Lunovira Center City, the capital of the Federation.
Just minutes after the duel challenge had been set, the First Delegation received a telegram from Veia State. At that moment, they had just concluded their morning negotiations with officials from the Federation's Executive Administration.
After reviewing the telegram's contents, Jiang Hongzhi sent someone to inform the Federation side that the afternoon meeting would be temporarily postponed. He then called together the key senior members of the delegation to ask for their opinions.
Chu Zhixian spoke first. "Delegation Leader, I had my concerns that day. Section Chief Chen is far too impulsive. Now he wants to fight yet another duel. While I might not understand the affairs of martial artists, I know that Crossal's worldwide influence far exceeds Section Chief Chen's. Section Chief Chen is playing with his own life. To be blunt, if something happens to him because of this..."
He paused. "Will our delegation have to take responsibility for him? And wouldn't that cast an even greater negative shadow over our upcoming negotiations?"
Tu Haisheng replied, "Delegation Leader, I've read the report. The Federation was the one to provoke this in the first place. As a member of our Great Shun delegation, Section Chief Chen acted appropriately in defending his personal dignity and our national honor. I do not believe he should be reproached."
Jiang Hongzhi said, "Delegation Leader Xie just sent me a separate telegram. He has confidence in Section Chief Chen. We'll wait and see the outcome. As of right now, Section Chief Chen is still a member of our delegation, and we ought to give him our support."
Turning to his assistant, he instructed, "Draft a telegram telling Section Chief Chen to focus on the fight without any misgivings. The delegation supports his decision."
He then said to Tu Haisheng, "The Executive Administration must have received word by now as well, and they are bound to come looking for us shortly. Deputy Leader Tu, you will handle the contact on my behalf."
Tu Haisheng acknowledged, "Understood, Delegation Leader."
Over at the Federation's Executive Administration, discussions were also underway regarding the matter. The Executive Administration's aides conferred and considered the possibility that the West Coast Faction was deliberately using this incident to disrupt the negotiations between both sides.
Their initial reaction was to suppress the matter before it caused greater repercussions. Thus, they swiftly contacted the Great Shun delegation to ask if the affair could be handled quietly, promising that they would find a way to provide a satisfactory answer after the fact.
Deputy Leader Tu handled the matter on their behalf. His response was that Crossal had interfered in the original duel, and Section Chief Chen had made a reasonable response entirely within the authority granted by the council. If the Federation could persuade Crossal to apologize or provide compensation, they could attempt to smooth things over.
The advisory staff obviously had no way to restrain Crossal, nor did they entertain any thoughts of doing so.
In the Federation, once someone reached Crossal's level, no one could sway their decisions unless they violated national laws—let alone when he was also a West Coast Faction congressman with a vast number of supporters in the National Congress.
This inquiry was merely a probe; had Great Shun backed down of its own accord, the matter could have been swept under the rug.
In truth, the Executive Administration was not without cards to play against the West Coast, such as the earlier prison escape incident at Blockade Hall. They simply did not want to play that card at this particular moment.
Since they could not stop it, all they could do was assess the potential consequences.
As key members among the staff, Cassian and Olin discussed the situation for a while, finding it difficult to make an accurate judgment regarding the outcome of this duel. Not to mention, they had received a comprehensive report on the Blockade Hall incident and knew that Chen Chuan could not be viewed through the lens of ordinary Secret Palace martial artists.
Olin rubbed the bridge of his nose and took another sip of his revitalizing beverage, saying with a headache coming on, "So we need to prepare two contingency plans for His Excellency the Consul?"
"That's right." Cassian glanced at his wristwatch and said, "Let's wait for the result."
***
An hour passed quickly.
Chen Chuan stepped out from inside the arena building carrying the Xuejun Saber. He had begun his fight with Rossard at ten in the morning, and now it was just past eleven. The spring midday sunlight was somewhat dazzling, yet it provided only a faint warmth against the chilly gusts of wind sweeping into the massive arena.
Seeing him emerge, Crossal walked down from the spectator stands as well. Today he wore a set of tailor-made hunting attire, carrying no weapons whatsoever.
Given that only part of his limbs were here, he naturally wouldn't have brought his usual weapons; though at his level, he generally had no need for them anyway.
His arms hung down naturally, their tips reaching just past his knees. This was not because his lower body was short—on the contrary, his legs were exceptionally long.
Up in the spectator stands, none of the people seated there felt at ease, especially the several martial artists whose unblinking gazes remained glued to the arena below.
Today, they would have the privilege of witnessing the destructive power and might of a Throne martial artist. Even if they might not catch every detail clearly, simply being present to watch was an immense honor.
And now, staring at Crossal's back, a heavy sense of oppression weighed down on them, making even breathing feel labored. They couldn't help but wonder to themselves: Where did that fellow from Great Shun find the courage to challenge such a powerhouse? The battle would probably end in the blink of an eye, wouldn't it?
