For the next while, Yi Tianyun continued to hunt Demon Beasts by night, each time riding the majestic Snow Wolf King into the snowy mountains.
Without the Tenfold Experience Card, the experience he gained was much less. Coupled with the fact that there weren't many Demon Beasts here to begin with, leveling up was still quite difficult.
「Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.」
A crowd had already gathered in the martial arts arena of Merak Palace, but Yi Tianyun was nowhere to be seen.
"Palace Master Shi, where is that Yi Tianyun? You didn't let him get away, did you?"
Zhao Hualong's expression soured when he saw no sign of Yi Tianyun.
Fang Yun's face darkened as well. If Yi Tianyun had run away, he would never be able to avenge his brother.
"He is preparing. He will be here shortly."
Shi Xueyun replied with a cold expression. 'Truthfully, I was hoping he wouldn't show up. I can handle this on my own.'
"I hope for your sake that's true," Zhao Hualong said gravely. "If he really has fled, your Merak Palace had better give us an explanation! Otherwise, the Celestial Spirit Sect will not let this matter rest!"
"Why would I run? Merak Palace is my home. I would never flee. I always keep my word!"
Yi Tianyun walked over from a distance. His bearing was exceptionally steady, making it impossible to gauge his true strength. He seemed completely different from the frail young man he had been before.
They all believed that Yi Tianyun had only killed Fang Chen by some fluke. None of them thought he was actually capable of such a feat.
"So you didn't run. It seems you have some backbone after all!" Fang Yun's gaze was icy.
Shi Xueyun sighed deeply. Yi Tianyun had come after all. But no one believed in him—not the members of Merak Palace, and certainly not the Celestial Spirit Sect.
The Celestial Spirit Sect saw him as serving himself up for slaughter, while his own Merak Palace saw him as an embarrassment who was holding them back!
"Since he's here, let's get started, Palace Master Shi!"
Zhao Hualong sneered. 'With this liability on their team, a victory in one of the matches is all but guaranteed.'
"Very well. Best three out of five matches will decide the slots for the ancient ruins," Shi Xueyun said gravely.
"Yes, best three out of five. So, who will fight the first match?"
Zhao Hualong's gaze shifted to Yi Tianyun, making it obvious he wanted him to go first.
"I'll go first!"
Yi Tianyun was determined to lead the charge, and he stepped toward the dueling platform.
Just as Yi Tianyun was about to step onto the platform, Shi Xueyun grabbed him. In a hushed voice, she said, "Forfeit when the match begins. Even in a duel to the death, you can still surrender!"
Shi Xueyun was nervous, deeply worried for Yi Tianyun's safety.
"If I can't even win this match, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Yi Tianyun smiled faintly. 'It's not just about winning the match. It's about not letting Shi Xueyun lose face!'
Shi Xueyun's firm stance had shown everyone just how important Yi Tianyun was to her. For his sake, she wouldn't even hesitate to make an enemy of the Celestial Spirit Sect!
For Yi Tianyun, the fact that Shi Xueyun dared to withstand so much pressure to stand up for him meant more than words could ever say!
"Very good. Fang Yun, you're up for this match."
Once Yi Tianyun was on the platform, Zhao Hualong beckoned to his disciple, Fang Yun, and said gravely, "This match is a duel to the death. Surrender is meaningless unless he jumps off this platform!"
Zhao Hualong had added a new condition. 'It seems like surrendering is an option, but this is enough for my purposes,' he thought. 'Shouting the word is easy, but whether he can actually escape the platform is another matter entirely.'
'How could a good-for-nothing possibly match the speed of a powerful Cultivator?'
Shi Xueyun's expression changed, but she could not object and had no choice but to accept the terms.
Fang Yun glanced at Yi Tianyun and sneered, "Understood, Second Elder. There's no way he can escape!"
Fang Yun then walked onto the platform, standing opposite Yi Tianyun and staring at him coldly. "I will kill you with my own hands and show you the price for murdering my brother."
