The Demon Lord's words shocked everyone. Hao Jun was rendered speechless, his mind reeling. After a long pause, he pointed at the Demon Lord, unable to form a coherent sentence.
What was Hao Jun's status? He had never suffered a grievance in his life. Everyone knew who his father was, and no one dared to speak to him disrespectfully.
"You, you," Hao Jun finally managed to blurt out, "A duel should be fought honorably. Why insult me? It's not the act of a gentleman."
"I'm not a gentleman," the Demon Lord replied with an infuriating tone. He formed a hand seal and casually flicked his wrist, causing a bamboo branch to appear in his palm. He said nonchalantly, "Are you angry? If you're angry, come and get revenge."
Jian Lin couldn't bear to watch. Against the Demon Lord, Hao Jun was truly like a child. In terms of cultivation and intellect, he was no match. The Demon Lord had already unsettled him with just a few words. How could he possibly fight?
Hao Jun's face flushed red and then white. He caught the expressions of the onlookers and felt even more humiliated. A surge of hot blood rushed to his head. He drew his long sword and swung it down at the Demon Lord.
The sword flashed with a cold light, colliding head-on with the verdant bamboo branch. Hao Jun's eyes widened in shock. The bamboo was as hard as iron. He realized with horror that this meant the Demon Lord's cultivation was profound, capable of protecting himself with spiritual energy and using bamboo as a sword.
If he were to lose today, he would become a laughingstock!
Hao Jun took a step back, held his breath, and drew a sword flower. He calmed himself and attacked again.
Hao Jun unleashed his full power, displaying his signature techniques. His stance was steady, each move deliberate and powerful. His broad, sweeping attacks exuded a spirit that could swallow mountains and rivers.
Jian Lin narrowed her eyes. She recognized this as the Blazing Blade Swordplay. If she had managed to cultivate a Golden Core in the Guanlan Sect, her next step would have been to learn this exquisite sword technique, created by the True Master Xuanhe.
Alas, she hadn't cultivated a Golden Core. She could only practice the most basic sword techniques of the Guanlan Sect, trapped in a tragic cycle with no hope of breakthrough.
Hao Jun attacked ferociously, but the Demon Lord remained extraordinarily calm. He held the bamboo branch without any discernible stance, reacting to Hao Jun's every move. He parried every attack, relying solely on his profound internal energy to overpower Hao Jun.
Jian Lin understood the Demon Lord's concerns. He dared not use the Bright Moon Swordplay. Although few knew of it, caution was still paramount. If it were recognized, it would undoubtedly cause trouble.
After more than ten exchanges, Jian Lin noticed an interesting detail. Hao Jun, his eyes red with aggression, unleashed a barrage of techniques. However, the Demon Lord's feet hadn't moved an inch. He seemed to be toying with Hao Jun like a dog.
The crowd also noticed this. The disciples of the Guanlan Sect wore solemn expressions, clearly worried about Hao Jun.
Sect Master Jin's face was complex. He sat restlessly, craning his neck and watching expectantly, as if ready to intervene at any moment.
In contrast, the eldest daughter of the Jin family remained unusually calm, seated on her chair, staring at the duel, lost in thought.
The disciples of the Jinlin Sect, watching the battle, whispered amongst themselves. Earlier, they had advised the Demon Lord to consider his future and act with propriety. Now, they couldn't hide their admiration and were secretly cheering him on.
As fellow rogue cultivators, if he could truly defeat the Guanlan Sect, they would feel honored.
In the blink of an eye, the two in the center of the plaza exchanged another dozen blows. Hao Jun's spiritual energy began to wane. He retreated two steps, finding a moment to catch his breath.
The Demon Lord remained as calm and composed as ever, holding the bamboo branch and pointing it at Hao Jun. He sneered, "Tired already? The Guanlan Sect is nothing special."
Hao Jun's face darkened. He gritted his teeth and said, "Please conduct yourself properly. Today, it is Hao Jun who is dueling you. Win or lose, it is my own affair and has nothing to do with the Guanlan Sect."
