"Defeat me? Are you even worthy?!"
Qin Zi sneered and said, "I've set up a barrier to block prying eyes. If you don't want to lose too miserably, you'd better come inside and fight."
With that, he stomped his right foot.
Instantly, the center of the platform lit up with intersecting runes, slowly forming a black hemispherical barrier, like a giant black bowl overturned on the ground.
Of course, the black barrier wasn't fully formed yet. It was still rising from the edges, with the top remaining open.
"You're probably setting up some formation to ambush me, aren't you?" The red-robed swordsman sneered.
"You think too highly of yourself."
Qin Zi smirked and said indifferently, "To deal with trash like you, why would I need to use a formation?"
"Arrogant!"
The red-robed swordsman's eyes turned cold as he charged toward Qin Zi, his sword slashing through the air. The sharp sword light tore through the space like cutting tofu, leaving frost along the edges of the rift.
"Such a petty trick."
Qin Zi stood still, scoffing. The Beast God's Heart within his chest rumbled like thunder, and an ancient, primal aura burst forth, forming a translucent, glass-like barrier around him—impenetrable.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sword light struck the barrier, causing sparks to fly, but Qin Zi remained completely unharmed.
"One Sword Across the Ages!"
At that moment, the red-robed swordsman merged with his sword, transforming into a streak of crimson sword light that shot toward Qin Zi.
The sharpness of the strike pierced through the sky!
"Clang!"
Qin Zi brought his hands together, catching the crimson sword light between them. The impact caused his clothes and hair to billow backward, but his body remained motionless.
"This... this is impossible!"
The red-robed swordsman, frozen in the pose of delivering a piercing strike, was parallel to the ground, his face filled with disbelief.
"Weakling."
Qin Zi sneered, then lifted his right foot and ruthlessly kicked the red-robed swordsman in the groin.
"Thud!"
There was no sound of something breaking, but rather a flat, muffled thud. However, the red-robed swordsman still let out a miserable scream, his body arching upward as he was sent flying into the sky.
In the next instant, Qin Zi leapt into the air, appearing above the swordsman, and stomped down hard on his back.
"Boom!"
A shockwave rippled through the air, and the red-robed swordsman plummeted like a crimson comet, crashing into the ground.
"Boom!"
The platform shook violently, sending dust and debris scattering in all directions. The red-robed swordsman lay sprawled on the ground, his vision swimming, his internal organs roiling, and he was on the verge of vomiting bile.
"Very impressive! You successfully..."
He stood up shakily, his face pale with anger, ready to deliver a fierce retort, but as he spoke, he felt a cold sensation on his neck.
His body froze.
Glancing sideways, he saw that his own sharp sword was now pressed against his throat.
"What have I succeeded in doing?"
Qin Zi looked down at the red-robed swordsman, who had only half-risen and still looked like a gorilla, with a mocking smile on his face.
Whoosh!
The red-robed swordsman's face turned deathly pale, and the faint threat of death made him tremble uncontrollably.
"You... you... you've successfully defeated me."
In the end, he shamefully admitted defeat.
As soon as he said those words, he felt the scornful stares of everyone around him. His reputation was utterly ruined!
"Heh, was it worth it? I told you to fight inside the barrier, but you didn't listen. Satisfied now?"
Qin Zi sneered.
Then, with a swift kick to the swordsman's chin, he sent him flipping backward through the air, tumbling toward the horizon.
"Take this!"
Qin Zi picked up the long sword and hurled it like a spear.
"Whoosh!"
The red-robed swordsman was impaled by his own sword, his body transforming into a crimson streak that disappeared into the distance.
"This..."
"So strong."
The onlookers were stunned, watching in awe as the red-robed swordsman flew farther away, becoming nothing more than a cross-shaped speck in the sky.
Qin Zi then walked to the edge of the platform, looking down at the crowd with amusement and asking, "Who else wants to challenge me? Today, I, Qin Zi, am ready to take on all comers!"
At that moment, his black robes billowed in the wind, and a confident, domineering smirk spread across his face, brimming with arrogance.
