Chapter 517: Chapter 517

"Huh! Where’s my mask?"

The masked disciple was a bit puzzled. Just now, a shadow flashed in front of him so quickly that he couldn’t see clearly what it was, just a blur.

His previously warm face now felt a bit chilly. Without the mask, he wasn’t used to the open air on his face.

Lin Fan put on the mask, pushing through the crowd. "Excuse me, let me through."

"Excuse me, let me through."

Qin Yang lightly nudged Mu Yu. "Don’t be nervous. This guy is about to be beaten so badly, it’s going to be downright tragic. How tragic, you ask? Well, it’s hard to say exactly, but trust me, it’s going to be brutal."

Mu Yu widened her eyes, looking confused and questioning. "Why will it be so bad?"

"Just watch," Qin Yang said with a mysterious smile.

Isn’t it obvious? Lin Fan is about to step into the ring, that’s why!

Xiang Fei sighed helplessly. He finally understood what Lin Fan meant by "staying low-key and cautious." It turns out it meant wearing a mask to hide your face. That way, no one could recognize you—absolutely the safest tactic.

Shi Wutian stood proudly, scanning the crowd as he waited. He thoroughly enjoyed the attention focused on him at the moment.

Everyone was looking up at him.

At this point, he was the most dazzling presence, under the gaze of countless admiring eyes.

"Is there no one else? Are you all scared?"

"Where are those cheers from earlier? Did you think this was a friendly sparring match? No, this is a crushing defeat waiting to happen."

Excessive arrogance is generally frowned upon.

But when no one can rein you in, being overly arrogant becomes exhilarating.

Just as Shi Wutian’s self-confidence swelled to the skies, an unexpected voice broke the flow.

"Excuse me, please move aside."

Shi Wutian sneered as he looked over, spotting a masked man walking toward the platform. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly—someone else coming forward to embarrass themselves?

The Yama Sect folks sure are brain-dead.

Lin Fan forced his way through the crowd, creating a path of blood, and stood at the base of the stage.

Shi Wutian sneered, "So, you want to challenge me?"

"Yeah. Seeing you look so lonely, I figured I’d come spar with you, see if you’re truly as great as you claim," Lin Fan replied with a grin.

"Hahaha..." Shi Wutian roared with laughter. "Interesting, truly interesting. But your presence here tells me your rank and status are incredibly low. Trying to make an impression in front of the Yama Sect? You might lose your life in the process."

Lin Fan jumped lightly and landed on the stage.

"It’s fine. Victory or defeat—one can never be too sure. Maybe it’s you who’ll end up on your knees," he said.

Shi Wutian’s laughter slowly faded, his expression darkening.

This guy must have a death wish.

The Yama Sect Leader, who had already given up and closed his eyes, suddenly snapped them open when he saw the disciple step onto the platform. To be honest, he had no idea who this disciple was.

The Yama Sect had a lot of disciples.

Knowing every single one of them was, of course, impossible.

"Sect Master Yan, your disciples are truly remarkable. Yet another one has stepped forward. Judging by appearances, he seems to have been hiding in the crowd. Could this be the so-called true elite disciple of the Yama Sect?" a clan elder from the Shi Clan mocked.

It sounded like an inquiry.

But it was actually ridicule.

The Yama Sect Leader’s face darkened with frustration, but there was nothing he could do but suppress his anger.

Who is this disciple?

Are they playing around?

Even the elders in the backstage area were shocked into silence.

"Elder, I know this junior brother. He’s Zhang He. His cultivation level is only at the Earth Immortal Realm. Why is he stepping into the ring? Isn’t this a suicide mission?"

The elder was so startled he almost fainted.

Earth Immortal Realm?

In the eyes of their opponent, that was like an ant—a mere sneeze could probably kill him.

Some disciples below the ring recognized the masked disciple.

"That’s Zhang He. Junior Brother Zhang is way too brave. I can’t believe he dares to go up there."

While searching for his mask, the real Zhang He overheard the murmurs around him. He was completely dumbfounded as he stared at the stage, then looked at his senior brothers, quickly speaking up.

"Fellow brothers! I’m Zhang He!"

The other disciples replied, "No, you’re not. Junior Brother Zhang has always worn a mask."

"I..." Zhang He was left speechless, nearly choking on his words, almost coughing up blood. I swear I really am Zhang He! Who is this guy taking my mask and pretending to be me?

"Impressive confidence, kid," Shi Wutian remarked.

Lin Fan raised his hand, curling his fingers in a "come here" gesture. "Come on, show me your skills. I’ve been watching your earlier fights and, well, you did okay. But dueling weaklings offers no fun. Only battles with the strong are satisfying. Of course, to me, you’re just one of the weaker ones."

"But no worries, I’ll let you have the first move. Show me what your mana’s made of."

When it came to showing off.

Lin Fan conceded defeat to no one.

If we’re doing this, let’s make it hurt.

"You’re seeking death."

Shi Wutian couldn’t tolerate the brazen arrogance of this masked disciple any longer. He struck immediately, aiming to crush the opponent with one powerful blow.

Spare your life? That’s only because I didn’t feel like lowering myself to your level.

But humiliating a genius—it’s a one-way ticket to death.

