The news of Leon Nightfall challenging Du Yuanguang spread rapidly among the disciples of the Nine Saints Demon Gate, especially after Du Yuanguang's associates intentionally disseminated it.
"Challenging Du Yuanguang?" Du Yuanguang was already somewhat famous within the Nine Saints Demon Gate. After five years since joining, he had reached the Palace Expansion Realm, truly qualifying as a young genius. Such talent, if placed in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, would make him a true prodigy among disciples.
Even some senior brothers and sisters who had just emerged from secluded cultivation were surprised upon hearing the news. They asked, "Du Yuanguang is a disciple favored by Protector Xu. His Golden Wolf Physique, though an acquired constitution, is fiercely powerful. What realm has the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect's chief disciple reached?"
Some disciples who were unaware of Leon's situation explained with a laugh, "Brother Sheng, you're overthinking it. Not to mention that a declining sect like the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect couldn't produce any experts. Moreover, you might not know that their chief disciple is a waste—ordinary physique, ordinary life wheel, ordinary fate palace. He only joined the sect two days ago and is said to have practiced only martial arts, without even learning the most basic Daoist techniques."
Hearing this, the senior disciples who were unfamiliar with Leon's situation were incredulous. A martial artist challenging a cultivator? Wasn't that courting death?
"Ignorance is fearless—truly pathetic," one senior brother remarked, shaking his head. He didn't even have the interest to watch, knowing it was a foregone conclusion that Du Yuanguang would kill a martial artist with a single sword strike.
As for the younger disciples around Du Yuanguang's age, they were excited to witness the spectacle. One of them laughed, "Let's go watch Brother Du slaughter the chicken! Those people from the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect don't know their limits—a bunch of country bumpkins daring to challenge our Nine Saints Demon Gate. They're tired of living!"
The news also reached some of the hall masters and protectors within the Nine Saints Demon Gate. Some shook their heads, saying, "This is just nonsense."
Others, with ulterior motives, said blandly, "Perhaps this could be a good thing. Killing a waste is meaningless, but if a clueless junior from the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect dares to challenge our Nine Saints Demon Gate and insults us, we can escalate the matter. They might have to pay a ransom and apologize!"
Such words caused some hall masters and protectors to exchange meaningful glances. Though the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect had declined, it was still an imperial lineage sect. Rumor had it that they possessed imperial techniques and immortal arts from Immortal Emperor Ming Ren. Many had long coveted these inheritances.
For the Nine Saints Demon Gate today, even if a protector took action, they might seize imperial techniques from the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect. However, the sect's Demon Emperor had never expressed his stance on this matter, and the elders remained silent. Otherwise, with a single command, someone might have already acted to snatch the imperial techniques, let alone discuss marriage alliances.
While the higher-ups of the Nine Saints Demon Gate harbored their own thoughts, Leon Nightfall was already standing in the dueling arena. Many young disciples rushed over to watch the excitement.
To them, killing a waste like Leon was a matter of course. Many just wanted to see how Du Yuanguang would torment and kill him.
As Du Yuanguang stepped into the arena, disciples shouted:
"Brother Du, cut off his head with one sword!"
"Just one sword? That's too merciful. Since he dared to insult Senior Sister Li and our Nine Saints Demon Gate, he should be sliced piece by piece!"
Especially the admirers of Li Shuangyan. Hearing that Leon had insulted her made them furious, and they wished to tear him apart.
"Anyone who offends our Nine Saints Demon Gate must be executed. Brother Du, don't kill him too quickly. Cut off his limbs first and let the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect come to ransom him! Let the Central Territory and even the entire Emperor's Domain know that opposing our Nine Saints Demon Gate leads to no good end!" a senior brother declared.
For a moment, the disciples clamored, viewing Leon as meat on the chopping block, awaiting Du Yuanguang's blade.
In the arena, Leon glanced at Du Yuanguang and said calmly, "Are all disciples of the Nine Saints Demon Gate all bark and no bite? Just good at shouting?"
"You ignorant brat! With my first sword, I'll pin you to the ground!" Du Yuanguang's face turned cold, his voice chilling.
Leon remained unperturbed. Leisurely, he said, "If you're going to make a move, do it quickly. Don't waste my time." As he spoke, he reversed his left hand grip on his short blade, pointing it directly at Du Yuanguang. "Make your move."
"Die!" Enraged by Leon's contemptuous attitude, Du Yuanguang felt his anger surge. A young genius like him being looked down upon by a mere martial artist? In his fury, he swung his sword, breaking through the air like thunder—fierce and domineering—aiming straight for Leon's heart. This strike was filled with all his wrath.
