“Here he comes, Ye the Fourth has arrived!”

“Damn, what’s this guy up to, making himself the only one late?”

“Judging by that smile, is he really treating the Martial Arts Tournament as just a spectacle?”

“Who can blame him? His father is Ye Congjun, so he really has the capital for it! He doesn’t even need an invitation for Martial Artists; he gets three entry spots secured for every event!”

Ye Jizu’s late arrival sent a wave of whispers rippling through the outer crowd, some mocking, others envious. The renown of Master Ye could indeed make all manner of demons and ghosts in the Lingnan Earth Realm tremble in fear, but outside Lingnan, its influence was definitely diminished in other provinces. Many didn’t fear Ye Jizu’s power, but the power of the Ye Family! Yet, Ye Jizu was indifferent to all this. In his own words, “I’ve got a father who lets me put on airs, so bite me!”

He walked through the entrance, stepped onto the red carpet, and strolled smilingly toward his designated chair. At this moment, Ye Jizu was the very picture of confidence and vigor. His arrival also caused the various lords of the Underworld to turn and look over.

“Master Qin, please, have a seat!” As he neared his chair, Ye Jizu suddenly bowed with a fawning smile and gestured for someone else to sit.

Qin Fan, of course, didn’t stand on ceremony. With a playful smile, he took the seat.

This scene dumbfounded everyone. Ye Jizu is offering his seat to the young man behind him? Has Master Ye gone mad again?

But what confused them even more was that after Qin Fan sat down, Ye Jizu and Lai Zhuge stood to his left and right, appearing for all the world like his personal guards. Ye Jizu and Lai Zhuge acting as guards? Who in the world could command such a thing? Is this a farce directed by Ye Jizu himself, or does this young man truly have an incredible background? For a moment, everyone’s brows were tightly knitted in thought.

Not far away, Zhou Yitian got a clear look at Qin Fan’s face and was slightly stunned. He looks so familiar… where have I seen him before?

“Challenging one after another like this, how long will these matches drag on? Is there any point to this?” Qin Fan remarked, looking up at the fighting stage with a playful laugh.

WHOOSH!

That one sentence put everyone on edge. Is this kid some clueless hick? Doesn’t he even know the rules? Where did this clown come from?

After speaking, he picked up the teapot from the adjacent table, poured a cup, and gulped it down. Then, Qin Fan stood up and, with a mocking expression on his face, started walking toward the stage!

“Stop! You can’t just go up on the stage! Only Martial Artists are allowed up there!” Two internal security guards for the Martial Arts Tournament stopped Qin Fan when he was still ten meters away.

“I’m going up to challenge. What’s the problem?”

It was a statement designed to shock. After Qin Fan spoke, even the air seemed to fall silent. Going up to challenge? A teenager who hasn’t even finished puberty is going to challenge a Martial Artist at the Great Success of Dark Energy? Is he tired of living and looking for a death wish?

“Mr. Ye, you brought him here. What is the meaning of this?” one of the event organizers demanded, turning to Ye Jizu with a grim face. To them, this kid was just here to cause trouble. A challenge? What a joke! Any random Martial Artist could obliterate him with a single slap!

“I am betting the entire territory of Lingnan on Master Qin. If Master Qin is defeated, the victor’s backer can annex the entire underground network of Lingnan. I, Ye Jizu, will hand it over with both hands!” Facing the organizer’s disapproving glare, Ye Jizu spread his hands and announced boldly.

What! Betting the entire Lingnan underworld on a teenage boy? Inside and outside the red carpet area, the crowd erupted into an uproar!

Ye Jizu has gone mad! He’s absolutely lost his mind! A teenager, even if he started training in the womb, is still just an ant in the eyes of a Martial Artist at the Great Success of Dark Energy!

“Are you serious?” a number of the overlords suddenly shouted, their eyebrows raised in sharp attention.

“My word is my bond. I, Ye Jizu, wouldn’t stoop to joking with you all about this!” Ye Jizu grinned, his voice frank.

“Now, can you let me pass?” Qin Fan said to the two guards in front of him after Ye Jizu had finished speaking.

The two guards instinctively turned to look at their supervisor. The man, his face a mask of stunned confusion, gave a slight nod. Fine, if the kid wanted to die, they would grant his wish! No one believed Qin Fan could possibly survive stepping onto the stage. Considering his age and build, a single slap would kill him—and even that was giving him too much credit!

Smiling, Qin Fan ascended the steps through the path cleared by the two guards. His expression was calm and indifferent, betraying no sign of nervousness or fear, and his elegant steps made it seem as though he were walking down a runway.

“Kid, get down from there! Go home, study hard, and focus on your future. This is not the place for you!” The dark, burly man who had been awaiting a challenger frowned upon seeing such a young boy and tried to persuade him to leave.

Qin Fan simply shook his head at the man’s advice with a noncommittal, playful smile. He then turned to look down at the restless crowd below.

Hearing Ye Jizu’s resolute words, the various overlords had become agitated. Lingnan was a territory many of them had dreamed of, but it had always been untouchable due to the Ye Family’s influence. Now, Ye Jizu was throwing it out as a wager, and on a teenager no less. This was practically a freebie! To say they didn’t covet it would be a complete lie! A few, however, remained calm. Could Ye Jizu truly be this foolish? Impossible! But no matter how heaven-defying a teenager is, how could he possibly stand up against these Martial Artists at the Great Success of Dark Energy? Even they couldn’t convince themselves to believe it.

“Master Zhou, help me!”

“Master Ou, we’re counting on you!”

“Master Liu, please help me seize Lingnan!”

A flurry of urgent, nervous pleas erupted from the overlords. Only one person remained unmoved: Zhou Yitian. Staring at the face that grew more familiar by the second, yet still unable to recall where he had seen it, he furrowed his brow deeply.

At the same time, a seed of unease was sprouting in his heart. Of everyone present, he knew Ye Jizu best. A man who devoured his enemies without spitting out the bones—would he really do something so self-destructively foolish? Impossible! But what gives him the confidence to rely on such a young, inexperienced kid?

Zhou Yitian couldn’t figure it out, so he chose to wait and see for the time being.

However, despite the overlords’ impassioned requests, the masters who had reached the Great Success of Dark Energy all remained unmoved. To attack a teenager? They couldn’t bring themselves to do something so shameful.

“Alright, no need to fight over it! Just come at me together!” Standing on the stage with his hands behind his back, Qin Fan smiled down at the clamoring overlords below, shaking his head with dismissive contempt.

His words caused an instant uproar, but the first to be provoked weren’t the overlords, but rather the host of proud Martial Artists! This kid is truly shameless! Spurning the open road to heaven to throw himself into a gateless hell!

“What did you say?” Even a Buddha has his limits, let alone these warriors. That contemptuous “come at me together” instantly ignited their fury.

“What did I say?” Qin Fan smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching as he paused for effect. He then shook his head playfully and said, “Sorry, pardon my bluntness, but I mean that all of you here are trash! So, come on up together!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep