Even though Wang Jianyu was far from the arena, his void grab seemed to ignore the distance of space entirely, snatching Wang Han off the stage in an instant.
Even Jiang Chen's Galaxy Slash, which was devastatingly fast, couldn't match Wang Jianyu's speed.
The Galaxy Slash had just arrived when Wang Han's figure slipped past it by a hair's breadth.
This sudden turn of events sent a wave of uproar through the crowd below.
Jiang Chen, for his part, was remarkably composed. He withdrew his hand gesture with a faint smile, his gaze fixed in Wang Jianyu's direction. It was clear that Wang Jianyu had openly interfered with the arena—and without Jiang Chen needing to say a word, there were plenty of others who would hold him accountable.
Sure enough, Palace Master Dan Chi shot to his feet and slammed the table. "Wang Jianyu, what is the meaning of this? A life-and-death wager has been agreed upon, and yet you shamelessly interfere with the arena?"
"Brother Wang, doing this is a flagrant violation of the rules." Xiang Wentian was quick to add his voice.
Even Celestial Master Tianming shook his head. "Truly inappropriate. Truly inappropriate."
Even Wei Wuying of the Carefree Sect sighed and shook his head. "A life-and-death duel—each party accepts their fate. Sect Master Wang, acting like this is nothing short of disregarding the rules entirely."
Facing accusations from every direction, Wang Jianyu was brazenly shameless. He swept a cold gaze around and snorted, "I know I've broken the rules—I don't need you lot to remind me. As for this Grand Assembly Tournament, my Sacred Sword Palace withdraws. That ought to be acceptable, no?"
According to the rules, interfering with the arena meant that all results belonging to that sect would be annulled.
Wang Jianyu's decision to withdraw from the Grand Assembly Tournament was, in truth, a wise move.
Since he had said as much, the others found little room to press further.
Wang Jianyu glared toward Dan Chi and asked, "Dan Chi, I'm rather curious—is this Mu Gaoqi truly a disciple of your Dan Heaven Palace?"
Dan Chi smiled coolly. "What, are you going to resort to that same twisted logic again? If you can't stomach losing, just say so. Don't waste everyone's time."
Wang Jianyu threw his head back and laughed. "Are you feeling guilty, or what? I merely asked a single question—why so nervous?"
At that moment, Jiang Chen descended from the stage, casting a brief glance at Wang Jianyu. "Sect Master Wang, let me guess—are you going to suspect that I have Demon bloodline next, and demand another investigation?"
This was the Sacred Sword Palace's stock-in-trade.
Wang Jianyu let out a cold snort. "Boy, don't get too full of yourself. Can you honestly claim that the techniques you used are all inheritances of Dan Heaven Palace? Forgive my ignorance—since when did your Dan Heaven Palace produce such freaks of nature?"
"The opportunities I stumbled upon during my travels—do I need your permission for that? Must I notify your Sacred Sword Palace every time I come across a fortuitous encounter?"
Wang Jianyu was left speechless, unable to muster a rebuttal.
Jiang Chen glanced over at Wang Han. "Wang Han, you were lucky this time. But tell me—even if you scrape by with your life today, do you really think you'll ever achieve any great breakthroughs on the martial path? Inner demons will haunt you for the rest of your life. Every time you think of today's humiliation, it'll torment you to the point of agony."
In martial exchanges, suffering defeat was common enough—not all losses would become inner demons.
But for Wang Han, it was highly likely to become one. After all, the battle had been a rollercoaster, and Jiang Chen had destroyed every shred of Wang Han's confidence through what could only be described as a near-humiliating onslaught.
Such inner demons were the hardest to purge.
Because the opponent had burrowed deep into your soul and thoroughly crushed you.
Wang Jianyu saw Jiang Chen provoking Wang Han, and his aura erupted. He had nearly succumbed to the impulse to crush Jiang Chen on the spot.
Dan Chi pulled Jiang Chen behind him in one swift motion and said coldly, "Wang Jianyu, don't tell me you intend to enter the arena yourself?"
Between these two titans of the sect world, tension crackled like drawn swords.
"Insolent!" Xiang Wentian thundered. "Wang Jianyu, your Sacred Sword Palace has already been eliminated. Don't make a further scene, lest you become the common enemy of the entire Myriad Domains!"
"That's right, Brother Wang. Don't push things too far. Leave some room—there may come a day when we need to meet again."
Wang Jianyu's face was ashen. With a hateful glare swept across every member of Dan Heaven Palace, he stormed off to a corner, seething—but did not leave.
It was evident that even though the Sacred Sword Palace had withdrawn from the competition, he was unwilling to depart entirely.
Wang Han's defeat left the Sacred Sword Palace contingent utterly dejected. Jin Feng, in particular, was sullen to the point of wanting to die.
He was the Sacred Sword Palace's number-two genius, and he too had harbored expectations for this Grand Assembly Tournament.
His goal had been to break into the top five, earning entry into the final three layers of the Myriad Domains' Extreme Realm.
But because of Wang Han, because of the Sect Master's interference, all the efforts of the Sacred Sword Palace disciples had been rendered moot. Every result was wiped clean, and they were expelled from the Grand Assembly Tournament.
Even so, despite his unwillingness and his frustration, he dared not show it. Wang Han was Wang Jianyu's own grandson, after all.
There was no way the Sect Master would have stood by and watched him be killed.
The brilliance of this battle had been a feast for the eyes of every spectator, leaving them sighing with satisfaction. Because of this fight, the second round of the day's matches had been delayed.
Now that the winner had been decided, the second round resumed.
However, after witnessing the battle between Wang Han and Mu Gaoqi, everyone's appetite had been raised to new heights. Although the second round featured no shortage of exciting duels, their appeal had diminished considerably.
The sect leaders, on their part, were busy lecturing their disciples—those who had already been eliminated in earlier rounds.
Each of these battles was a rare learning opportunity for them. Every sect master hoped their disciples would gain something from watching. How could they possibly find the matches dull?