Some faces paled.
As a voice tinged with arrogance echoed across the chamber.
"Who dares humiliate my younger brother?!."
Wu Chen paused mid-step.
As a figure emerged, stepping into the Pavilion from outside.
He was tall and imposing, dressed in flowing black robes embroidered with crimson blades. His presence was sharp—like a drawn sword barely restrained.
Lin Xuanyuan.
A Mortal 2 Top Tier expert, an elite of the Heavenly Blade Sect—one of the more feared names in the capital among the younger generation.
His gaze locked onto Wu Chen with icy fury, and the murderous intent radiating from him was palpable.
The crowd gasped, retreating instinctively.
"This just got dangerous…"
"That's Lin Xuanyuan!, an expert at Mortal 2 Top Tier! Isn't he on the sect's elite ranking list?"
"That Rogue cultivator is finished…"
Lin Yufeng, still trembling with anger and humiliation, rushed to his brother's side. His face was twisted in frustration. "Brother! This bastard tricked me! He must have cheated to get that Skyfire Egg!"
Lin Xuanyuan's gaze shifted to the blood-red egg in Wu Chen's hand. His eyes narrowed, his sharp intellect clearly processing something. A flicker of recognition—and then greed—passed through his cold eyes. His lips curled into a smirk.
"A Skyfire Egg…" Lin Xuanyuan muttered under his breath, his smirk deepening. "No wonder you were so desperate."
His tone was chilling as he addressed Wu Chen. "Hand it over."
Wu Chen met his gaze with calmness and then smiled. "What if I don't?."
The room seemed to freeze. The weight of Lin Xuanyuan's presence bore down on the hall, but Wu Chen stood unshaken. A tense silence fell over the crowd, and every eye was on the two men. No one had ever dared refuse Lin Xuanyuan before, especially so blatantly.
Lin Yufeng sneered viciously. "Brother, let's just kill him and take it!"
Before Lin Xuanyuan could respond, the Stone Master, an elder of the Golden Sky Pavilion, stepped forward, his voice firm and unyielding. "You people from the Heavenly Blade Sect have grown too arrogant lately. Have you forgotten the rules? Fighting is forbidden inside this Pavilion."
He glared at Lin Xuanyuan, his authority clear. "Leave now, or even your Floating Feather Sect won't be able to save you from the consequences."
The crowd murmured nervously. Tension crackled in the air, but Lin Xuanyuan merely smiled and responded politely.
"Of course, we wouldn't dream of violating the Pavilion's rules." Lin Xuanyuan said, his voice smooth and sincere. Then, his eyes flicked back to Wu Chen. "But you and I can settle this… outside."
He added "you're no weakling, are you? If you refuse to fight, everyone will see you for what you are: a coward hiding behind others' mercy."
The insult lingered.
The challenge was unmistakable.
Lin Yufeng's eyes gleamed with excitement. He wanted to see Wu Chen humiliated and broken. The crowd waited in anticipation for Wu Chen's response.
But Wu Chen, still calm and composed, remained silent for a moment. He knew exactly what Lin Xuanyuan was doing. If Wu Chen refused to fight, the students of the powerful sect would leverage their influence to make his life hell, humiliating him at every turn. So accepting the challenge and facing the threat is the best and maybe only way to solve this problem.
After a long, tension-filled pause, Wu Chen gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. His expression was as calm as ever, but there was a certain coldness in his eyes.
"Fine," he said, his voice even and unhurried. "Let's take this outside."
***
"Woah, that guy actually accepted Lin Xuanyuan's challenge?"
Disbelieving whispers cut through the crowd like blades.
"What an idiot. Either he's never heard of the 'Frostblade Prodigy,' or he's got a death wish." A merchant shook his head, already counting this as a loss.
Nearby, another cultivator smirked. "Or maybe… he's the real deal. Lin Xuanyuan's been flexing his aura since he entered, and this guy didn't even blink. That's not ignorance— I think that's a challenge."
Lin Xuanyuan had made no effort to conceal his strength when he entered the Pavilion, deliberately releasing his oppressive aura to cow any potential opposition.
Yet this nameless wanderer had accepted his challenge without hesitation.
To some people If this wanderer had an ounce of sense, he would've done the pragmatic thing—sought the Pavilion's protection for a modest fee, or better yet, sold the Skyfire Egg to them outright.
The Golden Sky Pavilion was no stranger to desperate sellers. They'd have taken it off his hands without question, though paying a low discounted price for it. But even at a fraction of its true worth, the payout would have still being generous, more than enough for a rogue cultivator like him.
But no.
This fool had chosen greed over survival. Clinging to a treasure he couldn't possibly defend.
Blind to the reality, artifacts like the Skyfire Egg were curses in the hands of the weak.
The Pavilion's vaults could shield it.
But A lone wanderer?!
He might as well carry a beacon for every predator in the continent.
So this brazen defiance only served to heighten the crowd's curiosity. Was he truly strong … or just a reckless fool?
Speculation ran rampant. And before long, the news of the upcoming duel spread like wildfire.
Within moments, the Golden Sky Pavilion's training grounds—an expansive open-air arena reserved for formal duels—were packed with spectators. Cultivators, merchants, and even high-ranking nobles crowded the stands, all eager to witness the clash.
This wasn't just a simple fight. It was a showdown between an elite of the renowned Floating Feather Sect and an unknown rogue cultivator who had embarrassed Lin Yufeng and walked away with a skyfire Egg.
***
Lin Xuanyuan stood at the center of the arena, arms folded, exuding dominance. His posture was relaxed, but his gaze was sharp and cold
At the edge, Lin Yufeng sneered, fingers drumming on his sword hilt. "Brother, don't play with your food. End him."
Lin Xuanyuan chuckled, never breaking eye contact with Wu Chen. *"Patience, little brother. Even strays deserve a moment to reconsider."* His voice dripped mock sympathy as he extended a hand. "Last chance. Give me the Skyfire Egg, and I'll let you slink away with your life. I might even toss you a few gold coins for your trouble."
Wu Chen said nothing. His silence was a wall.