Jiang Chen was humming a little tune as he made his way toward the altar.

But the moment he set foot on the altar, he instinctively stopped. He raised an eyebrow, a primal sense of danger washing over him.

His gaze swept across the area, and he noticed everyone looking at him with contempt, disdain, and a hint of schadenfreude. Not far away, a group led by Jiang Ziyou, Yun Haoran, Sima Tao, Jiang Tai, Lin Shengfeng, Chen Tianrun, Xu Ying, and Qian Duoduo was closing in on him, their faces etched with Evil Qi.

A cold smile played on Jiang Ziyou’s lips. She looked at Jiang Chen with mockery in her eyes and snarled, "Jiang Chen, you actually have the nerve to come back!"

"How dare you, Jiang Chen! To murder Lin Yu and the others for your own selfish desires... you’re utterly depraved! You deserve to die a thousand deaths!" Jiang Tai roared at Jiang Chen, his face a mask of fury.

Lin Shengfeng, Chen Tianrun, Xu Ying, Qian Duoduo, and the others glared at him, their eyes glinting with cold light.

A chilling killing intent coalesced into a terrifying pressure that bore down on Jiang Chen.

An ordinary person facing the crushing killing intent of so many Martial Arts Ninth Stage masters would have already collapsed under the strain.

But who was Jiang Chen?

He had single-handedly killed over a thousand Demon Beasts. Why would he care about a mere bit of killing intent?

Jiang Chen snorted coldly. "Who told you I was the one who killed Lin Yu and the others?"

"Jiang Chen, are you still trying to deny it? Ziyou has already told us everything! You went after innocent people, all to seize the Green Water Golden-eyed Beast’s Beast Egg! A depraved monster like you is someone everyone has the right to execute!" Jiang Tai roared, his face flushed with anger.

Yun Haoran tilted his chin up slightly, a brow cocked, and said with an air of indifference, "Jiang Chen, if you confess your crimes now, we can show you leniency. But if you continue this pointless resistance, don’t blame me for taking matters into my own hands and delivering justice for all!"

"Heh. So you’ve decided I’m the one who killed Lin Yu and the others based on Jiang Ziyou’s word alone?" The corners of Jiang Chen’s mouth curved up in a sarcastic smirk. In a mocking tone, he continued, "Well then, what if I told you that Lin Yu and the others were actually just used by Jiang Ziyou, which led to their tragic deaths? Would that make Jiang Ziyou the murderer?"

"You’re spouting vicious lies!" Jiang Ziyou’s expression flickered. She shot back angrily before turning to the crowd with a pitiful look. "Everyone, don’t be deceived by him! He’s the one who killed Lin Yu and the others!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Jiang Tai snorted. "Ziyou is a heaven’s favored daughter. Why would she ever do such a thing?"

Yun Haoran nodded. "Junior Sister Ziyou is kind by nature. How could she possibly do something so utterly unconscionable? This is clearly Jiang Chen trying to frame her. But with me here today, do you really think I’d let such a despicable scheme succeed?"

Seeing that even Yun Haoran spoke with such certainty, the crowd’s conviction solidified. They all turned to Jiang Chen. Sima Tao’s face darkened as he asked, "Jiang Chen, what else do you have to say for yourself?"

He was the City Lord of Yandu City!

He had been hoping to use this Yulan Festival to let the talented disciples of Yandu City shine. It would have been best if a few more could enter Yulan Academy, or even be noticed by the special envoy from the Saint Martial Sword Sect.

If even one more person entered the Saint Martial Sword Sect, it would be a great achievement for him as the City Lord of Yandu City.

With the talents of Lin Yu, Xu Qilin, Jian Shisan, Chen Fan, and the others, even if they couldn’t get into the Saint Martial Sword Sect, they could have at least entered Yulan Academy. But now, all these promising youths had perished in the hunting grounds, destroying the easy merit that had been within Sima Tao’s grasp.

How could he not be furious?

Under the gazes of the crowd, Jiang Chen showed no fear. He just gave a cold smile, shook his head, and sighed, "A bunch of idiots, all being played like fiddles by one woman."

"What do you mean by that?" Sima Tao’s expression changed.

Ignoring the crowd’s icy stares, Jiang Chen strolled leisurely toward the altar, leaped up to sit on its edge, and crossed his legs.

"So, Jiang Ziyou told you that I ambushed and killed Lin Yu and the others because I selfishly wanted to steal the Green Water Golden-eyed Beast’s Beast Egg? HAHAHA! That’s the biggest joke I’ve ever heard. With my strength, if I truly wanted the Green Water Golden-eyed Beast’s Beast Egg, I could just take it by force. Even if there were ten or a hundred like Lin Yu and Chen Fan, taking the Beast Egg from them would be as easy as reaching into my own pocket for me, Jiang Chen. Why would I ever need to resort to sneak attacks and assassinations?"

