The Barbarian Spirit Hall conducts its annual Great Sacrifice rituals, offering demon beasts and Dragon Clan Blood Essence to its tributed ancient god war spirits. Ye Zhen, as the Left Chief Priest, oversees the proceedings, noting the hall's significant priest population and the gradual recovery of the Yutu Barbarian Guardian Battle Spirit and other war spirits. When the ceremony transitions to entertainment, Deputy Hall Master Ba'erlong challenges Ye Zhen to a martial display, intending humiliation. His brother, Ba'erhu, joins in the taunts, prompting Ye Zhen to boldly accept a simultaneous fight against both.
"Do not blame me, Ye, for not offering you a chance. To prevent you from suffering a heavy defeat, you two brothers ought to face me together!"
With a chilling laugh, Ye Zhen rose, positioning himself at the heart of the Barbarian Spirit Hall. He cast a confrontational gaze towards the Ba’erlong and Ba’erhu brothers.
The entirety of the Barbarian Spirit Hall fell into stunned silence at this spectacle.
In the estimation of those present, both the First Deputy Hall Master, Ba’erlong, and the Second Deputy Hall Master, Ba’erhu, possessed formidable combat prowess. For Ye Zhen, whose cultivation was merely at the Sixth Stage of the Divine Communication Realm, merely holding off one of them would be a significant achievement.
Yet, Ye Zhen now audaciously challenged both simultaneously.
Regardless of the outcome, the sheer audacity of this act earned him the admiration of many priests within the Barbarian Spirit Hall.
Truth be told, even without the Ba’erlong brothers' direct challenge, a significant number of priests harbored secret displeasure regarding the Hall Master’s decision to appoint Ye Zhen, a mere Sky Priest, to the esteemed and influential position of Left Chief Priest of the Barbarian Spirit Hall.
Should any of the Moon and Star Priests claim they held no objections, it would be an outright falsehood!
Beneath the surface, dissatisfaction festered, yet no one dared to openly defy the Hall Master’s decree.
Just moments ago, when the Ba’erlong brothers issued their direct challenge, a sense of schadenfreude washed over some of the Moon and Star Priests, anticipating Ye Zhen's public humiliation.
However, Ye Zhen's audacious pronouncement, challenging both adversaries at once, significantly shifted the perception of him among certain Star and Moon Priests who had previously harbored doubts.
If nothing else, his sheer spirit was something an ordinary individual would not possess.
While Ye Zhen's gambit was indeed invigorating, it did cause Princess Changle a measure of apprehension.
Yet, at this juncture, the most discomfited individuals were undoubtedly the Ba’erlong brothers.
With Ye Zhen’s singular remark, he had maneuvered them into a most awkward predicament.
Their initial stratagem involved one of them issuing a challenge to Ye Zhen, defeating him, and thereby publicly shaming him, which in turn would serve to diminish the prestige of both Princess Changle and Ye Zhen within the Barbarian Spirit Hall.
However, Ye Zhen’s unexpected willingness to confront both brothers simultaneously presented them with a significant dilemma.
Individually, one brother stood at the pinnacle of the Ninth Stage of the Realm King Realm, while the other occupied the Eighth Stage. Issuing a challenge to Ye Zhen under such circumstances was already a questionable act, and they had merely seized the pretext of Ye Zhen's occupancy of the Left Chief Priest position.
If they were to jointly attack Ye Zhen as he suggested, it would be an expected victory in the eyes of the assembled priests of the Barbarian Spirit Hall.
Furthermore, failing to secure a decisive victory would be nothing short of embarrassing.
And should they, against all odds, suffer a defeat, the consequences for the two brothers would be dire...
Even though they remained confident in their invincibility,
The most critical factor was that even a combined victory would hold little true significance.
It would not truly humiliate Ye Zhen; rather, it would appear as a cowardly act of overwhelming numbers.
Consequently, it would fail to achieve the objective of undermining Princess Changle and Ye Zhen’s standing.
Conversely, if they refused Ye Zhen’s terms and proceeded with individual duels, it was highly probable that Ye Zhen would once again seize a verbal advantage.
"What, you require deliberation even when facing a two-on-one assault?"
"Are the two Deputy Hall Masters so intimidated by me, Ye Zhen?"
"Do you need me, Ye, to deliberately hold back and fight with but one hand tied?"
Despite the stringent regulations governing the Barbarian Spirit Hall, Ye Zhen’s successive barbs compelled a few priests to suppress chuckles, causing the faces of the Ba’erlong brothers to contort with extreme awkwardness.
Ba’erlong’s eyes blazed with fury, and in that moment, he harbored a fervent desire to tear Ye Zhen asunder.
"Hmph, Ye, Left Chief Priest, you overestimate yourself! To deal with you, I, Ba’erhu, am more than sufficient; there is no necessity for my brother's involvement!" Ba’erhu sneered.
