Chapter 846: Confrontation

"Hey, big guy, if you're brave enough, how about we have five one-on-one duels? If more than three of us lose, we'll withdraw from this fight. What do you say?"

Elder Tan suddenly proposed this rather innovative approach.

In reality, Elder Tan suggested this method to conserve both sides' energy as much as possible, because this was a stronghold of the Western Emperor's bandit forces, and they held a strategic advantage in terms of timing, terrain, and manpower. If the conflict dragged on and they were surrounded by the Western Emperor's immense army, the consequences would be catastrophic. Rather than risk that, it was better to propose a new approach to seek a swift resolution.

The Stone Man appeared quite confident in his own side's strength, snorted dismissively, and stared at Elder Tan with utter contempt.

"If you're truly in charge, I'll agree to any challenge. The outcome will be the same regardless. The moment you decided to oppose us, you sealed your own destruction."

"Hahaha, you massive Stone Man, you certainly talk a big game. You'd better be as strong as your words suggest, otherwise, you'll be the biggest joke on this battlefield!"

Elder Tan, too, became energized. The moment he soared into the air, he immediately locked his aura onto the massive Stone Man before him. This also served as a signal to everyone else that this unique form of combat was officially underway.

Both Elder Tan and the Stone Man ascended into the air, finding their individual combat zones in the open sky. Meanwhile, the other four members of their group also began selecting their respective adversaries.

Lang Xian’s gaze settled on a white-haired woman who glowed with green light. The woman wasn't unattractive, but she exuded a strong, almost masculine aura. Especially the massive cleaver in her hand appeared incredibly lethal. It was clear that Lang Xian, a master of the sword, was highly intrigued by a woman who wielded a blade. Her wild presence particularly captivated him.

"Little lady, allow me to teach you how to wield a sword today."

The silver-haired woman, without hesitation, also soared into the air and actively locked her aura onto Lang Xian. Their individual battle finally commenced.

The remaining three also found their opponents. Notably, Ling Wu's opponent was a short girl wearing glasses. The girl appeared to be in her early twenties at most, her hands clutching exquisite repeating crossbows. She was also chewing some kind of special food and exuded remarkable confidence. Ling Wu seemed to be at a disadvantage against such a formidable opponent, given her superior long-range attacks. However, the young woman seemed determined to showcase her unparalleled strength before everyone. Thus, she accepted the challenge without the slightest hesitation.

Shadow Lord's opponent was an assassin cloaked in a blue magical robe. The assassin wielded a pair of unique silver daggers and moved with ghostly speed. Furthermore, this individual appeared to be mute, communicating solely through soul-level exchanges with Shadow Lord throughout their encounter. His mouth seemed to be sealed.

Seeing the Five Heavenly Kings each find their adversaries, Xu Yang nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. Regrettably, it seemed he had no opponent worthy of a true peak duel.

"Heh, I didn't expect a Heavenly Martial Artist-level expert to arrive in our domain this time. I'm curious to see how far you intend to go."

Just as Xu Yang was searching for an opponent with no success, an incredibly cold female voice suddenly emerged. In the void, the woman was dazzlingly radiant, and every movement exuded a potent, seductive aura. Notably, this woman appeared to possess the ability to manipulate various vines. Her arrival was accompanied by a continuous surge of thorns and vines from the surrounding ground.

"A Heavenly Martial Artist-level aura! Hmph, excellent. I like it!"

Xu Yang immediately perked up, as he craved a powerful enough adversary to confront him. Though the woman before him was indeed a Heavenly Martial Artist-level expert, Xu Yang sensed she harbored an even greater secret. Especially the exceptionally unique cultivation method she practiced promised to offer him significant surprises. The two quickly found themselves in a standoff within the void battlefield.

Boom!

In the void, six entirely separate battlefields erupted into fierce contests. Simultaneously, the stealth ninja team below engaged in a full-scale battle with the Western Emperor's army of fifty thousand. At first glance, the scene was utterly chaotic, yet it was rife with exhilarating and passionate moments.

Yun Yixuan, who was still observing at this moment, was truly stunned by the Xu Yang team's array of dazzling divine abilities. What first astonished him was the very first battlefield in the void!

Because of the Stone Man's incredibly formidable physical strength, Elder Tan, after several rounds of close-quarters combat, realized their physical strengths were not even comparable. He decisively altered his combat strategy, focusing on increasing his movement speed. He began constantly circling and moving around the Stone Man, searching for vulnerabilities. After several rounds, however, Elder Tan realized the Stone Man's entire body was utterly flawless. Attacking his legs or his head yielded the exact same result. His terrifying, rock-solid defense was simply despair-inducing!

"Hahaha, you little impudent monkey, I could crush you with a single toe. What makes you think you can contend with me? Where does your confidence come from?"

The Stone Man, with an open mouth, began to taunt Elder Tan as they fought. In his eyes, Elder Tan was nothing more than an ant. Elder Tan, however, remained utterly unfazed from start to finish. He seemed to have discerned the Stone Man's most favored combat style: brute-force, close-quarters brawling. After all, the Stone Man possessed unparalleled physical defense. No matter whom he engaged in physical confrontation, he held an absolute advantage. Upon realizing this opponent's unique combat characteristic, Elder Tan grew cunning. He began to conjure various magical artifacts from his palm, launching long-range attacks against the Stone Man.

"The Western Emperor must have invested considerable effort in cultivating you. If we can utterly annihilate you in this battle, it would undoubtedly be akin to severing the Western Emperor's left and right arms. I'm eager to see what reserves your bandit faction still possesses to continue its rampage across this Eastern Domain continent."

The moment Elder Tan finished speaking, two iron orbs, each the size of a human head, suddenly shot forth from his palm.