The referee burst out laughing at Evan Chu’s words: "Kid, you seriously don't know your own limits! Spouting off in front of me—what a gutsy brat!"
Evan Chu’s expression shifted, cold and defiant. "Ninth-level Xuanwu Realm? Big deal. I don’t care about you at all!"
Their exchange rang clear across the arena. The four remaining contestants stared at Evan Chu in shock, wondering if he’d lost his mind—challenging even the referee!
"You’ve got guts! But you’re already out—this stage isn’t for losers. Just sit tight and wait for the City Lord’s Mansion to punish you!" The referee cackled, loving every second.
"Quit laughing, you clown! If you’ve got the guts, then step up and fight me!" Evan Chu had no way out now—if he didn’t teach this arrogant bastard a lesson, he’d never let it go.
A challenger taking on the referee—this kind of thing had never happened in the Family Tournament’s history.
Suddenly, the crowd went wild. This was more exciting than anything they’d ever seen—everyone was cheering for a showdown.
“Accept his challenge!”
“Kill that arrogant brat!”
“A ninth-level Xuanwu Realm expert scared of some punk? No way!”
On the VIP platform, Dominic Chu’s face was grim. He never imagined his son would dare do something like this. He didn’t know whether to be proud of Evan’s courage or worried about his reckless behavior.
Dominic Chu glanced at Jenny Sima, hoping to hear her opinion.
Jenny Sima smiled, not intending to stop the duel at all. “Well! This Family Tournament is really heating up. Dominic, do you think your son can win?” Her playful tone made Dominic Chu even more anxious.
Dominic Chu replied, “How could Evan possibly be a match for a ninth-level Xuanwu Realm expert? This is suicide! Jenny, I beg you—he’s just young and impulsive. Please, if he loses, spare his life.”
Jenny Sima teased, “Dominic, your kid’s got guts! With a show this fun, how could I stop it? I really want to see if your Chu Family genius can beat a ninth-level Xuanwu master!”
Harold Liu laughed loudly from the side, delighted at the chance to finally get rid of Evan Chu.
Dominic Chu was polite with Jenny Sima, but he snapped at Harold Liu: “Shut your damn mouth, Harold! Nobody here thinks you’re anything but a barking mutt!”
Harold Liu sneered, "Dominic, keep barking all you want. In a minute, you’ll be picking up your son’s corpse!" He was so happy, he almost started dancing on the spot.
Jenny Sima said softly, “Dominic, do you really have so little faith in your son? Judging by how he killed before and the strength he’s shown, even if he loses, it won’t be a total disaster. Honestly, I have a feeling he might just win!”
Jenny Sima’s gentle words revealed her anticipation for the duel between Evan Chu and the referee.
With Jenny Sima’s words, Dominic Chu could only keep silent. His only hope now was the Heavenly Silkworm Armor on Evan Chu—maybe it could help him survive the referee’s attacks long enough to land a surprise counter.
Evan Chu stood calmly on the stage, glaring at the four shocked youths. “You’d better get off the platform now. Otherwise, you’ll be the next ones to die!”
With Evan Chu’s strength, he had every right to say this. The four disciples were scared, but since the referee said Evan was already disqualified, none of them left.
Seeing they still refused to leave, Evan Chu laughed coldly. “So you think I’m joking? Then go ahead and die!”
He swung his Frostbane Sword, sending a blast of star power flying toward the four.
But the referee was ready. As soon as Evan Chu moved, he was there—bare-handed, he blocked Evan’s attack.
"Kid, I’ve told you over and over to leave, but you just won’t listen! Don’t blame me if I get nasty!" The referee was furious—this brat actually thought he could ignore him.
Evan Chu had been waiting for him to say that. He’d calmed down—if he picked a fight with the referee for no reason, he’d be punished even if he won.
But if the referee attacked first, winning would mean something else entirely.
“You think I’m scared of you? You’d better let them leave, or I’ll kill them myself!” Evan Chu’s voice was arrogant, showing he didn’t care about the referee at all.
“I’ve seen arrogant kids before, but you take the cake! A fifth-level Xuanwu Realm brat talking big—maybe you’ll learn some humility in your next life!”
“My business is none of yours. But I have a condition—if I win, do I pass this round? If I kill you, will I still be punished?”
The referee sneered, "If you can kill me, the City Lord’s Mansion will reward you instead! Enough talk—get ready to die! You asked for this!" He finally snapped, itching to crush Evan Chu.
A ninth-level Xuanwu Realm expert was no joke. The referee’s overwhelming stellar force exploded as he struck out with a palm, aiming straight for Evan Chu’s face.
The palm hadn’t landed yet, but its pressure was suffocating. Evan Chu felt like he could barely breathe—he couldn’t hide his strength any longer. In an instant, he activated Shifting Position.
At the last possible second, he slid five meters sideways.
“Kid, your speed’s not bad! But dodging won’t save you. Show me your strongest move—maybe I’ll let you live if you hand over that movement technique!”
“You want my movement technique? Trash like you isn’t worthy!” Evan Chu spat back, deliberately provoking him.
“You little bastard, you’re asking for death!” The referee was completely enraged now.
He drew a massive greatsword, nearly two meters long and half a foot wide, from his storage belt.
As soon as the referee finished talking, his greatsword came crashing down on Evan Chu—faster, harder, and even more terrifying than that palm strike.
(Omitted irrelevant author's note per guidelines.)
Evan Chu tightened his grip on Frostbane Sword, his stellar force surging wildly. Seeing the referee’s domineering slash, he roared, “Swaying Wind and Rain!”
This was the sixth form of the Windchaser Sword Codex. Evan Chu had tested its power in the back mountain—a tree as thick as a man’s embrace could be pulverized in an instant.
He wanted to see if this move could stand up to the referee’s attack. Even if he lost, with Dominic Chu’s Heavenly Silkworm Armor, he should be able to survive.
Everyone watching the duel was glued to the action, nearly forgetting Evan Chu was only a fifth-level Xuanwu Realm cultivator.
Boom! The greatsword and Frostbane Sword collided—their combined energy shattered the green-spirit-stone arena beneath them.
Smoke billowed everywhere. The referee was blasted back more than ten steps, his sword hand shaking uncontrollably as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
He couldn’t believe this brat had injured him—a massive humiliation.
Evan Chu was in even worse shape. The referee’s stellar force was far stronger, and his weapon was superior. Evan was blasted more than ten meters away and crashed to the ground.
Even with Heavenly Silkworm Armor, blood still leaked from Evan’s mouth—he’d taken a heavy hit.
His sword hand trembled nonstop, but he slowly climbed to his feet. Wiping away the blood, he grinned ferociously: “Ninth-level Xuanwu Realm? Is that all you’ve got? Come at me again if you dare!”
The referee’s face was twisted with rage. After this, his reputation was finished—the City Lord’s Mansion would never trust him again.
“Die!” He screamed the word with all his strength, the sound so loud it made everyone’s ears ring.
A lightning-fast afterimage shot toward Evan Chu—this was clearly the referee’s strongest attack, and Evan knew he had to dodge with everything he had.
He’d already calculated his move. Instantly, he activated Shifting Position and roared, “Sweeping Wind and Scudding Clouds!”
This was the most powerful move he currently controlled—whether it could kill the referee remained to be seen…
(Omitted author's note about the writer's personal life per guidelines.)