The Yama Sect Leader witnessed this and closed his eyes again. It was over—a disastrous defeat, no chance whatsoever.

The disciples below the stage clenched their hearts tightly.

Those who recognized Zhang He thought he was a total fool. And now, he was doing something even dumber by stepping onto the stage? He was doomed.

Some couldn’t bear to watch and closed their eyes.

Shi Wutian’s palm slammed down with devastating force against Lin Fan. The sheer might of the attack was terrifying, enough to tear the opponent apart.

Go to hell and repent.

Shi Wutian’s brow furrowed; something was off. His palm connected, and mana poured uncontrollably into his opponent. This should’ve overwhelmed anyone of the same level. Newest update provided by novel⚑fire.net

But when he looked up, he found Lin Fan standing completely untouched, without a single change to his demeanor.

Lin Fan calmly raised his hand and brought it down with a loud smack, striking Shi Wutian squarely across his face. The impact sent Shi Wutian spinning like a top, his world spinning and gold stars flashing in his vision, before he was finally hurled far away.

He barely managed to steady himself.

Shaking his head to regain clarity.

What the hell just happened?

The onlookers below screamed in disbelief.

"Who is this guy? Which senior brother is this? So powerful! Why have I never seen him before?"

"Zhang He, you’re incredible!"

The real Zhang He, standing below, was utterly baffled. I’m here! That’s not me! Can you all please stop shouting my name?

Qin Yang commented, "Brother Lin, as expected, is Brother Lin. That slap was earth-shaking!"

Xiang Fei nodded. "Indeed, very impressive."

The Yama Sect Leader, who had lost all hope, suddenly leaped to his feet upon witnessing this scene. He could swear to the heavens this person was definitely not a Yama Sect disciple. But then, who could it be?

That didn’t matter anymore.

As long as this turned the tide, it was enough.

"Clan Elder, you’re right. The first two divine skills didn’t matter too much. They were just to show the disciples the gap between them and the Shi Clan geniuses," the Yama Sect Leader said with a faint smile.

"It wasn’t a waste; the gap is indeed significant. At least they learned something."

His expression visibly brightened, exuding a rare hint of smugness—a stark contrast to the air of suppression he had endured earlier.

The Shi Clan Elder maintained a calm demeanor. "Is that so? Well then, let us continue watching."

Lin Fan said, "I let you have the first move. How was that slap? Feeling dizzy? Like the world’s spinning and the heavens are flipping upside down? Don’t underestimate it. That slap contained the imprint of a divine skill. The fact that you reacted so quickly—gotta admit, not bad at all."

It was hard to tell if he was praising or mocking the man.

Either way, it didn’t sound pleasant.

Shi Wutian roared with fury and unleashed divine skill, the Five Demons Sky Flipping Palm. Five Demon God phantoms appeared in the air, surging menacingly toward Lin Fan.

"Why not use your signature divine skill? This technique of yours hasn’t even reached a high level—it’s beginner level at best," Lin Fan critiqued.

He lifted his hand and pressed down. Above the five Demon God phantoms, the void trembled. Five massive palms descended, instantly crushing the five Demon God phantoms into oblivion.

The crowd erupted in awe.

With Lin Fan’s display of power, the entire arena boiled over with excitement.

"Zhang He is incredible!"

"Zhang He is amazing!"

Everyone shouted Zhang He’s name enthusiastically.

But in their hearts, they were all wondering.

Who the hell is Zhang He?

Forget it. If others are yelling, might as well join in. No need to think about it too much.

The real Zhang He had nothing more to say. He sank into silence. Though he admitted to liking the attention, he wouldn’t confess out loud—not when the guy on stage was ridiculously strong.

If he admitted it, he’d be killed for sure later.

"You..." Shi Wutian hadn’t anticipated his opponent’s strength to be so overwhelming. He realized he couldn’t keep going . If things kept escalating, it’d be disastrous. No, he had to get serious now.

"Good. Very good. You’ve truly made me take you seriously."

Lin Fan instantly appeared before Shi Wutian, bringing down another powerful slap.

A piece of Immortal Treasure erupted from within Shi Wutian’s body, hovering above his head to block the strike.

But in the face of absolute power,

what difference did it make?

No matter how proud, you still had to kneel.

The force of the strike was incomparably terrifying, rendering the Immortal Treasure useless as it clattered to the ground.

Lin Fan’s hand slammed down onto Shi Wutian’s head. With a thud, Shi Wutian felt an unstoppable force crush him, forcing his knees to bend as he knelt hard on the ground.

Lin Fan followed with a solid kick to Shi Wutian’s chest, sending him flying far away.

An explosive force shattered the air.

Shi Wutian’s clothes tore apart in an instant, leaving him stark naked.

Shi Wutian spat out blood, his once-dominant presence now weakened tremendously in an instant.

The atmosphere in the arena reached a fever pitch.

Some people burst into wild laughter.

No one had expected to see such an entertaining scene.

"Oops, my bad. I wasn’t paying attention," Lin Fan said.

The Yama Sect Leader smiled faintly and said, "Elder, in a duel between disciples, punches and kicks are bound to lack precision. Surely you won’t mind, given your status as a senior."

Lin Fan took the Shi Clan Elder’s earlier words and threw them right back at him.

What a sweet sense of vindication.