"Do you want another battle?" Yan Xun asked with disdain.

Ye Fan knew he was provoking Wu Fa and could only hope that he wouldn’t act rashly. Otherwise, Wu Fa was destined to fall today in a battle that not even Main God Experts could intervene in. Wu Fa’s entire body trembled as his fury intensified, bringing him to the verge of exploding. The Evil Punishment Main God felt a wave of despair. Wu Fa’s temperament was similar to his own; both were known for their stubbornness.

Yan Xun continued, "Ultimately, you are trash. Or rather, the entire Righteous Divine Lineage is trash. No wonder the Righteous Gods have grown steadily weaker over so many years of battle. It’s because you don’t even have the strength to resist!"

At these words, the entire Righteous Divine Lineage was thoroughly enraged. The Qin Heavenly Main God could only offer an embarrassed smile. Yan Xun’s words were indeed harsh.

Seeing that Wu Fa still hadn’t charged forward, he taunted him, "And you’re even more worthless than they are. You’re destined to be a coward and a piece of trash! Your Righteous Divine Lineage ends here! They still dare to resist, but you don’t even have the courage to! If not for the mercy of my Evil Divine Lineage, how long could your Righteous Divine Lineage have lasted? A bunch of trash!"

The members of the Evil Divine Lineage echoed his taunts, jeering and mocking. The Righteous Divine Lineage was on the verge of erupting. Even Mu Keqing and Mu Chen Dong, who had just arrived to watch, clenched their fists so tightly that their knuckles cracked.

"AH!" Wu Fa bellowed in rage.

Yan Xun inwardly rejoiced, certain that Wu Fa had finally taken the bait.

But in the next moment, Wu Fa declared, "I admit defeat!"

The entire arena erupted in an uproar. No one had expected the typically impulsive Wu Fa to admit defeat now. According to his personality, he should have been fighting Yan Xun to the death. The Evil Punishment Main God, on the other hand, heaved a sigh of relief.

Yan Xun roared in fury, "You’re just a piece of trash, and you’re admitting defeat now? You aren’t worthy of being my opponent!" He began to taunt him relentlessly.

Wu Fa, however, reined in his explosive temper and replied calmly, "My surrender isn’t because I’m afraid of you, but because I want to foil your little scheme. I, Wu Fa, have never been afraid of anyone! I remember someone I greatly admire once told me that a temporary surrender doesn’t mean eternal defeat—it’s about forbearance. You want me to refuse to surrender and fight you to the death, so I’ll do the exact opposite! If you don’t like it, come and bite me!"

Wu Fa truly was a character. He immediately leaped down from the fighting stage. Now it was Yan Xun’s turn to be enraged; Wu Fa had undoubtedly provoked him in the end, completely reversing their roles. To top it off, Wu Fa even turned back and made a goofy face at him.

Yan Xun nearly went berserk.

Ye Fan nodded, gratified. He had thought Wu Fa hadn’t taken his words to heart, but it seemed that in the final moments, he had indeed matured. So, he was very pleased.

In truth, Wu Fa hadn’t initially paid his words any mind, nor had he considered conceding. But at the critical moment, his one-track mind was shattered by a realization. Yes, the other party is just trying to provoke me. If I charge up there, it will only gladden my enemies and grieve my friends. And so, he immediately counterattacked by foiling Yan Xun’s plan.

"Trash!" Yan Xun cursed.

Several geniuses from the Evil Divine Lineage snapped their eyes open, their faces filled with fury. It seemed the Righteous Divine Lineage had finally used their brains. They all knew Wu Fa’s impulsive nature. Someone must have spoken to him before he went on stage, leading to this epiphany. The person who had been closest to Wu Fa was none other than Ye Fan.

Instantly, the gazes of all the geniuses present—including Fu Hu, Huang Ji, and the yet-to-appear Yun Xiao Zhi Shui—turned towards Ye Fan. They all knew Ye Fan was the strongest of the Righteous Divine Lineage and their only true opponent this time, for the simple reason that his cultivation was at the Nirvana Nine Heavens. Among those present, only Fu Hu and Huang Ji were at the same realm as Ye Fan. Yun Xiao Zhi Shui, however, clenched his fists, eager for a showdown. He had lost the upper hand in yesterday’s contest and was determined to reclaim his honor this time.

"And as for you, today will be your day of death!" Yan Xun declared, pointing his sword at Ye Fan. He had been defeated by Ye Fan once before and intended to wash away that shame today.

This was undoubtedly going to be a decisive and ruthless match. After the Red Sand Main God and the Evil Punishment Main God nodded their approval, Ye Fan leaped quietly onto the stage.

The Hu Ben Main God spoke up, "Who is this young man? I’ve never seen or heard of him!"

Beside him, the Great Wilderness Main God remarked, "His realm is not weak. I suspect he’s a seeded contender for the Righteous Divine Lineage—a genius they’ve been cultivating in secret."

"A genius, you say? He’s in for a world of hurt!" the Hu Ben Main God said with a sneer.

As soon as Ye Fan ascended the stage, Mu Keqing clenched her fists, knowing he was their strongest. Wu Fa also looked at Ye Fan, knowing he could change the entire dynamic of the tournament. He was all the Righteous Divine Lineage had left. If Ye Fan failed, their lineage would be utterly disgraced in this competition.

Ye Fan walked up to Yan Xun and said, "You were once defeated by my hand. It seems you haven’t forgotten the lesson."

"Hmph! That was just me being careless. This time, I will not only wash away my shame, but I will also take your head!" Yan Xun seethed internally, the memory of his past humiliation at Ye Fan’s hands fueling his rage. After that defeat, he had trained with furious determination, finally breaking through to the Nirvana Eighth Layer Heaven. He had returned specifically to kill Ye Fan.

Seeing the resolute determination in Yan Xun’s eyes, the Main God of Spirit showed a hint of admiration. Indeed, this was his most prized heir.

Ye Fan said simply, "Draw your sword. Let’s get this over with."

"You think I’m afraid of you?! All Swords Return to One!" Yan Xun roared.

In an instant, the entire sky was blanketed in Sword Qi. Where he could once control a thousand swords, he now commanded double that number. This was the ultimate contest of the Sword Dao. He had unleashed his peak combat power from the very start, and it was undeniably potent. Over two thousand swords—a terrifying number—swirled through the air like a great dragon from the Nine Heavens, looking down as if ready to pierce the very earth.

Yan Xun executed his technique, standing atop a single blade as he charged toward Ye Fan with lethal intent. He had absolute confidence in this attack. He believed that among his peers, no one understood the sword better than he did, for he was the strongest successor of the Spirit Taming Sect.

"This young man is truly remarkable. To control the sword to such a degree, his future achievements will certainly far surpass your own!" the Farlan Main God complimented the Main God of Spirit.

This was true. When the Main God of Spirit had been at Yan Xun’s level, his own understanding of the sword had not been half as profound.

"Congratulations. The Spirit Taming Sect has a worthy successor. In a thousand years, it will surely be even more glorious than it is today!" the Demon Hunting Main God added his own praise.

The Main God of Spirit replied humbly, "It’s too early to say if he can achieve true greatness. He still lacks experience. Now that he has matured, I can only hope he does not disappoint me."

Though the Main God of Spirit appeared humble, he was inwardly beaming with pride. The entire Evil Divine Lineage—though rife with internal conflict behind the scenes—was united in this moment. They shared a single goal: to crush the morale of the Righteous Divine Lineage.