"I accept."

After a prolonged silence within the great hall, the State Preceptor's voice finally rang out.

"Alas..." From somewhere, a sigh was heard.

"Yuan Ming is truly seeking his own death! I fear that after today, the 'Southern Travel Chronicles' will become a thing of the past."

"Why must it come to this, why oh why."

"Brother Ming, have you thought this through? Are you really going to do this? There's still time to back out, I can..." The Emperor was cut off before he could finish.

"Trust me." Yuan Ming said with a smile, subtly winking at the Emperor.

The Emperor paused for a moment, then remained silent.

Yuan Ming's response also blocked any words of persuasion that General Yuan wished to say.

Despite his worries, he had no choice but to trust, trusting that his son had a reliable basis for his actions.

Soon, the State Preceptor and Yuan Ming signed a life-and-death agreement in the Taian Palace.

The crowd moved to the plaza outside the great hall, where the imperial guard had already cleared the area, leaving enough space for their duel.

"Now that the life-and-death agreement is signed, no one can intervene in your duel until the outcome of... life or death is determined. Afterward, regardless of the results, neither party, nor their families and sects, may seek revenge in any form." The Emperor, revealing his imperial majesty for once, stood on the central platform and announced loudly.

After speaking, he looked toward the old emperor, the white-haired old crone from Bailuo Manor, and Fairy Luoshui beside him.

They were the most prominent witnesses to this duel.

Fairy Luoshui said with regret, "What a pity, a mayfly shaking a tree!"

However, the old emperor said, "The sons of Jin Country should be so, not dishonoring the name of a tiger born of a general."

Having spoken, the three exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.

"The duel begins." The Emperor raised his hand with a command.

Yuan Ming and the State Preceptor, Master Yu Hu, entered the center of the plaza, standing ten paces apart, facing each other.

"You can still admit defeat now. I can spare your life, but you should no longer harbor dreams of entering Chang Chun Temple, for a rotten wood cannot be sculpted." Master Yu Hu looked at Yuan Ming and spoke indifferently.

Yuan Ming did not speak but simply extended his hand, gesturing an invitation with a "please" posture.

"Since you're courting death, don't blame this State Preceptor for being merciless!" Master Yu Hu's eyes glinted coldly, and his sleeves fluttered.

A bright red light flashed, and three thick fire snakes emerged from his sleeves, each two to three zhang long with vivid scales, looking as lifelike as real pythons. They twisted and lunged towards Yuan Ming.

"Mid-tier Fire Snake Skill?" Yuan Ming showed no sign of panic. A blue light flashed by his hand, and he raised the Shuiyun Banner.

He no longer concealed his cultivation. The powerful mana of the Foundation Establishment Realm infused the Shuiyun Banner, which expanded several times in the wind, wrapping around his body. A thick layer of blue mist emerged on its surface, suddenly filling the area within several zhang with dense water vapor.

The three fire snakes hit the Shuiyun Banner, erupting into three massive explosions.

The water vapor around the Shuiyun Banner was blasted away, and the banner trembled violently, but it quickly stabilized, and the blue mist promptly recovered.

"This... is Foundation Establishment cultivation!"

"Yuan Ming is already a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Has he only been cultivating for three years?"

"What exactly happened during his time in the Southern Border?"

"It's such a pity that Chang Chun Temple missed out on such a talented individual."

Fairy Luoshui, the white-haired old crone from Bailuo Manor, and the other cultivators were in an uproar, discussing animatedly, with some even taking pleasure in the tumult.

Yuan Zuochong stood rooted to the spot, slightly relieved, and then cursed softly, "The boy, he even kept his own father in the dark."

Though he was scolding, anyone could hear the excitement and agitation in his voice.

The Emperor's eyes shone brightly, happily clapping his hands in approval.

Master Yu Hu also showed a look of shock on his face and a flicker of regret passed through his heart, but it soon turned into a cold killing intent.

If previously he had held back because of his status, merely intending to cripple the opponent's cultivation to satisfy both Liu Tianming and the Imperial Family, it turned out that Yuan Ming had concealed his cultivation by some means and reached Foundation Establishment in just three years! Now that things had come to this point, he could not leave Yuan Ming alive, or it would lead to endless trouble!

Whilst thoughts whirled in his mind, he pinched a spell with both hands, casting several spells around him.

"Hula"

A red pillar of light suddenly surged around him, shooting straight into the sky and exploding in the air, rapidly spreading out to form a fire cloud around ten zhang in size, appearing exceptionally bright red.

"The State Preceptor's trump card, the Fire Cloud Secret Technique, seems like he doesn't want Yuan Ming to leave here alive!" The Emperor's heart sank with a thump, his lips parting, about to use Chang Chun Temple's transmission skill to warn Yuan Ming.

"Since they have agreed to a fair fight, it would be best for you not to interfere." A voice transmitted to his ear.

The Emperor's expression stiffened, and he had no choice but to give up on transmitting the message.

General Yuan stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the plaza, his fists clenched tightly.

Yuan Ming, despite not knowing what Divine Skills Master Yu Hu was using, had survived life-and-death situations in the Southern Border and even took part in the siege of Biluo Cave. Having fought against Foundation Establishment Cultivators more than once while still in the Qi Refinement Realm, he was well-versed in combat tactics and naturally wouldn't let his opponent act unchecked.