Jiang Chen tilted his head, his calm gaze seeming to pierce through their hearts as it swept over each person. He continued, "Use your brains. Assassinations and sneak attacks are tactics for the weak. The likes of Lin Yu aren’t even worthy of me assassinating them. This is all a lie spun by that woman, Jiang Ziyou. She wants to harm me, to kill me using you as her borrowed knife!"

Jiang Chen spoke with eloquent confidence.

His words, and his self-assured demeanor, did indeed sow seeds of doubt in the minds of Lin Shengfeng and the others.

Their gazes flickered, shifting back and forth between Jiang Ziyou and Jiang Chen.

"Silence!"

Yun Haoran’s expression changed. He knew that doubts were starting to form in everyone’s minds, and if they investigated further, it would be bad for Jiang Ziyou. He immediately shouted, "Insolent Jiang Chen! You dare to slander Junior Sister Ziyou even now? Putting aside the fact that her strength is unmatched among Yandu City’s younger generation, it would be a simple matter for her to deal with you herself. Why would she resort to a low-handed tactic like framing you? You’re spouting utter nonsense! What is your real motive?!"

Jiang Ziyou played her part perfectly, putting on a pitiful expression. With an aggrieved look, she said, "Jiang Chen, I can understand your desire to clear your name, but you can’t slander me to do it. If I truly wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t need anyone else’s help. I could easily cut you down myself."

"That’s right! Miss Ziyou is a heaven’s favored daughter! She has no reason to frame Jiang Chen!"

"It seems Jiang Chen really is slandering Miss Ziyou. That guy is too sinister!"

"A sinister villain like him must be killed!"

Listening to the crowd’s condemnations of Jiang Chen, Jiang Ziyou, who was secretly wiping away fake tears, felt the corners of her mouth lift into a triumphant smirk.

"HAHAHAHA..."

Jiang Chen slowly rose to his feet. He surveyed the crowd, his sharp gaze finally landing on Jiang Ziyou. "Jiang Ziyou," he said with a cold bark, "you really haven’t disappointed me. You’re as venomous and malicious as ever. You said you could kill me easily, so you don’t need to resort to schemes and plots, right? Fine. Then today, I formally challenge you. I’d like to see just how you’ll kill me so easily!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire altar fell silent.

Every single gaze fell upon Jiang Chen and Jiang Ziyou.

One was the heaven’s favored daughter who had awakened a Profound Tier Ninth Grade Martial Soul and was about to become a disciple of the Saint Martial Sword Sect.

The other was a piece of trash with a mere Yellow Tier First Grade Martial Soul, despised by all!

At this very moment, Jiang Chen, the trash in everyone’s eyes, was publicly challenging Jiang Ziyou, the heaven’s favored daughter. This left everyone stunned and utterly surprised.

"Is Jiang Chen looking for death?"

"He’s cornered. This must be a desperate, last-ditch effort!"

"A last-ditch effort? Is he even worthy of making Miss Ziyou fight to the death? That’s a fool’s dream. This is just the final struggle of a dying man..." someone sneered.

Jiang Ziyou’s expression shifted slightly, but she didn’t immediately accept.

Jiang Chen sneered. "What’s wrong? Don’t you call yourself a heaven’s favored daughter, all high and mighty? Don’t you have the guts to accept my challenge?"

"Jiang Chen, you’re insolent!"

Jiang Ziyou’s face darkened. A cold killing intent flashed in her dark eyes as she snapped, "You’re just a piece of trash with a mere Yellow Tier First Grade Martial Soul. What gives you the right to challenge me?"

"HAHAHA..."

Jiang Chen threw his head back and let out a long laugh. With a flash, he leaped to the center of the altar. A wild wind whipped around him, causing his black hair to flutter on its own.

His voice suddenly became incredibly deep and resonant, echoing across the altar. His cold tone was laced with fiery battle intent. "Jiang Ziyou, you and your father deceived me for years, tricking me into cleansing the impurities from your meridians. Now that your meridians are clear, you cast me aside like a useless tool, even expelling me from the Jiang Family."

"You also stole the Saint Martial Order my father left for me and took the Saint Martial Sword Sect spot that was rightfully mine. Not only that, you and your father have become completely depraved, sending people to kill me time and time again. And now, you’re still trying to use others to murder me?"

"I’ve said it before: for everything you’ve done to me, I will one day take it all back with my own two hands. Everything that belongs to me, Jiang Chen—none of you can take it away..."

Rage burned within Jiang Chen. His killing intent materialized into a gale that howled around him. He raised his longsword and pointed it at Jiang Ziyou. "Jiang Ziyou, you call me trash over and over. So now, I, this piece of trash, invite you to a battle to the death, right here in front of everyone. One battle to decide life and death. Jiang Ziyou, do you dare to fight?"