"Ow!"
"This useless brat actually dared to come!"
"Yeah, a cultivation waste, I thought he wouldn't even show up, didn't expect him to be so stubborn."
"What stubbornness, he simply lacks self-awareness and came here to embarrass himself."
Seeing Xiao Zhan take the stage, the spectators immediately broke out in a hubbub.
However, in the face of these sounds, Xiao Zhan turned a deaf ear, walking towards the stage neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Liu Ruyan looked at the approaching Xiao Zhan with a slightly frowned brow.
She didn't know why, but the Xiao Zhan today seemed a little different from the one she saw three days ago.
But she couldn't say exactly what was different.
What surprised her even more was that under such circumstances and amidst so much ridicule, Xiao Zhan could remain so calm and composed.
She suddenly realized that she had looked down on Xiao Zhan before.
But this thought flashed by swiftly.
Because, this was nothing.
At best, it just showed Xiao Zhan had some guts.
It didn't change the fact that he was a waste, nor did it change the gap between them.
"No matter what your abilities are, out of respect for the past affection between the Xiao and Liu families, I will treat this battle seriously and reveal my full strength without reservation, which can be considered giving you sufficient respect." Liu Ruyan said blandly as she looked at Xiao Zhan with an expressionless face.
Liu Ruyan's words caused another uproar in the audience.
"Wow, Miss Liu Ruyan is really a saint!"
"Of course, she could slap this waste to death with one palm, yet she goes through so much trouble unnecessarily."
"I heard that the Xiao family was once gracious to the Liu family. It seems Miss Liu is one who remembers favors and repays kindness, this can be considered giving ample face to this stinky brat!"
"That's right, being able to die under Miss Liu Ruyan's full strength, this guy's face has been saved."
For a time, all kinds of sounds rang out among the spectators.
"Bah, setting up an archway for nothing." Li Jin picked his nose disdainfully and complained.
"Right, it's just a fight, so much nonsense." Hong was also impatient.
However, Xiao Zhan on the stage remained expressionless in the face of Liu Ruyan's words.
"Is he already scared silly?"
"How will he withstand the shock that follows?" Liu Ruyan sneered inwardly.
Immediately, dazzling rays of light radiated from her body as her cultivation also erupted simultaneously.
"Boom!"
Powerful energy spread across the venue.
Also at the moment her cultivation was revealed, exclamations of disbelief sounded from the crowd.
"What?"
"Earth Immortal?"
"She turned out to be an Earth Immortal."
"It's really unbelievable."
"I thought Miss Liu Ruyan was a Human Immortal, didn't expect her to be an Earth Immortal."
"Such talent is extraordinary, no wonder she is the number one in Southern Territory."
"No, she's only twenty years old. A twenty-year-old Earth Immortal, she's probably not as simple as the number one in Southern Territory. She probably ranks among the top in the entire Empire!"
The shocking voices were endless, and the gazes looking at Liu Ruyan were full of fanaticism.
Among this group of spectators, there were people with ears and eyes from major sects and the imperial family. The moment Liu Ruyan revealed her Earth Immortal cultivation, countless messages spread from this place.
Behind the stage.
Yin Tianxiong raised the corners of his mouth.
Today's grand stage was not set up solely because of the waste Xiao Zhan.
Because just Xiao Zhan alone was not worth their efforts.
It could only be said that calling off the engagement was just one part of their plan. What really mattered was seizing this opportunity to establish Liu Ruyan's prestige and reputation.
With such a twenty-year-old Earth Immortal, the voice of his Tianling Sect would be much higher in the entire Empire in the future, and it would also make the imperial family pay more attention.
After all.
Anyone would have to consider carefully. An Earth Immortal in twenty years, what level would she reach in a hundred years?
And what about a thousand years later?
So everything from the beginning was planned by them.
The so-called respect given to Xiao Zhan was just nonsense. It simply allowed Liu Ruyan to reveal her true strength in broad daylight and attract huge reactions.
Liu Ruyan looked at the crowd cheering frenziedly for her with hardly any fluctuations in her heart.
With her talent.
It should be like this.
She still had a bigger stage in the future, and not just this group of people would be cheering.
The goal was achieved.
It was time to settle other matters now.
She placed her indifferent gaze on Xiao Zhan.
To her surprise, Xiao Zhan stood there with a calm expression. No matter the sounds around or her strong revealed strength, nothing could move him.
"Why?"
"Shouldn't he feel desperate?"
"Or has he already given up?" Liu Ruyan frowned as she looked at Xiao Zhan and wondered inwardly.
Then she shook her head.
Enough!
What he thought did not matter to her.
"You make the first move, I'll give you a chance to attack first," Liu Ruyan said indifferently. "Otherwise you won't have a chance to attack at all."
"You go first!" Xiao Zhan said lightly.
However, his words immediately caused roars of laughter.
"Haha, this guy is hilarious."
"Right, what's he pretending at this point? At least he could still make some moves if attacking first. If Miss Liu makes the first move, he won't even have the qualifications to attack at all."
"Alas, he probably already gave up!"
"Poor guy!"
Harsh voices came from all directions, but Xiao Zhan remained unmoved.
"Junior brother seems to be quite good at pretending," Li Jin continued picking at that stubborn booger while unable to help commenting.
Earning a series of eye rolls from Su Yunyun and the others.
Liu Ruyan's eyes narrowed slightly.
She found Xiao Zhan's attitude quite amusing.
But it didn't matter.
Today's duel with Xiao Zhan was just going through the motions anyway.
Her jade hand raised up.
The long sword in her sleeve struck out sharply, rushing towards Xiao Zhan.
This sword strike.
Exuded chilling aura and amazing sword intent.
In anyone's eyes, Xiao Zhan was undoubtedly going to die.
However, the actual result made everyone gape in shock.
They incredulously witnessed Xiao Zhan holding up his palm, fingers upright in a sword stopping gesture, directly clamping the sword edge.
"Buzz!"
Because of the powerful energy within the sword, it was forcibly stopped, causing the sword body to vibrate violently, giving out bursts of sword hums.
While Xiao Zhan didn't move a bit.
"What?"
"Stopped it with just two fingers..."
This scene.
Nearly caused the eyeballs of the hundreds of thousands of pairs of eyes present to pop out.
The originally frosty-faced Liu Ruyan also changed her expression in astonishment.
Sitting behind the stage waiting to watch a good show, Yin Tianxiong also jumped up violently from his chair.
At this moment.
The whole venue fell silent.
The soft sound of tree leaves rubbing against the ground in the passing breeze became extremely pleasing to the ear.
Just what was going on here?
Wasn't Xiao Zhan a waste without any cultivation? How could he so easily catch Liu Ruyan's sword strike with her Earth Immortal strength?
Everyone's minds went blank, temporarily unable to react at all.
Amidst the venue.
Xiao Zhan's voice sounded.
"It's my turn...to attack."
He suddenly lifted his sharp eyes, and his fingers directly snapped the sword tip.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, his palm swung out.
The broken sword tip turned into a stream of light, instantly shooting out.
In a flash.
The sword tip pierced through space, dragging out a series of spatial ripples, hurtling straight towards Liu Ruyan.