"Jiang Chen, don't think you can act so arrogantly in front of me!"
Lin Yu's sharp gaze locked onto Jiang Chen, his voice laced with venomous anger. "Tell me, did you kill my father?"
Jiang Chen's expression remained cold and indifferent as he replied, "A murderer will always face retribution. If he dared to kill me, he should've been prepared for the consequences. Dying by my hand was simply what he deserved."
"You…!"
Lin Yu's face contorted with rage, his eyes burning with killing intent. "Good! Very good! Jiang Chen, you killed my father. If I don't take revenge for him, I swear I am no longer a man!"
Lin Yu had never imagined that the "waste" once known throughout Cangshan City could rise to such a monstrous level.
The death of his father at Jiang Chen's hands had been a deep humiliation. The collapse of the Lin family and their forced withdrawal from Cangshan City were all Jiang Chen's doing.
For Lin Yu, Jiang Chen had long since become a sworn enemy he wished to tear apart piece by piece.
But out of fear of Jiang Chen's strength, Lin Yu had buried his hatred, throwing himself into rigorous cultivation instead.
Over the past few days, Lin Yu had pushed himself to the brink, unleashing his full potential.
Not only had he broken through from the Eighth Layer of the Qi Protection Realm to the Ninth Layer, but he had also gained the rudimentary form of sword intent in the Sword Mark Hall!
With his current strength, Lin Yu believed that he could even hold his ground against Foundation Opening Realm warriors.
Now that Jiang Chen had appeared before him, Lin Yu saw it as his chance. He would not let Jiang Chen escape!
---
"You want revenge? Fine," Jiang Chen said faintly, his tone tinged with mockery. "But whether or not you can take it depends entirely on your ability."
"Jiang Chen!" Lin Yu growled, his killing intent flaring. "Back in Cangshan City, I was already far above you. You were nothing but a useless waste of the Jiang family!"
He took a step forward, his aura surging. "Even if you've gotten rid of your pathetic title of waste, you have no right to be arrogant in front of me!"
Lin Yu's voice turned cold and sharp as a blade. "Enough talk! If you're a man, fight me. Let's settle this—life or death!"
---
The growing commotion drew the attention of passing students. Soon, a crowd had gathered near the Sword Mark Hall, their eyes glued to the confrontation.
"Is that Lin Yu? The third-ranked genius on the Lingyun Academy Ranking?"
"Who's that other guy? He must be insane to provoke Lin Yu!"
"That's Jiang Chen! The one who took Meng Qingxue as a maid. Everyone's been talking about him lately."
"Ah, I see! This is going to be good. Lin Yu's always had an interest in Meng Qingxue, and now Jiang Chen's involved. This fight will be worth watching!"
---
Meng Qingxue stepped forward, her brows furrowing as she fixed Lin Yu with an icy gaze.
"Lin Yu, if you don't want to end up like your father, you'd better leave right now," she said coldly.
Lin Yu's face darkened instantly. "Meng Qingxue, what are you saying?"
Meng Qingxue's tone remained indifferent. "I'm simply offering you some advice, considering you once helped me. If you leave now, it might not be too late."
Lin Yu's face twisted in fury. "Meng Qingxue! What has this guy given you? What did he promise you to make you stand by his side like this?"
His expression turned venomous as he glared at Jiang Chen. "Jiang Chen, what kind of man hides behind a woman? If you've got any backbone, come out and fight me yourself!"
---
Jiang Chen's faint smile grew sharper as he stared back at Lin Yu.
"First of all," Jiang Chen replied lazily, "if I have a woman willing to stand up for me, that just proves my ability."
Lin Yu's expression grew darker, veins bulging on his forehead.
Jiang Chen's tone turned even colder, his gaze piercing. "Second, you're giving yourself too much credit. Why would I need anyone else to deal with trash like you?"
Jiang Chen straightened up, his aura suddenly surging. "If you really want to fight me… fine. I'll accompany you."