Seeing Chen Xiong speak, Huang Qi dared not talk anymore. He could only look at Huang Sheng and Huang Zhenyang with hatred before walking toward the life-and-death seats. At Xu Ke's instruction, the people behind Huang Qi began to explain the situation to him.

It was simple. Xu Ke wanted to agitate Huang Qi. He wanted Huang Qi to taste what it was like to be treated as a bargaining chip before his imminent death, just as Xu Ke himself had experienced before.

"Go," Wong Qifu said, looking at Xu Ke.

"Okay," Xu Ke nodded.

Their farewell was very brief. Wong Qifu believed Xu Ke would come back, and Xu Ke also believed he would return.

As he headed to the arena, a staff member came up to search him. Ouyang Shuang was being searched in another area as well. They were kept separate to prevent them from seeing each other's Inner Armor, Hidden Weapons, or any other equipment.

"Inspection finished; no firearms," the inspectors from both sides announced simultaneously.

Seeing this, Chen Xiong nodded slightly and sat down in the main seat. "Both sides, take your positions."

Xu Ke and Ouyang Shuang slowly walked onto the stage. Their bodies had already begun to quietly warm up. They said nothing more. Every next step was crucial; it would be utterly foolish to waste an opportunity to lock onto an opponent's movements just for the sake of talking.

Yet Ouyang Shuang's eyes were filled with a thick mix of ridicule and killing intent. Xu Ke is destined to be my defeated opponent. So what if he just spouted some eloquent insults and utterly humiliated Ye Fan? In front of me, Xu Ke is still trash.

Xu Ke, on the other hand, was expressionless. His thoughts became utterly still, as if frozen solid, his vision filled with nothing but Ouyang Shuang! Then, the True Qi in his body began to circulate quietly. In the constant game of cat and mouse with his master, he had wanted to fight back more than once. But the only time he managed to injure his master was when he was at his most calm and collected.

A Martial Artist's fight cannot be won by sheer passion alone. Seize the moment, strike with precision. That was the way to defeat one's enemy!

"Please adjust your states," Chen Xiong stated indifferently.

Under the authority of the Martial Alliance Leader of the Tianhai Martial Alliance, the entire arena seemed particularly silent. No one dared to speak at this moment.

Ten seconds later, Ouyang Shuang and Xu Ke still hadn't moved.

"Begin," Chen Xiong said blandly.

As the word fell, an ear-splitting sonic boom erupted from the stage.

BANG!

Dozens of pale purple needles shot straight toward Xu Ke's face. They were poisoned Hidden Weapons.

Seeing this, Wang Wu's face darkened instantly. "This Ouyang Shuang is certainly putting on a show, going all out from the very start." Even he would have to handle that kind of Hidden Weapon technique with care.

Ye Fan, however, sneered while grinding his teeth. "Xu Ke, you better not die too easily..."

"Let's see how you dodge this," Huang Zhenyang sneered.

As the needles flew at him, Xu Ke's expression remained unchanged. Under everyone's gaze, he simply closed his eyes.

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then began to scoff.

Has Xu Ke gone mad? Is he just trying to show off? Does he think this makes him look cool?

But Ouyang Shuang's expression changed drastically. She watched as Xu Ke, eyes closed, allowed his body to sway back and forth like catkins in the wind. All the poisoned needles instantly missed their mark.

How is this possible?!

Everyone's face changed drastically. Could such a movement technique really dodge poisoned needles?

From the main seat, Chen Xiong's expression shifted from impassive to intrigued. "Interesting."

Seeing Xu Ke dodge the Silver Needles, Ouyang Shuang's expression darkened, and she charged forward. Before he had a chance to readjust, she intended to shatter his defenses with a single palm strike. True Qi swirled around her hand, and a faint blue glow even appeared in her palm.

Vitality Essence Release!

With a piercing gust of wind, Ouyang Shuang aimed straight for Xu Ke's heart.

Wong Qifu remained expressionless, but her elegant hand quietly clenched into a fist.