His hands seemingly grasped the emptiness before him.

Sundry magic artifacts were launched in succession from his release, notably the Cold Star Sword, the Nine-Ring Gold Saber, and Wushan Claw – an array of Mid-grade Magical Artifacts.

After advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, his Divine Soul Power surged, further enhanced by the Moonlight Technique, making him increasingly adept at simultaneously manipulating multiple magic artifacts in coordinated attacks.

These artifacts formed a flood of dazzling colors that surged directly towards Master Yu Hu.

Under the cover of the myriad artifacts' brilliance, the Black Needle Magical Artifact transformed into a fine shadow, silently looping around to directly target Master Yu Hu's back.

Master Yu Hu's expression remained unchanged as his palms, encased in red light, crossed each other in front of his body.

The churning Fire Cloud in mid-air roared like thunder, and suddenly, more than a dozen water droplet-shaped fireballs the size of fists shot down from the sky, striking the area around him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

All the fireballs burst simultaneously, forming a large ring of flames around him, impermeable like a barrier, repelling not only the Cold Star Sword and Nine-Ring Gold Saber but even the Black Needle Magical Artifact.

The ground below was also affected; the thick Green Stone tiles were shattered, and the ground was gouged out deeply, kicking up dust and debris.

Yuan Ming's face showed surprise, with a hint of inexplicable fervor deep in his eyes.

A cold smile played upon Master Yu Hu's lips as he raised one hand and swiftly pointed a finger towards Yuan Ming's location.

The rumbling Fire Cloud in the sky fired down another dozen or so massive fireballs, even faster than before, sealing off all Yuan Ming's potential escape routes.

Yuan Ming felt a terrifying wave of heat and Spiritual Pressure assaulting him, almost suffocating him.

But he didn't dodge. His hand gestures changed rapidly, and the Shuiyun Banner around him shone with a bright blue light, and the Eight Diagrams Ancient Mirror was also raised, rapidly spreading a layer of golden light around him, adding another defense.

He had just finished these preparations when the dozen or so fireballs had already arrived, striking the golden barrier.

One after another, earth-shattering explosions erupted!

The surging red flames shot upward and then formed into a black and red Fire Cloud that enveloped everything nearby.

Master Yu Hu's cheeks were slightly pale, indicating that the recent spell casting had consumed a considerable amount of his Mana, but his lips curled into a cold smirk nonetheless.

His Fire Cloud Secret Technique was tremendously powerful, and his last strike was delivered with full force; even a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator would hesitate to face its edge head-on, let alone Yuan Ming, who had just stepped into the early stages of Foundation Establishment.

However, the next moment, Master Yu Hu's smile froze.

His Divine Sense detected that amidst the raging red flames, Yuan Ming's presence was still there, and he seemed to have suffered little damage.

"This is impossible!"

Master Yu Hu hastened to cast another spell as the Fire Cloud in the sky started churning once more.

However, before he could make another move, the ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked open and several thick, purplish-black vines shot up, stabbing towards his body like spears and halberds.

While taken aback, Master Yu Hu managed to stay composed. With a flip of his hand, he summoned a yellow umbrella, which flew above his head and opened with a "whirr," spinning continuously.

Layers of pale yellow light cascaded from the umbrella like a waterfall, quickly forming a cylindrical barrier around him.

The purplish-black vines struck the yellow barrier only to be deflected effortlessly, not even causing a tremor in the light.

Among the red flames, Yuan Ming wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixated on the high-grade defensive umbrella.

The Eight Diagrams Ancient Mirror at his feet was shattered to pieces, landing on the ground, its spirit extinguished. The Shuiyun Banner was still present but its light dimmed significantly, showing signs of serious damage.

When the Eight Diagrams Mirror was destroyed, he decisively raised the black inkstone magical artifact along with the Shuiyun Banner to withstand the assault, otherwise he doubted he could have withstood the barrage of Bursting Fireballs.

Yuan Ming slapped the ground with both hands, emitting a bright green light from his palms.

The ground around Master Yu Hu cracked in all directions, as thick purple vines sprouted out, wrapping layer upon layer around the yellow barrier that surrounded Master Yu Hu.

In a few breaths, Master Yu Hu, along with the barrier, was completely covered and submerged by the surging vines.

Dozens of feet under the ground, right beneath Master Yu Hu, lay a Vine Man half-reclining there—it was Hua Zhi.

Yuan Ming had instructed Hua Zhi to sneak underground even before the succession ceremony, using the Wood Concealment Skill to hide its presence and move deep underground, lying in wait right beneath Master Yu Hu.

"Master, I alone am enough to deal with this old Taoist!" Hua Zhi declared arrogantly.

"Shut up!"

Yuan Ming once again took control of his array of magic artifacts, targeting not Master Yu Hu but the Fire Cloud in the sky.

Master Yu Hu's face revealed a touch of surprise as he hastened his hand signs towards the sky.

The Fire Cloud surged once more, releasing nearly twenty more fireballs, half of which met the flying artifacts head-on, and the other half bombarded the ground.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" thunderous roars erupted.

A vast expanse of red flames flared in mid-air, sending the Cold Star Sword and other artifacts flying once more, with the Wushan Claw even being blasted to pieces, utterly destroyed.

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