At this moment, on a high hill at the outskirts of Divine Medicine Valley, a group of people quietly watched the scene unfold before them.
"Ryan Ling, that kid, finally stopped hiding like a turtle. I thought he was too scared to show his face!"
"I thought he bailed too. Tiger Hua's strength is just insane, especially his sword skills—they're totally next level. Even us Protectors, maybe even the Elders, wouldn't stand a chance against him. It's normal if the kid's too scared to fight!"
"I don't see it that way. Ryan Ling isn't as weak as you think. He's probably holding back some big move, that's why he hasn't shown up yet. Still, I bet he can't beat Tiger Hua. Tiger's only using like thirty percent of his power right now!"
"Exactly, there's no way Ryan can handle Tiger Hua. Number one Chinese fighter in North America—that's not just hype. Ryan's barely stepped into the Purple Realm as a grandmaster, and with that level, if he faces Tiger Hua, this rising star's gonna crash and burn!"
"Let's just sit here and enjoy the show. Elder Gu said he'd personally ambush him in Dragonridge to avenge the Azure Dragon Protector, but honestly, that's not even needed. With Tiger Hua here, he'll do the job for us. This kid's been causing trouble all the way from Harbor City to Dragonridge, but it's about time he met his end!"
......
The group chattered excitedly, and every one of them wore the same pendant at their waist—three bold characters: Azure Dragon Society.
Besides this pretty obvious crew, several other groups had gathered nearby—some local to Dragonridge, some from other Jiangnorth counties, and some straight from the provincial capital. Word had already spread that Tiger Hua came to Dragonridge to wipe out Ryan Ling and avenge his disciple.
Loads of people came just for the spectacle—everyone wanted to see North America's number one Chinese fighter in action. His story about slicing Niagara Falls in half with a single sword strike inspired who knows how many kids; tons of young martial artists in China started their sword training after hearing his legend.
...
At this moment, the main character Tiger Hua wants to wipe out—Ryan Ling—finally steps onto the stage, instantly drawing the eyes and excitement of everyone around. Lots of people crane their necks, not wanting to miss a single frame or detail of what’s about to happen next.
To everyone watching, Ryan Ling should be able to hold his ground for a bit, but there’s no way he’ll escape getting killed—his death is basically guaranteed. Still, everyone’s curious how he’ll die, and every move and technique in this showdown is a lesson for every sword cultivator present.
Because from the moment Ryan showed up, it was only then that Tiger Hua might actually go all out!
“You little mutt, you finally showed up!” Tiger Hua grinned. He’d been waiting for this moment, and as soon as Ryan appeared, Tiger’s sword aura was instantly held in check.
“Everyone get out—no one within ten miles stays!” Ryan Ling turned back and looked at the crowd.
Right then, Simon Sun let out a heavy sigh. Now that Ryan Ling had finished his mission here, anyone else sticking around would just be asking for trouble. Everyone immediately followed Simon deeper into the valley, where it was clear more defenses were in place. The deepest layers of security were activated, and all sorts of turtle-shell-like mechanisms cut the group off from the outside world.
“Heh, this kid really gets how Master Sun operates—clear the field first, smart move. Otherwise, if Master Sun really loses his temper, a whole bunch of people could end up dead!” Lang Chen chimed in from the sidelines, busy sucking up.
Tiger Hua just smiled faintly, clearly pleased with the compliment.
The crowd around them started grinning too, all playing along with Tiger Hua’s fake swagger. Last time they lost out to Ryan Ling, but this round, they were clearly hoping Tiger Hua could help them get their pride back.