'Finally, the moment has come.' For him, this was less about avenging his brother and more about winning the match. 'Fang Chen was my brother, and his death infuriated me, but more than that, it was a disgrace. He was a good-for-nothing slacker, but that doesn't mean just anyone could kill him!'
"Kill your brother? He deserved to die. He not only tried to steal my Elixir Pills, he tried to kill me. You're just twisting the truth because all you want are the slots for the ruins!"
Yi Tianyun watched him with a calm expression, completely unconcerned for his own safety. He then held out a hand and said, "Make your move. I'm ready."
"You're the one twisting the truth! You're just bluffing. Let's see what you're really made of!"
Fang Yun brought his hands together, shaping them into talons. He rushed forward with a whistle, and the massive phantom of an eagle appeared behind him, as if he had truly transformed into a Giant Eagle pouncing on its prey.
The Sharp Claws unhesitatingly aimed for Yi Tianyun's throat, going for a one-hit kill! This was no ordinary technique; it was a killing move.
Yi Tianyun remained standing foolishly in place, not moving an inch. The hearts of the Merak Palace disciples leaped into their throats. 'Is Yi Tianyun an idiot?'
Shi Xueyun was poised to rush up and save him at a moment's notice. 'Even if we have to forfeit, I have to save Yi Tianyun!'
A wicked smile played on Zhao Hualong's lips. He could already picture Yi Tianyun being sent flying from the platform. 'Fang Chen's skills weren't top-tier, but dealing with this good-for-nothing should be absolutely effortless!'
In the next instant, Yi Tianyun lifted his head. A brilliant light flashed in his sharp gaze, like a vast river of stars swirling within his eyes.
"Star Absorption Technique!"
Yi Tianyun suddenly shot his hand out, his speed completely overwhelming Fang Yun's. He grabbed his opponent's arm, and a terrifying suction force began to drain all the energy from Fang Yun's body!
In an instant, the energy circulating in Fang Yun's hands vanished, and even the Spiritual Power within his body began to flow out of him in a torrent!
"Gaining one experience point, two experience points, three experience points..."
Fang Yun's body went rigid, his face turning deathly pale. He could feel that more than half of his Spiritual Power had been drained in a single moment! He tried to pull his arm away but found it was stuck fast to Yi Tianyun's palm, completely immovable.
A Cultivator without Spiritual Power, especially one with a weak Physique, was no different from a cripple.
"Let me go!"
Fang Yun roared, and his free hand quickly drew a dagger from his robes. He thrust it at Yi Tianyun, aiming straight for the heart—a guaranteed fatal blow.
But Yi Tianyun simply grabbed Fang Yun's other arm and slammed it back toward its owner's chest. PFFT! The dagger plunged into Fang Yun's own chest, stopping only when the hilt hit his ribs.
"Like brother, like brother. Is a sneak attack the only move you know?"
Yi Tianyun sneered and kicked out viciously. BANG! Fang Yun was sent flying, tracing a parabolic arc through the air before falling. Zhao Hualong reacted instantly, leaping up to catch him.
"Pfft..."
Fang Yun coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood. His eyes widened and his face turned deathly black, showing the same signs of poison as Fang Chen before him.
The next moment, Fang Yun's eyes bulged, and he died.
'What a familiar scene,' Yi Tianyun thought. 'It's no different from when I killed Fang Chen. They both tried to use the same tricks on me.'
"Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully killed Celestial Spirit Sect disciple Fang Yun, gaining 700 Experience Points and 20 Madness Value!"
"Ding! Congratulations, you have received one loot drop: a Recovery Elixir!"
'So poor!'
Yi Tianyun shook his head. 'I thought he'd drop something better, but it's just a single Elixir Pill. Then again, the Martial Arts he just used was the Eagle Claw Technique, which I already have. Since it's a duplicate, I guess that's why it didn't drop.'