Chapter 550: Four Consecutive Losses

"Wen Ji, it's your turn!" Yun Qinghong said after a brief silence.

"Ah... me?" A man, who appeared quite young and was dressed in the royal manor's attire, pointed to himself from behind Yun Qinghong, his face showing bewilderment and panic.

Wen Ji was the son of Prince Xu, and his talent and strength were extraordinary. However, at twenty-nine years old, with level two Profound Strength in the Tyrannical Profound Realm, he could only be considered at the very bottom among the top young generation in the entire Illusory Demon Realm. Even among the West Seating, whose strength was far weaker than the East Seating, he was still at the bottom.

In the first round, Mu Hengyi had already suffered a crushing defeat at Zi Huan's hands. For the second match, someone capable of matching Prince Zi Huan should ideally be sent out, if not to win, then at least to recover some face after such a humiliating loss. Against an opponent who had instantly defeated even Mu Hengyi, Wen Ji knew he would only suffer an even worse defeat.

"Yes, Wen Ji, you will be the second one to enter." Yun Qinghong faced him, his brow furrowed, and said, "Indeed, your opponent is someone difficult to defeat. However, as a prince of the Illusory Demon Royal Family, even if you lose the match, you must not lose your spirit. You certainly cannot lose your spirit before the match has even begun."

Wen Ji gritted his teeth and quickly composed himself. "Alright!"

"Though there are three minor realms between you and Zi Huan, you are both Sovereign Tyrants. Even if he defeats you, he will undoubtedly expend a significant amount of profound energy. Your goal is to exhaust his profound energy as much as possible... Remember, devote three parts to offense and seven parts to defense. When attacking, only aim for vital, lethal points. Furthermore, no matter what he says, maintain your composure! If you can achieve all of this, you will have already won this match."

"I understand!" Wen Ji nodded vigorously, then soared into the air and landed in the arena.

"Wen Ji of Prince Xu's Manor, I request your guidance."

"Oh, so it's Brother Wen Ji," Prince Zi Huan said, narrowing his eyes with a smile. "It seems you truly have no one decent left over there if they've resorted to sending even you. I almost feel sorry for you all."

Wen Ji: "..."

Prince Zi Huan extended a finger towards him and contemptuously beckoned. "Come on, attack as much as you like. If I can't put a rookie like you down within ten moves, I'll be too ashamed to stay in this Demon Imperial City."

As members of the Illusory Demon Royal Family, they were all superior beings; when had they ever endured such verbal humiliation? Wen Ji clenched his fists, his heart ablaze, but Yun Qinghong's warning quickly flashed through his mind. He took a short breath, rapidly calming himself. Without a word, he stomped his feet, a golden spear appearing in his hand. He darted forward as a golden blur, thrusting directly at Prince Zi Huan's chest. Simultaneously, his domain fully expanded.

"Blazing Flame Domain!!"

Crimson flames gathered at the tip of the golden spear, and the immense power of the domain, like a sudden tsunami, amplified the spear's might, impacting Prince Zi Huan's entire body. While scarlet flame was a low-tier form among ordinary profound flames, the scarlet flames used by the Illusory Demon Royal Family were a low-tier form of Golden Crow Flame, their power far surpassing even deep purple profound flames.

"Watch as I chop your pathetic spear into pieces!"

Prince Zi Huan roared arrogantly. With a swing of his Scarlet Blood Blade, he instantly unleashed seven streaks of blood-colored blade light. These exceedingly sharp blade lights, imbued with scorching flames, easily tore through Wen Ji's domain. The sound of them slicing through the air was like a knife scratching glass, incredibly jarring.

The golden spear, thrusting directly at Zi Huan, suddenly slowed its momentum. Wen Ji's figure then sharply blurred, instantly shifting position. Four of Prince Zi Huan's blood blades struck empty air, while three collided with Wen Ji's spear light. Amidst a chaotic, jarring sound of shattering, the three blade lights were completely repelled, and Wen Ji was pushed back ten paces by the residual force.

