Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
That was how Wang Bo and the others felt, but even more intense was the frustration and anger—the other side kept calling them 'country bumpkins,' stabbing straight into their hearts.
"All of you, shut up! You want to provoke a fight, right? Fine, I'll give you one! Which one of you bastards wants to step up and die first?"
Her fierce words rang out. Then, clad in a white martial robe, Hannah Chen strode forward, her eyes blazing with fury—she wanted nothing more than to tear those foul-mouthed idiots apart.
The commotion on this side drew the attention of everyone in the main hall.
Someone immediately murmured:
"Look, isn't that green-robed youth the one ranked forty-sixth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking—Howard Cheng?"
Someone nearby chimed in, "It should be him. They say this prodigy comes from the Cheng Clan of Lin City—a super clan that dominates several cities. Howard Cheng is their most outstanding youth, only twenty-five and already at the peak of the Sun-Soul Realm. I also heard the Cheng Clan has a terrifying slaughter-type art called Ninefold Phantom Dragon Kill!"
Those guys on the other side are finished. How could they dare go up against Howard Cheng, the local prodigy!
"Heh, I think I heard those guys are from the Mystic Sun Domain. Word is, Mystic Sun's prodigies have always been overshadowed by Sky-Sun's, and they haven't managed to turn things around for decades. They probably want to use this chance to prove themselves, but they picked the wrong opponent—they're just going to embarrass themselves!"
She was a Divine-Path cultivator, and her staff could boost both the power and speed of her divine arts.
Meanwhile, Rhea Yan produced a transparent glass bead. With a flick of her wrist, the bead soared into the air, casting a five-colored barrier that enveloped both her and Moira Ji.
Immediately after, Moira Ji silently recited a divine mantra and waved her staff. Light flashed, and outside the five-colored barrier, a second fiery red shield appeared.
"So, you're Divine-Path and Immortal-Dao cultivators!"
Seeing this, Yvette Chen's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, but she quickly sneered, "You think two layers of defense can stop me? How naive!"
"Go!"
Rhea Yan said nothing, but formed seals with her hands. Instantly, a silver flying sword shot out in a streak of light, heading straight for Yvette Chen.
"A flying sword?"
Yvette Chen smirked dismissively and flicked out a finger.
With a crisp clang, the silver flying sword was knocked aside. But at that moment, Yvette's expression changed; she darted sideways as another streak of silver light grazed her arm—a second flying sword!
Seeing this, Rhea Yan couldn't help but show a hint of regret in her eyes.
At the same time, Moira Ji waved her staff, summoning nine small, illusory flame dragons that shot out from different directions to attack Yvette Chen.
Adding in Rhea Yan's two silver flying swords, the pressure mounted—Yvette Chen was momentarily forced into a hectic defense.
"Looks like I underestimated you two!"
Dodging and weaving, Yvette Chen murmured, and a Sun-Soul avatar materialized behind her.
"Goldflame Palm—break for me!"
Golden flames surged from Yvette Chen's hands as she struck with blinding speed, scattering all nine flame dragons and sending both flying swords spinning away. In a blur, she appeared right beside the two girls.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
A flurry of palm strikes flashed out, shattering both defensive barriers. Yvette Chen's palms landed squarely on Moira Ji and Rhea Yan's chests, sending them flying and coughing up blood.
Her tone dripped with mockery.
Wang Bo and the others realized Hannah Chen was hopelessly outmatched—she had almost no chance of winning.
"Kill!"
Suddenly, a burst of crimson light erupted from Hannah Chen's body. Two crimson short swords appeared in her hands, and dazzling sword-light filled the air around her.
But at that moment, Yvette Chen vanished again.
"Three moves are up—now it's my turn!"
Yvette Chen's voice rang out from behind again. Before Hannah Chen could turn, she felt a sharp energy shoot toward her back. Instinctively, she slashed backward with several sword strikes.
But in that instant, two blasts of finger force struck her wrists. With two muffled pops, her wrists were pierced, leaving two bloody holes.
"Hannah!"
Jackson Wenren cried out and started forward, but Aaron Ying stepped up, locking his aura onto Jackson and said coldly, "Don't interfere!"
"Bang!"
With a muffled groan, Hannah Chen was sent flying, crashing hard to the ground. She spat out several mouthfuls of blood, her face instantly turning pale.
Yvette Chen didn't press the attack. Instead, she looked down at Hannah from above and said coolly, "I thought you were supposed to be impressive. Turns out you're nothing special!"
"Ha! How strong could a bunch of country bumpkins from Mystic Sun Domain really be? Don't overestimate them!" Aaron Ying laughed.
"Boring!"
Yvette Chen shook her head, then fixed her gaze on Rhea Yan and Moira Ji. "You two, come at me together!"
"Fine, as you wish!"
Moira Ji nodded solemnly and stepped forward. Rhea Yan followed close behind, both their eyes flashing with anger.
"I hope you two can last a little longer. Otherwise, I won't even break a sweat!"
"Hmph!"
Moira Ji snorted. Suddenly, a fiery red crystal staff appeared in her hand.