"How can it be unrelated?" The Demon Lord stared into Hao Jun's eyes, his words piercing his heart. "You are the chief disciple of the Chiyan Peak of the Guanlan Sect. You cultivated a Golden Core at fourteen, possessing exceptional talent. Your master has imparted all his knowledge to you. For three consecutive years, you have won the Guanlan Sect's Sword Trial Competition. You are the pride of the younger generation, and your junior brothers and sisters look up to you. But now, you are about to lose to me."
"Don't engage in verbal sparring. I haven't lost yet. If you have the ability, come and attack me!" Hao Jun provoked.
When he attacked the Demon Lord, he felt as if the latter was an immovable mountain, which surely meant something was amiss. Perhaps he was merely someone who relied on pills and elixirs, with abundant spiritual energy but no actual skill.
"Very well, I'll attack you," the Demon Lord suddenly flashed and appeared before Hao Jun, shouting, "Watch out, I'm going to strike your left arm!"
Hao Jun instinctively tried to dodge, but he was no match for the Demon Lord's speed. His left arm took a solid hit. Jian Lin knew all too well how painful it was when that small bamboo branch struck someone. As expected, Hao Jun swayed and almost lost his footing.
"The next move is to strike your right wrist." The Demon Lord reminded him again and then, with a crack, struck Hao Jun's right wrist, leaving a deep red mark.
"Be careful, I'm going to kick you, right in the chest." The Demon Lord tapped his toe and kicked Hao Jun directly in the chest, sending him flying several meters away.
Hao Jun used all his strength, jamming his long sword into the ground with a reverse grip to steady himself and avoid falling too awkwardly.
The Demon Lord pursued him and reminded him again, "Dodge quickly."
Unfortunately, Hao Jun couldn't dodge.
In the world of martial arts, speed is paramount. The Demon Lord didn't use any fancy moves, but instead, in a particularly humiliating manner, he baffled Hao Jun.
Jian Lin had witnessed the Demon Lord's battle against the Demon Emperor. Back then, they had competed with grand, world-shattering attacks. Now, watching him fight Hao Jun was utterly uninteresting.
She couldn't help but stand up and heckle from the side, "Young Master Hao Jun, just admit defeat. Don't force yourself. It's truly embarrassing!"
"If you want to marry the eldest daughter of the Jin family, you're still far from it. Who would want to marry a drowning dog? If you want to marry, marry the strongest man in the world. You should just concede, just concede!"
When it came to stirring up trouble and disrupting, Jian Lin was an expert. As expected, after her outburst, Hao Jun's foot slipped, and his anger flared, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Senior Brother!" The junior disciples of the Guanlan Sect surrounded Hao Jun, blocking the Demon Lord. They said indignantly, "Your methods are cunning and deceitful! You bully my senior brother, who is a gentleman. We won't fight anymore, we won't fight anymore!"
Sect Master Jin, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately rushed onto the plaza and raised his hand to stop them. "That's enough, that's enough. Young hero, please stop."
The Demon Lord casually placed the bamboo branch behind his back and said slowly, "Sect Master Jin, I believe you are well aware of the bet between the eldest daughter of the Jin family and young Hao Jun. It was agreed that if I won, this marriage would be nullified. I can stop, but it requires Sect Master Jin to make a decision. Does the eldest daughter of the Jin family still want to get married?"
Sect Master Jin was in a difficult position. He gritted his teeth and said, "Marriage is a major event, arranged by parents and matchmakers. This is something I agreed to with True Master Yuan Shuo. How can it be revoked just like that?"
As expected, Jian Lin sneered. Sect Master Jin didn't take his daughter's marriage seriously. He had even agreed to this bet, confident that the eldest daughter of the Jin family wouldn't win. The Demon Lord's appearance was an accident, and he hadn't considered reneging on the deal.
"Sect Master Jin, if you don't agree, then on your territory, I will kill this Hao Jun. Then, not only will we not be in-laws, but you and Yuan Shuo will become enemies," the Demon Lord threatened casually, stunning everyone present.
