Chapter 460: Chapter 251: Defeated

"This boy and I share a bond of fate!"

On the viewing platform, Elder Gong Shu chuckled, entertaining the idea of taking Sun Tao as his disciple.

Elder Huoyun said nothing. He already had Xu Yang, and that was enough. While no one would turn down another good disciple, he couldn’t hog all of them for himself.

Elder Tie Fu also remained silent. He already had Lu Ren, so he couldn’t covet Sun Tao either.

Yue Zhong simply smiled, saying nothing.

"Who he takes as a master is not for you to decide."

Elder Wufeng, one of the four great elders of Li Fire Peak, snorted. He, too, had his sights set on taking Sun Tao as a disciple.

Sun Tao looked like a late bloomer, and he couldn’t let Elder Gong Shu get such a steal.

"Then let him choose for himself. Your skills, Wufeng, are fine for making farm tools. But when it comes to forging Forged Soldiers, you’re a long way off," Elder Gong Shu snorted back.

...

On the arena platform, all eyes were on Sun Tao.

"Sun Tao is victorious! He replaces Han Feng as ninth on the Ten Heroes List. All rewards will be distributed once the ranking competition has concluded!" Yang Yuanzhou announced.

"Yes!" Sun Tao cupped his fist, then turned and leaped from the arena platform.

Although Han Feng was loath to accept his defeat, he knew it was a lost cause. He cupped his fist toward Yang Yuanzhou and said, "I wish to challenge Xiong Kun."

Xiong Kun’s face fell. He never expected that instead of him challenging Han Feng, Han Feng would be the one to challenge him. He’d become the easy target in everyone’s eyes.

Yang Yuanzhou nodded. "Go down and recover for now."

"Senior Brother Sun, congratulations!" Xu Yang stepped forward to offer his congratulations.

The excitement on Sun Tao’s face was still palpable as he exclaimed, "I never thought a day like this would come for me. It’s incredible."

There was a time when he could only watch with envy from below as Xu Yang dominated the arena. Today, it was finally his turn.

He still wasn’t as dazzling as Xu Yang, but at least now they stood on the same platform.

"Brother Sun, that was a stunning victory. My sincerest congratulations," Jiang Fan added, stepping forward.

Xiong Kun’s face was grim. He had a feeling that in this Ten Heroes List ranking, just like last time, he’d be knocked off before his seat was even warm. He and Lu Ren were on a similar level, but no one wanted to get on the wrong side of Lu Ren because of his Forged Soldier talent. So, they all singled him out for their challenges.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Sun, for holding back."

Lu Ren walked over, cupping his fist solemnly.

His ranking was even higher than Han Feng’s, but he hadn’t achieved this rank due to his strength, but because of his Forged Soldier talent.

Sun Tao could have defeated him just as he had defeated Han Feng, but Sun Tao hadn’t challenged him, clearly still respecting their shared history from Weiyuan Hall.

Sun Tao shook his head. "You still call me Senior Brother. How could I challenge you?"

Lu Ren had betrayed Zhang Yong and Jiang Ping, but he had never wronged Sun Tao. Later, when Lu Ren killed the Five Tigers of Profound Saber to avenge Jiang Ping, Sun Tao’s opinion of him had softened.

Besides, as a Senior Brother, from his days in Weiyuan Hall to his time in the Purple Sun Sect, he had always been exemplary. Even someone like Xu Yang always held him in high regard.

Soon, Xiong Kun mounted the platform to face Xie Zhan. After a fierce battle of over a hundred techniques, Xie Zhan, just as in his Outer Disciple days, was no match for Xiong Kun and was blasted off the platform.

"Han Feng, get up here and fight!"

After a brief recovery, Xiong Kun roared, his voice booming like thunder.

Han Feng took a deep breath and, with a single step, seemed to tear through the air, landing on the platform.

"Fight!"

It wasn’t their first time fighting. Without wasting words, they immediately clashed.

Surging Gang Qi flooded the entire arena, and the two looked as if they were battling to the death in a sea of blood.

For both of them, there was no turning back!

Defeat meant falling off the Ten Heroes List and losing the Sect’s dedicated resources. So, compared to their previous bouts, both were fighting with everything they had.

Xiong Kun was built like a bear, his body tempered to incredible strength. Every punch and palm strike was immensely powerful, the epitome of raw, unyielding force.

Han Feng had a slighter build, but his strength was no less than Xiong Kun’s.

He wasn’t as desperate as Xiong Kun. His every technique was steady and methodical. They had fought several times before, and Han Feng had won every time, giving him the psychological edge. He was confident he could defeat Xiong Kun and claim the tenth spot.

After dozens of exchanges, Xiong Kun grew visibly anxious from his inability to land a decisive blow. His techniques, while fiercer, had lost their composure.

’Here’s my chance!’

As Xiong Kun’s rhythm fell into disarray, Han Feng became even more composed.

After dozens more exchanges, he found an opening. With one sword strike, he tore through Xiong Kun’s Protective Gang Qi, leaving a vicious wound on his body.

Han Feng sheathed his sword, stepped aside, and cupped his fist. "Thank you for the match."

"I haven’t lost! I can still fight."

Xiong Kun’s eyes were bloodshot. He used his Gang Qi to stop the bleeding, still wanting to fight.

He couldn’t accept it. Both times he’d squeezed his way onto the Ten Heroes List, he was pushed off before his seat was even warm.

"That’s just brutal," Lu Ren whispered.

Anyone in his shoes would feel the same.

The others also looked at Xiong Kun with sympathy. If not for the unexpected appearance of the dark horse Sun Tao, Xiong Kun’s strength would have surely secured him the tenth spot on the Ten Heroes List.

"I was already holding back," Han Feng frowned.

The reason Xiong Kun could still fight was entirely because Han Feng hadn’t used a fatal blow. Otherwise, that sword strike wouldn’t have just cut his flesh; it could have sliced open his internal organs.

"Get down!" Yang Yuanzhou snorted.

The Elder had spoken. No matter how indignant Xiong Kun was, he didn’t dare press the issue and had no choice but to leap resentfully from the platform.

"Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge a disciple on the Ten Heroes List?"

Yang Yuanzhou called out in a clear voice, but no disciple made a sound.

Yang Yuanzhou spoke again, "Next, the ranking challenges will begin."

At these words, a jolt of excitement went through the crowd. The Ten Heroes ranking challenges—the real battle was about to begin.

Li Chuyang transformed into a silver flash, landing instantly on the arena platform. His aura vibrated through the platform, causing it to hum. His sharp gaze swept over Xu Yang and Jiang Fan as he declared in a stern voice, "Jiang Fan, get up here and fight!"

Between Xu Yang and Jiang Fan, he chose to challenge Jiang Fan first.

Of course, his rank was higher than Xu Yang’s, and according to the rules, he couldn’t challenge someone ranked below him.

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