"Die? Ha ha... Who dies is not yet certain," Ye Han laughed disdainfully from atop Baeris, unfazed by facing a saint-level powerhouse.
"Hmph, big talk is easy. Don't think having a saint-level dragon means you can kill me. Today, I'll show you what true power is," the mid-stage saint-level warrior, Atimov, retorted, trying to suppress his anger. Despite his confident facade, he was internally shaken by the realization of Ye Han's dragon mount's strength.
"The audience is here; let's begin," an abrupt voice broke through the tension, drawing everyone's attention to Ye Han and Atimov.
Atimov, from the Sludi family, announced his name and affiliation, adhering to the continent's unwritten rule of stating one's name and background before a public duel.
"Ye Han," Ye Han responded, simply stating his name. Baeris then swiftly retreated, and as Ye Han announced his name, the battle commenced.
Ye Han summoned a sword, not his usual one, but the one from Autius. Preparing for a battle with Atimov, a mid-stage saint-level warrior, he didn't dare to be careless and rapidly activated his Fan Shi Jue technique, radiating a grey aura.
Atimov, a seasoned saint-level warrior, didn't need preparation and lunged at Ye Han, launching a red light attack.
Ye Han made no move to dodge, and Baeris unleashed a blast of black dragon flame, colliding with the red light. Simultaneously, Atimov charged, fist aimed at Ye Han.
Ye Han dodged with surprise. Despite his outward calm, he was highly alert and parried with his sword. The swordplay seemed chaotic but was filled with fierce energy, causing a momentary pause in Atimov's attack.
In that brief pause, Ye Han appeared behind Atimov, his right hand poised like a claw, unleashing a powerful sword energy directly at Atimov's back.
The grey sword energy, a meter long, sliced through the air towards Atimov, who watched it with a cold smirk, "If that's all you have, prepare to die."
However, Atimov suddenly tensed up and, with a look of shock, turned to see an attack from behind.
"Deep darkness, become arrows of destruction, pierce through the enemy's body, Black Arrow!"
As it turned out, Baeris had cast a dragon spell right after Ye Han left its back, creating a pincer attack with Ye Han.
Atimov, with his rich combat experience, quickly dodged both attacks, but before he could stabilize, Ye Han, suspended in mid-air, unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, sending thirteen fierce sword energies at Atimov.
The sword energies struck like lightning, bombarding Atimov, who was overwhelmed and sent flying. His robe tore apart, scattering like falling snowflakes, as Baeris caught the descending Ye Han.
"You," Atimov, enraged by being outmaneuvered by Ye Han, realized he had underestimated his opponent.
The onlookers were astounded.
"Such incredible strategic acumen!"
"To send a mid-stage saint-level warrior flying in the first exchange is unbelievable."
The crowd buzzed with excitement and disbelief.
Meanwhile, the representatives of various powers reassessed Ye Han's capabilities, their eyes filled with a cold intensity as they stared at Ye Han on Baeris's back.
"Roar," Baeris roared mightily, its sound echoing like a dragon's cry from ancient times. Ye Han, standing on Baeris's back, looked like a demigod. His snow-white hair moved as though alive, fluttering dramatically.
Holding his sword high, Ye Han looked up at the sky, his voice low and laden with the weight of experience, "Come then, the battle has only just begun."
A ferocious blood wave burst forth from Ye Han, engulfing the entire battlefield in an instant. Ye Han's speed was at its peak as he suddenly appeared near Atimov, his sword creating a powerful wave of energy that shook everything around them.
There were no unnecessary movements or dodges; every strike was lethal. This was the combat style of the undead combined with the finesse of a sword immortal, perfectly embodied by Ye Han.
Facing the formidable sword energy, Atimov no longer underestimated Ye Han. The previous encounter with Ye Han's thirteen sword energies had taught him the lethality of Ye Han's swordplay, even capable of breaking through his protective aura.
The battle raged with waves of blood and interweaving sword and fighting energy. Ye Han, utilizing the first level of the Speed Profundity, clashed fiercely with Atimov in the air, but gradually, Atimov's superior fighting spirit and mastery of laws began to give him the upper hand.
Baeris joined the fight, and the combined efforts of Ye Han and the dragon led to a stalemate, surprising everyone.
Dodging Atimov's attack, Ye Han's figure flashed to the ground; his untransformed state meant he couldn't fly. He had been using spatial translocation for brief aerial maneuvers.
His sword radiated an intensified gray aura, and a ten-meter-long massive sword energy formed, emitting an immense pressure that forced nearby onlookers to step back.
Feeling the oppressive might of Ye Han's sword energy, Atimov's face hardened, and he unleashed his full mid-stage saint-level power. With a punch, he sent Baeris crashing into the ground. Ignoring Baeris, Atimov focused on the deep blue flame in his hand, its temperature rising sharply.
Ye Han, aware that this was no ordinary flame, channeled all his might into a single strike. "Sword Energy Across the Sky," he declared, as his sword carrying a ten-meter-long gray energy cleaved down at Atimov. The strike was like a cataclysm, a swirling vortex of energy that filled the sky with its terrifying presence.
Atimov, in response, transformed the blue flame in his hand into a burning blue longsword, the space around it distorting with its heat. "One Strike to Break the Void," he shouted, meeting Ye Han's gray sword energy head-on.
The collision of their powers caused the ground to shake and space to warp, obliterating everything around them. The clash between the gray sword energy and the blue flaming sword created a thunderous explosion that echoed across Myatt City's sky.
The released energy from their clash surged outward, injuring many onlookers below the eighth order, and killing those with even weaker abilities.
The eastern forest of Myatt City resembled a scene from an earthquake or volcanic eruption, with blue flames and fierce sword energies causing massive cracks to spread across the ground.
No one had expected Ye Han's attack to be so terrifying, matching a full-force strike from a mid-stage saint-level warrior.
Gasping for breath, Ye Han looked at the devastation he had caused, struggling to believe it was his doing. His energy was depleted, and his robe was tattered. Rapidly channeling the Fan Shi Jue technique, he ignored the pain from the massive influx of energy as his wounds visibly healed.
As the dust cleared, everyone saw that Ye Han's injuries had fully healed. If not for the bloodstains on his tattered black robe, they might have thought he was unharmed. Atimov, floating in the air, looked pale and disheveled.
"You're very strong, truly strong," Atimov said, staring intensely at Ye Han, his wounds continuously bleeding. "But this battle is over now."