Sect Master Jin froze. He inherently valued talent and respected strength. He also feared that the Demon Lord might actually kill Hao Jun, so he quickly tried to mediate.
"Young hero, calm down, please calm down," Sect Master Jin grabbed the Demon Lord's wrist and whispered to him, "I respect you as a strong individual. Tell me directly what you want. Spirit stones, treasures, magical artifacts, or secret manuals. As long as I, Sect Master Jin, can obtain them, I will give them to you. Also, young people should not act impulsively. If you kill Young Master Hao Jun, how will you establish yourself in the immortal realm? Don't ruin your future for such a trivial matter."
What nonsense! Jian Lin was furious. How dare Sect Master Jin call his daughter's marriage a trivial matter? He truly didn't consider his daughter a person.
"I only want Sect Master Jin to fulfill his promise and make it clear to the Guanlan Sect that the eldest daughter of the Jin family's marriage is canceled." The Demon Lord stood with his hands behind his back, unyielding, his expression resolute.
"You..." Sect Master Jin wavered. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. "You're not perhaps interested in my daughter, are you?"
This young man didn't want money or a future. What else could he want? Of course, it must be his daughter!
"What if I am?" The Demon Lord looked at Sect Master Jin, his eyes unfathomable. "I'll ask you one question: Sect Master Jin, do you regret the marriage?"
Sect Master Jin's eyes flickered. He fell into deep thought. This young man possessed profound cultivation and belonged to no sect. If he could truly become his Jin family's son-in-law, their Jinlin Sect would not lose out.
Sect Master Jin's conversation with the Demon Lord was not kept secret from the crowd in the plaza.
Everyone looked at the Demon Lord with gossip in their eyes, then turned collectively to the eldest daughter of the Jin family, who was in the hall.
The eldest daughter of the Jin family blushed, unable to help but lower her head to hide her face, nervously fiddling with the silk handkerchief in her hand, appearing quite shy.
Jian Lin looked on in disbelief. What was this scoundrel saying? "What if I am?" Did he really intend to marry the eldest daughter of the Jin family?
She had thought he was teaching Hao Jun a lesson on her behalf, but now it seemed she had been overly sentimental.
This scoundrel was terrifyingly rational and clear-headed. If he wanted to drain the Jinlin Sect, he might truly be willing to use a fake identity to become a live-in son-in-law.
Jian Lin was dumbfounded. The Guanlan Sect members were also furious.
One of the junior disciples said to Hao Jun, "Senior Brother, this alliance marriage was our Master's command. I think the eldest daughter of the Jin family is not worthy of you. If the marriage is canceled, there's no harm in it."
Hao Jun clutched his chest, his gaze involuntarily falling on the eldest daughter of the Jin family. Humiliation washed over him.
So that's how it is. It's all that woman's fault for making him look foolish today. He would remember this debt!
"Sect Master Jin," Hao Jun said through gritted teeth, supported by his junior disciples as he stood up, "Since the eldest daughter of the Jin family has her heart set elsewhere, I, Hao Jun, will never force matters. I have led my junior brothers here from afar to pay my respects and show ample respect to your Jinlin Sect. At this point, there is nothing more to say. I will report the facts to my Master. This marriage is off!"
With that, he flicked his sleeve and led the Guanlan Sect members away in a huff.
Sect Master Jin couldn't catch up. He stood at the entrance, lost in thought. The alliance with the Guanlan Sect had failed. He would focus on securing another good son-in-law.
He didn't chase after them but turned and walked back slowly. Some close retainers gathered around and whispered to Sect Master Jin, "Sect Master Jin, if you ask me, instead of fawning over the Guanlan Sect, it would be better to have this young brother Lin. He is also a rogue cultivator, and the brothers all respect him. It's rare for everyone to be united."
Sect Master Jin merely smiled and remained silent. He understood that these retainers were only after his wealth and didn't truly respect him. They only respected strength.
Young brother Lin is indeed good...
At the same time, in a quiet corner, Jian Lin was hopping with anger. "What do you mean? Are you really going to marry the eldest daughter of the Jin family?"