing him and avenging himself?
He wasn’t that foolish!
Lin Chen was profoundly significant to the Liang Kingdom; even if Liang Kingdom started a war with Han Kingdom right there, they wouldn’t let Lin Chen sacrifice himself for him.
Lin Chen was indeed poised to take such action.
As for Lord Lu over there...
The Celestial Palace Disciple glanced at Lu Qiguang, imdiately understanding that Lord Lu might just be hoping Lin Chen would break the rules.
He didn’t want to die!
"Hmph, if it ant you losing your eligibility, it would actually benefit you; I won’t give you that chance."
The Celestial Palace Disciple added a remark for himself, then looked towards the referee: "Senior, may I declare this match as my victory?"
The referee looked at the fallen Chen Dong, then at the cold-faced Lin Chen, nodding: "This match, Celestial Palace Academy wins."
The mont the referee announced the result, the Celestial Palace Disciple imdiately left the stage for fear that Lin Chen’s arrow would catch up with him if he lingered.
Li Yuan imdiately jumped onto the stage, carrying Chen Dong down to administer a pill.
"Junior Brother Chen’s injuries are severe; even with the pill, it will probably take half a year for him to recover."
Lin Chen nodded. Half a year is significant for a Martial Artist, especially for a genius at their level. Half a year of being stagnant would let contemporaries surpass them.
"Does Lin Chen already have such a fierce reputation? Scaring away an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist directly?"
"That fool fearing death, does Lin Chen really suppose he can kill you with one shot?"
On the side of the Zheng Kingdom Academy, Benshan Lang gritted his teeth at the idea of such a mighty Eighth-Grade Martial Artist being scared off by Lin Chen’s words.
"Third match, Celestial Palace Academy Disciple takes the stage first."
The referee continued hosting the combat; observing the Celestial Palace Academy Disciple stepping forward, Hu An from Canglan Academy said, "Junior Brother Lin, let take this round."
"Senior Brother Hu, let handle this one, Junior Brother."
Lin Chen shook his head, but what he said left those around, including disciples from the three Lingxiao Academies, dumbfounded.
Junior Brother Lin, getting on the stage this early?
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