Seeing the elder from the Huangfu Clan fiercely reach out with a claw, Ling Chen remained expressionless. Only when the claw light was upon him did he raise his index and middle fingers, pointing them out.

"Ridiculous!"

Witnessing Ling Chen using just one finger, the elder laughed angrily. In his eyes, Ling Chen’s action was sheer arrogance and ignorance.

The elder’s claw viciously struck toward Ling Chen, whose finger seemed weak and powerless. However, it precisely pierced the center of the elder’s palm.

Pshhh!

The sound of air energy being torn apart resounded, and a hole was abruptly pierced through the elder’s palm. The claw’s energy was shattered, and a mist of blood exploded from his hand.

With a scream, the elder was sent crashing backward, his entire right hand swollen with blue veins, blood gushing out.

"What?"

All the powerful members of the Huangfu Clan were taken aback. A proper junior semi-saint couldn’t withstand even a finger from Ling Chen.

"I said, here, it’s not certain who is the weak one."

Under the gazes of many, a trace of coldness flickered in Ling Chen’s eyes.

"Heh, interesting. Do you intend to single-handedly oppose my entire Huangfu Clan?"

Killing intent began to seep from Huangfu Qi’s eyes. Then, with a sudden grasp of his hand, a sinister black long spear, more than ten feet long, appeared in his grip. Accompanied by his chilling voice, an astonishing momentum burst forth.

"Then this time, let me personally wipe you out."

With that, the long spear swept out, resembling a ferocious python, clearly a formidable weapon exuding an astonishing fierceness, its chilling energy cutting through the air.

Although Huangfu Qi’s cultivation was on par with the previous elder’s, at the level of a junior semi-saint, his strength was incomparable. Across the entire Yangzhou Territory, few below the Saint Realm could match him.

By now, many people had gathered. Seeing Ling Chen and Huangfu Qi on the verge of battle, they too halted.

"This Chen Ling, it’s unwise to confront Huangfu Qi immediately upon arrival."

"The long spear in Huangfu Qi’s hand must be the legendary Xuanmang Demon Spear, right? It’s said to be a holy-grade spear with formidable power."

"That Chen Ling also demonstrated strong abilities earlier, and since he dares to fight Huangfu Qi, he must have some confidence."

"Perhaps Chen Ling does possess some exceptional qualities, but to contend with the Huangfu Clan, he might still be too inexperienced."

...

Amidst the whispers, the coldness on Huangfu Qi’s face intensified, "I don’t know where you got your courage, but I assure you, you won’t have a chance to regret it."

Ling Chen drew his sword from its sheath and coldly said, "If you want to fight, then fight. Why waste words?"

"Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll oblige you!"

A fierce gleam suddenly flashed from Huangfu Qi’s eyes. With a sudden shake of his hand, the black spear emitted a sharp screech, filled with intense killing intent.

"Swish!"

As the screech echoed, Huangfu Qi finally moved, his silhouette darting toward Ling Chen with ghostlike speed. The spear in his hand slithered like a venomous snake, dozens of fierce spear shadows raining down like a storm, leaving trails of torn air behind.

Ling Chen’s body suddenly drifted backward. He held the Red Sky Sword in his right hand, spinning it. The snake-like spear shadows were all intercepted.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sharp sounds of metal clashing were accompanied by sparks. The fierce spear shadows were completely dispelled by the rotating Sword Light.

As the overwhelming spear shadows were dispelled, Ling Chen’s silhouette abruptly sprang forward, a nimble step bringing him right next to Huangfu Qi, whereupon he suddenly slashed down with his sword.

Huangfu Qi, witnessing Ling Chen’s swift approach, had a slight contraction in his pupils. He then sensed a dangerous fluctuation emanating from Ling Chen before him.

Clang!

The Sword Light struck the Xuanmang Demon Spear, producing dazzling sparks. Immediately, Ling Chen followed with eight successive strikes, each one more powerful, pounding against Huangfu Qi’s spear.

Such fierce close combat made many battle-hardened onlookers frown. They could see that Ling Chen’s swordsmanship was extraordinary and remarkably refined, possessing the power of a Divine Sword Technique.

Moreover, with Ling Chen, this swordsmanship flowed seamlessly, a continuous stream of nine consecutive sword techniques.

At first, Huangfu Qi was somewhat disoriented by Ling Chen’s close combat, but he quickly composed himself. Transforming his spear’s attack into defense, his defenses became as solid as iron, fending off Ling Chen’s ferocious assaults.

Though Ling Chen’s cultivation was inferior, each of his sword qis carried a sharpness from within, always forcing Huangfu Qi to retreat, with a stinging sensation pervading his body.

While this pain posed little threat, its recurrence with each clash unnerved Huangfu Qi. Indeed, consistent small injuries could become significant over time.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two ghostlike figures intertwined, fierce gales swirling around them, residual forcefully piercing into nearby stones, leaving numerous holes.

Many surrounding eyes watched with shock and intensity as the two engaged in deadly combat. They could see the ferocity in each attack, targeting vital points; getting hit was sure to be perilous.

"This Chen Ling... truly impressive, keeping up with an opponent like Huangfu Qi."

"Indeed impressive... his swordsmanship carries the elegance of a grandmaster. Despite not being a Sword Saint, his skill approaches that level."

"No wonder he dared to venture here alone. Perhaps Huangfu Qi has met his match this time."

"Not necessarily. As the leader of the Huangfu Clan’s younger generation, Huangfu Qi surely has hidden trump cards yet to be revealed."

...

The numerous eyes fixed on the two fighters in the field, while whispers persisted. The intense battle between Ling Chen and Huangfu Qi was unexpectedly fierce. No one anticipated Ling Chen could contend with Huangfu Qi to such an extent.