Feng Fan was momentarily stunned upon hearing the conversation.
'Who the hell is this Anus Annihilator?' he thought, stifling a chuckle. 'What kind of absurd nickname is that?'
Shaking his head, he continued walking until he reached a referee stationed near the arena.
"Excuse me," he said with a polite smile, "I'm at the 9th Qi Gathering realm, but I'd like to challenge a 1st Foundation Establishment cultivator. Is that allowed here?"
The referee raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if he'd lost his mind. "You can… but why would you want to play the punching bag, kid?"
Feng Fan's smile widened, but he didn't offer an explanation.
Noticing that the young man wasn't in the mood to explain, the referee didn't press the matter further.
"Tell me your name and press your hand on the orb. I'll call you when it's your turn to fight."
"Feng Fan," he replied, then followed the instructions, pressing his hand on the orb.
The referee nodded, scribbling on a piece of paper linked to some kind of match-arranging array.
After the brief exchange, Feng Fan stood off to the side, patiently watching the battles unfold in the arena.
When two fights concluded, the referee's voice cut through the noise.
"Feng Fan vs. Xiang Yi!"
Feng Fan stepped forward, his grin still in place. In front of him stood a man with short hair and a strikingly handsome face.
'Hmph, a handsome guy. I'll make sure to hit his face more. Handsome people should suffer more,' Feng Fan thought with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"Are both participants ready?" Asked the referee.
Xiang Yi nodded, but Feng Fan called out. "Wait!"
He turned toward a nearby betting stall, his eyes scanning the offerings. "Hey, what are the odds for this battle?"
The man behind the counter smiled knowingly. It wasn't uncommon for participants to place bets on themselves.
He wasn't worried about any fixed matches, those who tried in the past ended up badly beaten with all their possessions stolen.
When money is involved, if you decide to cheat, you'd better not get caught!
"The odds for you are 100 to 1. How much would you like to bet?"
Feng Fan flashed a confident grin. "Do you accept bets in middle-grade stones?"
The clerk's brows shot up in surprise. "Are you serious? Middle-grade stones? Yes, but we have a limit, at most one middle-grade qi stone, or ten thousand low-grade qi stones per person."
Feng Fan's expression flickered with mild disappointment. 'Doesn't matter, it's still a decent amount of qi stones.'
With a shrug, he tossed a middle-grade qi stone onto the counter. "Hold onto my reward for me safely."
The clerk caught the stone quickly, marking it down with a nod.
The crowd nearby couldn't help but notice the exchange. Whispers rippled through the spectators.
"This guy's insane, betting a middle-grade qi stone with those kinds of odds!"
"Is he out of his mind? He's in the 9th Qi Gathering realm, facing off against a 1st Foundation Establishment cultivator!"
Feng Fan turned back to the referee and calmly said, "I'm ready."
Xiang Yi, his opponent, furrowed his brows in irritation.
"Are you looking down on me?" he asked, his eyes flashing with anger as he glared at Feng Fan.
Feng Fan paused for a moment, then responded with an innocent expression. "Not at all. It's not that you're weak, it's just that I'm too strong!"
The crowd erupted in laughter, but the sound only served to fuel Xiang Yi's irritation.
"We'll see about that," he said, his anger rising.
After a brief moment of silence, the referee saw the tension was ripe and called out.
Xiang Yi wasted no time. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between himself and Feng Fan.
As he reached striking range, Xiang Yi extended his right palm, aiming directly at Feng Fan's chest. Behind him, an illusion of a cross-legged Buddha appeared, its serene image contrasting with the intensity of the attack.
"Buddha's Divine Palm!" he shouted, unleashing the powerful strike.
Feng Fan merely smiled in response.
He quickly circulated his spiritual qi throughout his body, channeling it through his 144 meridians in a perfect, seamless flow. His dantian served as the focal point, guiding the energy with precision.
His right arm tensed, muscles hardening in preparation for the strike. As he shifted his stance, his right shoulder and hips moved in perfect harmony, amplifying the power behind his punch.
In the blink of an eye, his right arm shot forward with devastating force.
The moment their punch and palm collided, both Feng Fan and Xiang Yi staggered back three steps!
The onlookers gasped in astonishment.
A 9th Qi Gathering realm cultivator had just matched a 1st Foundation Establishment realm cultivator in strength!
It was well-known that the gap between the 1st Foundation Establishment and the 9th Qi Gathering realms was enormous.
Upon reaching the 9th Qi Gathering realm, a cultivator had to use all their awakened meridians to form a pillar that connected the external spiritual qi to their dantian. The more and stronger the meridians involved, the more powerful the pillar.
Once a cultivator formed the pillar inside their dantian, their strength would increase at least threefold!
How could a 9th Qi Gathering cultivator possibly match that? Even if their cultivation technique were of Heavenly grade, it shouldn't be possible!
Moreover, the White Crow Sect didn't possess a Heavenly-grade technique.
After his attack was stopped, Xiang Yi's expression hardened. He no longer underestimated his opponent, realizing that the man in front of him was just as strong as he was.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked, his tone filled with disbelief. "Someone as strong as you can't possibly be unknown, but I've never seen you inside the sect."
A smug grin spread across Feng Fan's face. "I'm your father! Come here, son, let me teach you a lesson!"
Xiang Yi's brows furrowed with anger. "I'll wipe this smug smile off your face!"