After reaching the center of the ring, Chen Chuan once again planted the Xuejun Saber into the ground. He said, "Mr. Crossal, you left in far too much of a hurry the other day. I originally wanted to spar with you back then, so I should thank you for coming here today and granting me this chance."
His tone was earnest.
Crossal stared at him without replying. Had Fan Zhentong not appeared that day, he would never have left so easily.
The spectators in the stands who heard those words were taken aback and puzzled. Had the two of them met before?
And judging from the phrasing, had Mr. Crossal yielded of his own accord?
Moreover, what made them feel uncomfortable and uneasy was that Chen Chuan seemed entirely composed before Crossal, speaking in a calm, natural tone as though addressing an equal. That attitude stirred an undercurrent of displeasure among them.
Chen Chuan gripped the hilt of the Xuejun Saber and drew it out slowly. Once it was completely unsheathed, he turned the blade. In an instant, a chilling gleam flashed across the steel, sending a bone-deep cold through everyone watching from the stands.
Crossal couldn't help but cast an extra glance at the saber.
By now, the spiritual fire on both men had begun to drift upward.
Chen Chuan's spiritual fire draped over him like a cloak of flame. It did not appear fiercely blazing; rather, it radiated a steady harmony, its dense platinum radiance flickering like water stirred beneath a torrential downpour.
Crossal's spiritual fire was a deep purplish-red. Just like the Cave Mystery View martial artist Chen Chuan had encountered previously, it formed a thick halo wrapped tightly around his body.
Chen Chuan knew this was the result of supreme condensation and control over spiritual fire—something ordinary martial artists simply could not achieve. From this, it was also evident that his own coordination and restraint of his spiritual fire were steadily approaching this boundary.
Once both had readied themselves, they looked up and met each other's eyes, clearly catching the signal to begin battle in their counterpart's gaze.
At that exact moment, Chen Chuan instantly felt a tremendous spirit crash down upon him, like a colossal wave suddenly pressing downward, enveloping and compressing him with relentless momentum.
This pressure affected more than just him; even the arena's ritual field screen began to tremble and distort under the strain. Yet he remained standing in place, utterly unmoved.
Seeing that Chen Chuan was completely unaffected, Crossal was not surprised—the young man had already proven his immunity that night. However, even the saber in Chen Chuan's hand remained completely unperturbed, which spoke volumes about how extraordinary the blade was.
Just then, Crossal's body seemed to sway slightly, and his figure vanished in an instant, the ground beneath where he had stood rapidly collapsing and fracturing into a sunken pit.
Chen Chuan fixed his eyes on the figure rapidly closing in ahead, watching the surrounding air get torn apart and shoved aside with effortless ease.
Though his opponent was fast, it was not an unmanageable speed.
As a blade wielder, he should have kept his foe at bay outside his perimeter and never allowed him to get inside. Yet Chen Chuan chose not to do so.
The moment Crossal reached him, Chen Chuan shifted a step outward, slipping his head aside to dodge the incoming punch, then raised his left arm to parry Crossal's second striking fist.
The instant fist met arm, the spiritual fire upon them seemed to merge. Visually, there was no violent display, nor did any loud sound ring out; yet at that moment, everyone in the arena felt the entire building shudder. A heartbeat later, the seats beneath them surged as though riding ocean swells, accompanied by a low, rolling rumble.
Feeling the force surging from his opponent, Chen Chuan judged that Crossal's strength was slightly weaker than the previous one he had faced. However, this did not prove the difference in total strength between them—it was likely related to the fraction of split limbs manifested here.
Yet compared to his previous battle, Chen Chuan's own strength had grown significantly greater. Thus, rather than being forced back, he whipped a low kick upward following the clash. Due to its blistering speed, the kick lashed out almost like a blade of light.
Crossal clearly had not anticipated beforehand that Chen Chuan's strength would be so formidable, managing to withstand his attack head-on. Still, it did not disrupt his rhythm. Pivoting his body at a miniscule angle to the side, he dodged the kick.
At the same time, the highly condensed spiritual fire upon the hand pulled back at his hip began to faintly flow.
Yet before he could unleash the strike, Chen Chuan twisted at the waist, and his leg, arrested mid-kick, abruptly changed direction and snapped horizontally toward him.
Crossal kept his lower hand in place and swept his forward arm across to block the kick. The two spiritual fires collided and eroded each other, causing even more cracks to spread across his arm. By now, however, his strike had finished gathering momentum; the hand at his hip thrust outward violently, and in a flash, an intensely blinding beam of light stabbed out from the tips of his fingers, flying straight for Chen Chuan's face!
And as that strike was unleashed, the ambient light throughout the arena abruptly dimmed for a fleeting moment.
Chapter 1165