Chapter 1076: The Young Man Who Stepped Forward

"What audacity, to openly provoke at the Long Yan Academy selection. Do they truly think Anyun Country has no one?!"

"They even flaunt their Shangyue prowess. Such arrogance, do they not realize where they are!"

"If we don’t teach them a harsh lesson today, where is the dignity of Anyun Country."

The crowd boiled with righteous anger, their curses loud and clear.

Not just ordinary citizens, even the instructors like Long Congyuan showed a hint of rage in their eyes. They, too, are An Yun people; Anyun’s dignity is also their dignity. How can they allow such provocation?

"A bunch of useless wretches, if you want to prove Anyun Country’s might, then come up and try!" A robust young swordsman next to Yue Fanchen shouted loudly.

This swordsman was Long Ya, who had once been defeated by Mu Hanyan.

"Alright then, let me witness the skills of the Shangyue strongmen." With an angry roar, a young swordsman leapt out from the crowd.

"You, you are called Yue Fanchen, correct? I, Zheng Zhi of Anyun Country’s swordsmen, challenge you!" Although the young swordsman was extremely angry, he still adhered to swordsman etiquette, cupping his fists as he spoke.

"Step down, you’re not worthy." Yue Fanchen glanced at him, speaking indifferently.

"What did you say!" The young swordsman named Zheng Zhi’s expression changed, asking angrily.

Zhao Fanchen turned his head, slightly raising it, not even sparing him a direct look, let alone a sidelong glance, clearly belittling him to the extreme.

Zheng Zhi’s barely suppressed anger was instantly ignited, and he leaped forward, slashing his sword at Yue Fanchen.

A tall figure suddenly blocked Zheng Zhi.

A flash of Qi Light, and Zheng Zhi let out a muffled groan, being struck into the air.

It wasn’t Yue Fanchen who acted but Long Ya.

In his hand, he held a longsword much larger than a typical sword, though it remained sheathed. Using only the scabbard, he directly struck Zheng Zhi and his sword, sending them flying.

Just as Zheng Zhi hit the ground, he forcefully spat out a mouthful of blood and then fainted. His chest was noticeably sunken, clearly indicating that Long Ya’s sword had broken his ribs and severely injured him.

"Brother Zheng!" Several young swordsmen quickly arrived at Zheng Zhi’s side, checking his injuries, their eyes almost spitting fire.

"You vicious brute!" A young swordsman stood up, glaring at Long Ya.

"With such pitiful strength, daring to challenge my young master, you deserve to die!" Long Ya snorted coldly, then glancing at the few, he added with disdain, "Furthermore, with your inferior skills, don’t embarrass yourselves anymore. I’d feel dirty hurting you."

"I’ll kill you!" Such humiliation was unbearable for the young swordsmen, even knowing they were far weaker than their opponent. They drew their longswords and charged at Long Ya.

A dark shadow flashed before them, and with a muffled thud, these young swordsmen were also struck down, spitting blood, unable to stand again.

Standing beside Long Ya were two young men, Yue Fanchen’s other two guards. They, too, hadn’t drawn their swords, using only the scabbards to easily send Anyun Country’s young swordsmen flying.

"Is this the supposed elite from Anyun Country? So pathetic!" one of them spoke contemptuously.

"If you’re itching for a fight, just say so. Accusing them of bullying is an insult to me, isn’t it? Even if ten or eight more came, they’d be no match for me," Long Ya said arrogantly, yet with some dissatisfaction.

An uproar of curses rose again, but no one dared approach recklessly.

The young swordsman named Zheng Zhi had the strength of Sword Master First Rank and had passed the selection earlier. While not as outstanding as Mu Chengxuan or Guan Shanhe, he was among the top of the younger generation. Yet, before the opponent, he was utterly powerless. The opponent hadn’t even needed to draw his sword, merely using the sword’s scabbard to injure him severely.

His companions also possessed notable strength, one being a Great Swordsman, the others Ninth-Order Swordsmen, but before Yue Fanling’s guards, they were equally powerless, not even qualifying to make them unsheathe their swords.

The spectators, mostly ordinary citizens with limited strength, and many noble family’s sons who were not much stronger than Zheng Zhi, although indignant and scolding, dared not embarrass themselves by stepping forward.

This wasn’t a street brawl; it was a swordsman’s duel. Because Yue Fanchen’s group hailed from Shangyue Country, the challenge’s result involved not only personal honor but also the dignity and reputation of Anyun Country. The young swordsmen’s united attack out of rage was already a breach of swordsman dignity; thus, a mob attack was out of the question.

In a one-on-one fair duel, not to mention Yue Fanchen, even that robust young guard far surpassed most of the contemporary swordsmen present. Facing him meant not only losing face but also bringing disgrace to Anyun Country.

"Are these supposed elites of Anyun Country? So weak and pathetic!" Long Ya glanced around at the scolding Anyun Swordsmen, speaking with disdain.

"Master, perhaps it’s best to leave it at this. These so-called young experts from Anyun Country are not worthy to be your opponents," one guard suggested to Yue Fanchen.

"Long Xin is right, sparring with such opponents would only diminish your status, and they would spread rumors that our Shangyue bullies Anyun Country. Let’s return, it’s not worth wasting energy on them," another guard advised.

Their words were like hard slaps on the face of every An Yun person.

"Shut up, Yue Fanchen, let me witness your skills!" Finally, someone could not hold back any longer. With a shout, a tall young man leapt forward, standing before Yue Fanchen.

The tall figure and rather handsome features instantly caught everyone’s attention.

"Mu Chengxuan, it’s Mu Chengxuan of the Mu Family." The crowd cheered, and even some love-struck young girls screamed in excitement.

Indeed, it was Mu Chengxuan who had stepped up.

Having previously passed the Heart Enlightenment Sword trial with outstanding performance, he had amazed the audience and been taken in by Long Congyuan, gaining significant fame. His fame even overshadowed the already well-known Qi Kaiyuan, Cheng Zhicheng, and Guan Shanhe, making him the center of attention.

Yet, unexpectedly, his moment of glory was short-lived as Mu Hanyan quickly overshadowed him and was soon forgotten by many.

He still couldn’t understand why Gong Hongru and Wenren Qingqiu chose Mu Hanyan, even fighting to take him as a disciple, leaving him feeling both unwilling and discontent.

Thus, seeing Yue Fanchen and his group humiliate An Yun Country, he didn’t spare much thought before jumping out.