"Hm?" Zi Huan's brow twitched. He let out a cold sneer, and his body moved like a swift shadow, his blade like a roaming dragon, instantly striking before Wen Ji.

"True Flame Shield!!"

*Clang!*

The Scarlet Blood Blade struck the fiery vortex that had instantly formed before Wen Ji. However, it only held for a mere breath before the fiery vortex was torn apart. Two more flashes of blood-light, and the fiery vortex vanished completely. The Scarlet Blood Blade swept straight through, landing on Wen Ji's golden spear with a resounding *clang*.

With a heavy thud, Wen Ji reeled backward, a spray of blood blooming from his lips. Yet, he held his ground stubbornly, not retreating. The golden spear, imbued with all his power, was embedded half an inch by the Scarlet Blood Blade, but it was still far from being severed.

Earlier, Zi Huan had boastfully roared about chopping Wen Ji's spear into pieces. But after five strikes, Wen Ji remained firmly standing. He seemed to be attacking with full force, yet he would suddenly shift position to evade attacks, then swiftly switch from offense to defense. Though injured, he had not retreated a single step.

Zi Huan narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Brat, get lost!"

A sudden flash of fire erupted from the Scarlet Blood Blade, and a powerful force burst forth. With this strike, Zi Huan had used his full strength. Wen Ji's face turned pale, and he rapidly retreated, but Zi Huan's blade lights followed him relentlessly, like maggots clinging to bone, three intensely bright streaks of blood-light.

*Clang! Clang! Slash!*

Upon receiving the second strike, the golden spear finally flew from his grasp. The third strike cut across Wen Ji's chest, slicing through his protective profound energy, then his protective armor... However, after being resisted by the profound energy and armor, the Scarlet Blood Blade had lost its momentum. Wen Ji was sent flying but landed steadily. Behind his shattered armor, there was only a thin red mark on his chest, with beads of blood clinging to it.

Wen Ji gestured with his hand, drawing the golden spear back into it. He wiped the blood from his mouth and chuckled, "That's eight moves already."

Although he had been battered and seemed to only be able to parry without any ability to counter-attack, he had nevertheless firmly withstood the attacks of Zi Huan, whose profound strength surpassed his by three minor realms... Especially the last three strikes, which were Zi Huan's full-power attacks.

And putting Wen Ji down within ten moves was something Zi Huan had publicly declared. If he failed to win within ten moves, it would undoubtedly be akin to stripping himself of his own dignity.

"This bastard..." Prince Zi Huan gritted his teeth secretly, though his face maintained an expression of disdain. "I was merely holding back just now, not wanting you to lose too badly. Do you really think you're worthy of bouncing around under my Scarlet Blood Blade for so long?!"

Prince Zi Huan's eyes widened sharply. He suddenly let out a low roar, and blood-light surged from his blade. In an instant, Wen Ji's already tottering domain was ripped in two.

Zi Huan's practiced profound art was the Blood Flame Blade, and his weapon was the blood-red Scarlet Blood Blade. All his blade lights were blood-colored, and even the flames he unleashed seemed to transform into blood-flames. Under his sudden burst of profound energy, the space within thirty zhang around him rippled with rings of blood-colored energy, and the entire arena seemed veiled in a faint crimson hue.

Wen Ji, being closest to Zi Huan, instantly changed color. Facing a formidable opponent, he gritted his teeth firmly and held his golden spear defensively in front of him.

Prince Zi Huan held the Scarlet Blood Blade horizontally, uttering a low growl. The sheer aura of this strike was enough to demonstrate its astonishing power, but it would undoubtedly come with a significant expenditure of energy. Yet, to defeat Wen Ji within two strikes, how could he not pay a price? His grand words had already been spoken; with this strike, he had to defeat Wen Ji, no matter what.

"Netherflame Blade!!"

Prince Zi Huan let out a low roar as the Scarlet Blood Blade slashed out. Instantly, countless blade lights raged wildly, seemingly engulfing the entire world, leaving it at his mercy.

