"Yang Cheng!"
Nangong Yi's eyes shot out a cold glare.
"Great Zhou's Crown Prince?"
Zhang Qingyang narrowed his eyes.
Yang Cheng couldn't be bothered with them. He simply reached out to pluck the Five-Colored Flowers beside him.
Whoosh!
A sharp, piercing sound cut through the air.
An arrow shot straight toward Yang Cheng.
His spirit sense was razor-sharp—he felt the danger instantly.
Without hesitation, he gripped his sword and slashed backward.
Clang!
The incoming arrow was cleaved apart on the spot, scattering into dust midair.
Yang Cheng's gaze turned icy cold as he turned to face the source.
At Zhang Qingyang's side, an eighteen-year-old youth stood with a bow in hand, eyes cold and locked on Yang Cheng.
"Impudent!"
Lin Shu and the others were all enraged.
The bow-wielding youth showed no fear. Instead, he deliberately revealed a mocking, provocative smirk.
Ding!
[Danger. Host has been ambushed by Arrow God Li Yebai.]
[Arrow God Li Yebai, second elder of Luofu Mountain, a Yang God powerhouse. His archery terrifies even other Yang Gods.]
[Worse still, behind Li Yebai stand several other true gods of Luofu Mountain, as well as Zhang Qingyang, the Vice Sect Master, a Refining God mighty one.]
[For a Martial Saint host to face so many true god powerhouses…?]
[If it were anyone else, this system would advise running as far as possible.]
[But host is one who rises against fate—the harsher the crisis, the stronger you must push back.]
[Now, host has two choices: one, retreat, no rewards, and future rewards will be heavily reduced; two, face Luofu Mountain's mighty ones head-on, triggering the Battle Mission…]
"I choose two."
Yang Cheng cut the system off directly in his heart.
[…]
[Host has courage. Battle Mission has begun.]
[Within three days, host must fight freely. The more mighty ones you defeat or slay, the stronger they are, the greater the rewards you will earn.]
"Yang Cheng, I haven't spoken yet. These Five-Colored Flowers aren't yours to pick."
Zhang Qingyang stepped forward.
Yang Cheng's gaze shifted to him. His voice was flat: "Luofu Mountain dares seek death?"
Zhang Qingyang's expression darkened. He hadn't expected Yang Cheng to give him no face at all.
In the Central Wastes, he was always the one standing above all.
"Brother Zhang, Yang Cheng has always been arrogant and domineering, carrying that 'only I reign supreme' attitude."
Nangong Yi seized the chance to speak. "I suggest you and I join forces, crush him first, then split the Five-Colored Flowers evenly."
"Scram."
Zhang Qingyang cut him off.
"What did you say?"
Nangong Yi almost thought he misheard.
"I, Zhang Qingyang, decide who I kill. Since when do I need to join forces with someone else?"
His voice was filled with cold arrogance. "Nangong Yi, you call yourself the Divine Son of Bian'an Divine Sect? To me, you're nothing but trash."
"You… you're out of your damned mind!"
Nangong Yi was fuming.
He had clashed with Yang Cheng twice—once in the Ancient Desolation Tower, once at Yang Cheng's eight-year banquet. Both times, he was utterly crushed.
That was why he knew just how troublesome Yang Cheng was, and why he wanted to ally with Zhang Qingyang.
But Zhang Qingyang's arrogance was beyond belief.
Yes, Zhang Qingyang was strong.
At seventeen, he had already reached half-step Martial Emperor.
His talent even surpassed Tian Congxuan's by a small margin.
But so what?
Even if Zhang Qingyang was stronger than Tian Congxuan, it wasn't by much.
And back then, Tian Congxuan had been utterly defeated by Yang Cheng.
Nangong Yi was certain—if Zhang Qingyang faced Yang Cheng alone, he was doomed.
"If you don't scram now, I'll kill you first, then take care of Yang Cheng."
