Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

"That won't be necessary?" Li Changhe froze, not quite understanding what Ye Chen meant.

"That's right. It's too much trouble," Ye Chen said, a hint of impatience in his voice. "Let's do this: you just need to block one strike from me. If you can block it, I'll spare you. How about it?"

The moment he spoke,

the entire arena fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

After a long moment, the arena erupted in a thunderous uproar!

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Ye Chen, as if he were a madman.

"What is this guy talking about?"

"Did I hear that wrong?"

Many people wore expressions of shocked disbelief.

"Is this kid crazy?" Hong Zhi, Yu Chunshui, and the others all frowned.

Even Chen Lie and the others on the stage couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "It's like he's a completely different person!"

He went from not daring to accept the challenge to getting on stage and making such an astonishing boast.

The change in Ye Chen was indeed unexpected.

"Is Ye Chen angry?"

Hearing Ye Chen's words, Yu Xiaoran and the others assumed he had been provoked by Li Changhe's repeated challenges. They couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from their brows and silently pity Li Changhe.

Ji Yuanshan paused, then said with a bitter smile, "So I've forced your hand after all."

He felt deeply ashamed. He was supposed to be the one representing the Songyin Sword Mansion, but he never imagined that when he took the stage, he would be completely ignored in favor of Ye Chen.

"This has nothing to do with you." Ye Chen shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Li Changhe's eyes glinted coldly. "One strike?"

"That's right. Just one strike."

"So, do you dare to face my one strike?" Ye Chen asked lightly, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Hahaha..." Hearing this, Li Changhe couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"After I challenged you so many times in front of this crowd, you still sat there as steady as a mountain... I almost thought you were a rational person..."

"I never imagined it was all an act. Couldn't keep your composure for long, could you?"

Li Changhe shook his head, his laughter slowly dying down.

In his opinion, this boy was just spouting nonsense to save face.

"Enough with the nonsense," Ye Chen frowned. "I don't have time to waste on you. If you're going to fight, then let's get on with it."

At these words, many in the crowd stirred. Li Changhe's eyes narrowed, his face darkening into a sinister scowl.

He had long wanted to get revenge for Li Yue.

Ye Chen taking the stage to accept the challenge was exactly what he wanted. How could he possibly pass up this opportunity?

"Since you insist on courting death, I'll be happy to oblige."

Li Changhe slowly drew the sword from his waist. An aura surged from him like a tidal wave, causing the expressions of many in the audience to change.

"Draw your sword."

"Didn't you say you'd only use one strike?"

"Let me see just how powerful that one strike of yours is!"

Li Changhe said, his expression cold and detached.

"To deal with you? I don't even need to draw my sword!"

Ye Chen shook his head. His words only made Li Changhe's expression grow darker.

"A casual strike is more than enough to crush you!"

With that, Ye Chen finally moved.

He truly didn't draw his sword. Instead, he simply formed a sword-hand with his fingers and swiped forward.

A tide of Sword Intent!

Having mastered Swordsmanship to such a degree, anything and everything could be a sword in Ye Chen's hands. A casual swipe was, in itself, a devastating Sword Skill.

This nonchalant gesture left many in the crowd with expressions of shocked disbelief.

'How could this kid be so arrogant?'

'Facing Li Changhe, who was armed with a fine sword, he wouldn't even deign to draw his own weapon?'

Li Changhe was enraged.

Ye Chen's actions were, without a doubt, a show of utter contempt!

But as the Sword Qi from Ye Chen's casual swipe rushed toward him, his expression changed drastically.

The Sword Qi didn't look particularly sharp, nor did its aura seem all that intimidating.

Yet to Li Changhe, who faced the Sword Qi head-on, it was like confronting a monstrous, surging flood—utterly impossible to dodge or evade.

Even swinging his sword in response was futile!

It was like a mighty river rushing down upon him. No matter where his Sword Skill landed, it would only part the water for an instant before a new wave surged in to take its place.

In short, any sword strike he made was completely useless.

This one strike—he could neither evade nor counter it!

Immense pressure bore down on Li Changhe. He suddenly realized, 'Have I underestimated this boy?'

But before he could dwell on the thought, the Sword Qi was upon him. Left with no choice, Li Changhe could only raise his sword in a defensive stance.

'He said he would only use one strike!'

'If I can just endure this one strike, I'll still be the winner of this match!'

'After all, in front of all these people, this kid can't possibly go back on his word, right?'

Indeed, Li Changhe's mindset had completely changed.

He had initially dismissed Ye Chen's words, but now that Ye Chen had attacked, he was forced to take them seriously.

Soon, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the drifting Sword Qi shot across the stage and smashed violently against the sword in Li Changhe's hands.

"BOOM!"

The Sword Qi hadn't seemed particularly powerful, but upon impact, it unleashed a shockingly immense force!

In a mere instant, the sword in Li Changhe's hand exploded, shattering into countless fragments that flew in all directions.

Hong Zhi's eyes flew wide, his heart practically stopping in shock.

'You have to understand, Li Changhe's sword was a peak mid-grade Spirit Armament!'

'How could someone not even at the Primordial Mansion Realm possibly destroy a peak mid-grade Spirit Armament? And so completely, at that?'

Before Hong Zhi could even process what was happening,

the Sword Qi, after shattering the sword, continued onward with its power undiminished!

Although Li Changhe had pushed his cultivation to its absolute limit, his protective Spiritual Power was shattered by the Sword Qi, which then carved a massive, bloody gash across his chest.

The wound was carved deep into his flesh. Li Changhe's entire torso was nearly bisected as blood gushed forth. He was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground below the stage.

His once-powerful and sharp aura instantly withered away to nothing.

If Hong Zhi hadn't reacted in a flash, rushing forward and shoving a Healing Elixir into Li Changhe's mouth, he would have barely managed to keep him breathing.

A few more seconds of delay, and Li Changhe would have surely died.

Once again, the entire arena fell silent.

No one, including Li Changhe himself, had ever expected this.

That Ye Chen's casual strike could be so devastatingly powerful!

It had utterly destroyed both Li Changhe and his sword!