Chapter 31: Fear Not, My Disciple-Eu só aceitei discípulos por acaso, como eles se tornaram Grandes Imperadores?(Espalhadas como estrelas sobre o rio inteiro.)

"If our Huangfu family loses, we shall kneel before him and kowtow today!"

The head of the Huangfu family interrupted Ye Xinghe with a look of disdain. In his eyes, Zhao Changsheng was nothing more than a lowly ant. He believed that anyone from his own family could easily defeat him; the outcome of this duel was never in doubt. He even found Ye Xinghe’s proposal utterly foolish.

Ye Xinghe chuckled softly. "Master Huangfu, there is no need to be impatient. Empty words hold no weight. I demand that your Huangfu family swear an oath to the heavens: should you break your word, may you be struck by lightning, may your family’s fortune wither away, and may you never rise again."

The Huangfu family head’s expression darkened. He had not expected Ye Xinghe to make such a demand. For a family to swear an oath to the heavens was no trivial matter; it meant that any violation would invite divine retribution. However, unwilling to lose face in front of the crowd, and after weighing the pros and cons—convinced that there was no way Zhao Changsheng could win—he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Today, my Huangfu family swears to the heavens: if we lose this duel to Zhao Changsheng, we shall honor our agreement, kneel before him, and kowtow in apology. Should we fail to do so, may we be struck by lightning, may our family’s fortune wither away, and may we never rise again."

As the oath was completed, the surrounding air seemed to grow heavy. The Huangfu family was being far too confident; one had to remember that Zhao Changsheng’s own strength was quite formidable.

Ye Xinghe nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. Changsheng, go and fight without any worries."

Zhao Changsheng took a deep breath, the flames of vengeance burning in his eyes. He bowed respectfully to Ye Xinghe. "Master, have no fear. Your disciple will not let you down."

With that, he strode toward the arena.

The Huangfu family head turned to his clansmen and fixed his gaze on a young disciple. "Huangfu Yu, you go and face him. Remember, end this quickly. Do not bring shame upon our family."

Huangfu Yu acknowledged the order and walked proudly toward Zhao Changsheng. Tall and refined, he was already an elite among the younger generation of the Huangfu family.

He stood opposite Zhao Changsheng. "Zhao Changsheng, consider it the fortune of a lifetime that you get to fight me today. However, you will soon realize that the gap between you and our Huangfu family is as vast as the heavens and the abyss."

Zhao Changsheng looked at him coldly. "Huangfu Yu, do not be so arrogant. You will know regret soon enough."

The duel began. Huangfu Yu struck first, his long sword flashing as a sharp blade of energy slashed toward Zhao Changsheng. The energy cut through the air like a streak of silver lightning.

Zhao Changsheng, unhurried, quickly sidestepped the strike. At the same time, he rapidly formed seals with his hands, chanting as he unleashed the Flame Wave Impact. A surge of scorching fire erupted from his palms, coiling toward Huangfu Yu like a serpent of flame.

Huangfu Yu sneered at the sight. "Trifling tricks."

With a flick of his sword, he traced a circular screen in the air, effortlessly blocking the flames. He then leaped into the air, unleashing the Huangfu family’s secret technique, the Nine Swords of Spirit Wind. Nine streaks of sword energy whistled toward Zhao Changsheng like a flock of silver birds.

Zhao Changsheng’s eyes sharpened; he knew the lethality of the Nine Swords of Spirit Wind. Planting his feet firmly, he channeled all his spiritual energy to form a shield of fire before him. He roared, "Crimson Flame Heaven-Shattering Blast!"

A massive pillar of crimson flame erupted from his palms, meeting the nine sword strikes. The collision of fire and sword energy produced an earth-shaking boom. A powerful shockwave of spiritual energy rippled outward, forcing the onlookers to raise their own defenses. Amidst the blinding light, both Zhao Changsheng and Huangfu Yu were sent staggering backward by the force.

Once he regained his footing, Huangfu Yu felt a flicker of shock. He had not expected Zhao Changsheng to be able to withstand his Nine Swords of Spirit Wind. He shed his arrogance, his expression turning grave.

"Zhao Changsheng, it seems I underestimated you. But you won't be so lucky this time."

With that, he formed rapid seals, his spiritual energy surging wildly as a massive vortex of wind manifested behind him. He bellowed, "Wind Sweeps the Scattered Clouds!"

Instantly, the vortex of wind swept toward Zhao Changsheng, carving deep trenches into the ground and scattering debris in its wake. It was clear that Huangfu Yu was truly formidable. The members of the Huangfu family watched with satisfied smiles.

Ye Xinghe remained calm, his gaze fixed steadily on Zhao Changsheng. Seeing the stalemate and the powerful technique unleashed by his opponent, he calmly sent a telepathic message to Zhao Changsheng.

"Changsheng, do not panic. Use the artifact I gave you."

Zhao Changsheng’s heart stirred. He knew the artifact bestowed upon him by his master must be extraordinary, yet he had not used it until now—this was the crucial moment. He quickly retrieved the artifact from his robe; it felt heavy in his hand.

The moment he produced the artifact, Huangfu Yu, who was preparing his next wave of attacks, was so startled by the sudden surge of energy that he froze. He stared wide-eyed at the scale-like artifact in Zhao Changsheng’s hand, full of vigilance. "What is that thing?"

Zhao Changsheng did not respond. Instead, he channeled his spiritual energy into the artifact as his master had taught him. As the energy flowed in, the scale glowed brilliantly, a deep, ghostly blue light enveloping Zhao Changsheng like a burning sapphire flame. Simultaneously, beams of blue light shot forth, interweaving before him into a complex web of spiritual energy.

The head of the Huangfu family turned pale; he could sense that the power radiating from this artifact was far from ordinary. A sense of foreboding washed over him, but to call Huangfu Yu back now would be to admit defeat. He shouted with feigned composure, "Don't think a mere artifact can win you this fight! The heritage of my Huangfu family is beyond your imagination!"

Ignoring his bluster, Zhao Changsheng focused on controlling the artifact. The blue light web began to shift and condense, slowly forming the phantom of a colossal blue dragon. The dragon was lifelike, its scales shimmering with a chilling light, its eyes as large as lanterns, glowing with majestic blue fire. Its massive form coiled behind Zhao Changsheng, as if ready to devour its prey.

"Go!"

With a roar and a change in his hand seals, Zhao Changsheng sent the blue dragon phantom lunging toward Huangfu Yu. A piercing howl tore through the air as the dragon moved. Opening its cavernous jaws, it unleashed a torrent of powerful blue spiritual energy, a tidal wave of destruction rushing toward Huangfu Yu with world-shattering momentum.

Huangfu Yu was struck with terror!