Volume 3 - Chapter 403: A Flood of Challenges—And I Alone, Wield the Sword (Part 2)
The moment those words left Li Hao’s lips, the previously murmuring crowd fell abruptly silent.
Then, like a match tossed into oil, the entire gathering erupted into uproar. Shock and indignation spread like wildfire. Every young genius from the great clans stared at the youth on the stage, their expressions twisting first in disbelief, then in fury.
“What the hell is this supposed to mean? All of us, together?!”
“How arrogant can you get? Who does this guy think he is—he’s just a first-rank Immortal Sovereign!”
“If a prodigy from one of the three major clans said that, I might grit my teeth and swallow it. But him? He’s nothing!”
“Trying to show off in front of Su Muqing? Are you serious? I’m not letting this slide!”
One after another, the elite youths of the great clans erupted in anger. Li Hao’s calm declaration had ignited a storm of collective rage.
After all, Su Muqing was already the goddess in the hearts of many of these young cultivators—an object of silent longing. Yet no one dared approach her too closely, not with the Lin Clan’s imperial son looming in the background. All they could do was admire her from afar, without daring to offend.
And now this unknown boy, from who-knows-where, had the gall to flaunt himself in front of her by using them as props?
Unforgivable.
“Zifeng! Go up there and give that bastard a good beating!”
“Bai Jing, get up there! Don’t come down until you’ve shattered his soul!”
“Outrageous! Does he think our Su Clan’s Star of the Empire has no champions?”
“Even if King Tan himself forbids it today—I’m still going to pound this guy!”
Below the stage, young cultivators from all walks of life surged into motion, scrambling toward the battle platform, each afraid someone else would claim the honor first.
Truth be told, they’d already been eager to take him on the moment Li Hao stepped up. Now that he’d practically invited his own death, how could they resist? This was the perfect opportunity to impress Su Muqing without openly declaring their affections.
But this? This guy had asked for it.
“He…”
Lin Jinrou had just returned to her cushion when she heard Li Hao’s challenge. She blinked in shock.
Even Jiang Huanhuan was momentarily stunned. That boy, who had always seemed so gentle and serene—how could he suddenly say something so outrageously arrogant?
Yet when she looked at the figure standing alone atop the stage, she faintly sensed something different. He wasn’t quite the same boy she’d seen before. There was a presence now, a quiet but oppressive force emanating from him.
She had only ever sensed that sort of aura from the topmost monsters of her generation—like the Lin Clan’s imperial son.
“This guy…”
Su Wanxue’s expression changed. Her brows drew tight with concern. If Li Hao lost after such an outrageous declaration, it wouldn’t just be his own face that was lost—Su Muqing’s would be dragged down with him. The Su Clan, too, would become a laughingstock.
After all, what kind of suitor does the Su Clan’s peerless phoenix attract? This kind? The gossip would be endless.
Su Wanqing sat nervously on her cushion, her fingers gripping the hem of her immortal robe. Her eyes shimmered with deep worry.
“That damned fool!”
Su Muqing clenched her teeth in frustration, her glare burning into Li Hao. Before, she had wanted to see him humiliated. But now, if he really lost after being this arrogant, people would mock her too.
They’d mock her for even being associated with him.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Figures flew up one after another. In a blink, over a dozen cultivators had already landed on the stage.
More followed. The number grew rapidly. In the blink of an eye, nearly thirty people had appeared atop the platform.
King Tan’s face tightened. He raised his hand and activated the barrier around the stage, sealing off the arena to prevent further entries.
If he hadn’t, based on the furious atmosphere, it looked like nearly every one of the hundred-plus first-rank Immortal Sovereigns present would have rushed up to beat this boy.
“What an arrogant little brat. This isn’t the outside world—these are elite young masters from noble clans. Each one of them could fight hundreds, even thousands, of average cultivators in the same realm. He’s asking for death.”
A boy beside King Tan, himself at the Immortal Sovereign level, spoke in a low voice.
Another cultivator nodded, his expression mixed with disbelief.
“He’s got no backing from the three great clans, and yet he’s acting more arrogant than any of them!”
“Too many,” King Tan murmured. He could faintly sense the immense power roiling within the youth on stage. Clearly, this was no ordinary genius. But for the sake of fairness, defeating twenty same-realm opponents would already qualify someone as ‘invincible.’ Otherwise, the path to so-called invincibility would never end.
He raised his hand and said, his voice resonating through the entire arena:
“There are too many participants—exceeding the limit of fourteen. Please, select fourteen to step down.”
There were now thirty-four people on stage.
At his words, the crowd atop the battle platform grew restless. They looked around at each other, unwilling to yield.
“I’m not leaving! I’m going to crush this guy!”
“No way I’m stepping down!”
Voices rang out one after another. No one wanted to give up their chance. Meanwhile, down below, more young elites were slapping their thighs in frustration at having been too slow.
“What if… we fight it out first? Let the top twenty be the ones to teach him a lesson?”
Someone proposed it.
Many others immediately agreed.
Amid the noisy debate, Li Hao frowned slightly. He raised his head and looked to King Tan in the sky.
“Senior, this junior has no objections. Please allow us to begin immediately.”
King Tan paused, momentarily stunned.
Then, hearing the sincerity in Li Hao’s voice and seeing him offer a respectful bow, he furrowed his brows and gave a slight wave of his hand.
“If that is your request… then—granted!”
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