"Secret weapon?" Jiang Lan asked, puzzled. When had Xiao Man given Ah Si a secret weapon? He hadn't known about it.
"In a moment, when I get on the stage, you'll know. You can rest assured, wholeheartedly. Boss Nangong said for me not to be afraid and to go up boldly! Whatever happens, she'll handle it!"
Jiang Lan pursed his lips and said no more. He silently watched Ah Si ascend the stage, then began searching for Xiao Man. He knew Ah Si's capabilities; Ah Si was usually unwilling to admit defeat, and his cultivation was at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Facing Lan Hai, who was also at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he might not be an opponent. Especially after learning that the Seven Tribes of the Sacred Land were all demon races, his heart grew even more uncertain.
"Have you seen junior brother Nangong?"
"No, perhaps he's watching us from somewhere right now."
"Jiang Lan, you're so late. Are you afraid?" The people of the Lan clan saw Jiang Lan and surrounded him. "A mere human actually dares to challenge the divine race, you're overestimating yourselves."
Jiang Lan lowered his gaze and said in a calm tone, "You challenged us, not the other way around. You'd best pray that Lan Hai doesn't lose too badly. If he loses too badly, it might bring shame upon the divine race."
"With your mere human race, you dare to think of defeating the divine race? Stop dreaming!" the Lan clan chief sneered. "In the same realm, humans are no match for the divine race."
"Whether we are a match or not will be revealed on the stage soon enough."
"Hmph, don't cry when you lose too badly then," the Lan clan chief returned to his seat with a cruel smile. To be safe, he had given Lan Hai a pill that could temporarily boost his cultivation by one realm. This human小子 was destined to die today!
Before Ah Si and Lan Hai could ascend the stage, they needed to sign a life-and-death contract. While signing, Ah Si noticed that it was no longer "death by heaven's will" but "inseparable life and death." He couldn't help but look up at Lan Hai opposite him.
Lan Hai signed his name without hesitation. Seeing Ah Si staring at him, seeming hesitant to sign, he taunted, "What, scared? Realized you're scared now, too late!"
"It's not that I'm scared, but I'm surprised that the dignified divine race could be so despicable. This truly brings shame to the divine race." Ah Si waved his hand and signed his name. These demons were truly despicable; even if they wore the guise of the divine race, they couldn't change their base nature!
As the two ascended the stage, the spectators erupted in cheers.
"Beat him to death, beat him to death."
Upon hearing this, Ah Si cupped his fists and said, "Thank you all for coming. I will definitely listen to you all and beat him to death!"
The venue fell silent. After a moment, everyone gave Ah Si a thumbs-down and booed him. They had come to see Lan Hai display his might and kill this human who dared to challenge the divine race on the spot.
"Lan Hai, see? They're all booing you."
Lan Hai's expression twisted. "They're booing *you*."
"You're shameless! They're booing you, and you're trying to push it onto me. Disgraceful!" Ah Si earnestly scolded Lan Hai for his shamelessness. Lan Hai, enraged, drew his saber and slashed. "You'll know who they're booing soon enough!"
Ah Si was not afraid. He unsheathed his sword and met the attack. Weapons clashed, emitting a piercing clang. Something seemed to shatter on Ah Si's sword, flying into his eyes. Lan Hai immediately retreated.
"What kind of trash weapon is that? It broke after one hit?"
"Blind your dog eyes! This is a precious sword!" Ah Si waved his sword, which was intact. Not only had it not shattered, but there wasn't even a scratch.
Lan Hai was suspicious. He clearly saw the sword shatter, and fragments almost flew into his eyes. But upon closer inspection, Ah Si's sword was not broken. Could it have been a hallucination?
Lan Hai was only suspicious for a moment before charging forward again, engaging Ah Si in combat. In a short period, they exchanged dozens of blows. The spectators, who had expected this human小子 to be defeated quickly, were surprised that Ah Si showed no signs of fatigue after so long.
The Lan clan chief, seeing this, immediately signaled to Lan Hai on the stage, urging him to finish the fight quickly.
Lan Hai also wanted to end it quickly, but this human小子 was somehow different. His attacks were fierce and tricky, and he was exceptionally tough and resilient. By all logical accounts, a full punch from Lan Hai should have incapacitated a human for at least a day or two, but this小子 got up instantly after taking a blow!
"Your punch is like a tickle compared to Boss Nangong's. Taste my 'Random Fists Beat Dog'!"
Before Lan Hai could even react to what "Random Fists Beat Dog" meant, he saw a flurry of fists filling the air, making defense impossible. He could only protect his head.
"Lan Hai, what are you doing? Fight back!"
The audience below shouted at Lan Hai to retaliate. Lan Hai felt incredibly wronged; he wanted to fight back too, but he had no opening. What made him even more humiliated was being suppressed and beaten by such a human小子. It was an unparalleled disgrace.
"Aren't you afraid he'll lose?" the gluttonous beast asked curiously.
"No need to worry. From the moment he stepped onto the stage, Lan Hai had already lost," Xiao Man said, taking out a flask of wine and pouring herself a cup. The wine exuded a rich aroma, exceptionally refreshing.
"What fragrant wine," a voice remarked, sounding from beside Xiao Man. Xiao Man's hand paused, then she steadily brought the wine to her lips, not even glancing at the person beside her.
"Who do you think will win between the two on the stage?" the man asked. Seeing Xiao Man ignore him, he wasn't angry. He emulated Xiao Man, sitting on the eaves with his legs dangling below. "Fine wine and delicacies, with no companion, don't you feel lonely, fellow Daoist?"
"No," Xiao Man replied, drinking wine and eating meat, her eyes never leaving the distant stage, as if intensely interested in the battle unfolding.
"Boring, utterly boring." Seeing that Xiao Man wasn't taking the bait at all, the man felt bored. He also took out a jar of wine and several plates of snacks, leisurely eating. "This is the divine race's unique Dragon Fruit Cake; you can't get it outside. Try some?"
Xiao Man glanced at him. "My father always taught me not to eat things from strangers."
The man choked slightly, seemingly surprised by Xiao Man's difficult nature. However, he patiently took a piece of Dragon Fruit Cake and put it in his mouth. "It's not poisonous. You can eat it with peace of mind now."
"Sorry, I don't like sweets."
Hearing this, the man took out another plate of specially made spicy chicken. "This isn't sweet."
"Sorry, I don't eat spicy food." Xiao Man's tone remained indifferent, completely unaffected by the man's attempts to curry favor.