"Young Master Lin, you and the Young Marquis are both dragons among men. Your fight is sure to be spectacular," the Ling family Patriarch said. His comment seemed to come out of nowhere, and he immediately fell silent.

The remark seemed neutral, but it was anything but. He clearly wanted to see Lin Hao humiliated.

Hearing this, the Treasure Hunting Pavilion Master’s expression changed, and he shot Lin Hao a warning look.

’He couldn’t see through the Young Marquis’s cultivation at all—his constitution was definitely beyond that of a Spirit Body. Lin Hao’s cultivation, on the other hand, was clear to him: Blood Coagulation Realm Peak.’

’There was no way to compare the two.’

’If Lin Hao actually agreed to this, he would surely be the one to lose.’

Lin Hao saw the look but only smiled faintly.

"Comparing me to him? You’re overestimating him," the Young Marquis sneered at the Ling family Patriarch before turning to Lin Hao. "You’ve got some nerve. You’re the first person in all of Chijing County to dare speak to me that way. For that, I’ll grant you an intact corpse!"

Lin Hao’s words had been provocative, yet the Young Marquis showed no sign of anger. A man like that was truly terrifying.

Lin Hao’s gaze sharpened, and he immediately grew wary.

"Since you want a fight, I’ll indulge you," Lin Hao said after a moment’s thought.

’As the saying goes, a general’s victory is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers. The path to power is paved with practice, and every great Martial Artist has risen by climbing over a mountain of corpses.’

’This Young Marquis’s martial resolve is incredibly stable, which alone puts him far above ordinary people. Fighting someone like him,’ Lin Hao believed, ’would be incredibly rewarding.’

’Most importantly, time was running out. I have to figure out the truth about this assassin from Netherworld Hall.’

’If the Young Marquis is in any danger, someone is bound to make a move. And that’s exactly what I want.’

Lin Hao was using them as bait.

If they knew what Lin Hao was planning, they would probably explode with rage.

But they didn’t.

Seeing Lin Hao agree, the Young Marquis’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

In the middle of the plaza, Lin Hao and the Young Marquis stood facing each other.

The Young Marquis stood casually and crooked a finger at Lin Hao, beckoning him to attack.

It was a blatant provocation.

Lin Hao’s expression remained unchanged as he threw a punch.

From his recent battle with Pang Hu outside Celestial Jade City, Lin Hao had gained a thorough understanding of his own strength. He immediately channeled a martial technique into his punch.

A Yellow Level Top Grade martial technique—the Dragon-Form Tyrant Emperor Fist!

However, he didn’t activate his Cultivation Technique, relying only on the power of the Seventh Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

Even so, the force was astonishing.

This single punch was already on par with that of a Martial Artist at the Blood Coagulation Realm Peak.

The Young Marquis, however, sneered and threw a punch of his own.

It was simple and direct.

He didn’t even use a martial technique, relying solely on his physical strength.

BOOM!

Their fists collided. The bluestone slab beneath Lin Hao’s feet instantly fractured as his clothes billowed and his hair flew wildly.

Not only that, but he was also sent stumbling back more than ten steps before he could regain his footing.

The Young Marquis, in contrast, hadn’t moved a single step. Even his clothes were undisturbed.

From the first exchange, the difference in their power seemed obvious.

No one in the crowd was surprised by this result. A flicker of worry crossed the Treasure Hunting Pavilion Master’s eyes, while Meng Qing and Lu Diewu were tense, their gazes fixed on Lin Hao.

The rest of the onlookers, however, were all smiling smugly.

Lin Hao fighting the Young Marquis was like an egg trying to break a stone.

"You’re not good enough," the Young Marquis said, shaking his head with a look of disappointment.

Lin Hao didn’t reply. He took a step back, stomped his right foot, and attacked again.

It was the Dragon-Form Tyrant Emperor Fist again!

"Hmph! You’re courting death!" The Young Marquis’s eyes narrowed, and killing intent surged within them. A white light began to swirl around his arm.

This was a sign that he was channeling his True Essence.

