Chapter 676: The First Strike

“Why haven’t they started fighting yet?”
“It’s been half a day already, and they’re still drinking… What’s going on!” As time passed, Happy and Emperor Yi continued to sit face to face on the stone platform, pouring drinks and chatting as if they were old friends, showing no sign of preparing for a life-or-death duel. This left many martial artists who had come with great interest extremely frustrated and complaining.
Whenever such voices arose, someone in the crowd would immediately show disdain:
“They’re not here to perform.”
“That’s right. No one asked you to buy tickets to watch. It’s just a private duel between the two of them. What’s it to you? You keep complaining while watching…”
“…”
Shamed by the crowd’s reactions, those who had been complaining fell silent and waited patiently.
…
The noise from the crowd gradually faded, and then Happy and Emperor Yi smiled at each other and spoke: “At least some people there are sober. Otherwise, today’s duel might get canceled.”
“Yes. If too many people keep making noise and disturbing me, I might lose control and start killing indiscriminately.”
“Then…”
At this point, “Emperor Yi” stretched out his voice, his gaze on Happy’s face becoming increasingly sharp: “Let’s not delay any longer. I really resent losing points to you in that battle at Hero’s Villa. This time, I’ll get those points back from you.”
“You didn’t kill me on Spirit Snake Island. This time, I doubt there will be many chances.”
Happy’s sharp reply made Emperor Yi burst into laughter!
“Let’s go.”
As soon as he spoke, the two disappeared almost simultaneously from their original positions.
The crowd watching from afar saw a blur, and in an instant, the two appeared on a large open area not far away… only about twenty meters apart.
“…”
Many in the crowd’s eyes lit up, only to realize that neither of them had taken their weapons from the stone platform. The ancient divine weapon “Heavenly Crystal” and the top-tier divine weapon of the third rank, “Sword Seven,” were both left behind, along with the wine pots and cups, without being taken away.
Many martial artists in the crowd immediately became intensely interested.
However, to reach the stone platform by the cliff edge from here, one had to pass through the area where Happy and Emperor Yi would fight…
This realization was like a bucket of ice-cold water poured over them, putting an end to many people’s reckless thoughts.
Still!
They were deeply impressed by Happy and Emperor Yi’s boldness and trust in each other.
For such important items, ordinary people would surely keep them close at all times. How could they just leave them exposed in public and go do other things?

“Don’t you need that weapon?”
Kai Xin was greatly surprised to find that the weapon taken out by the Emperor was actually the old black long sword, not the top-ranked “Sword Seven” on the list of divine weapons!
The Emperor laughed heartily:
“That weapon was just a whimful creation for fun. It’s somewhat useful in group battles, but for a duel with you, this sword is more suitable.” He paused for a moment, then his gaze fell on Kai Xin’s golden boxing gloves. “I can’t believe that the head of the Mu family doesn’t have a better weapon…”
“…Hehe, just like you, I use whatever is most convenient. Suddenly changing it might not go smoothly.” Although Kai Xin said this, he actually didn’t want to reveal his fourth-level skill, “Silkworm King Ice Hands,” especially in front of so many people. Moreover, Silkworm King Ice Hands required close range to be effective and had strong restraining power; whether he used it or not made little difference when fighting the Emperor.
“I’ve heard that the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms become more powerful as the battle progresses. But my swordsmanship is different—I can unleash my strongest killing power at any time…”
The Emperor gently stroked his sword, his tone solemn.
Kai Xin also removed his smile and said calmly, “You specialize in deadly swordsmanship and are highly skilled with a sword, but… my martial arts are diverse and numerous. You may not know them all…”
“Then so be it!”
As he spoke, the Emperor slowly raised the black long sword, his eyes fixed on Kai Xin.
The harsh scraping sound of the sword against its scabbard echoed continuously!
In an instant!
The area outside became utterly silent. The wind stopped abruptly, the air grew thick, and all that could be heard was the sound of the Emperor drawing his sword. A powerful pressure arose as the sword was drawn, making everyone feel as if they were weighed down by immense force.
Extremely heavy!
At the moment the Emperor drew his sword, a scorching aura spread from Kai Xin’s body, rapidly sweeping outward.
Kai Xin still stood there with his hands behind his back.
But the edges of his clothes began to flutter slightly.
Whoosh!
In the silent open space, the hot air created a warm gust of wind.
Centered around Kai Xin, the wind blew, instantly evaporating the dew on the grass around him!
Noticing the change in temperature, the Emperor immediately realized that the force he had exerted was being resisted by an extremely tenacious force. When he was ten meters away from Kai Xin, he could no longer move forward.
Frowning slightly, the Emperor showed a serious expression for the first time in front of the players.
All the onlookers held their breath.

Although the two had not yet fought formally, the excitement had already captured their attention. Everyone watched the two in the arena intently, not blinking, afraid to miss a single moment.
Whoosh!
The long sword was drawn from its sheath…
A clear ringing sound soared into the air. The moment the sword tip left the sheath, it seemed as though a black sword glow shot forth.
Swish!
All eyes immediately focused on Happy. It appeared that a gust of wind swept around him, causing his body to sway slightly—yet he still stood motionless as if unchanged.
With an almost inaudible sound, the arena fell silent once again.
Among the crowd, many martial artists wiped their eyes vigorously.
Indeed!
The Emperor held the sword sheath in one hand and the sword pointed skyward in the other, standing still; Happy remained in his original posture. It seemed they hadn’t fought at all.
But only a few in the crowd understood the truth—there had actually been a lightning-fast clash just moments ago…
However, due to the tense atmosphere, no one had the time to explain to those around them, as they didn’t want to interrupt or disturb the battle.
Watching Happy’s calm expression, a look of approval flashed across the Emperor’s face.
“For the first time, someone has managed to evade my sword strikes so easily. But the next few attacks won’t be so easy to parry…”
“I’m looking forward to your seventh strike.”
Although he had dodged the first strike, Happy showed no sign of joy or relief. He remained vigilant, fully concentrating on every subtle change brought back by the Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Seeing that Happy seemed determined to withstand his sword strikes head-on, the Emperor’s face showed surprise—such an approach meant Happy was giving up his advantage in close combat, reducing his chances of winning.
But Happy knew well…
The Emperor’s swordsmanship was too formidable. Only by staying focused and giving it his all could he possibly withstand the Emperor’s seven strikes—without any distractions.