Divine King of Honour

Xu Nian had not expected that he'd manage to put on such a big show without even taking the stage.

A single sentence from Dugu Jingcheng proved to be more useful than defeating ten Qin Tians.

"Whoosh!"

Before Elder Song Heng could make an announcement, Zhao Yan had already leapt onto the Battle Platform.

Then he roared at Qinglin Academy's ready area, "Xu Nian, get the hell out here; I've been irritated by you for a long time."

Zhao Yan's voice was especially loud, enough to shake the entire venue.

The audience became excited; Dugu Jingcheng had just mentioned that Xu Nian was the number one Sword Dao talent of East Field County, and now Zhao Yan was directly challenging him—how could they not be thrilled?

"Hey, do you guys think Xu Nian really is that amazing at swordsmanship?"

"Whether he is or not, we'll find out soon enough, but I don't think he's necessarily a match for Zhao Yan."

"I think so too. Zhao Yan's control over fire is really impressive, and I heard he's also an Artifact Master!"

"Really? The status of an Artifact Master is high. Even a Little Artifact Refiner is treated as an honored guest in a family, and if one becomes a Great Artifact Master, that's truly remarkable. Even the Lord Governor would treat them with great respect upon meeting them. Zhao Yan has a limitless future ahead!"

...

The audience continued to buzz, all of them admiring Zhao Yan's status as an Artifact Master.

Prefectural Governor Chen Tiansheng also had a high opinion of Zhao Yan; in fact, even if Zhao Yan didn't make it into the top eight, simply based on his status as an Artifact Master, he would have absorbed him into the Battle Mansion.

This showed just how revered the status of an Artifact Master was, and it was for this reason that Zhao Yan had developed his arrogant demeanor.

Xu Nian let out a cold laugh and slowly made his way to the Battle Platform.

To others, the status of an Artifact Master might be prestigious, but to Xu Nian it meant nothing because he himself was an Artifact Master.

Xu Nian walked leisurely onto the Battle Platform and finally stood ten meters away from Zhao Yan, looking at him with disdain.

"Kid, draw your sword. Isn't your swordsmanship supposed to be very impressive? Let's see how many of my moves you can withstand," Zhao Yan said arrogantly, flipping his palm and conjuring a ball of flame in his hand.

Controlling fire is a basic ability for an Artifact Master, whether it's through using Spiritual Sense or practicing unique Spiritual Formulas, a strong mastery over flames is required.

"If you want me to draw my sword, let's see if you're worthy," Xu Nian said with a smile, his eyes filled with a playful glint.

The audience thought Xu Nian was being arrogant, daring to speak to Zhao Yan like that.

"You're asking for death!" Zhao Yan yelled in anger, waving his hand and turning the flames into a fireball that hurtled towards Xu Nian.

The fireball was scorching hot, with an extremely high temperature; being hit by it would surely result in serious injuries.

Yet Xu Nian stood still, indifferent, allowing the fireball to come at him.

"What is he doing, why isn't he defending? Is he seeking death?" The audience was confused and puzzled, not understanding why Xu Nian didn't draw his sword.

Dean Leng Yanran also frowned from the high platform, unsure of Xu Nian's intentions.

Zhao Yan, however, sneered, thinking that Xu Nian had been scared by his offensive.

Just when everyone thought the fireball would hit Xu Nian, the fireball bizarrely stopped right in front of him.

"How... how is that possible?" The entire audience showed shocked expressions, not understanding why the fireball had suddenly stopped.

Zhao Yan was stunned as well; he was astonished to find that he had lost control over the fireball.

"What's going on?" Zhao Yan wondered to himself.

"I forgot to tell you all, but actually, besides being a Sword Cultivator, I'm also an Artifact Master," Xu Nian said with a slight smile, extending a finger. Following his gesture, the fireball transformed into a fire snake that began to coil around his fingertip.

"Artifact Master? Am I hearing things right?"

"You didn't mishear, because I heard it too. I truly didn't expect this Xu Nian to also be an Artifact Master."

"It's over, Zhao Yan is really finished now. With Xu Nian also being an Artifact Master, how can the duel continue?"

...

The audience on the field was in an uproar, shocked by Xu Nian's identity as an Artifact Master and at the same time, they felt sympathy for Zhao Yan.

At the same time, on the high platform, Chen Tiansheng turned to Leng Yanran with a smile and asked, "Dean Leng, you've really kept this hidden well. You didn't even reveal that Xu Nian had an identity as an Artifact Master."

Leng Yanran gave an awkward smile without speaking, feeling speechless inside.

She had only just found out about Xu Nian's status as an Artifact Master. She could never have imagined that Xu Nian was also an Artifact Master.

At this moment, Zhao Yan's face turned ashen, as if someone had slapped him hard across the face.

Being an Artifact Master was his pride, but now he had been blatantly humiliated by Xu Nian. How could he not be furious?

"I want you dead!" Zhao Yan roared, motioning with both hands. Two fireballs were hurled towards Xu Nian.

Xu Nian waved his sleeve, and the fireballs were all absorbed by him. With a thought, the fireballs transformed into a giant flaming sword.

"Here, have it back!"
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With a cold snort from Xu Nian, the giant flaming sword flew towards Zhao Yan.

The scorching heat forced Zhao Yan to retreat several steps back. Finally, clenching his teeth, he punched towards the giant flaming sword.

"Boom!"

Fire splashed in all directions, and Zhao Yan was sent flying backward, crashing down ten meters away.

His fist was charred black, and the pain was intense. His hair and eyebrows were also singed off a good amount, making him look like a disheveled beggar.

Everyone was stunned. Zhao Yan was always the one controlling the flames, making others look wretched, but who had ever seen him so miserably affected by his own fire?

For a moment, everyone's view of Xu Nian turned to one of admiration. In all three appearances, Xu Nian had brought them surprises.

"This can't be, this can't be..." Zhao Yan couldn't believe he was losing, his eyes filled with intense unwillingness.

"Admit defeat, you're no match for me," Xu Nian said with a smile.

Others might fear flame attacks, but as an Artifact Master, he naturally had no fear. Thus Zhao Yan's tactics were ineffective against him.

"No, I absolutely won't lose!" Zhao Yan was extremely unwilling, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot. The next moment, his aura became incredibly violent and the surrounding spiritual energy began to converge on him.

"Is he going to… break through?" the audience exclaimed in shock.

Zhao Yan actually chose to break through to the Silver Moon Battle Sect at this moment. A breakthrough during a battle was a big taboo!

Zhao Yan's decision to break through now was definitely because he was pushed to the brink.

"Xu Nian, today, no matter what, I will make you lose!" Behind Zhao Yan, his hair flew wildly as spiritual energy continued to gather into his body, and his cultivation surged to the realm of the Silver Moon Battle Sect, making his aura become incredibly formidable.

Xu Nian saw this and just smiled nonchalantly, looking at Zhao Yan and saying, "Go ahead and break through, a salted fish that turns over is still a salted fish!"

"Pfft!" Overcome with rage, Zhao Yan spat out a mouthful of blood.

...

ps: The third update for today, I hope everyone will favorite more! Thank you all!