The crowd stood in a clearing, waiting for the Divine Martial Elder to give instructions, but a long while passed with no reaction from him.

"Divine Martial Elder, since the second trial is over, what’s the third?" one of the Martial Artists couldn’t help but ask.

Upon hearing this, the Divine Martial Elder chuckled and said softly, "Don’t be so impatient, young man. Let’s wait a bit longer. There’s still one person who hasn’t come out."

"There’s still one person who hasn’t come out?" The crowd was stunned by the Divine Martial Elder’s words, and a sense of bewilderment grew in their hearts. ’Who on earth could be important enough for the Divine Martial Elder to wait for them?’

"Divine Martial Elder, the time for the second trial has already passed," Ouyang Shaoyu said from the side, clearly displeased. "Isn’t that person disqualified? Why are we waiting for him?"

Hearing the resentment in Ouyang Shaoyu’s tone, the Divine Martial Elder simply kept his smile and said nonchalantly, "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. What harm is there in changing the rules a little?"

"What!" Everyone was shocked to the core. The Divine Martial Elder was actually going to change the rules for this person. He was the guardian of the Divine Martial Realm; in his eyes, the rules of the realm were sacrosanct. Yet now, the Divine Martial Elder was going to change the rules for a contestant. ’Who could this contestant possibly be?’ 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Brother Haoran isn’t out yet... Could it be him?" Murong Wanqing whispered from the side. She scanned the entire area but couldn’t find any sign of Shen Haoran. She refused to believe that someone with his strength would fail to pass the second trial.

"It’s very likely Brother Shen!" Han Xu’s eyes glinted sharply upon hearing Murong Wanqing’s words.

On the other side, Ouyang Shaoyu had been watching Han Xu and overheard the conversation. He sneered and said, "This ’Brother Haoran’ you’re talking about, it couldn’t be that piece of trash who’s only a Tier Two Spirit Marquis, could it?"

Ouyang Shaoyu’s words made Murong Wanqing, Han Xu, and Luo Xiaowen’s expressions darken instantly. Shen Haoran held a special place in their hearts, and Ouyang Shaoyu insulting him was more infuriating than if he had insulted them directly. The fiery-tempered Murong Wanqing immediately let out a string of curses: "You’re the piece of trash! Your whole family is trash!"

"What? Is he such a piece of trash that no one’s allowed to say it? He’s just a Tier Two Spirit Marquis. Is the Divine Martial Realm some place trash like him can enter? He should take a good look at himself. I’d say he was probably beaten to death by those skeleton soldiers in the Reincarnation Tunnel long ago! HAHA!" Ouyang Shaoyu laughed loudly, making no effort to hide the disdain in his voice.

"Ouyang Shaoyu, if you dare say one more word, believe me when I say I will tear your mouth apart!" Luo Xiaowen’s pretty face was grim as she stared at Ouyang Shaoyu, her voice cold.

"Ooh, look at the little lady getting angry. That kid only knows how to depend on women, how to hide behind them. If a man like that isn’t trash, then what is?" Ouyang Shaoyu continued, completely ignoring Luo Xiaowen’s threat.

"You..." Seeing that Ouyang Shaoyu still couldn’t keep his mouth shut, Luo Xiaowen’s expression hardened, and her aura erupted from her body. She was just about to strike, but at that exact moment, a relaxed voice drifted over from behind them.

"Having women look out for me is a skill in itself. If you’re so capable, why don’t you find a woman to look out for you?"

The nonchalant voice captured everyone’s attention, and they all turned to look behind them.

At that moment, the Bronze Gate in the very center trembled and then slowly opened. The figure of Shen Haoran walked out from within.

Upon seeing Shen Haoran, everyone present couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. His body was covered in wounds, large and small. His clothes were in tatters, with a few shredded strips of cloth hanging down. Scabs of dried blood covered his skin, and his aura was somewhat unstable.

In the tunnel, Shen Haoran had fought an intense battle with a bone-white skeleton. Although the skeleton only had the aura of a Tier One Spirit Marquis, its combat awareness and Martial Skills were inherited from the Ancient Times. Its true combat power was on par with a Tier Three or even Tier Four Spirit Aspect. Shen Haoran had gone through a bitter struggle to finally kill it, but he had suffered significant injuries in the process.

The crowd stared at the wound-covered Shen Haoran, utterly shocked. They never imagined that the person the Divine Martial Elder was waiting for was truly Shen Haoran, who only had the aura of a Tier Two Spirit Marquis! Then, everyone’s gaze shifted toward Ouyang Shaoyu, their faces filled with odd expressions.

At this moment, Ouyang Shaoyu looked as if he had just eaten shit. A moment ago, he had confidently proclaimed to the crowd that the person the Divine Martial Elder was waiting for absolutely could not be Shen Haoran, even going so far as to call him trash. Now, Shen Haoran emerging from the Bronze Gate was like a hard slap to Ouyang Shaoyu’s face. He could almost feel his own cheek stinging with a burning pain.

"What’s the matter, Young Master Ouyang? Are you jealous that I have better luck with women than you? You really don’t have to be. If you just acted a bit more like a man instead of a whiny girl, maybe some woman would take pity on you and seek you out!" Shen Haoran said mockingly as he walked toward Ouyang Shaoyu, under the delighted gazes of Luo Xiaowen, Murong Wanqing, and Han Xu. He had heard every word when Ouyang Shaoyu called him trash just now, and Shen Haoran certainly wouldn’t be polite to the kind of person who badmouths others behind their back.

At Shen Haoran’s words, Ouyang Shaoyu’s expression became so dark it looked like water could drip from it. He stared at Shen Haoran with a frigid gaze and said in a low voice, "Brat, are you tired of living?" With that, a faint, oppressive aura burst from his body and enveloped Shen Haoran.

Looking at Ouyang Shaoyu’s grim face, Shen Haoran showed no fear. He took another step forward, and a tyrannical aura of his own radiated out, directly ripping Ouyang Shaoyu’s faint oppressive presence apart. Then, he sneered, "What, you want to fight? Come on and try me!"

"Good... Just great!" Hearing Shen Haoran’s challenge, Ouyang Shaoyu was so furious he laughed. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as a dense killing intent erupted from his body.

"Stop!" But at that moment, the Divine Martial Elder, who was standing in the center of the clearing, let out a cold shout, instantly shattering Ouyang Shaoyu’s killing intent.

"This is the Divine Martial Realm, not a place for you to settle personal grudges. If you must fight, then get out!" the Divine Martial Elder said with a detached expression. A faint but powerful pressure emanated from him, causing the chests of the Martial Artists in the clearing below to tighten, leaving them breathless.

"Of course not, Divine Martial Elder. Please don’t be angry. We were being rash," Ouyang Shaoyu said, hastily cupping his fists. He was keenly aware of how terrifying the Divine Martial Elder was, even if Shen Haoran wasn’t, so he had no choice but to retract his killing intent.

’Hmph, consider yourself lucky, brat!’ Ouyang Shaoyu shot a glance at Shen Haoran and snorted coldly to himself....