"Fighters, watch out! Behold my attack!" As he finished his sentence, a powerful and imposing pressure surged out from his body and swept down upon Yang Jin and Chu Yan who were in the midst of an intense battle and overwhelmed their bodies. Instantly, they felt under great pressure.

They continued to fight against each other while defending against the pressure brought upon them by the presider's imposing manner. Nevertheless, they were still evenly matched.

"Hmph!" After realizing that they were not greatly affected, the presider snorted. The Celestial Origin Energy in his body surged out and turned into an invisible force. Like a surging river, it followed through the course of his pressuring aura and shrouded Yang Jin and Chu Yan.

All of a sudden, the pressure increased tremendously. At this very moment, all eyes were focused on Yang Jin and Chu Yan.

"Yang Jin!" The Fair Mountain County Governor, Wang Qi Ling, watched in anticipation. He anticipated that Yang Jin would defeat Chu Yan and win the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties. As long as he won the competition, Fair Mountain County would obtain three mediocre Celestial Pills, the Great Overarching Pills, from King Qin's Mansion!

With the possession of three Great Overarching Pills, the county could then produce three Great Overarching Golden Celestials!

"Yan'er..." The Soaring Wind County Governor, Chu Ting Xuan, could not contain himself anymore. His gaze was glinting with anticipation and desire for the lad to defeat Yang Jin and win the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties.

He had thought that if the Nine Specters County's secret weapon, Duan Ling Tian, were to appear after Chu Yan defeated Yang Jin, Chu Yan would still maintain his position in the second rank of the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties and obtain two mediocre Celestial Pills, the Great Overarching Pills, on behalf of the Soaring Wind County. He had planned to take the pills himself to successfully breakthrough and achieve the Earthly Stage Great Overarching Golden Celestial!

On the other hand, the Fair Mountain County Governor, Wang Qi Ling, was not afraid of Duan Ling Tian. It was not because he felt Yang Jin could beat Duan Ling Tian but because he knew that Duan Ling Tian would not stand a chance to survive if he appeared. Apparently, he had a different plan in mind.

The man in gray robes standing by his side was here for a reason. He was waiting for the hare, Duan Ling Tian, to show itself and make the kill. Therefore, as long Yang Jin defeated Chu Yan, the winner of the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties would definitely belong to him. Fair Mountain County would then receive the generous reward from King Qin's Mansion: all three Great Overarching Pills!

Boom!

A loud and deafening noise exploded.

In a flash of light, Yang Jin had blown his cool and revealed his flaws. Chu Yan's eyes were dead cold and the corner of his mouth curved up slightly as he knew this was the chance he had been waiting for. When Chu Yan raised his palms, a vast amount of energy blasted out and struck Yang Jin directly, sending him flying out of the arena.

"Argh!"

Blood came spurting out of Yang Jin's mouth, and he had sustained serious internal injuries. Although he survived the attack, his face was as pale as a sheet. His aura that was powerful and prosperous had become feeble. It was impossible for him to continue anymore as that would be asking for an insult!

"Damn it!" As reality dawned on him, it was a bitter pill for him to swallow. His face was sour whilst his eyes revealed hints of refusal to give in. Reluctant as he was, it was clear to him that he had been defeated!

"Do you still want to continue?" asked Chu Yan in high spirits after he had seriously injured Yang Jin with his strike.

"I'll challenge you once more after I've fully recovered…And I'll never be careless as I was today!" replied Yang Jin while he glanced at him coldly and returned to where the members of Fair Mountain County were sitting. He went straight to his County Governor, Wang Qi Ling, with his head held down and apologized earnestly, "County Governor, I'm sorry I let you down..."

Wang Qi Ling sighed. "It's alright. Although you didn't win the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties, you've fought well and secured at least two Great Overarching Pills for Fair Mountain County. That's just one pill less." Truthfully, deep down inside, he was very displeased with Yang Jin.

"County Governor, isn't it too early to say so? It's uncertain if Duan Ling Tian is going to appear. If he does, Yang Jin will only rank third in the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties," said an elder from Fair Mountain County with a reluctant smile.

"Duan Ling Tian may not appear. Even if he does, it may not be his fate to win the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties!" sneered Wang Qi Ling. He spoke with confidence as if he was 100% assured that whether Duan Ling Tian appeared or not, it would not affect the outcome of Yang Jin ranking second in the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties.

Upon hearing what Wang Qi Ling said, the elders, revered elders, and the young powerhouses of Fair Mountain County glanced at the mysterious person covered in gray robes standing beside him in unison.

"This gray-clad man…Could he be a hitman hired by the County Governor to kill Duan Ling Tian?"

"Quite impossible…The Third Prince is here, and so is King Qin. The man in gray might not have a chance to kill Duan Ling Tian. Even if he does, I'm afraid he won't be able to escape. In fact, we, the Fair Mountain Sect, will definitely be implicated."

"I feel it's impossible too. To say the least, even if this man in gray manages to kill Duan Ling Tian and escape, King Qin's Mansion firmly believes that we intended to sabotage the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties. By that time, forget about the reward. It will be graceful of King Qin's Mansion to not punish us instead."

"If he wasn't hired to kill Duan Ling Tian, why is the County Governor so confident to say even if Duan Ling Tian's here, he won't have the fate to win the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties?"



The Fair Mountain Sect members were secretly discussing among themselves via Voice Transmission. Still, they were unable to figure out why their county governor was confident that Yang Jin would still rank second even if Duan Ling Tian appeared.

"Chu Yan won?!"

"I didn't expect Chu Yan to win in the end!"

"Soaring Wind County has made it big this time!"

"I saw clearly what happened just now. Yang Jin couldn't hold back, and Chu Yan seized the opportunity to strike him out!"

"Whatever happens, if you lose, you lose! Chu Yan is the ultimate winner!"

"Ultimate winner? Don't you think it's too early to say that? After all, the Nine Specters County's secret weapon, Duan Ling Tian, hasn't shown up yet."

"That's right. If Duan Ling Tian shows up, the ultimate winner of the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties will definitely be him…However, if he doesn't show up, then Chu Yan will be the ultimate winner."

"It doesn't matter if Duan Ling Tian shows up or not. Chu Yan has made his mark in this Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties! Moreover, he made his mark by defeating Yang Jin!"



The spectator seats surrounding the arena were bustling with noise and excitement. The county governors from other counties had taken the initiative to congratulate the Soaring Wind County Governor, Chu Ting Xuan, for their remarkable win. "County Governor Chu! Congratulations to your son for ranking first in the Martial Competition of the Sixteen Counties!"

"County Governor Chu, before this, we knew that you've got a daughter who's outstanding capabilities. Who would've thought that your son would surpass his sister!? We are envious indeed!"

"County Governor Chu, my daughter has reached the age of marriage…Why don't we arrange for their marriage?"



The group of county governors that were flattering the Soaring Wind County Governor Chu certainly made his spirits soar.

Back in the seats for the guests of honor, the noises were short-lived compared to the bustling noises that seemed to be endless out there, and soon, silence set in. This was because someone said, "Since Chu Yan has won, the primitive Celestial Alchemist Revered Elder of the Flying Dragon Sect has won as well, right?"

As the word spread among them, people started to recall a bet between two men earlier with the Third Prince being the mediator and safekeeper of their wagers.

"Deputy Sect Leader of the King Poison Sect, Zhou An has lost!"

"50,000 prominent Celestial Stones…50,000 stones!"

Soon, their attention shifted onto the Deputy Sect Leader of the King Poison Sect, Zhou An. His expression turned gloomy. He could not help but stare fiercely at Duan Ling Tian who was surrounded by the Flying Dragon Sect members congratulating him right now. Duan Ling Tian was now a hero in their eyes.

"Congratulations, Revered Elder Tian Ling!"

"Revered Elder Tian Ling, you've won!"

"Revered Elder Tian Ling, you've avenged us!"

One by one, the elders, revered elders, and disciples of the Flying Dragon Sect congratulated and celebrated his triumph. Even the Deputy Sect Leader of the Flying Dragon Sect, Huang Guang Ji, was smiling brightly. He was filled with pride and satisfaction when he looked at Zhou An again.

"Hmph! That's just an accidental fortune!"

"That's right! Does he think he really predicted Chu Yan would win? Ridiculous!"

The Poison King Sect members seemed to have their mouths full of sour grapes and they were green with envy as they watched the Flying Dragon Sect members celebrating their 'victory'.