Engaging in a battle with Liu Zhi would allow Tang Yan to showcase his strength, gauge Liu Zhi’s true abilities, and assess his own limits. With three benefits in one fight, he saw no reason to decline.

Having made up his mind, Tang Yan responded calmly, “If you want to fight, I’ll accompany you.”

“Yan’er…” The Tang family patriarch rose, attempting to stop him.

“Old Master, let Tang Yan go. His combat prowess is stronger than you think.” Just as Tang Ling was about to voice his concern, Zi Yun’s words echoed in his ears.

Zi Yun was the esteemed Third Miss of Zizhu City, and the Tang patriarch trusted her judgment. He swallowed his objections and turned to look at her. Seeing the reassurance in her gaze, he steadied himself and focused entirely on the stage.

“Hm?” Lin Xiao, the city lord, felt a ripple of unease. With his extensive experience in reading people, he knew Tang Yan was no reckless fool. But with his current cultivation level, what hidden trump card did he have to challenge Liu Zhi?

“You have courage, Brother Tang. I admire that!” Liu Zhi stepped forward, taking a few quick strides before launching himself onto the stage in a graceful leap, landing opposite Tang Yan.

“The match begins!”

Once the two combatants were ready, Lin Xiao gave the signal.

Liu Zhi struck first, his spear trembling as he lunged at Tang Yan.

A chilling aura locked onto Tang Yan like a ravenous wolf, making the hairs on his body stand on end. The spear tore through the air with a terrifying force, as if nothing could withstand its might.

Tang Yan inhaled deeply. Instead of dodging, he chose to meet the attack head-on, shocking the audience.

Clang!

Tang Yan staggered two steps back, his hands numb, blood surging chaotically within him.

Liu Zhi, however, remained rooted in place—an unmistakable gap in strength.

Having landed his first strike, Liu Zhi wasted no time, his spear whistling through the air as he thrust it straight toward Tang Yan’s throat.

Gasps erupted from the crowd, and the Tang patriarch’s grip on his teacup tightened—crack!—shattering it into pieces.

Tang Yan remained unfazed. That initial exchange had given him a rough understanding of Liu Zhi’s power.

Activating Phantom Steps, his body shifted at an impossible angle, narrowly evading the deadly spear tip.

“He dodged it!” A wave of astonishment spread through the audience.

Using the momentum, Tang Yan countered with his Flowing Cloud Sword, striking toward Liu Zhi.

In just two moves, he had turned the tide from defense to offense!

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His swordplay, intricate as a sky full of floating clouds and as unrelenting as a torrential storm, enveloped Liu Zhi like an inescapable net.

The stage rang with the rapid clashing of metal, and in the blink of an eye, three more exchanges had passed.

Liu Zhi felt a growing frustration. He had expected to defeat Tang Yan within a few moves, yet this slippery opponent kept slipping through his attacks.

Even more infuriating, Tang Yan’s strikes were unnervingly precise, targeting the weaknesses in his stance with pinpoint accuracy.

Liu Zhi’s confidence wavered, while the spectators’ astonishment grew.

Among them, Qian Rulong and Qian Shenghuo—who had previously clashed with Tang Yan—felt a chill run down their spines. They had once considered confronting him head-on, but looking back, they realized they had narrowly avoided a humiliating defeat.

Although Liu Zhi maintained the upper hand, he had yet to land a decisive blow. Within mere moments, nineteen exchanges had passed.

“Liu Zhi, we’re almost at twenty moves,” Tang Yan reminded with a grin.

His words struck Liu Zhi like a thunderbolt. He regretted his earlier promise—if he failed to defeat Tang Yan in the next move, the Liu family’s reputation would take a severe hit.

With a heavy thrust, he forced Tang Yan back before growling, “Impressive. I had planned to win with only eight layers of my strength, but it seems I must reveal my true power.”

“This next strike will end it!”

The moment his words fell, Liu Zhi’s aura surged dramatically.

Yellow Rank, Ninth Tier!

Tang Yan’s eyes narrowed. Just as he suspected, Liu Zhi had been hiding his true cultivation level.

Against Zi Yun, he had barely endured the might of a Yellow Rank Ninth Tier opponent. Now, facing Liu Zhi in a life-or-death battle, the danger was even greater.

“Die!” Liu Zhi roared. His spear transformed into a dragon, aiming straight for Tang Yan’s heart.

The sheer force of the attack was like a roaring tempest, and at the spear tip, a near-tangible layer of energy swirled violently.

A hushed silence fell over the crowd.

Everyone was in awe—this was why Liu Zhi was regarded as Cloud City’s number one genius. Such a display of raw power was simply beyond ordinary martial artists.

Tang Yan’s defeat seemed inevitable.

Yet, just as the attack closed in, a faint, eerie blue flame flickered into existence in front of him.

The Heavenly Creation Flame!

The surrounding air distorted slightly as the flame, no bigger than a palm, hovered before Tang Yan.

Despite its striking color, most spectators failed to sense its terrifying energy, merely watching curiously to see how he would respond.

“Go!”

With a roar, Tang Yan pushed all his remaining strength into the flame and hurled it forward.

Boom!

The instant the flame clashed with the spear tip, a deep, muffled explosion shook the stage.

The solid stone flooring beneath them crumbled into dust, sending a thick cloud of smoke billowing into the air.

As the dust gradually settled, a lone figure remained standing on the stage.

The crowd stretched their necks, straining to see through the haze. When they recognized the upright figure as Liu Zhi, a collective murmur of expectation rippled through them.

But then… their expressions froze.

As the last wisps of dust cleared, a second figure stood tall on the stage—Tang Yan!

“What?! He’s still standing?” someone gasped.

“A Yellow Rank Sixth Tier cultivator withstanding a Ninth Tier’s full-force attack? Impossible!”

The difference between tiers was like an unscalable mountain—yet Tang Yan had just shattered that belief.

Though his clothing was in tatters and his breathing was ragged, he was still standing.

Tang Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned at Liu Zhi. “Looks like I made it past twenty moves.”

Liu Zhi’s expression turned dark.

To let a mere Sixth Tier cultivator survive twenty moves against him? He had single-handedly disgraced the Liu family.

His hand tightened around his spear, murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

But just as he considered breaking the rules and striking again, an overwhelming presence locked onto him.

He turned sharply—Lin Xiao was watching.

The city lord’s gaze was indifferent, but a wordless warning lingered in the air.

Cold sweat dripped down Liu Zhi’s back.

No matter how unwilling he was, he couldn’t act recklessly under Lin Xiao’s watchful eye.