Zhang Qingyang's tone was flat, his eyes utterly dismissive.
Behind Zhang Qingyang, the disciples of Luofu Mountain stayed calm.
In their eyes, Zhang Qingyang's words weren't arrogance but confidence.
At seventeen, already a half-step Martial Emperor, he had every right to look down on all.
Zhang Qingyang was born to crush all beneath him, a peerless prodigy unmatched under heaven.
Any genius of the same era who met him could only call it their misfortune.
"Fine then. I'll just watch how exactly you kill Yang Cheng."
Nangong Yi laughed coldly.
He waved his hand to the group behind him. "We're stepping back. Don't let blood splatter on us."
If Zhang Qingyang had agreed to work together, he would've had the courage to face Yang Cheng again.
But since Zhang Qingyang refused, he saw no hope of fighting Yang Cheng. Retreating now was the only smart choice.
Otherwise, once Yang Cheng dealt with Zhang Qingyang, the one to suffer next would be him.
Seeing Nangong Yi truly leave, some Luofu Mountain disciples sneered. "Coward."
"He's not weak. It's just that Senior Brother Zhang's brilliance is too blinding."
The bow-wielding youth spoke with conviction.
Yang Cheng's patience was gone. "You have ten breaths to surrender to me. Do that, and perhaps I'll spare your lives."
The system required him to defeat or kill. That meant he didn't necessarily have to slaughter them all.
If they were willing to yield, he could let them go.
If not, then he'd only send them to their graves.
"Nangong Yi was right about one thing—you truly are arrogant and ignorant."
The bow youth's voice was sharp.
Zhang Qingyang frowned slightly, then said calmly, "Interesting. Until now, I was always the one to say such words to others. This is the first time someone dares throw them back at me."
"Yang Cheng, for that alone, you've already chosen the path of death!"
Before his voice fell—
Buzz!
A suffocating killing intent exploded out.
The next moment, Zhang Qingyang was like an ancient fierce beast, pouncing toward Yang Cheng.
His speed was terrifying, crossing over ten zhang in the blink of an eye, striking straight at Yang Cheng.
Almost at the same instant—
A dazzling blade light burst forth.
Though he seemed aloof, Zhang Qingyang's attack was nothing but lethal. Not a trace of underestimation in it.
This slash, whether in force or speed, was terrifying.
Its destructive power was already close to a Martial Emperor.
Any other Martial King wouldn't even react before being killed on the spot.
But Yang Cheng's spiritual sense was too strong.
To him, that fierce slash was nothing remarkable.
He stayed calm, his sword moving without haste.
Clang!
Blade and sword clashed in an instant.
A powerful force surged into Yang Cheng, shaking his body and cracking the ground beneath his feet.
Yet he didn't take a single step back.
Zhang Qingyang, on the other hand, was forced back several steps by the counterforce.
"Impossible."
The disciples of Luofu Mountain watching from afar were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
"What?"
Even Zhang Qingyang's pupils shrank.
The power pressing back at him felt unreal.
But his reaction was quick.
The greater the crisis, the calmer he became.
That was his battle talent.
Without delay, he swung his blade again toward Yang Cheng.
But this slash was a feint. Midway through, his left hand suddenly shot out, aiming to seize Yang Cheng's throat.
This was Luofu Mountain's supreme art, 'Dragon-Seizing Hand.'
It could capture even a flood dragon. To merely grab Yang Cheng's neck, it was more than enough to twist it apart in an instant.
Yang Cheng's wooden sword was already engaged against the blade. He had no time to block the grab.
Yet he didn't panic. Instead, his fist shot forward.
At that moment, Zhang Qingyang changed moves again.
What seemed like a simple grab twisted into layers of deception, false and real interwoven, endlessly shifting, making it impossible to see his true strike.
Yang Cheng's punch struck only air.
And in that same instant, his wrist was seized tightly by Zhang Qingyang.