Leon didn't retreat but advanced instead. Stepping forward, his left-hand blade moved like a spirit snake, instantly coiling and slightly deflecting Du Yuanguang's longsword.
"Shing!" In a split second, although the sword didn't pierce Leon's heart, it stabbed through his left shoulder.
"Ant!" Du Yuanguang sneered, but his voice abruptly stopped. At the moment his sword pierced Leon's shoulder, Leon's right wrist moved slightly. Silently and swiftly, even Du Yuanguang didn't see the short blade in Leon's right hand strike.
"Well done!" Some disciples cheered, seeing Du Yuanguang's sword pierce Leon's shoulder.
But just then, a thin line of blood appeared on Du Yuanguang's throat. His body began to fall backward. Leon, relentless, flicked his wrists, and both of his short blades flew out with incomparably profound trajectories.
"Spare him!" At the moment Du Yuanguang's sword pierced Leon's shoulder, Nan Huairen finally arrived with Protector Mo. Seeing Leon wounded from afar, Protector Mo shouted.
"Slash! Slash!" However, in the blink of an eye, as Du Yuanguang's body was falling, the two short blades crossed and sliced through him with intricate movements. By the time his body hit the ground, it had been cut into five pieces, blood pooling everywhere.
"Hold your hand!" Protector Mo rushed forward, intending to save Du Yuanguang, but upon reaching the arena, he fell silent.
Du Yuanguang's eyes were wide open, disbelief etched on his face even in death. He never understood how he died. Little did he know that Leon's Mystical Gates Saber Art was a technique once refined by Immortal Emperor Ming Ren himself. Even a casually polished martial art by an Immortal Emperor was terrifyingly unparalleled. While it might not compare to imperial techniques, it wasn't something ordinary Daoist arts could rival.
More crucially, Leon had comprehended the ultimate profound meanings of this saber art. Throughout the ages, besides Immortal Emperor Ming Ren, only Leon knew its ultimate secrets. It was said that when mastered to perfection, this saber art could slay nobles and kings.
Underestimating Leon, Du Yuanguang had no chance against such a profound technique. A fatal strike, and Leon had exchanged a shoulder wound for it.
For a moment, the entire arena fell into a stunned silence. All jeers ceased abruptly. Everyone stared in disbelief.
Nan Huairen's mouth hung open, capable of fitting a goose egg. He had brought reinforcements to save Leon's life, but to his astonishment, Leon had sliced Du Yuanguang into pieces with a single move. A martial artist killing a cultivator—it was unheard of unless Leon was a master, which he wasn't. This defied all common sense.
At this moment, Leon calmly pulled out the sword from his shoulder. The grating sound of metal against bone was jarring, but he didn't even flinch. Having endured far worse pain before, this was nothing to him.
Blood spurted as he removed the sword. Casually tossing it aside, he glanced at the crowd and said regretfully, "It seems my saber technique still needs improvement. Exchanging a wound for a lesson."
Nan Huairen was speechless. Killing Du Yuanguang and still expressing regret—this was beyond comprehension. It shattered all his notions of possibility.
As for the disciples of the Nine Saints Demon Gate, their minds went blank, unable to process what had just occurred. Du Yuanguang, a budding genius among their outer disciples and a cultivator at the Palace Expansion Realm, had been slain in a single move. The visual shock was overwhelming.
Protector Mo was the first to regain his senses. He swiftly moved to stop Leon's bleeding and said gravely, "We need to leave!" With that, he took Leon and turned to depart.
Nan Huairen snapped out of his daze and hurried after his master, not daring to linger.
Back at the small courtyard, Protector Mo sat silently in a chair, lost in thought. He was no longer pondering how Leon had killed Du Yuanguang; the fact that they had slain a disciple of the Nine Saints Demon Gate meant they were in grave trouble.
Nan Huairen tended to Leon's wound, applying medicine and bandaging it carefully.
"This... this is impossible! The Mystical Gates Saber Art is just an ordinary martial art. How could it kill a cultivator at the Palace Expansion Realm?" After finishing, Nan Huairen was still grappling with what had transpired.
In fact, Nan Huairen had seen the Mystical Gates Saber Art before. It was merely a martial technique, one he hadn't even bothered to practice.
"That's because you didn't truly comprehend it," Leon replied, reclining comfortably in his chair, calm and at ease. Of course, the version of the Mystical Gates Saber Art in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect was incomplete. The full technique and its profound meanings had resurfaced in his mind.
Had Leon said such words before, Nan Huairen would have thought he was mad, boasting without basis.