Chapter 646: Unilateral Beating

"The Soul Cleansing Pool is extremely beneficial for soul power, enhancing cultivation. For a martial arts selection, it truly is the most suitable!"

After a moment of thought, Ye Qian nodded, "All right, let's compete based on cultivation, with each vassal state as a unit, best two out of three matches! However, our sparring should prioritize harmony and stop when a point is made. As soon as one side concedes, the match will end. There's no need to fight to the death..."

"Crown Prince, I disagree with this method!"

Master Hong stood up. The three opposing powers had clearly devised a plan to corner them. If they agreed, wouldn't they be destined to lose? Although they had just let Luo Zhao off the hook and didn't pursue the matter further, which could be considered a small favor, it would be useless to the opposing alliance. After all, with the benefits of the Grandmaster Competition at stake, no one would allow personal feelings to bring the disgrace of defeat upon their entire vassal state. Furthermore, Luo Zhao wasn't foolish; he knew perfectly well that he hadn't stolen anything and had been framed. Far from being grateful, he was probably figuring out how to get revenge... He naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity pass. As for Feng Yu, he had been beaten beyond recognition and was already seething with resentment. They were all eager for a fight. Chen Yue, being the only one unharmed, wouldn't back down and naturally took on the role of spokesperson. It was likely all of this had been discussed before their arrival.

"Hmm?" Ye Qian looked over.

"As Your Highness can see, they all used Soul Harmonizing Pills, greatly increasing their cultivation. We just arrived in the Imperial City and haven't had a chance to purchase any, so our cultivation is lower than theirs. In a competition, our Hongfeng Empire's chances of winning would likely be very small!" Master Hong spoke directly, without hesitation. There was nothing to hide; it wasn't a big deal that they couldn't compare since the other side had the aid of Soul Harmonizing Pills and they didn't.

"Grandmasters are different from other professionals. While cultivation isn't the most important, it is essential. Without sufficient cultivation, everything is built on sand! You arrived late and couldn't find Soul Harmonizing Pills; you can't blame us for that!" Chen Yue sneered.

"The Soul Cleansing Pool benefits cultivation. Low cultivation is no excuse!" Feng Yu interjected.

"Master Hong, you and I both know what happened at noon today. Let's not discuss that matter; we can settle that grievance later. However... having the younger generation compete based on cultivation to decide the spots is the fairest and most appropriate method. If you think you can't win, I suggest you just concede now!" Luo Zhao also looked over, his gaze cold.

The three, united against a common foe, immediately cornered Master Hong.

"Concede?" Just as Master Hong was at a loss for words, Zhang Xuan spoke again, "That's impossible! If anyone's conceding, it's you!"

"Exactly, you're the ones who will concede!" Knowing the young man possessed extraordinary wisdom and ideas, and was more decisive than himself, Master Hong nodded in agreement.

"We concede? Why? We set the rules! You don't even dare to compete; what else do you plan to do besides concede?" Chen Yue sneered.

"So whatever you say goes for the rules?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly! The rules aren't yours alone!" Master Hong also realized this and chimed in.

"The rules aren't exclusively ours. If you think they're unsuitable, you can propose alternatives... but only if you can get everyone's agreement!" Chen Yue's lips curved upward. His meaning was simple: their three families had already formed an alliance. No matter how good the rules proposed by the other side were, if they didn't agree, it would be meaningless. Master Hong understood and turned to look at the young man, curious to see how he would respond.

"Oh? It's good that you know they're not exclusively yours. I just happen to have a new rule I'd like to propose for everyone to discuss!" Zhang Xuan smiled.

"We're all ears!" Chen Yue said, "However, whether we agree or not is another matter..."

"I believe you'll definitely agree!" Zhang Xuan looked at them calmly, "Since it's a competition between vassal states, why insist on only the top three? What if someone gets injured? Tomorrow, when the Soul Cleansing Pool opens, will they go in or not?"

"Oh, right?" Master Hong's eyes lit up, and he chimed in again.

"Then what do you suggest?" Chen Yue frowned.

"Heh heh!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly, "My rule is very simple: it's for... you five-star grandmasters leading the teams to compete."

"Right, the rule is very simple... huh?" Still trying to chime in, Master Hong suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his eyes wide as he looked over, "We... compete?"

"Exactly. Not only that, but Master Hong will face all three of you simultaneously!" Zhang Xuan continued.

"Against three..." Master Hong swayed, and his vision went black. 'Brother, I thought you had some brilliant idea! It turns out this is it? Are you trying to kill me, or just hasten my demise? Forget the others, I might not even beat Luo Zhao alone. Against three...'

"You want him to fight all three of us alone?" Not just Master Hong, but Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu were all stunned, looking at him as if he were an idiot. 'Is he serious? We've been wanting to beat this guy up, and now he's offering himself up... Is there really such a good thing?'

"What's wrong? I've set the rule. Do you dare or not?" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

"Asking if we dare?" Luo Zhao couldn't help but look at Master Hong nearby, "Are you serious?" He then saw Master Hong, on the verge of tears with a constipated expression, nod. Although he didn't know why Master Zhang would do this, based on previous experiences, he knew Master Zhang wouldn't act without confidence. Since he said so, he must have his own plan.

