For his eighth opponent, Lin Yun could see that the man had reached the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Qi Sea Realm long ago. He was in a completely different league than the previous fighters.

’They just keep getting stronger,’ Lin Yun sighed softly. ’As expected of the most prestigious list in the Yanhuang Country.’

The man stopped five meters away from Lin Yun. Judging by his appearance alone, you would never guess he was an expert at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Qi Sea Realm. He looked so ordinary that he was the type of person who would simply vanish into a crowd.

"You’re already very impressive for making it this far," the man warned Lin Yun. "I’ll give you a piece of advice: you still have a chance if you surrender now. Otherwise, there’s no way you’ll leave here alive today." His tone held no menace; it was as if he were simply stating a fact.

Before coming onto the stage, the Third Leader had told him to let Lin Yun surrender on his own if possible. After all, the Third Leader really didn’t want to personally kill a genius like him.

He was only at the First Layer of the Qi Sea Realm. If Lin Yun were given a little more time, his place on the Yanhuang List would be a certainty. The Third Leader didn’t want to be the one to extinguish such a genius.

Completely unaware that the Fifth Prince wanted him dead, Lin Yun could still sense something was off from the man’s tone. However, having come this far, there was no way he would surrender.

"Thanks, but I won’t be surrendering," Lin Yun replied.

Having been refused, the man said no more. ’If you won’t surrender, then I’ll just have to beat you until you do.’

The Elemental Power within his body surged skyward. His weapon was an Iron Hammer that weighed hundreds of pounds, yet the massive tool was exceptionally nimble in his hands. With a push off his legs, the man shot toward Lin Yun.

’So fast...’ From the very beginning, Lin Yun realized how formidable this man was. ’The previous fighters probably wouldn’t have lasted ten moves against him.’

He didn’t consider taking out his Bone Spear. This was only the first round; there was still a second to go. If he exhausted all his strength now, his chances in the next round would be slim.

Since he wasn’t using the Bone Spear, Lin Yun unleashed his own Elemental Power to its fullest for the first time. Though he was only at the First Layer of the Qi Sea Realm, the aura he projected at full power was no weaker than that of any Mid-Stage Qi Sea Realm Martial Artist.

As the man shot toward Lin Yun, he felt the wave of Elemental Power wash over him. ’Such pure Elemental Power...’ he thought, asking himself honestly. ’Even I don’t possess Elemental Power this pure.’

He chose not to meet the attack head-on. Although Lin Yun’s body was strong enough to shatter an Earth Spirit Soldier, it all depended on the opponent. Against this man, even if he could withstand the attack directly, he still had two more battles to fight. It clearly wasn’t worth the cost.

Executing Inch Step, Lin Yun deftly dodged the man’s ferocious strike. Relying on his superior speed, Lin Yun began to weave around him, engaging in a hit-and-run battle.

Every time he dodged one of the man’s attacks, Lin Yun found an opening to land a blow of his own.

After several exchanges, Lin Yun remained completely unscathed, while his opponent had already taken several punches.

Watching the battle from the stands, the smile on the Fifth Prince’s face grew wider. ’Brat, I was still wondering how I was going to kill you, but you delivered yourself right to my doorstep. Just win this one, and the next match will be your last.’

"Go," he said to a servant beside him, "tell the Third Leader that he must personally take the stage and kill this person in the next match."

The servant quickly relayed the Fifth Prince’s words to the Third Leader. The Third Leader was watching the Martial Arts Arena, and upon hearing the Prince’s renewed order, his face betrayed no emotion. He simply replied to the servant, "I understand. If he wins this match, I will personally take the stage."

Judging by the situation in the arena, the Third Leader knew that victory in this match was already in Lin Yun’s grasp. The opponent he had dispatched was strong, but still no match for Lin Yun.

’Alas, what a pity. This kid has the Combat Power of a Yanhuang List candidate, but...’ Sighing softly, the Third Leader was already heading downstairs.

As expected, ten moves later, Lin Yun landed a punch squarely on the man’s chest. With Lin Yun’s incredibly powerful physique, a single punch sent the man flying back more than ten meters. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood and lost his ability to fight.

As the punch connected, Lin Yun pulled back his power. Otherwise, that single blow would have been enough to kill him.

Knowing that Lin Yun hadn’t used a killing blow, the man struggled to his feet. "Thank you for showing mercy," he said to Lin Yun. "A piece of advice: surrender immediately in the next match. Otherwise, you will not leave this Martial Arts Arena alive."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left.

Watching the man’s retreating figure, Lin Yun pondered. ’I haven’t offended anyone, have I? Could someone want to kill me?’

He couldn’t think of who it might be; Lin Yun had practically no enemies in the Imperial City. Since he couldn’t figure it out, he simply put it out of his mind. He had already made it this far. ’Surrender?’ The thought had never even crossed his mind.

The eighth battle ended, and the ninth began moments later. The Third Leader walked onto the Martial Arts Arena, a Giant Axe in hand.

The moment he saw the Third Leader step onto the stage, the Fifth Prince smiled—a smile brimming with killing intent. As for the other wealthy scions, their jaws dropped in astonishment.

"The Third Leader is actually fighting himself?"

"My god, it’s over. There’s no way that kid can pass this. The Third Leader has the Combat Power of a Yanhuang List candidate! It’s just that as the Third Leader of the Forbidden Guard Army, he’s not allowed to challenge the Yanhuang List."

"It’s over, it’s all over. To run into the Third Leader in the first round... that kid’s luck is just terrible."

With the Third Leader on stage, the betting odds on Lin Yun instantly changed to one-to-ten. Clearly, not even the Royal Family believed he could defeat the Third Leader.

On the Martial Arts Arena, Lin Yun and the Third Leader stood facing each other. Neither spoke. After a long moment, Lin Yun was the first to break the silence. "You’re very strong."

"That’s right," the Third Leader agreed.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Your talent is immense. Given more time, you would certainly earn a place on the Yanhuang List. It’s a shame you won’t get the chance."

As he spoke, a look of helplessness and regret crossed the Third Leader’s face. Combined with the previous opponent’s warning, the questions in Lin Yun’s mind grew more intense. ’Who exactly wants me dead? And whoever can rig the matches in the Yanhuang Battle Arena must be connected to the Royal Family.’

"Who wants me dead?" Lin Yun asked.

His eyes fixed on Lin Yun. "As far as I’m concerned, you’re already a dead man. But I’ll give you one last chance. Defeat me, and you’ll live. When that time comes, I’ll tell you who it is. Dead men don’t need to know anything."

"Fine," Lin Yun agreed without hesitation.

"I will use my full strength to kill you. Whether you live or die is up to you. Don’t blame me—a royal command is difficult to defy," the Third Leader warned him one last time.

This was his final warning to Lin Yun. From the moment the Third Leader stepped onto the stage, Lin Yun no longer even had the option to surrender. His only path to survival was to defeat the man before him.