Facing the overwhelming blade lights and blood-flames, Wen Ji's expression became extremely grim. He roared, retreating at his fastest speed. Simultaneously, all his profound energy converged into the golden spear, and the spear body rotated, raising a massive flame barrier.

*Boom!*

Like a blood lotus blooming in mid-air, beneath it, the Scarlet Blood Blade and the golden spear violently collided. The surging power of two Sovereign Tyrants erupted, unfurling a curtain of flames, dozens of zhang in length and width, across the Demon Imperial Hall.

Wen Ji's flame domain completely shattered. From within the curtain of fire, he, along with his golden spear, was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground. After dozens of tumbles, he forcefully straightened himself. Both his arms were gushing with blood, and his final position was outside the arena.

"Wen Ji, you have lost. Step down," the Little Demon Empress said expressionlessly.

No sooner had the Little Demon Empress's voice fallen than the people from Prince Xu's Manor flew to Wen Ji's side, helping him back to his seat. They praised him excitedly, "You actually forced Prince Zi Huan to use his Netherflame Blade... Little Prince, well done!"

"Heh..." Wen Ji chuckled, then closed his eyes and fainted.

"This brat, he actually made me expend so much energy." After using the Netherflame Blade, Prince Zi Huan was slightly out of breath. He couldn't blame anyone but himself for speaking such big words. Just then, a sharp sword wind suddenly swept down from above.

"Zi Feng of Prince Xi's Manor, I request your guidance!!"

Prince Zi Huan was about to respond, but the opponent gave him no chance to speak, immediately launching a fierce assault with a flurry of flames and sword shadows. Zi Huan had just used a powerful technique, experiencing a temporary depletion of profound energy. Under the opponent's rapid assault, he scrambled back dozens of steps. However, he was, after all, ranked fourth among the Seven Illusory Demons, and his opponent's profound strength was only at Level Three of the Tyrannical Profound Realm. His profound energy quickly surged, and his Scarlet Blood Blade glowed with radiating blood-light. "A piece of trash like you wanting to defeat me? Dream on!"

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Five consecutive slashes unleashed a vast wave of blood-colored flames. Zi Feng was barely forced to the edge of the arena. He crossed his sword and advanced again, fearlessly clashing head-on with Zi Huan's blade light. After twenty exchanges, he was still sent flying dozens of zhang by one of Zi Huan's strikes, spitting out three streams of blood. He wiped the blood from his mouth, drew another sword, and roared, thrusting straight at Zi Huan. The hum of his sword vibrated throughout the entire Demon Imperial Hall.

"Sky Rainbow Split!!"

Like a meteor streaking across the hall's ceiling, even those in the farthest corners of the hall felt a terrifying sword intent. Facing Zi Feng's sword, Prince Zi Huan yelled arrogantly, neither dodging nor evading, but meeting it head-on...

"Ghostflame Blade!!"

Blood-light and sword shadows collided chaotically. Then, a sudden flash of blood-light pierced through the layers of sword shadows, cutting across Zi Feng's body.

Zi Feng grunted in pain. His long sword flew from his grasp, and he himself was sent flying backward, crashing into the spectator seats two hundred zhang away.

"Zi Feng loses. Zi Huan still wins!" the Little Demon Empress said with a frown.

Zi Huan's strength only ranked him in the middle among the East Seating, yet three consecutive challengers from the West Seating had all been defeated! The expressions on the faces of those in the East Seating grew increasingly grim. At that moment, another person from a royal manor soared into the air, launching a ball of fierce flames towards Zi Huan.

"Chen Yang of Prince Gu's Manor, take this!!"

The fourth challenger from the West Seating entered the arena. With a single shout, he immediately launched a fierce assault on Prince Zi Huan.

Flames clashed, profound energy roared, and balls of fire continuously burst and boomed in the center of the hall. The two battled intensely for dozens of exchanges. As a burst of blood-flame erupted, Chen Yang was severely injured and fell unconscious on the spot.

The fourth challenger from the West Seating... defeated again!!