"Vice Hall Master may only be early-stage God-Venerable in cultivation, but the Hall Master says he possesses late-stage God-Venerable strength. He must have some extraordinary abilities. I, your subordinate, am willing to spar with the Vice Hall Master. If I overstep in any way, please forgive me." the elder said immediately.
"Third Elder, you're already a top late-stage God-Venerable expert. Don't you think this is a bit much? A late-stage God-Venerable challenging an early-stage God-Venerable is unfair to begin with, and now you want to personally issue the challenge? I can't approve this." Sea Dragon Hall Master immediately rejected the elder's request.
Sea Dragon Hall's Third Elder wanted to say more, but seeing the displeasure on the Hall Master's face, he swallowed his words. Instead, he glanced at Evan Lin, hoping to see his reaction.
Evan Lin knew what the elder was thinking. He hadn't planned to get involved, but he found the old guy extremely disagreeable. Just then, the Sea Dragon Hall Master sent him a secret sound transmission:
"Lin, this Third Elder is the biggest headache in the hall. I've wanted to teach him a lesson many times, but I've held back because of his contributions to Sea Dragon Hall. Yet this guy doesn't know his limits—he thinks his merits make him untouchable. It's honestly exhausting."
"So, Hall Master wants me to teach this guy a lesson?" Evan Lin immediately replied. He wasn't completely sure he could handle the old man, but the terrifying attack power of his Icefire Divine Eye might just be enough to seriously injure him.
"Better not. His strength ranks third in Sea Dragon Hall, and even in the entire Sea Regions, few can match him. With your current cultivation, you probably aren't his equal yet. If he injures you, it'll be a real problem." Sea Dragon Hall Master said.
"Maybe it's worth a try. If I end up seriously injuring him, don't blame me. If he hurts me, don't worry—I'll recover quickly," Evan Lin said.
The Sea Dragon Hall Master was taken aback. He glanced at Evan Lin and said, "I trust you won't do anything reckless. Just be careful! Even if you seriously injure him, I won't hold it against you. Anyone who dares disrespect a king deserves death, no matter who they are."
Evan Lin smiled faintly. "Since it's a spar, we can't do it here in the main hall, right? Let's move to somewhere more open. I hope I won't let you down."
For Sea Dragon Hall's Third Elder, Evan Lin's suggestion was exactly what he wanted. He could already picture Evan being beaten half to death by him—a mere early-stage God-Venerable ant daring to challenge him was simply overestimating himself.
Dreaming of becoming Sea Dragon Hall's Vice Hall Master? He should really know his own limits. Apart from himself, who else could possibly qualify for that seat?
No one knew exactly what Sea Dragon Hall's Third Elder was thinking, but his smug expression made it clear—he was sure victory was in his grasp, just waiting to crush Evan Lin with a single move.
Most of the onlookers thought Evan Lin was courting death by daring to challenge the Third Elder. They were all waiting to see him get beaten like a dog; in their minds, they could already picture Evan lying motionless on the ground, covered in blood.
But only the Silver Dragon showed no trace of worry. Others didn't know Evan Lin, but he knew him very well—those terrifying sword-qi attacks were even stronger than his own.
And those two chilling beams of light were even more frightening. Silver Dragon believed the Third Elder might be directly killed by them. Anyone who underestimated Evan Lin had to pay the price—even death. He actually felt a bit sorry for the Third Elder; it was a shame for such a strong expert to fall because of blind arrogance.
Sea Dragon Hall's Martial Testing Ground was enormous—several times larger than those at Rainbow Court or Freewind Sect in the God Realm. Many Sea Dragons were practicing there, and cheers rang out from time to time.
When Evan Lin and the others arrived at the Martial Testing Ground, they stopped. Many who had been training also halted—so many people gathering at the arena was extremely rare, and the presence of the Sea Dragon Hall Master made it even more shocking.
In an instant, everyone rushed over to see what was happening, and the buzz of conversation in the Martial Testing Ground started rising.
"Hall Master, let me say this up front: this spar could result in injury or death. If I accidentally hurt the Vice Hall Master, don't blame me for being too harsh! Of course, if I get injured or killed by him, I won't hold it against him either. It'll just mean my skills weren't enough, or I underestimated him." the Third Elder said to the Sea Dragon Hall Master.
"This is between you and the Vice Hall Master. I won't interfere, but don't damage the clan's harmony. Just be careful," said the Sea Dragon Hall Master.
"Understood! Then, Vice Hall Master, please teach me. If your strength convinces everyone, then we'll truly acknowledge you as Vice Hall Master," said the Third Elder.
Evan Lin glanced at the Third Elder and smiled. "Since you're so eager, I won't disappoint you." With that, he flashed into the air.
The Third Elder also quickly soared into the sky. "Hall Master, please set up a powerful barrier on the ground—I don't want our fight to destroy Sea Dragon Hall's Martial Testing Ground."
The Sea Dragon Hall Master darkened, but held back his irritation. He summoned a powerful energy light and waved his hand; the energy quickly spread outward, and within a few breaths, the entire Sea Dragon Hall was enveloped.
Standing in the air, Evan Lin felt a jolt in his heart when he saw the energy barrier. The power of a God-Emperor was truly overwhelming—he wondered when he would reach such heights.
Silver Dragon was equally shocked—the Primordial Dragon of old had never possessed such incredible energy. Clearly, a God-Emperor's power was leagues above a God-Venerable's. The gap was simply too vast.
"Vice Hall Master, my cultivation is higher than yours, so you should attack first. That way, no one can say I'm taking advantage. Go all out—otherwise, you might not get another chance," the Third Elder said arrogantly.
"I won't let you down—get ready!" Evan Lin replied with a faint smile. He planned to open with Absolute Cleave and Wind-God Sword Art, then finish with Icefire Divine Eye. He had to deal a heavy blow to this arrogant old man; he couldn't stand him any longer.
Chaos Divine Power surged inside him as he activated Ninefold Divine-Dragon Metamorphosis. Suddenly, seven Evan Lins appeared in the air, each so lifelike it was impossible to tell which was the real one.
The Sea Dragon Hall Master was just as astonished—Evan Lin's clones were so perfect, far stronger than any he'd ever created himself.
At that moment, two divine swords appeared in Evan Lin's hands. With his left, he unleashed a devastating wave of sword-qi—Absolute Cleave—hurtling toward the Third Elder with thunderous force...