Compared to the others, Nangong Yifan remained remarkably calm. Even surrounded by five opponents, he maintained an air of nonchalance, the contempt in his expression undiminished.
He didn’t even glance at the four encircling him. Instead, his gaze fell on a figure among the Ancestral Martial Starfield juniors.
It was Chu Feng.
“Chu Feng, aren’t you joining them?” Nangong Yifan asked.
“If you want to face me, I’ll indulge you another day,” Chu Feng replied. Though he sounded confident, Chu Feng was inwardly distressed.
Having consumed the divine tree seed, a conflict had erupted between his bloodline power and the seed, indirectly suppressing his cultivation.
Chu Feng was, after all, a Third Rank Venerable. Even if he could only recover to Second Rank Venerable, he would dare to challenge Nangong Yifan.
In Chu Feng’s view, Nangong Yifan’s strength was inferior to Linghu Hongfei’s.
But alas, with his cultivation suppressed and both the Queen and Yu Sha in secluded training, Chu Feng had no means to contend with Nangong Yifan.
Stepping forward rashly would only lead to a pointless beating.
Chu Feng wasn’t afraid of being mocked; it would simply be futile.
“Hahaha…”
As expected, upon hearing Chu Feng’s words, Nangong Yifan burst into mocking laughter.
“I heard you fought Linghu Hongfei to a draw, sharing the title of the Ancestral Martial Starfield’s greatest genius.”
“I thought you had some skill, but you’ve been cowering behind this bunch of trash, too scared to face me?”
“Could it be that you’re just like them—a useless nobody who can only show off in a chess formation?”
Nangong Yifan relentlessly taunted Chu Feng, clearly trying to goad him into fighting.
He repeatedly mentioned the chess formation, revealing that Chu Feng’s dominance there was the root of his resentment.
“Nangong Yifan, I’ve said it before—you’re not worthy of facing Chu Feng.”
“Unless you can defeat us first,” Wuming Yuanzhi declared.
“Hahaha…”
At this, Nangong Yifan burst into laughter again, this time with unrestrained arrogance and disdain.
Suddenly, his laughter ceased, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
“If you want to humiliate yourselves, I’ll oblige.”
“But this time, I won’t waste any more time.”
With that, Nangong Yifan flicked his wrist, and a massive weapon appeared in his hand—a halberd.
The weapon, ten metres long and gleaming gold, was exquisitely crafted.
This was no ordinary incomplete Venerable Armament. Its quality surpassed those wielded by Kong Ci, Wuming Yuanzhi, and the others.
With this halberd in hand, Nangong Yifan’s combat power surged.
Swish—
Swish—
Swish—
The next moment, the halberd swept through the air, unleashing golden crescent blades in five directions.
Almost simultaneously, Kong Ci, Long Ning, Xian Yun, Wuming Yuanzhi, and Wuming Xiongmou responded, their weapons flashing as they attacked.
In the blink of an eye, the five against one had begun.
But to everyone’s shock…
The battle, which many had pinned high hopes on, held no suspense.
After just a few exchanges, Kong Ci, Long Ning, Xian Yun, Wuming Yuanzhi, and Wuming Xiongmou were all sent flying, crashing to the ground.
Not only were they sprawled on the ground, but their bodies bore bloodied wounds.
All five were injured!!!
At this moment, everyone was stunned, even Lord Shoujian’s face grave.
They had considered that these five Ancestral Martial Starfield geniuses might not defeat Nangong Yifan, even together.
But no one expected them to lose so quickly, so miserably.
Even the onlookers couldn’t accept this outcome, let alone these five prodigies, who were used to being revered and admired.
At this moment, Kong Ci, Long Ning, Xian Yun, Wuming Yuanzhi, and Wuming Xiongmou were dazed, their gazes flickering, unable to accept the result.
All their pride, all their glory, had been shattered.
Before this, they had nearly all challenged Nangong Yifan at some point.
Though he had always refused, they never truly believed they were inferior.
But now they understood why Nangong Yifan had dismissed them—the gap between them was indeed vast.
They were simply no match for him.
Even with the same realm and similar techniques, despite having all the advantages Nangong Yifan had, they were on an entirely different level.
They had considered the possibility of defeat, but never imagined it would be so crushing.
Nangong Yifan, however, paid no heed to the feelings of these five geniuses. With a contemptuous smile, he walked over to Wuming Yuanzhi.
“The others, I can spare.”
“But you must pay for your actions.”
Swish—
With that, Nangong Yifan raised his halberd, poised to pierce Wuming Yuanzhi’s body.
Buzz—
But the halberd, once raised, couldn’t descend. A powerful force restrained Nangong Yifan.
It was Lord Shoujian.
“Young friend Nangong Yifan, this is a spar—stop at the appropriate point.”
“You must lose with grace and win with honour. To take a life under the guise of a spar is not the act of a gentleman,” Lord Shoujian said.
“Are you shielding him?” Nangong Yifan asked coldly, showing no respect for Lord Shoujian from start to finish.
“I’m not shielding anyone, but upholding the rules of this place,” Lord Shoujian replied.
“Very well.” Nangong Yifan snorted coldly, then looked at Wuming Yuanzhi. “Remember, someone may protect you now, but no one can protect you forever.”
“In the eyes of the Ancestral Martial Starfield, your Wuming Clan may hold some status, but to me, Nangong Yifan, you’re nothing but an ant.”
With that, Nangong Yifan withdrew his halberd.
At this moment, the fiery armour on his body began to dissipate.
It wasn’t his doing—the armour was fading on its own.
As it vanished, Nangong Yifan’s aura dropped from Fifth Rank Venerable back to Fourth Rank Venerable, his face slightly pale.
Though he had relied on the treasure to boost his cultivation by one rank, it was, after all, a treasure, not his own power.
Such treasures had limited durations and often came with side effects.
In fact, not only Nangong Yifan but also Wuming Yuanzhi and the others saw their cultivation begin to wane. The treasures they used to boost their cultivation had reached their limits.
Compared to Wuming Yuanzhi and the others, Nangong Yifan’s condition was relatively good.
Wuming Yuanzhi and his group looked extremely weak. Though their treasures had boosted their cultivation, they now suffered significant pain as a consequence.
