"Isn’t it a bit too early to relax now?" Ao Min’s sneering voice rose from behind.

Hu Man’s eyes widened, and he suddenly felt a chill down his back, an ominous premonition filling his heart.

"You..."

Before he could react, a powerful force directly pushed him off the stage...

Buzz!

"Stage 8, Ao Min wins!"

As Hu Man fell off the stage, the formation on the stage was triggered.

Mo Jun, who was watching from above, immediately announced Ao Min’s victory.

"This is unfair, I haven’t lost yet! That was a sneaky attack, it shouldn’t count!" Hu Man, shamed and angry, roared in fury.

"Big guy, can’t take a loss?" Ao Min was smug.

Hu Man gnashed his teeth in anger.

His cultivation was not weaker than Ao Min’s.

But to be declared defeated in such a way, how could he accept it?

"I have explained the rules of the stage long ago, falling off the stage is also considered a loss! There’s no such thing as a sneaky attack." Mo Jun said coldly, staring at Hu Man.

"I..." Hu Man was still dissatisfied, but he dared not confront Mo Jun’s formidable strength, ultimately choosing to swallow his bitterness.

"Fine, you can have it, daring to sneak attack me, Hu Man, today’s matter won’t end here!"

Hu Man didn’t dare to challenge Mo Jun, but directly threatened Ao Min.

Ao Min appeared indifferent, laughing: "Do you think you’re special? A loss is a loss, what’s there that you can’t accept?"

Hu Man, gloomy-faced, glared at Ao Min and then turned to leave.

After the fight ended, Ao Min also stepped down from the stage shortly thereafter.

"Heh, Chen Yang, how’s my reflexes?" Ao Min was full of pride. Though the first victory couldn’t prove much, defeating an almost impossible opponent within the rules brought a real sense of satisfaction.

"Not bad." Chen Yang nodded lightly, granting a modicum of approval.

"I didn’t expect this Divine Dragon Assembly to be so extraordinary, facing such a strong opponent right away, thanks to your reminder." Ao Min said with some emotion, standing beside Chen Yang.

Chen Yang smiled without speaking.

"By the way, do you know who your opponent is?" Ao Min suddenly grew curious.

Chen Yang shook his head: "They haven’t called my name yet."

"Alright then." Ao Min clammed up.

However, a moment later, someone was declared the winner on Stage 7, and Mo Jun, high in the sky, called out Chen Yang’s name next.

"Chen Yang, face off against Su Yang!"

"Su Yang?" When Chen Yang heard this name, it felt somewhat familiar.

Just as he was pondering why it felt familiar, a figure from the crowd arrogantly leapt onto the platform.

A man dressed in ordinary modern clothing.

Neither fat nor thin, fairly handsome in appearance, a typical heartthrob.

He was Su Yang.

Seeing the face, Chen Yang recalled.

So it was him!

During his time understanding the various tournament participants with the celestial crane at the Elegant Pavilion, a small amusing incident occurred.

A group of female cultivators swooning over photos of Su Yang.

Due to that little peculiarity, Chen Yang remembered him.

At the time, Chen Yang had also observed Su Yang’s power specifically, only at the mid Spirit Gathering stage, having just broken through.

In the outside world, such capability would be quite impressive.

But in a competition where Spirit Gathering experts gathered, it was definitely a bottom-tier existence, anyone with a bit of strength wouldn’t have much trouble dealing with him.

"Ah! Su Yang, so handsome!"

"Su Yang, I want to be your wife."

"Su Yang, let’s dual cultivate!"

...

As soon as Su Yang hit the stage, he immediately attracted the attention of many female cultivators present at the assembly.

Most were drawn in by Su Yang’s charisma and his looks.

Each one looked like fans idolizing a star, eyes filled with infatuation, crazed.

Chen Yang was sweating.

How could such things appear even in the cultivation world?

"Hmph, what’s so great, just a pretty boy."

"Damn, why jump onto the stage, trying to show off or what?"

The fervor among female cultivators naturally irked many of the male cultivators.

One by one, they started to grumble from below the stage.

Some of them, battle enthusiasts, were even itching for a fight, eager to rush up and give Su Yang a beating.

Yet with the stage barrier, naturally, they couldn’t get up there.

"Which brother here is Chen Yang? I’ll give you ten Spirit Stones, just beat up that Su Yang for me."

"I’ll also pay Spirit Stones to beat that poser up good."

...

The crowd was excited, shouting together.

Chen Yang smiled wryly.

How badly did Su Yang deserve a beating to earn such resentment?

"Chen Yang, get on the stage."

At this moment, Mo Jun’s voice sounded again from above.

Only then did Chen Yang step from the crowd onto the stage.

Due to the commotion around Su Yang, many eyes were on Stage 7.

When people saw an unfamiliar face emerge onto the stage, they were taken aback.

"Who’s this kid? Never heard of or seen him before."

"Not sure, maybe someone from a minor sect who just reached Spirit Gathering."

"Good grief, how did it end up being such a person, does that mean Su Yang is gonna show off again?"

...

The audience below didn’t have high hopes for Chen Yang.

Reaching the Spirit Gathering realm meant they were standout cultivators, most being aware of each other’s names.

Yet they had never heard of Chen Yang, so instinctively they thought, Chen Yang was likely just someone who’d only recently reached the Spirit Gathering realm.

Very likely not capable of handling Su Yang, who’s a bottom-tier fighter.

Su Yang reveled in the cheers of the female cultivators, then slowly turned his gaze onto Chen Yang.

His thoughts mirrored those of the audience below.

Feeling incredibly lucky, he thought he’d immediately encountered a newcomer - wasn’t this a chance to show off?

Upon this realization, he decided to exploit the opportunity well.

"Brother, you’re no match for me! Admit defeat, I, Su Yang, don’t want to bully you." Su Yang looked reluctant, appearing to have integrity.

"Wow, Su Yang is so cool, truly our heartthrob."

The female cultivators next door fawned again.

They found Su Yang’s behavior exceptionally attractive.

"..."

Chen Yang was speechless. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"My combat aptitude, Su Yang’s, is renowned throughout the Spirit Gathering realm. Brother, there’s no need for unnecessary pain, just concede." Su Yang saw his tactic working, becoming more eager, continuing with his pretentious speech.

"..."

Chen Yang was thoroughly exasperated - where did such a weirdo come from?

"No need, you can go all out, don’t think too much." Chen Yang said coldly, with a faint tone.

"Really no need?" Su Yang feigned surprise.

"No need!" Chen Yang emphasized.

"Very well, since you insist, I have no choice but to act, but as a senior, I’ll allow you three moves." Su Yang stood with his hands behind his back, single-handedly leading, exuding complete bravado.

Chen Yang broke into a sweat again.

How did he end up encountering such a weirdo?

"Who is this guy? Our Su Yang, the heartthrob, was so considerate, but he doesn’t appreciate it?"

"Heh, looks like he’s asking for trouble, if it were me, I’d have left long ago."

"Ah, some people just won’t give up, wanting to challenge our Su Yang, the heartthrob."