"What, afraid? If you're afraid, then forget it. Don't babble useless nonsense." Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan said no more.

"Why wouldn't we dare? I'm just afraid that in a moment, he'll be on his knees begging for mercy!" Chen Yue, Luo Zhao, and the others exchanged glances, confirmed that he was serious, and all burst into laughter.

"Crown Prince, you saw what just happened. It's not that we want to bully anyone; Master Hong voluntarily challenged the three of us to decide the spots. Since he's so earnest and insistent, we hope Your Highness will grant his wish!" Fearing he might change his mind, Chen Yue quickly clasped his fists.

"This..." Ye Qian hadn't expected it to come to this. His brows furrowed, and he turned to Master Hong, "You are all initial-stage five-star grandmasters, early-stage Mortal Transcendence 6-dan. Your strengths are similar. Are you sure you want to compete against three people simultaneously?" With similar strength, one against three was clearly suicidal. To be honest, he didn't have any confidence in Master Hong's chances.

"Confirmed!" Before Master Hong could answer, Zhang Xuan agreed for him.

"Very well then..." Since both sides had discussed and decided on the method, Ye Qian said no more. He looked around and declared, "Alright, I now announce the competition rules: Master Hong will fight against Master Feng, Master Luo, and Master Chen. The winner will determine the spots." After speaking, he gestured, and a group of guards entered from outside, clearing the living room to create a spacious area suitable for combat.

"Stop when a point is made; do not harm the harmony!" Seeing the four enter the makeshift arena, Ye Qian instructed.

"Rest assured, we'll definitely stop when a point is made..." Master Feng sneered, deliberately emphasizing the words "stop when a point is made." Clearly, his intention was far from simply stopping at a point.

"Indeed, Master Hong and we have been old friends for many years; we won't go too far..." Luo Zhao also chuckled. Both had suffered at Master Hong's hands before. Now that he was openly seeking death, how could they let such an opportunity slip?

"Master Zhang, Master Hong fighting three people, he doesn't have much chance of winning, does he..." Seeing the imminent competition in the center, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai wiped cold sweat from their foreheads, full of anxiety. Master Zhang seemed quite intelligent, so how could he make such a foolish decision? One against three... Wasn't that just courting death?

"If Master Hong doesn't go, are you confident you can defeat them?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"This..." Both flinched and shook their heads simultaneously. Although they were geniuses, those selected by the other side surely weren't simple either. If it were a straightforward combat competition, with the difference in cultivation levels, it would likely be impossible for them to win! In other words, if they participated, their chances of winning would be almost zero.

"But Master Hong..." Although they couldn't win themselves, Master Hong's challenge didn't seem to have a high probability of success either.

"Just watch!" Without explaining, Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Alright..." They didn't know the source of his confidence, but with no other options at this point, the two could only continue watching, their faces filled with worry. While Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai worried, the Crown Prince, standing in the center, also had his brows furrowed in a knot, truly unable to understand why Master Hong would make such a suicidal request.

"Senior, who do you think will win between the two sides?" Unable to hold back, he looked at Wu Zhen, who was not far away. This person was a five-star grandmaster, superior to him in both strength and insight. Perhaps he could discern something.

"Under normal circumstances, it's almost impossible for Master Hong to win. However, since he made this request, he must have some backing..." In fact, not only the Crown Prince was confused; Wu Zhen was also completely bewildered. With his discerning eye, he could clearly see the strengths of all four individuals. Master Hong was not outstanding among them; even a one-on-one fight would be difficult for him. One against three was clearly a guaranteed loss... Why would he insist on competing under such circumstances? What was he thinking?

"Let's just watch. Perhaps... there might be an unexpected turn of events!" After thinking for a while, still unable to comprehend, Wu Zhen shook his head.

"Mm!" The Crown Prince nodded. After pondering for a long time without understanding, he could only continue to watch, "Master Hong always acts cautiously; he might truly have another plan... Look, it's already started!"

During their conversation, the four individuals in the arena had already begun to act. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu, the three powerful Mortal Transcendence 6-dan experts, struck simultaneously, their wild pressure sealing off the space. Seemingly worried that Master Hong had some hidden trump card, the three didn't attack directly but instead sealed off the surroundings, probing him. After testing him with two moves, it grew increasingly strange. Feng Yu suddenly threw a punch. It landed squarely on Master Hong's face, immediately causing blood to gush from his nose.

"Ah?" Master Feng's eyes widened in disbelief that his sneak attack punch had succeeded. His body trembled with excitement. Due to his excessive excitement, he aggravated his wounds, wincing in pain.

"This is 'acting cautiously'? This is 'having some backing'?" Seeing Feng Yu, a heavily injured man almost on the verge of collapsing, easily beat Master Hong bloody with the help of Luo Zhao and Chen Yue, Master Wu looked utterly bewildered. "Why does it... look like a one-sided beating?"