Both of Jiang Chen's strikes were ruthless. The force of that grab crippled He Yan's hand, and the kick had utterly destroyed his Spirit Sea.
He showed no mercy whatsoever.
There was no need for mercy. In that moment, He Yan hadn't shown any either — his fighting rhythm had been geared toward nothing less than killing him.
Moreover, even the spectators below had already assumed He Yan had killed Jiang Chen.
So when facing someone determined to end his life, how could Jiang Chen possibly hold back?
Under Master Shuiyue's probing gaze, killing intent flooded her phoenix eyes. She let out a long, piercing cry as a fierce wave of pressure surged upward.
"You beast, how dare you cripple my disciple!"
The imposing aura surged like a rainbow, but it didn't faze Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen stood calm and composed, his expression indifferent, as though he were regarding an idiot when he glanced at Master Shuiyue.
"He wanted to kill me — that was perfectly fine in his eyes. But I cripple him, and suddenly I've violated heavenly law? Is this a selection tournament hosted by the four great sects, or is it your Purple Sun Sect's selection tournament? If you want to run a one-man show, if you want to throw your weight around, go back to the Purple Sun Sect and do it there. Nobody will interfere. But what gives you the right to throw your authority around here?"
Jiang Chen stood with a cold sneer, utterly unafraid of Master Shuiyue's murderous glare.
Since they had already torn off the mask of civility, there was no point in being polite.
Fine, you're the chief examiner — that much was true.
But if you're going to shamelessly suppress me like this, then I'm done playing by your rules. If it all blows up and falls apart, so be it.
Jiang Chen knew that the four great sects kept each other in check. There was no way they would let this old woman run roughshod over everything.
Failing to steal the chicken only to lose the rice — Master Shuiyue stared at the now-crippled He Yan, and in that instant, a flicker of regret and guilt crossed her heart.
In the end, it was her own stubborn insistence that had brought this upon her disciple.
If she hadn't been so determined to target this secular prodigy, He Yan probably wouldn't have ended up like this.
All those schemes — so self-assured. And in the end, she had still been deceived by this secular monster.
In the previous two battles, this secular prodigy had shown signs of exhaustion — clearly a deliberate display of weakness to lull his opponents into complacency.
Ridiculous. Everyone, including her — a titan of the sect — had naively believed it.
In this moment, Master Shuiyue burned with shame and fury. She had truly lifted a stone only to drop it on her own foot.
"Good, good, good. I, Master Shuiyue, have dominated the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance for over a hundred years. You're the first person to dare cripple my disciple right in front of me."
If the examiners were allowed to intervene, Master Shuiyue would have struck without hesitation to kill Jiang Chen right then and there.
But at this moment, all she could do was swallow her pride and endure it. Nevertheless, the hatred roiling in her chest churned like a raging sea.
Jiang Chen shrugged, paying no attention whatsoever to Master Shuiyue's murderous gaze. He tapped lightly with both feet and drifted gracefully back down to the ground.
"Act the fool and you'll die like a fool. I honestly hope there are more idiots out there willing to throw their lives away."
Jiang Chen left Master Shuiyue with nothing but his retreating figure, his voice carrying back in a flat tone.
"A piece of advice, Master Shuiyue — those who do evil are bound to destroy themselves. You may have a bias against me, but there's no need to send your disciples to their deaths."
This time, stepping down from the arena, Jiang Chen no longer had to worry about being challenged. A warrior could be challenged at most three times in a single day.
He had already been challenged three times in a row — hitting the daily limit.
Jiang Chen ignored the stunned expressions all around him, returned to his spot, and sat down with legs spread wide, completely disregarding the reactions of those nearby.
This time, the surrounding warriors were truly dumbfounded.
Everyone knew this secular genius was formidable. Everyone knew he was arrogant. But to be this arrogant — it far exceeded anything they could have imagined.
He had actually dared to lecture Master Shuiyue to her face!
For the participating warriors in the Earth Spirit Zone, this was practically treason — a death wish of the highest order.
Everyone knew that Master Shuiyue had a domineering temperament. Once she bore a grudge against someone, their future in this little corner of the Earth Spirit Zone would be as good as nonexistent.
And yet, this secular prodigy had actually done it. Not only that, he hadn't held back in his words at all — he had actually told Master Shuiyue that those who do evil are bound to destroy themselves!
The implication was crystal clear — he was mocking Master Shuiyue for manipulating the tournament, deliberately suppressing him by sending her disciples to the arena to crush him!
But when the warriors present thought about it more carefully, they had to admit there was some truth to it.
Come to think of it, Jiang Chen had every right to be angry. He had been challenged three times in succession, each challenge following the last with almost no gap whatsoever.
He had finished one fight, barely stepped off the arena, hadn't even caught his breath yet, and another was drawn against him — three times in a row. If anyone claimed that was just a coincidence, nobody would really believe it.