“Hahaha…” Both Yu Xiang’s camp and the Tianmen disciples’ camp erupted into laughter simultaneously.
Both sides were confident their champion would thrash the other, and they began mocking and cursing each other.
In the arena, Lin Xiao and Xiahou Lan stepped forward.
Both wore smiles, though one was clearly about to look foolish.
“Hahaha, Lin Xiao, you drew me in the first match! Don’t worry, as a reward, I’ll thrash you so hard you won’t have the strength for the next fight,” Xiahou Lan said, brimming with excitement.
“On the contrary, I’ll go easy on you, let you lose a few more matches, and feel just how weak you are,” Lin Xiao replied with a faint smile.
“Ridiculous! Before a third-level Martial King, you low-cultivation disciples are nothing!”
With that, Xiahou Lan prepared to strike, fully releasing the intimidating aura of a third-level Martial King.
Now, even against someone like Xiahou Lan, he was confident he could easily win.
To avoid repeating Fang Yang’s mistake, unmatched protective vitality surged from Xiahou Lan’s body, tightly shielding his entire form.
Not rushing, he stepped toward Lin Xiao.
The best way to attack a Spirit Controller was from a distance, outside their control range.
Close combat was too dangerous.
But the arena was small, all within a Spirit Controller’s control range, making it equivalent to close combat.
Many sought to quickly attack a Spirit Controller to defeat them, but a rushed charge, if controlled and diverted, meant a missed opportunity.
Lin Xiao’s previous opponent had been defeated that way.
Thus, Xiahou Lan chose to approach Lin Xiao slowly.
A slow approach made it hard for a Spirit Controller to predict the timing of an attack, and it was a good way to counter them, as long as the Spirit Controller’s first move didn’t send him flying.
In Xiahou Lan’s view, Lin Xiao was far from that level.
Of course, this approach was also a provocation to a Spirit Controller, giving Xiahou Lan a chance to counter while also offering the Spirit Controller multiple opportunities to control him.
Surprisingly, even when Xiahou Lan closed to within a yard of Lin Xiao, Lin Xiao still didn’t act, standing motionless, showing no intent to strike.
“Interesting, you still haven’t made a move?”
The two stood facing each other. Xiahou Lan didn’t rush to attack, but his internal power was brewing, his aura steadily intensifying.
“So cautious, looks like you’re not as confident as you claim,” Lin Xiao said with a faint smile. “But I’m very confident, so I’ll let you strike first!”
“Fine, then die!”
With that, Xiahou Lan sprang into action, stepping forward, his right fist thundering toward Lin Xiao with immense force.
“Chh!” Xiahou Lan’s fist was slightly controlled by spiritual power, veering off course.
But Xiahou Lan wasn’t surprised—his lips curled into a smile.
Didn’t Spirit Controllers love to exploit tricks?
This punch was merely a feint. The real attack was in his left hand.
In other words, the right fist was deliberately left for Lin Xiao to control fully, while the left palm was the attack he’d been preparing.
He wanted to utterly crush Lin Xiao, striking hard, leaving no room for tricks.
In the split second after the right fist, Xiahou Lan’s left hand shot out, imbued with the unmatched might of a third-level Martial King, slamming toward Lin Xiao’s chest.
But just as Xiahou Lan smirked, a fist broke through his protective vitality, striking his chest faster than his left hand.
Boom!
As if thunder exploded in Xiahou Lan’s chest, the ferocious force made him spit a large mouthful of blood. His body was sent flying out of the arena, his left-hand strike missing entirely, the terrifying force seeming to shatter the void.
Jia Chao and others, waiting for a good show, froze in shock.
A third-level Martial King, Xiahou Lan, defeated in one move—what was going on?
Yu Xiang’s body stiffened. She’d expected Xiahou Lan to dominate Lin Xiao, but instead, Xiahou Lan was defeated, sent flying in one move…
She couldn’t accept it. Could Lin Xiao’s strength really rival a third-level Martial King?
Yu Xiang felt dazed, not even considering how Xiahou Lan was defeated, only grappling with the fact that Xiahou Lan had lost to Lin Xiao.
“Hahaha, weak, absolutely pathetic, sent flying in one move…”
“I knew it! That Xiahou Lan’s nothing but a fart, hahaha…”
The Tianmen disciples roared with laughter, sinking Yu Xiang and her group’s faces to new lows. They’d been slapped in the face again.
Others watching Arena Ten were surprised, having seen Xiahou Lan’s strike veer off, followed by Lin Xiao’s punch sending him flying.
“Didn’t expect a Spirit Controller’s vitality attack to be so strong. Even a third-level Martial King suffered against him. Controlling the opponent’s attack to miss while striking with the other hand leaves no defence. Even a third-level Martial King can’t withstand an unguarded hit from a first-level Martial King!” someone explained.
“Spirit Controllers sure have varied tactics. Cultivating both vitality and spirit, in this limited arena, it’s easy to toss opponents out.”
“Probably only works in a confined arena. Outside, against absolute strength, they’d quickly fall and be defeated by Xiahou Lan.”
“Didn’t you notice? His vitality seems strong too. How else could he easily break Xiahou Lan’s vitality defence and send him flying?”
“An unblocked attack—even a third-level Martial King’s vitality shield struggles to fully block a first-level Martial King’s strike. And after hitting Xiahou Lan, he likely used spiritual power to fling him out.”
“I see. This confined arena is truly a Spirit Controller’s domain. Close combat is too dangerous for them!”
The crowd sighed and speculated. Some marvelled at Lin Xiao’s strength, others pitied Xiahou Lan, a third-level Martial King who hadn’t unleashed his full power before being tricked and tossed out.
After all, they weren’t Spirit Controllers and even felt this victory wasn’t entirely based on strength.
But rules were rules. A loss was a loss. Even if Xiahou Lan had a thousand grievances, it was no use.