"Don’t meet it head-on!" Nearby, Eighty-Eight’s expression changed drastically, and his body flickered.

However, he had barely moved before Lu Xinyuan blocked his path.

"The younger generation is just sparring. Surely you don’t intend to interfere!"

The moment Lu Xinyuan finished speaking, Eighty-Eight heard a deafening explosion from the plaza.

Eighty-Eight’s expression changed, then turned to shock.

Lu Xinyuan, his back to the plaza, saw Eighty-Eight’s expression and couldn’t help but smile faintly. "Lin Hao only won in War Dragon City because of his Body Technique. Without it, his fate is sealed. Why the surprise?"

Eighty-Eight’s expression was peculiar, and a strange smile spread across his face.

Lu Xinyuan’s face froze. He turned to look, and was utterly astonished.

On the plaza, Lin Hao stood tall and proud, while the Young Marquis had been forced back more than ten steps, the bluestone paving stones beneath his feet completely shattered.

"You’re not good enough," Lin Hao said, staring at the Young Marquis and throwing his own words back at him.

The Young Marquis’s face paled with rage. "You were hiding your strength!"

Lin Hao replied with a smile, "All’s fair in war. You were just too stupid."

"Fine! Just fine! I’ll let you see my true strength!" The Young Marquis’s face twisted in fury. He stomped his foot, and the ground-shaking impact sent cracks through the stone.

A massive bluestone slab in front of him was dislodged and kicked into the air by the force of his stomp.

Then, the Young Marquis’s hands shot out, and he began to manipulate the massive slab between his palms, making it whistle through the air.

"Cloud-Flipping Hand!"

With a furious roar, the Young Marquis turned the slab into a terrifying weapon, sending it crashing down on Lin Hao with the force of Mount Tai.

Cloud-Flipping Hand, a Profound Level Low Grade martial technique. With a flip of the hand, one could summon clouds and suppress powerful foes.

Lin Hao remained fearless. He activated his Cultivation Technique, and the sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls erupted. His body was enveloped in Chaos Qi as he launched a punch at the descending stone slab.

Having landed a successful blow, Lin Hao knew the Young Marquis would now be coming at him with everything he had, so he didn’t dare let his guard down.

He used no martial technique for this punch, yet it was even more terrifying than if he had!

Lin Hao’s mind, body, and spirit united as one, imbuing the punch with unstoppable momentum.

Nearby, Marquis Red Blood’s eyes narrowed. He turned to the Ling family Patriarch beside him. "Patriarch Ling, who do you think will win?"

"Your lordship," the Patriarch replied deferentially, "the Young Marquis is already an Elemental Realm Martial Artist and can use Profound Level techniques. Lin Hao is only at the Blood Coagulation Realm Peak. There is no comparison. This time, Lin Hao is sure to die!"

The Ling family Patriarch answered with absolute certainty.

A similar conversation was taking place between Lu Xinyuan and Eighty-Eight.

"Relying on cheap tricks will only hasten his demise. In the face of absolute power, all schemes fall apart. Pavilion Master," Lu Xinyuan asked with a sneer, "I’m very curious. If Lin Hao dies here today, how do you plan to explain yourself to the Wenren family?"

Eighty-Eight took a deep breath, then suddenly laughed. "As they say, a tiger father does not raise a dog of a son. As *their* son, if Young Master Lin really only relied on his Body Technique to win in War Dragon City, do you think he would still be alive today?"

Lu Xinyuan’s heart sank as a bad premonition washed over him.

Eighty-Eight didn’t give him time to think, continuing:

"You, on the other hand... if the Young Marquis is defeated, I’m afraid your entire plan will go up in smoke. Gambling with your own niece’s future... if she successfully marries into the marquisate, that’s one thing. But if this fails, can you withstand Lu Dieyi’s wrath? From what I know, those two sisters are incredibly close."

Lu Xinyuan’s face fell.

He whipped his head around to look at the plaza.

On the plaza, Lin Hao’s fist was about to collide with the stone slab.

BOOM!

With a single punch, the bluestone slab disintegrated into dust.

But Lin Hao’s fist continued onward, unstoppable.

