“Hmph! Enough talk, let’s fight!”
Mo Yichen said.
Bai Zihan kept his eyes on Mo Yichen’s sword rather than Mo Yichen himself.
According to the System’s analysis, Mo Yichen’s entire strength lay in that sword.
At the moment, the sword didn’t emit the slightest hint of Qi, making it look like an ordinary weapon.
This made it difficult for Bai Zihan to determine to what extent Mo Yichen had strengthened the sword.
To Earth-Grade? To Heaven-Grade?
If it were at the Heaven-Grade level, it might give Bai Zihan some trouble.
Despite Mo Yichen clearly looking down on Bai Zihan, he wasn’t planning to hold back.
The fact that he was using his Divine Sword, along with his Golden Core cultivation, proved this—quite different from typical villains.
The crowd went silent, their attention entirely focused on Bai Zihan and Mo Yichen.
Mo Yichen tightened his grip on the sword, the air around him growing tense.
The Mei Clan members watched with bated breath, some already murmuring words of encouragement.
Swish!
Mo Yichen lunged forward, his sword blazing with a golden light filled with powerful Qi.
He moved with precision and speed, his sword slicing through the air, aiming straight for Bai Zihan’s torso.
But Bai Zihan didn’t move.
Calmly, he took his time and drew his own sword—an Earth-Grade sword.
“No way! An Earth-Grade Artifact?!”
“How can Bai Zihan use an Earth-Grade Artifact against Mo Yichen? Isn’t that an unfair advantage?”
…
The Mei Clan members were stunned.
To them, an Earth-Grade Artifact was so rare and precious that they could only dream of owning one.
Some even thought Bai Zihan was taking advantage of his background, fighting unfairly.
Well, when they first saw a Core Formation cultivator going up against a Golden Core expert, they didn’t think it was unfair at all—but now that Mo Yichen was at disadvantage, suddenly it’s unfair.
Hypocrites, just like everyone else.
!!!
Mo Yichen also felt the power and pressure radiating from Bai Zihan’s weapon, but he showed no signs of stopping.
His sword descended like a golden comet, its radiant light fierce and overwhelming.
But in that instant—
Clang!
A crisp, metallic ring echoed through the hall.
Bai Zihan’s Earth-Grade sword met Mo Yichen’s strike, effortlessly halting it in place.
The two blades ground against each other, sparks flying as spiritual energy clashed.
Mo Yichen’s confident smile wavered.
“What?!”
He had expected to slice through Bai Zihan’s defense, to see panic in his eyes. Instead, he was met with a calm, almost bored expression.
Even with an Earth-Grade Sword, Mo Yichen believed that the wielder’s strength mattered most.
It was like a baby with a knife—dangerous, but not necessarily powerful. Easily subdued by an adult.
And Mo Yichen thought he was that adult.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Bai Zihan sneered.
(Looks like the sword has been upgraded between Earth-Grade and Profound-Grade!)
It was similar to Top Profound-Grade Sword which meant that Mo Yichen wasn’t too much of opponent for him.
“Don’t get cocky!”
Mo Yichen roared, his Qi flaring as he channeled even more power into his strike.
A brilliant golden aura exploded around him, the pressure of his Golden Core Stage cultivation surging.
The marble floor beneath his feet cracked, wind howled, and the weaker disciples in the hall stumbled back, their faces pale.
“That’s Mo Yichen’s true strength!”
“No way! The pressure even more than when our elders unleash their Qi!”
The younger disciples staggered back, some even dropping to one knee, unable to withstand the pressure.
The Mei Clan elders looked thrilled, their eyes filled with hope once again.
But Bai Zihan?
He stood as steady as a mountain.
His Earth-Grade sword continued to hold against Mo Yichen’s empowered strike, the blade glowing with a silver sheen as Bai Zihan’s own spiritual energy surged.
And then…
A powerful Qi burst from Bai Zihan’s body—radiant, sharp, and overwhelming.
Golden Core Stage!
His cultivation was no longer hidden, not that he was keeping it a secret anyways.
The oppressive pressure of his Golden Core Stage swept through the hall like a tidal wave, crashing against Mo Yichen’s aura and even somewhat overwhelming it.
“What…?!”
Mo Yichen’s confident expression twisted in shock. His body trembled under the crushing force of Bai Zihan’s powerful Qi.
The Mei Clan members, who had just been cheering, fell silent. Their faces turned pale, some even stepping back instinctively.
“Golden Core… He’s at Golden Core Stage too?”
“But how? Bai Zihan was supposed to be a Core Formation Stage waste!”
“So it was all a lie? Did the Bai Clan deceive the entire world?”
“How can this be possible? He’s at the late stage of the Golden Core Realm!”
“Golden Core Stage and an Earth-Grade Weapon—can Mo Yichen win against that?”
…
Even Mei Rulan’s face turned pale as she looked at Bai Zihan.
She always thought it was strange that someone as cunning as Bai Zihan would fall for Mo Yichen’s trap and accept his challenge.
But now it all began to make sense—he accepted because he was never going to lose in the first place.
The Bai Clan’s elders and disciples were equally shocked, their initial panic transforming into astonishment.
The Mei Clan might think of Bai Zihan’s “waste” reputation as a deceptive scheme of Bai Clan. But the Bai Clan knew better.
Bai Zihan wasn’t just called a waste because of his trashy cultivation talent but also because of his refusal to work hard.
Giving him resources was like pouring fuel into a broken engine—no matter how much they gave, there was no progress.
Hiding his power?
Impossible! With Bai Zihan’s personality, they couldn’t imagine him keeping up an act since birth.
So how did he reach the Golden Core Stage?
Grand Elder Bai Ren’s eyes glinted with pride and excitement.
“So he already reached the Golden Core Stage. I thought he was hiding something, but I never expected this.”
Grand Elder Bai Ren’s evaluation of Bai Zihan as the future Clan Leader soared.
Even without cultivation talent, he had always been satisfied with Bai Zihan’s cunning and leadership qualities.
But now, with such astonishing cultivation talent as well, which could only be called perfect for the Bai Clan Leader—both brains and brawn—there was nothing left to complain about.