On the high platform next to the white jade arena, at the referee's command, the participants from both sides stepped forward one by one, revealing their identities and cultivation levels.
On the Lu family's side, Lu Duxian stepped forward first, his aura of the Creation Realm slowly spreading out, and said in a deep voice: "Lu family, Lu Duxian, Creation Realm Three!"
He deliberately raised his cultivation level by one realm, hoping to make up for it in terms of momentum, since his cultivation was already inferior to that of the He family's contestants.
Immediately afterwards, Lu Yuexi moved gracefully to stand beside Lu Duxian, her body surrounded by pale blue spiritual energy, and her voice was clear and bright: "Lu family, Lu Yuexi, the sixth realm of the Dao Inquiry!"
Finally, Xiao Chen walked out slowly, without deliberately releasing his aura, and calmly announced his name: "Xiao Chen, an outside aid for the Lu family."
As for his cultivation level, he didn't say much. In front of Zhao Lie, who was at the half-step Tai Xu realm, revealing that he was at the Nirvana realm would only invite more ridicule. It would be better to let his strength speak for itself.
Meanwhile, on the He family's side, He Qiang stepped forward with his chest puffed out, his aura of the second level of the Creation Realm undisguised, and his tone arrogant: "He Qiang, the eldest son of the He family, is at the second level of the Creation Realm!"
Although his cultivation level was one realm lower than Lu Duxian's, his face was full of disdain, clearly showing that he did not take Lu Duxian seriously.
He Qun followed closely behind, his aura of the eighth realm of the Dao Inquiry instantly erupting, causing many low-level cultivators around him to catch their breath.
He glanced at Lu Yuexi sideways, his tone flippant: "He Qun, the third young master of the He family, has reached the eighth level of the Dao Inquiry Realm. Miss Lu, please go easy on him later."
Zhao Lie, who was the last to appear, took a step forward, and the pressure of his half-step Tai Xu realm enveloped the entire arena like dark clouds, making even the air seem to freeze.
His gaze swept over the three members of the Lu family, finally settling on Xiao Chen. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Zhao Lie of the Yuan Yang Sect, a half-step Tai Xu. Is this all the Lu family's outside help is capable of?"
As soon as the lineups of both sides were revealed, the discussion around the arena exploded instantly. The dense crowd of spectators whispered among themselves, and almost unanimously favored the He family.
"I told you the He family would win! Look at Senior Zhao Lie, he's at the half-step Tai Xu Realm, while the Lu family doesn't even have anyone who can fight!"
“Lu Duxian is only at the third level of the Creation Realm, while He Qiang is at the second level. However, the He family’s cultivation techniques are domineering, so Lu Duxian may not be able to win!”
"And then there's Lu Yuexi. She's at the sixth level of the Dao Seeking Realm, but she's two minor realms below He Qun at the eighth level. There's no way she can fight him!"
"Alas, the Lu family is probably really doomed this time. Either the He family will swallow up the Yunlan Mountain Range, or they will slowly decline. In the future, the He family will probably dominate Yong'an City!"
These whispers reached the ears of the Lu family members clearly. Lu Zhenhai's expression grew increasingly solemn, his hands gripping the armrests tightly until his knuckles turned white.
The elders were dejected, their faces filled with despair. They hadn't thought much of Xiao Chen before, and now, seeing the huge gap in their cultivation levels, they felt the Lu family had no chance of winning.
"Patriarch, how about... we talk to the He family and give them half of the Yunlan Mountain Range, just to protect ourselves?"
The Second Elder's voice trembled; he truly did not want to see the Lu family perish.
The First Elder sighed, "Yes, Patriarch, the gap is too big. Even if young friend Xiao is good at fighting, he can't possibly deal with two people at the same time!"
"This match is best of three, and we're afraid we won't even be able to win one game."
Lu Zhenhai remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Xiao Chen on the arena.
He was the Lu family's last hope, but even he himself couldn't help but wonder if he had made the wrong bet.
Standing at the edge of the arena, Lu Yuexi heard the surrounding discussions and the elders' sighs, feeling both aggrieved and anxious.
She turned to look at Xiao Chen, only to find him still calm, as if he hadn't heard the negative comments.
He didn't feel Zhao Lie's pressure, but just calmly looked at the center of the arena.
“Brother Xiao…” Lu Yuexi wanted to say a few words of comfort, but didn’t know what to say.
Xiao Chen turned to look at her and nodded gently: "Don't worry, I won't lose."
The words had barely left his lips when the referee's voice rang out throughout the arena: "The competition rules are best two out of three, stop when you've made a point, and no one may be killed!"
"First match, Lu Duxian of the Lu family versus He Qiang of the He family! Both players, step onto the stage!"
Lu Duxian took a deep breath, gripped his long sword tightly, and stepped onto the arena.
Even knowing the odds of winning were slim, he had to go, for the sake of the Lu family and to live up to Xiao Chen's trust.
He Qiang swaggered onto the stage, looked at Lu Duxian with disdain in his eyes: "Lu Duxian, be smart and admit defeat, or you'll lose and embarrass yourself later!"
Lu Duxian gritted his teeth and remained silent, only raising his long sword. He knew that saying anything more would be useless; only a fight would determine the outcome.
The murmurs around the ring gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes were focused on the ring, waiting to see the result of the first round.
The Lu family clenched their fists, while the He family looked smug. Only Xiao Chen remained standing, calm, as if he already knew the outcome.
Just as the referee was about to announce the start of the first game, a clear voice suddenly rang out: "Wait! I have something to say!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lu Yuexi walk quickly out and head straight to the edge of the arena.
He raised his hand and bowed to the referee and the city lord on the platform, his tone firm: "I request a substitution in this match!"
The entire arena fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on Lu Yuexi, filled with doubt. The fight was about to start, so why the sudden change of players?
Moreover, Lu Yuexi was clearly a backup for the second round, so why did she suddenly intervene in the first round?
“Yuexi, you…” Lu Duxian was also stunned, his hand holding the long sword froze in mid-air, not understanding why his sister suddenly did this.
The elders of the Lu family were even more astonished. The second elder couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "What is Yuexi doing?"
"Why change her? Her cultivation level is even lower than Du Xian's, she has no chance of winning against He Qiang!"
Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Lu Yuexi quickly walked to Lu Duxian's side, lowered her voice, and said very fast, "Brother, listen to me."
"I'll go in this round. I'll just forfeit. He Qiang is at the second level of the Creation Realm. I can't beat him, but I can surrender and escape unscathed."
"You'll face He Qun in the next round. You're at the third level of the Creation Realm, while he's at the eighth level of the Dao Inquiry Realm. Your chances of winning are much higher than mine!"
She looked intently at Lu Duxian, her tone firm and unwavering: "We only have one path left now, best of three. We must maximize our chances of winning each game."
"I'll sacrifice this round so you can win the second. The final round depends on you, Brother Xiao. That's the only way to win right now!"
Lu Duxian paused for a moment, then understood his sister's thoughts. He seemed to have the advantage against He Qiang, a third-stage Creation Realm cultivator against a second-stage Creation Realm cultivator, but the He family's cultivation methods were too powerful, and he might not be able to win.
However, when he fights He Qun, the Creation Realm is against the Dao Inquiry Realm, giving him a clear advantage and a very high chance of winning.
The best solution is for the younger sister to surrender directly to He Qiang, which saves her brother's energy and preserves their chances of winning the crucial game.
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