"So, it is but you who will ascend the stage? Then, should you suffer an excessively harsh defeat, do not accuse this Chief Priest of failing to issue a prior warning!" Ye Zhen retorted.
"Hmph, Ye Left Chief Priest, refrain from becoming overly conceited!"
With a disdainful snort, Ba’erhu inclined his head respectfully towards Princess Changle, "Hall Master, I pledge my willingness to engage in a duel with Ye Left Chief Priest and humbly request your esteemed permission!"
"Granted!"
Princess Changle uttered a single word. In this unfolding situation, despite her underlying concern for Ye Zhen, this was the only course of action available to her.
To arbitrarily intervene and halt their duel by virtue of her authority as Hall Master would likely result in a catastrophic decline in both her own and Ye Zhen’s standing and influence!
"Let all present bear witness that this duel has received the Hall Master’s sanction. However, the path of the sword is fraught with peril; once our blades are unsheathed, the very heavens shall tremble. Should the Left Chief Priest Ye sustain any injury, we shall not be held accountable!"
The initial part of Ba’erhu’s declaration was directed towards the assembled priests of the Barbarian Spirit Hall, while the latter portion served as a preemptive disclaimer aimed directly at Ye Zhen.
"Vice Hall Master Ba speaks the truth; swords possess no eyes. When we clash, the very heavens and earth will shift their colors! Therefore, Vice Hall Master Ba, please exercise caution. If you happen to be harmed by my hand, I ask for your forgiveness!" Ye Zhen replied with a chilling chuckle.
"Very well!"
Ba’erhu nodded profoundly, then turned his gaze back to Hall Master Princess Changle. "I request that the Hall Master activate the arena's protective array to avert any unintended damage!"
Upon hearing this, Princess Changle’s divine sense stirred, and a verdant radiance ascended from the center of the Barbarian Spirit Hall. This light coalesced into an impenetrable Guardian Light Screen, enveloping Ye Zhen and Ba’erhu within its confines.
With a subtle shift of her fingers, forming a mystical hand seal, the space within the Barbarian Spirit Hall’s Guardian Light Screen expanded considerably, multiplying tenfold in an instant. The arena's radius swelled from one kilometer to a vast ten kilometers.
A twenty-kilometer expanse was more than adequate for any standard duel.
"Begin!" Ye Zhen declared loudly.
As Ba’erhu nodded, preparing to speak, the voice of his elder brother, Ba’erlong, suddenly resonated from within his Spirit Palace. "Strike with all your might, cast aside all reservations, and seize any opportunity to cripple him! This is a public duel; if his skill is inferior and you happen to cripple him, no one will voice any complaints!"
Ba’erhu offered no verbal reply, merely inclining his head deeply. His eyes suddenly blazed with killing qi, and then he bellowed towards Ye Zhen, "Begin!"
The moment the word "begin" left his lips, Ba’erhu's form blurred into motion, ascending like a majestic eagle. However, instead of charging at Ye Zhen, he retreated towards the periphery of the arena, still within the protective light screen.
As he swiftly withdrew, a burst of Spirit Light erupted, and a bone bow of a dark, chilling hue materialized in Ba’erhu's grasp. With a delicate flick of the bowstring, he made it sing.
Twang!
Ba’erhu’s fingers caressed the bowstring as if tenderly stroking it. The resonant sound produced by the string unleashed an air arrow that shot directly towards Ye Zhen.
The piercing whistle and the sheer force behind it left the fifteen thousand priests observing the duel utterly mesmerized and captivated.
To achieve such power merely by plucking the bowstring; how truly formidable must be the arrow techniques of the Second Deputy Hall Master, Ba’erhu?
Ye Zhen let out a cold laugh. As the Sky Eagle Wind-breaking Eagle behind him unfurled its majestic wings, he rapidly propelled himself towards Ba’erhu.
Nevertheless, Ye Zhen's speed was insufficient to match Ba’erhu's, and the distance between them began to widen discernibly.
Witnessing this development, Ba’erhu let out a sneer!
In the face of his Tiger Soul Bow, Ye Zhen's approach, despite being slower, was akin to willingly walking into his own demise!
Even a seasoned practitioner of the Dao Realm, employing such tactics, could be effectively neutralized through kiting!
With a slight adjustment of his arms, the dark and chilling bone bow was drawn taut, forming a perfect crescent. A shadowy bone arrow was then silently nocked onto it!
Whistle!
A sharp, piercing whistle suddenly pierced the air as Ba’erhu's fingers flickered. Three arrows, arranged in a triangular formation, rushed toward Ye Zhen with incredible speed.
As the trio of bone arrows sliced through the atmosphere, accompanied by roaring waves of Qi, they simultaneously morphed into the visages of tiger heads. Emitting a soul-devouring roar, they hurtled relentlessly towards Ye Zhen!
