"Haha, your move is quite impressive. Unfortunately, I don't fall for such tricks."
Zhou Yan shook his head and chuckled.
"Oh?" Wang Teng was slightly taken aback, then sneered, "An ant like you, daring to negotiate terms with this young master, is simply delusional. Since that's the case, this young master can only send you to drink tea with the King of Hell."
"Hmph! You think you can kill me?" Zhou Yan mocked.
"That remains to be seen."
Wang Teng said disdainfully, then his figure flickered, appearing before Zhou Yan. In his hand, he now held a long sword, emanating a faint, eerie green light, appearing incredibly sharp.
Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected his opponent to be so formidable. He was a peak expert of the seventh level of Innate Realm, while his opponent was only at the fifth level. The disparity was immense.
"How is it? Are you convinced?" Wang Teng grinned triumphantly, already envisioning the young man being cut into several pieces.
"Impossible."
Zhou Yan shook his head. While his strength might not match the man before him, it wasn't far off. Furthermore, he possessed the strength of the ninth level of the Innate Realm. He absolutely refused to be defeated by this trash.
"Believe it or not, I am going to kill you."
Wang Teng gripped his long sword and thrust it towards Zhou Yan's neck.
Zhou Yan's expression shifted slightly; he felt a potent sense of danger.
"Bang~~~"
Zhou Yan's internal spiritual energy exploded instantly. He gathered all his energy into his right fist. Clenching his fists, he slammed one against Wang Teng's long sword.
A tremendous force struck, and Wang Teng's sword flew from his hand.
"Pfft."
Wang Teng spat blood, his body being forced back dozens of steps before he could stabilize himself.
"Such terrifying power. This kid's strength is incredible."
Wang Teng was aghast. He had completely underestimated Zhou Yan's power. He had assumed Zhou Yan was merely at the eighth level of the Innate Realm, but who knew he was this formidable, perhaps even his equal.
"Your cultivation is even stronger than I imagined. No wonder you dared to challenge me," Wang Teng said with a cold laugh.
Zhou Yan remained expressionless. He looked at the sword on the ground and thought to himself, "It seems I'll have to use a spiritual artifact against this kid."
With that thought, Zhou Yan flicked his wrist, and a pitch-black dagger appeared in his hand. The dagger exuded a chilling aura.
"Whoosh."
Zhou Yan moved with lightning speed, the dark dagger in hand, piercing towards Wang Teng. The dagger carried a subtle, frigid killing intent.
"Such terrifying speed! He's also a martial practitioner."
Wang Teng's face changed drastically. He felt a fatal threat. If he were struck, it would be the end of him.
"Hmph, kid, your time of death has arrived." Wang Teng roared, gripping his long sword with both hands and slashing towards Zhou Yan.
"Clang~clang~"
A crisp sound echoed as the dagger and the black iron dagger collided. Both daggers were sent flying, arcing through the air before landing at Wang Teng's feet.
"What? How can this be?"
Wang Teng's expression turned to shock. He couldn't understand it at all. This kid's strength was clearly far superior to his, yet he couldn't gain even the slightest advantage.
"Kid, I advise you to surrender obediently. Otherwise, I won't mind letting you taste the sharpness of my dagger." Wang Teng sneered.
"Then let's try." Zhou Yan chuckled coldly.
The two resumed their battle. Zhou Yan still didn't have the upper hand, but with his immense strength, he managed to suppress Wang Teng.
"What's going on? This fellow can still withstand my attacks? Just how strong is he? Has he also reached the eighth level of the Innate Realm?" Wang Teng's face darkened as he inwardly speculated.
"Bang!"
A dull thud sounded, and Wang Teng staggered back, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.
"What? Can't take it anymore? I advise you to surrender quickly. Perhaps, if I'm in a good mood, I might spare you." Wang Teng sneered.
"Heh, I would rather die than surrender to you." Zhou Yan shook his head firmly.
"Good, good, you have backbone. Today, I want to see how long you can last."
Wang Teng narrowed his eyes. He extended his palm, and a pill appeared. He directly popped it into his mouth, and immediately, a surge of ferocious spiritual energy erupted from him.
"Ninth level of Innate Realm!?"
Wang Teng's face changed drastically. He finally saw Zhou Yan's true cultivation level: the ninth level of the Innate Realm. He hadn't expected this kid to be hiding his strength so deeply. It seemed that easily taking his life today would be difficult.
"Kid, it's still not too late to admit defeat," Wang Teng said coldly.
"Never."
Zhou Yan shook his head. He knew that if he surrendered now, it would only lead to death.
"Kid, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit." Wang Teng's eyes were gloomy.
"I prefer to drink the forfeit. What? You want to kill me? Then go ahead."
Zhou Yan scoffed.
"Fine, since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite." Wang Teng shouted, waving his hand, and a black spear appeared in his grasp.
"Black Wind Spear!"
Wang Teng roared. The black spear instantly transformed into countless shadowy afterimages, attacking Zhou Yan.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yan's expression shifted slightly. He wielded his black sword, executing a sword technique to counter the Black Wind Spear. His swordsmanship was not refined and had many flaws, but it contained an immense amount of power, greatly bolstering Zhou Yan's defense.
"Bang bang bang."
The battle between the two was exceptionally fierce, shaking the entire pavilion. Zhou Yan continuously parried, dissipating the force of the Black Wind Spear. However, his swordsmanship grew weaker, seemingly unable to hold on.
"Pfft!"
Finally, the power of the Black Wind Spear dissipated completely. Zhou Yan spat blood, his sword clattered to the ground, and his body swayed unsteadily, clearly injured.
"Kid, let's see where you can run now!"
Wang Teng sneered, his figure darting forward. His dagger emerged from the void and lunged towards Zhou Yan's chest.
"Swish!"
Zhou Yan reacted quickly and dodged.
"Bang!"
The dagger sliced through his clothes, leaving a ghastly wound. Scarlet blood flowed down, staining the ground.
"Hiss..."
Wang Teng drew a sharp breath. He never imagined this kid would be so difficult to deal with.
"Kid, your strength is indeed formidable, but in the face of absolute power, you are still my defeated opponent. Your strength is still not enough to contend with me."
Zhou Yan sneered, his figure moving as his dagger thrust out again.
Zhou Yan found himself in peril. He dared not be careless and immediately unleashed a series of chaotic sword moves, attempting to block Zhou Yan's attack.
"Ding ding clang!"
Their attacks collided, producing the sound of metal striking metal. Zhou Yan, as expected of a gifted genius, though his swordsmanship was slightly inferior to Wang Teng's, it was not something Wang Teng could easily dismiss.
Wang Teng was forced into a precarious situation, a flicker of anxiety in his eyes.
"Kid, with three more moves, you will be eliminated."