"Defeat me?"
A cold laugh came from Yin Cangxiao, and just as his body was about to leave the arena, he twisted forcefully in midair and brought himself to a stop.
"Huang Tianlin, I’ll admit you’re a bit stronger than Drunken Monk." He spat bloody saliva onto the ground. "No wonder you took second place in the Heaven’s Chosen Assembly." A sinister smile spread slowly across his face. "Unfortunately, if this is all you’ve got, beating me is still nothing but a dream."
Boom!
His aura surged without warning, and the power radiating from him jumped by nearly fifty percent in an instant, because he had been holding back from the very start.
The next moment, Yin Cangxiao struck out with another palm, and terrifying frost energy erupted from it. Huang Tianlin’s expression changed sharply.
Bang!
The icy palm force slammed into him. Blood immediately leaked from the corner of his mouth as he staggered backward.
"Hehehe."
Yin Cangxiao laughed with an ugly edge to his voice.
"Huang Tianlin, do you know what kind of people I hate most?" His expression twisted as he spoke. "People like you. People who have talent and background at the same time."
His laughter grew increasingly unsteady. "Why do people like you never have to worry about resources? Why are you born holding everything that ordinary cultivators spend their whole lives fighting for? People like me crawl up from the bottom and risk our lives over and over, and after all of it, we can still end up standing beneath someone like you. I refuse to accept that."
His eyes turned more and more crazed.
"Huang Tianlin, people like you look down from above and can’t even be bothered to spare someone like me a glance. But today I’m going to humiliate you in front of everyone. I’ll make you kneel before me and strip away every shred of dignity you have."
His palm suddenly swept downward.
"Today, you kneel."
The attack aimed straight at Huang Tianlin’s knees, and the spectators’ expressions changed at once.
"This is going too far."
"Losing is one thing, but if Yin Cangxiao forces him to kneel in public, this whole matter turns into something enormous."
"Someone has to stop him."
Just as the palm was about to land, a cold voice cut through the arena.
"You’ve gone far enough."
Whoosh!
A white-robed figure appeared on the stage. It was Li Yun, and his expression was cold as he raised one hand without hesitation and intercepted Yin Cangxiao’s palm.
Bang!
The two palms collided, and the icy energy wrapped around Yin Cangxiao was forcefully scattered.
Li Yun’s eyes grew noticeably colder. Yin Cangxiao had not simply wanted to win. He had wanted to force Huang Tianlin onto his knees in front of hundreds of people and shatter his martial heart on purpose, and the intent behind that was vicious.
"Are you alright?"
Li Yun glanced at Yin Cangxiao, then turned to Huang Tianlin and helped him steady himself.
"I’m fine."
Huang Tianlin shook his head, though his eyes were ice cold. What had just happened was without question the greatest humiliation he had suffered since he began cultivating. He was the Ninth Prince of the Profound Sovereign Dynasty, yet he had come within a breath of kneeling before another cultivator with hundreds of witnesses watching.
Had that actually happened, Yin Cangxiao would certainly have faced disastrous consequences, but Huang Tianlin himself might have been ruined as well.
The Profound Sovereign Dynasty ruled an enormous portion of the Northern Territory and had always guarded its imposing reputation, and the imperial family would never allow a prince who had publicly knelt to someone else to keep representing them.
Even with Azure Emperor’s favor, political pressure might have forced the emperor to strip him of his position, and depending on how things unfolded, he might even have lost his life.
Because of that, he understood perfectly well that Li Yun had not merely defended his dignity. Li Yun had quite possibly saved his entire future, which was an enormous favor.
"Huang Tianlin, leave the rest to me."
Li Yun patted his shoulder lightly. He had not originally intended to interfere in the fight at all, but Yin Cangxiao’s behavior had crossed a line.
The path of cultivation was brutal, and countless people fought over limited resources, opportunities, and inheritances, yet a cultivator still needed principles. Trying to destroy another person’s martial heart out of nothing more than jealousy was something Li Yun despised.
"Leave it to you?"
Yin Cangxiao suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha. What perfect timing. I was already planning to deal with you next, and here you are delivering yourself straight to me." He stared at Li Yun with open hostility. "Li Yun, I may have failed to make Huang Tianlin kneel, but crippling you will more than make up for it. Today I’ll prove to everyone that your so-called prosperous generation is nothing but a pile of trash."
Li Yun looked back at him calmly.
"One move."
Yin Cangxiao paused.
"What did you say?"
"I said I only need one move to beat you."
For a moment Yin Cangxiao simply stared at him, and then he broke into laughter.
"Li Yun, have you completely lost your mind? What gives you the confidence to say something like that? Even Huang Tianlin was nowhere near my match, and you’re still at the Heavenly Core Realm. What kind of storm do you think you can stir up?" His expression turned ferocious. "If anyone here should be saying those words, it’s me."
He surged forward.
"One palm is all it takes to finish you."
Boom!
Bone-piercing cold poured out of his body, and the arena froze over rapidly as thick ice spread across the ground and waves of freezing air rolled past the edges of the stage. The cultivators standing closest immediately backed away, and only a small number of the stronger spectators held their positions.
Yin Cangxiao turned into a streak of silver light and appeared in front of Li Yun in an instant, and once again his palm aimed for the knee, because he intended to repeat exactly what he had tried against Huang Tianlin.

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