The Young Marquis crossed his hands repeatedly, moving to intercept Lin Hao’s fist.

The Cloud-Flipping Hand had countless variations. In close combat, it was like a clinging shadow, turning one’s hands into weapons capable of shattering bone.

Just as Lin Hao’s fist was about to collide with the Young Marquis’s hands, the corner of his mouth curved upward.

Then, his incomparably domineering fist suddenly changed form.

In the next instant, his fist became a claw, grabbing the Young Marquis’s wrist.

With a sudden pull and twist...

He used four ounces of force to deflect a thousand pounds!

BOOM!

Under Lin Hao’s redirection, the Young Marquis stumbled, his body lurching toward the ground. His Cloud-Flipping Hand slammed solidly onto the plaza floor.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

On the plaza, countless bluestone slabs were blasted into the air before turning to rubble, leaving a deep trench that stretched for more than a dozen feet!

This was the power of the Young Marquis’s Cloud-Flipping Hand—a truly shocking display. But when such a display was caused by his opponent simply pulling and twisting his arm, it was a different matter entirely.

Everyone was stunned into silence by the sight.

They never expected Lin Hao to be so unpredictable.

"He’s lost," Lin Hao announced coldly, standing proudly in the center of the destruction.

The two words entered everyone’s ears with absolute clarity.

"I’m going to kill you!" To the Young Marquis, this was the ultimate humiliation.

With a roar, the Young Marquis slammed both hands on the ground, unleashing an even more violent palm strike at Lin Hao.

In terms of cultivation, he was far superior to Lin Hao, but his earlier arrogance had cost him dearly.

He had then used his full power, only for Lin Hao to use a clever trick and make him lose all face.

Lin Hao had been setting traps for him at every turn, making him look like a clown. How could he possibly tolerate this?!

As he launched this palm strike, a faint yellow light even began to flow across the Young Marquis’s body.

"Bloodline power!" Eighty-Eight cried out in shock.

A yellow glow... The Young Marquis possesses a Battle Body!

"Young Master Lin, fall back!" Blocked by Lu Xinyuan, Eighty-Eight couldn’t intervene and could only shout a warning.

By activating a bloodline power, a Martial Artist’s combat strength could multiply in an instant. There was no way Lin Hao could be his opponent.

But not only did Lin Hao not retreat, the corner of his mouth even quirked into a slight smile.

In the next instant, the Young Marquis’s palm struck Lin Hao.

And yet, there was no sound of impact.

Nearby, Marquis Red Blood, who had been watching the fight all along, flickered into motion and suddenly struck!

His cultivation was at the Soul Gathering Realm, and his perception far surpassed that of an ordinary person. He could see that the "Lin Hao" who had been struck was just an afterimage. If he didn’t intervene, his son would likely have only one fate—death!

When an expert of the Soul Gathering Realm attacked, the very space in the area was locked down. Lin Hao’s movements were impeded, and it looked as if he was about to be struck down by Marquis Red Blood’s palm.

PFFT!

A soft sound echoed through the void.

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed, but he surprisingly ignored the Marquis’s attack.

In the next moment, Marquis Red Blood’s expression changed, and the hand that was about to strike down was abruptly pulled back.

But Lin Hao clearly saw a bloody gash appear on the back of the Marquis’s hand.

The Netherworld Hall assassin hiding in the shadows had finally struck.

They hadn’t struck until now, but their first move was shocking.

They had actually managed to injure a Soul Gathering Realm expert.

And yet, there was no fear on Lin Hao’s face. Instead, a hint of a smile flashed across it.

He had finally figured out the assassin’s pattern.

"Marquis Red Blood, you dare to attack a junior! If word of this gets out, aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?" Eighty-Eight shouted, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Marquis Red Blood let out a sinister laugh and said coldly, "If I kill both you and him, then no one will ever know what happened here today."

He was the venerable ruler of a county, yet he had suffered one setback after another in this small Celestial Jade City. How could he possibly tolerate it?

At his words, the expressions of Lin Hao, Eighty-Eight, Meng Qing, and Lu Diewu all changed in unison.