"I have made up my mind. There's no need to say more, Master of the Hou Family. Xingyun, what are you waiting for? Go choose your opponent now!"
Without even a moment's thought, apparently spurred on by the threatening tone in Hou Yuxiao's voice, Wan Renjue coldly called out to his son behind him, signaling him to go up.
Hou Yuxiao's eyes narrowed slightly. He gave Wan Renjue a deep look, said nothing more, and sat down, closing his eyes to gather his energy.
Whether it was great trust in his father or confidence in his own skills, Wan Xingyun's expression had not changed since his father asked him to step up. Now, walking onto the platform, his gaze directly met Hou Yuduan's, brimming with an eager disposition.
"Young Gang Leader Wan, are you challenging Old Fifth?"
"Challenging Old Fifth isn't wise!"
"Does Old Fifth have any notable achievements to speak of?"
"Fools, the Double Dragons of the Hou Family are on par with the Master of the Hou Family. Does that not say enough? Is your judgment better than that of Great Jin?"
"Not to mention, just now Hou Yuduan parried the Sect Master—how many of you could do that? Challenging Old Fifth is definitely more dangerous than it seems!"
The spectators' discussions slightly opened Hou Yuxiao's eyes, and he looked at Wan Xingyun with a curious expression. If this man dared to challenge Old Fifth, he might indeed respect him. Perhaps he could...
Wan Xingyun looked at Hou Yuduan for more than ten breaths but finally shifted his gaze to a robust figure to the right rear of Hou Yuxiao—Hou Yucheng, speaking in a tone filled with regret, said softly:
"I choose Hou Yucheng!"
Hou Yuxiao closed his eyes and shook his head with a cold laugh.
Unlike him, others showed looks of admiration.
"That's more like it. Wan Xingyun is still being cautious!"
"He is, after all, the Young Gang Leader of Xiong Yun Gang; he must have some strategies."
Hou Yuling had already won, and Wan Xingyun could only challenge three people: Hou Yucheng, Hou Yujie, and Hou Yuduan. Not to mention Hou Yuduan, and Hou Yujie has just had a decent record in Yangping County, so challenging Hou Yucheng, with no notable achievements or fame, was naturally the safest option—no wonder everyone was praising him heavily.
However, Wan Xingyun clearly found these praises a bit irritating. After signaling for Hou Yucheng to come forward, his gaze still lingered on Hou Yuduan with a hint of pride, saying, "I'm not challenging you not because the Young Gang Leader is scared of you. After defeating your brother, the Young Gang Leader will pick another auspicious day to defeat you fair and square!"
"Ambitious Young Gang Leader, impressive!"
"If not for the age restriction, the Young Gang Leader would surely be on the New Star Ranking of the Demon Path. Hou Yuduan wouldn't have stood a chance. Young Gang Leader is formidable..."
"Master Wan has a worthy successor indeed!"
The continuous flattery improved Wan Xingyun's mood considerably. Choosing Hou Yucheng was a safe move; he didn't want to earn a reputation for only challenging weaker opponents.
"All this nonsense, you should thank your lucky stars you have a good father. Otherwise, you'd be dead today!"
This disdainful taunt was particularly jarring among the praises, causing Wan Xingyun's recently improved expression to immediately freeze. But before he could turn around, a broad black shadow suddenly surged from behind Hou Yuxiao against his face, striking swiftly.
The intense Sword Qi instantly filled the arena, capturing everyone's attention, and caused Wan Xingyun's heart to abruptly sink.