**Chapter Title: Thunderous Confrontation**
Thunderous explosions resonated through the arena, deafening all who were present. The floor and walls of the platform were marred with dense, sprawling cracks, and beneath Zhao Chen's feet, the ground caved in dramatically.
In that moment, Zhao Chen finally felt the weight of exhaustion.
The attack had drained him completely.
"Zhao Chen is truly formidable!" Zhao Yan internally acknowledged, even though Zhao Chen appeared unscathed.
This battle had proven to be a true test of his mettle.
Suddenly, Zhao Chen leapt off the platform. Seeing this, Zhao Yan scoffed, "Thinking of escaping? Not so fast! Your speed may have increased, but you're still no match for my attack!"
With that, Zhao Yan's figure blurred as he swiftly caught up to Zhao Chen and launched a powerful punch towards him.
Zhao Chen's face paled as he dodged in haste, yet he was still struck by Zhao Yan's fist.
Crack!
The sound of Zhao Chen's ribs breaking was disturbingly crisp. He immediately doubled over in pain, clutching his torso.
A slight smile appeared on Zhao Yan's lips as he continued to pummel Zhao Chen, who spat blood and seemed almost to twist under the force of the blows.
"Not bad, you're still standing!" Zhao Yan laughed heartily.
Zhao Chen's face turned a shade of deep red, twisted in a grimace of pure hatred, wishing he could tear Zhao Yan apart.
However, Zhao Chen knew he was no match for Zhao Yan now; even with all his might, he couldn't best him.
He had no choice but to concede.
Just when Zhao Yan thought Zhao Chen would completely give up, Zhao Chen suddenly slammed his hand onto the ground.
Boom!
Thunderbolts exploded from the impact, transforming into ferocious dragons of electricity that surged towards Zhao Yan.
Zhao Chen, prepared for this, activated the Nine Heavens Sword Technique. Swords of energy burst forth, slicing through the air in dazzling trajectories.
Boom, boom, boom!
The ground where Zhao Yan stood erupted into a sea of fire.
The flames were terrifyingly intense, incinerating everything within a hundred meters.
Ah!
A shrill scream echoed as Zhao Chen's figure was engulfed in flames, his body burnt to a crisp!
In an instant, as Zhao Chen vanished, the ground returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
The spectacle left the audience in utter shock.
The power of those thunderbolts was immense, enough to destroy a mountain.
Yet now, Zhao Yan seemed to deflect it effortlessly.
Zhao Chen, with his high status and prowess within the Zhao family, had indeed earned his reputation.
This time, however, it was Zhao Chen who suffered a humiliating defeat, losing with no dignity left.
The battle was far from over, though.
Zhao Chen was not dead; he had only sustained minor injuries.
As all eyes watched, Zhao Chen rose to his feet, his eyes filled with dark intent.
From a distance, Li Qingyun was astonished to see Zhao Chen still alive, his face showing disbelief.
Zhao Chen's physical resilience was shocking, making Li Qingyun wonder if he was even human.
"How can this be?" Li Qingyun pondered, unable to grasp how Zhao Chen's body could be so formidable.
"You think you're tough? Keep up your arrogance then, keep using your lightning to defeat me!" Zhao Yan taunted, his words cutting deep into Zhao Chen's heart.
Gritting his teeth, Zhao Chen barked, "Zhao Yan, you'll see the cost of angering me—I will make you regret it!"
After saying this, Zhao Chen turned and walked away.
Watching Zhao Chen's retreating figure, Zhao Yan's mouth curled into a cold smirk. "Always the same, Zhao Chen, always eager to fight. But what does it matter?"
The victor would still be him.
Zhao Chen returned to his seat.
Once settled, Li Qingyun immediately whispered, "Junior Brother Zhao Chen, are you alright?"
"Just a minor injury," Zhao Chen replied with a slight shake of his head.
"Then let's continue the contest!" With those words, Zhao Chen walked back towards the platform.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yan returned to the spectator stand, where a woman stood beside him—Ye Linglong, whom he had encountered during the contest.
"Zhao Yan, I've said before, I'm your opponent, but you'll never be mine. This time, I will crush you completely and let you taste humiliation!" Ye Linglong stared at Zhao Yan, her face cold and merciless.
Zhao Yan's expression chilled, "I've said it before, I will never lose to you!"
"Oh? Then let's see if you can back that up!" Ye Linglong's face was icy, "You want to beat me? Then show me your best, or you'll never win!"
Zhao Yan scoffed, "Shouldn't I be the one saying that? You think just because you're stronger, you can disregard the rules and provoke me in public? Today, I'll make you understand the cost of provocation!"
Ye Linglong frowned; she hadn't expected Zhao Yan to be so obstinate. Without another word, she activated her energy.
Whoosh!
A fierce storm erupted from her body, a powerful suction emerging.
This was Ye Linglong's trump card, a fearsome skill that could suck an opponent in and extract their soul!
Zhao Yan was caught off guard, his pupils dilated, his face turning ashen.
Despite being a Golden Core cultivator, his soul was only on par with the ordinary Golden Core stage, no match for Nascent Soul stage, and was immediately pulled towards her.
"I told you, no one can save you today!" Ye Linglong's face was filled with cold malice, her eyes venomous.
Moreover, memories began to flood into Zhao Yan's mind!
Ye Linglong was using a secret technique to control his thoughts!
Fear surged in Zhao Yan's heart as he realized his soul was being devoured by hers.
His soul, completely fused with his body, was being dominated by her. His physical form was bound to suffer.
And now, Zhao Yan was being controlled on the battlefield, his body likely to be refined by her soul as well.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yan felt his soul withering, soon to be refined by her.
"No, I absolutely cannot let my body be taken!" Zhao Yan's face was etched with grave determination.
In the next moment, his body radiated intense light.