Facing Qin Zi's gaze, many in the crowd dared not meet his eyes and shamefully lowered their heads.
As expected, his reputation was not without merit!
Of course, not everyone was scared. Among the crowd, the true geniuses felt their fighting spirit surge.
"Heh, interesting..."
A young man in white robes slowly stepped out from the crowd, holding a folding fan that he casually waved, a playful smile on his face.
"You want to challenge me too?"
Qin Zi looked at the man indifferently. In his experience, anyone with this kind of "elegant" demeanor was usually destined for a humiliating defeat.
"I heard you call yourself the number one in the Divine Bridge Realm. While I was not at my peak in this realm, at the moment, my cultivation is also at the Divine Bridge Realm. I'd like to see what makes you the so-called number one."
The white-robed young man spoke gracefully.
"Come inside and fight."
Qin Zi said as he activated the black barrier again.
"No need..."
The white-robed young man started to decline, but then he remembered the red-robed swordsman's fate. So, he wisely kept quiet.
A person can be confident.
But if they ignore the lessons of others, that's not confidence—it's foolishness.
After all, the red-robed swordsman had been overly confident, and in the end, he was utterly humiliated.
Whoosh!
With that thought, the white-robed young man flew into the black barrier.
Soon, the gray barrier sealed shut, and inside, the sounds of fierce battle erupted.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Outside the platform, the spectators' expressions varied, many of them frowning. They had come to assess Qin Zi's strength, but now they couldn't see anything.
As a result, they were left in the dark, clueless about what was happening.
Meanwhile, some of the more arrogant figures looked on indifferently, confident in their own superiority.
They believed in their invincibility!
"Whoosh!"
Finally, the black barrier dissolved like darkness melting before sunlight, revealing the two figures standing within.
The two men stood several dozen meters apart, both with slightly disheveled clothes and hair, looking somewhat battered.
"No wonder you dare call yourself the number one in the Divine Bridge Realm. Your reputation is well-deserved. In my life, I've encountered countless people, but few in the same realm have fought me to a draw."
The white-robed young man spoke seriously.
"You're too kind. You're quite strong as well."
Qin Zi said solemnly.
There was a hint of seriousness on his face. It seemed the world should not be underestimated—there were indeed hidden talents out there.
This person was powerful.
He had forced Qin Zi to use thirty percent of his strength!
He was not to be taken lightly.
"Today's battle was exhilarating. We'll meet again in the future... until next time!"
The white-robed young man's Adam's apple bobbed as he took a deep breath and cupped his hands toward Qin Zi.
"Until next time."
Qin Zi cupped his hands in return.
With that, the white-robed young man turned, once again opening his folding fan as he walked gracefully away.
He slowly moved through the crowd, but his steps quickened, and before long, he crushed a teleportation talisman, disappearing instantly...
"Heh, what a display of mutual admiration between weaklings. How touching."
At that moment, a playful voice rang out. A red-haired youth with horns on his head stepped forward.
It seemed he had taken on the form of a dragon!
The youth sneered as he walked toward the platform, and with each step, a staircase of light appeared beneath his feet, his aura rising with every step.
Qin Zi narrowed his eyes, then calmly extended his right hand and said, "Please."
The black barrier opened again, and the battle resumed...
As the fights continued, a flood of "Fated Value" poured into Qin Chuan's account, an unceasing flow.
"Ding! Your son has humiliated Bai Jiumo of the Divine Bridge Realm, automatically earning you 500,000 Fated Value."
"Ding! Your son has humiliated the horned dragon youth of the Divine Bridge Realm, automatically earning you 500,000 Fated Value."
"Ding! Your son has humiliated Duan Yasheng of the Divine Bridge Realm, automatically earning you 500,000 Fated Value."
...
Before long, Qin Chuan's total "Fated Value" had reached a staggering 1,102,000.
At that moment, the system prompted:
"Ding! Your 'Fated Value' has exceeded 10 million. To facilitate use and prevent devaluation, it is recommended to convert 'Fated Value' from the Luchong standard to the Divine Bridge standard!"