Although Yuan was emitting killing intent, he remained unaware of it himself. However, he did notice his unusual reaction toward his opponent—the sheer intensity of his aggression was unlike anything he had consciously intended. Yet, despite sensing this abnormality in himself, Yuan had no clear understanding of why he was reacting this way. A vague feeling stirred deep within him, but the reason remained elusive, leaving him with an unsettling sense of unfamiliarity toward his own actions. The handsome young man frowned after sensing Yuan’s killing intent and said, "Hey, are you okay? Did I do something to offend you?" "I don’t know. Did you?" Yuan asked, not because he was being snarky. He was genuinely curious if the disciple had offended him. "I mean, this is our first time talking to each other. I can’t imagine how I’d managed to offend someone I’m meeting for the first time," the disciple responded. "What’s your name? I’m Xiao Yang," Yuan suddenly introduced himself. "Bai Zhan is my name, and I am ranked first in the Outer Court," the disciple introduced himself. Yuan had hoped that his name would trigger some kind of memory, but unfortunately, nothing came to mind. "I think it’s a misunderstanding. Sorry," Yuan apologized a moment later. "No worries," Bai Zhan showed a calm and understanding smile. Since Bai Zhan was ranked first in the Outer Court, he was also at the peak of Spirit Warrior like Yuan. "Let’s have a good fight," Bai Zhan said as he retrieved an Earth-grade sword. Yuan nodded and retrieved his weapon. Seeing this, the audience quickly woke up from their boredom and became filled with anticipation and excitement. Discover stories at freewebnovel Bai Zhan was a widely recognized and respected disciple not just in the Outer Court but also in the Inner Court. Not only was he considered a genius, but he also had quite the background, as his grandfather was a high-ranking sect elder in the Immortal Monastery. As for his reputation, Bai Zhan was known as a kind and generous man who would always help those around them. He was also humble and treated other disciples with respect despite his grandfather being a sect elder. All in all, he was liked by everybody and only had those who were jealous of his popularity as enemies. "Are you ready to begin?" the sect elder eventually asked. "I am," Bai Zhan said. Yuan silently nodded. "Then the match will begin now." Bai Zhan made the first move and immediately used the Peerless Immortal Technique, boosting a technique that increased his body’s capabilities, causing his body to emit a black and red aura. "..." Yuan used nothing but his sword to block the incoming strike before going on the defensive and avoiding the following attacks from Bai Zhan. Although it didn’t show on his face, his blood was still heated. In fact, it was boiling hotter with each passing moment. This left Yuan puzzled, and he tried to figure out the reason for his anger as he fought Bai Zhan. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢 "What happened to the Young Master?" Ji Ran mumbled to himself. If Lan Yingying and the others were present, they would also be worried. However, they left after they lost their match so they could immediately continue their training. Since they were confident Yuan would win the entire tournament, they had no reason to stay for the whole thing. Time passed slowly. Five minutes turned to ten, and then it became fifteen. Half an hour had passed since Yuan and Bai Zhan started their match, marking their match the longest since the start of the tournament, but neither one seemed to be on the verge of defeat. The audience mistook Yuan’s seemingly defensive performance as a sign that he was struggling, believing he was at a disadvantage in the fight. Murmurs of speculation rippled through the crowd as they watched, convinced that Bai Zhan was pushing him back. However, Bai Zhan felt something entirely different. Though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, a deep sense of unease settled in his chest. There was something off about Yuan—something ominous that sent warning signals through his instincts. As the match reached the hour mark, Yuan’s expression suddenly changed drastically. The calm, controlled demeanor he had maintained throughout the fight vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of pure fury. His previously tranquil face twisted with anger, and the killing intent that had momentarily faded came surging back with terrifying intensity. This time, it wasn’t subtle—it was so overwhelming and palpable that everyone in the audience felt it. A chilling silence fell over the crowd as a heavy, suffocating pressure settled in the air, making it clear that something had shifted within Yuan. Meanwhile, a piece of memory flashed within Yuan’s head. "H-hey, what are you—" Bai Zhan began, his voice laced with nervousness as he sensed the drastic shift in Yuan’s aura. Before he could even finish his sentence, Yuan suddenly unleashed the Peerless Immortal Technique, amplifying his Thousand Miles Sword Strike to an overwhelming degree. With immense fierceness, Yuan’s sword slashed through the air, sending a terrifying arc of spiritual energy hurtling toward Bai Zhan. Bai Zhan reacted just in time, managing to raise his sword to block the incoming strike. However, the sheer overwhelming force behind Yuan’s attack was far beyond what he had expected. The impact ripped Bai Zhan’s sword from his grasp, sending it flying through the air before the remaining energy of the strike crashed directly into his body, severing it in half. Everything happened so quickly that neither the audience nor the sect elders had time to react. By the time they fully processed what had transpired, it was already too late. Bai Zhan’s body lay split in two on the stage, his blood and organs scattered across the arena in a gruesome display. The silence that followed was deafening—absolute shock and horror overtook the spectators, their eyes locked onto the carnage before them. Once the sect elder acting as the judge snapped out of his daze, he hastily declared, "N-number 8,171 disqualified for killing his opponent!"