Chapter 347: Chapter 340: Face Slap 2
In the special seating area, Emperor Long Yuan of the Flame Dragon Dynasty slammed his fists on the Primordial Power long table beside him, shattering it. He ground his teeth so hard they audibly scraped. "The sheer audacity of this Xuanling Empire! Tell me, which bastard gave them the nerve to say that?!"
Beside Long Yuan, Red Wood Cliff had no energy left to placate him. He simply sat in his seat with a weary smile, praying that the Xuanling Empire’s defeat wouldn’t be too ugly.
"Haha! I’ve got to say, Old Dragon, your Dynasty is truly one of a kind. Our Luowei Dynasty bows in admiration."
A burly, lavishly dressed man with curly golden hair howled with laughter, clutching his stomach with tears in his eyes.
"Never mind your Luowei Empire—even our Ice Emperor Dynasty wouldn’t dare make such an arrogant claim. From now on, Old Dragon, you’re the top dog."
The speaker was a handsome, middle-aged man in a blue and gold robe. Though his expression was somewhat frosty, he couldn’t conceal a mocking smile.
"Alright, that’s enough. Old Dragon is in a tough spot already. Don’t provoke him, or he might just breathe fire, you know."
Emperor Sacas of the Sacas Dynasty tried to smooth things over, but the sarcasm in his words was unmistakable. In short, all attention was now fixed on the Flame Dragon Dynasty and, by extension, the Xuanling Empire. What could they do?
’A slap in the face?!’
Listening to all the ridicule, Di Cang’s expression grew surprisingly calm. An unconcealable joy spread across his face—he was genuinely pleased.
’Let this atmosphere of contempt and ridicule fester. The more you belittle us, the more intensely you look down on us, the harder the eventual slap will land. A slap in the face... I can’t wait to see who ends up on the receiving end!’
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as Di Cang and the others turned their gazes to Arena Number One. Their opponent had appeared. Across from Little Tiger stood an athletic, short-haired man.
The short-haired man looked at Little Tiger with contempt and chuckled. "The Xuanling Empire, huh? Not bad. You’ve gone from complete unknowns to the talk of the town."
Little Tiger heard the man’s words, saw the scorn in his eyes, and felt the countless disdainful, mocking gazes from the crowd. Slowly, he closed his eyes.
"Heh, what’s this? Giving up already? I knew it. How could a guy like you be strong? You’re not worthy! It’s true we’re from Low-class Empires, but after a stunt like yours, how are the rest of us supposed to show our faces? If you’re weak, then stop posturing!"
The short-haired man roared. His taunts were also veiled insults to the other Low-class Empires, so they had already directed their anger toward the Xuanling Empire. Now, he was just waiting for the referee’s signal to annihilate his opponent!
"Silence!"
A deep, ancient voice boomed from the upper tier of the special seating area. Simultaneously, a terrifying, overwhelming pressure descended from above, forcing the entire raucous crowd back into their seats. They couldn’t even open their mouths to speak. The world fell silent!
"Referee, you may begin the match."
The moment the voice faded, the overwhelming pressure vanished as if it had never been there.
The white-haired elder spoke calmly, "In this Martial Tournament, etiquette comes first. State your names and origins."
The short-haired young man snorted. "Nie Ning, from the Kachu Empire, a Low-level Middle-tier Empire."
His voice wasn’t loud, yet everyone heard it clearly. The elder in white nodded dispassionately and said to Little Tiger, "Your turn."
Little Tiger remained silent, his eyes still closed. He only opened them after the elder frowned slightly. A pair of crimson pupils were revealed to the crowd. As his eyes opened, Little Tiger’s aura surged, and a faint red outline flickered around his body for just an instant before he concealed it. From his tightly furrowed brow, however, it was clear he was struggling to suppress his rage.
"Xuanling Empire... Demon Castle... Little Tiger..."
Little Tiger stated his name, his voice hoarse and strained.
The white-haired elder suppressed a strange palpitation in his heart and nodded. "Little Tiger. Nie Ning. Begin the match!"
At the elder’s command, Nie Ning unleashed a powerful wave of Primordial Power. Five green Martial Rings materialized at his feet, and in a blur, he charged toward Little Tiger.
Little Tiger, in contrast, didn’t move a muscle. He stood as if waiting for death, for his opponent to finish him off. The previously silenced mockers in the crowd suddenly rose to their feet again. They were waiting—waiting for the moment the Xuanling Empire was defeated to rub the humiliation in their faces.
But would it really happen that way?
Just as Nie Ning thought he had him, Little Tiger suddenly moved. He simply braced himself in a charging stance, arms crossed over his chest with his elbows pointing outward. The aura he had been desperately suppressing erupted once more, and an eerie red outline materialized around him!
His crimson eyes locked fiercely onto Nie Ning. Whether it was a trick of the mind or not, when Nie Ning was pinned by that terrifying crimson gaze, he suddenly felt as if he were being stared down by an Ancient Giant Beast. His speeding body came to an abrupt halt, frozen in place.
Seeing this, Qing Lei froze for a second, then hurriedly shouted, "Referee! Stop him!"
But before the words even faded, Little Tiger had finished gathering his power. He took a long, deep breath, and a hoarse roar escaped his lips.
"Savage... Charge!!"
BOOM! Little Tiger stomped his right foot forward. The very air in the arena seemed to shudder to a halt as a terrifying Qi Force swept outward, whipping up a massive vortex of sand and dust.
The white-haired elder was stunned for a moment, then roared, "How dare you!"
But Little Tiger acted as if he hadn’t heard the elder at all. In a flash, he transformed into a crimson streak of lightning and, with a sound like tearing fabric, appeared right in front of Nie Ning. His elbow was now just feet away! Judging by the terrifying power erupting from it, if that elbow were to connect, Nie Ning would be instantly annihilated!
"Elemental Armor!"
The white-haired elder roared, and his body was instantly enveloped in a thick, ochre-colored armor. In a flash, he appeared in front of Nie Ning, shielding him completely.
"BOOM!!!"
"CRACK!"
Two sounds echoed across the Peak of the Holy Mark, erupting from Arena Number One! A massive Primordial Energy Vortex exploded from the point of contact between the white-haired elder and Little Tiger, expanding in all directions! The powerful shockwave blasted through the spectator stands, whipping everyone’s hair back!
At the same time, two figures were launched from Arena Number One like arrows, only coming to a stop when they smashed into the Elemental Power Light Screen at the edge of the Peak of the Holy Mark.
"Ptoo!"
A spray of fresh blood erupted from the white-haired elder’s mouth. That splash of crimson instantly drew every eye away from the arena.
"Elder Bai... actually coughed up blood..."
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