"Ouyang Shuang, you've grown rusty," a faint smile touched Xu Ke's lips, though his eyes remained closed.

As he spoke, Ouyang Shuang froze, a terrible premonition rising in her heart.

Then, Xu Ke simply flicked his wrist.

BANG!

A sound like a bullet leaving its chamber echoed through the venue. Dozens of embroidery needles shot toward Ouyang Shuang's face.

You use silver needles on me? Then I'll use embroidery needles on you!

Seeing the deep purple tint on the tips of the embroidery needles, Ouyang Shuang, an expert in poisons, instantly recognized their extreme toxicity. If I insist on landing this palm strike, I don't know if Xu Ke, with his formidable defensive skills, would die... but I would definitely be poisoned.

She could only grit her teeth, forcibly retract her power, and rely on her movement technique to dodge the Hidden Weapons.

THUMP!

The needles hit the floor.

Ouyang Shuang's face turned pale. It was the backlash from forcibly retracting her True Qi. She was at a disadvantage!

Seeing this, everyone's expression changed dramatically. Ouyang Shuang had actually fallen to a disadvantage in the very first exchange?!

A look of disbelief filled Huang Sheng's eyes. How was this possible?

Wang Wu, however, just smiled. "Mister Xu's combat experience is indeed rich."

"Why?" Wong Qifu asked, breathing a sigh of relief herself.

"He's very good at exploiting opportunities," Wang Wu said, not explaining further, because Xu Ke, on the stage, gave no one a chance.

Having suffered from the backlash, Xu Ke didn't pause for a moment, launching a fierce palm strike straight at Ouyang Shuang's chest with frightening momentum. He was going all out!

But this seemingly ferocious attack made the recoiling Ouyang Shuang overjoyed. This kid is seeking death! Does he really think he can clash with me head-on just because he forced me back with a hidden weapon? In his dreams!

Ouyang Shuang raised her hand and threw a palm back with even greater ferocity.

Seeing this, the members of the Huang and Ye families finally looked a bit more relieved. As long as it came down to a clash of True Qi, Xu Ke would undoubtedly lose.

At that moment, however, Chen Xiong and Wang Wu both chuckled. They saw what Xu Ke was about to do.

Seeing Ouyang Shuang strike back so ferociously, Xu Ke smiled faintly. In the next moment, he flipped his other hand, revealing a small bag. He threw it.

A bag of Quicklime.

HISSS!

Xu Ke let out a muffled groan and retreated frantically. He couldn't possibly clash palms with Ouyang Shuang after throwing the quicklime. To change the path of his True Qi so abruptly, he inevitably suffered some internal injuries. But it couldn't be helped. To make Ouyang Shuang believe he was using his full strength and willingly clash palms with her, this was the only way.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Shuang cried out in agony. "Ah!"

The Quicklime had been flung into her eyes, severely impairing her vision. Enduring the excruciating pain, she retreated. If she were a master on Wang Wu's level, her True Qi could have formed a barrier to block the substance. But her True Qi couldn't even leave her body, so she could only take the full brunt of Xu Ke's attack.

Seeing this, Huang Zhenyang slammed the table and roared, "Xu Ke, you despicable bastard! Who uses such weapons in a life-and-death duel?!"

"In a life-and-death duel, aside from prohibited weapons, all methods are permitted," Chen Xiong coldly rebuked. "Anyone who disrupts the order of the duel again will be immediately disqualified."

Poisoned hidden weapons were acceptable. What was a little Quicklime?

Huang Zhenyang's expression turned ugly, but he could only shut his mouth.

However, Chen Xiong couldn't help but chuckle to himself. In all his years holding this position, it was the first time he had seen someone bring non-bladed weapons like these onto the stage. Perhaps the members of the six great families were too proud of their status to ever use what they considered inferior weapons. A fighter like Ouyang Shuang didn't even have the slightest bit of precaution against them.

Chen Xiong shook his head. Adversity breeds vigilance, while comfort breeds ruin.

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