C14 Confrontation!

"Luo Chen won again?" Astonished gasps echoed through the stands, with a hint of disbelief that Luo Chen had managed to best yet another opponent.

"That fool underestimated him," someone scoffed. "He knew full well Luo Chen was skilled, yet he still had the audacity to leave himself vulnerable mid-air!"

"Setting that aside, Luo Chen's execution of the cross sword technique must have reached the Exemplary Mastery level, right? The sword light's emergence was incredibly swift, a clear sign of his significant proficiency with the technique."

"Exemplary Mastery is all well and good," the previous speaker sneered, "but the challenge arena is teeming with martial artists who have honed their skills to Exemplary Mastery or even the Dominating Refinement level. Luo Chen has only achieved Exemplary Mastery with his cross sword technique. When it comes to real combat, he's more likely to lose than win."

Hearing this persistent disparagement of Luo Chen, the audience turned their attention to the speaker. Noticing the Lee Family disciple's uniform, realization dawned on them. Given the longstanding enmity between the Lee and Luo families, it was only natural for a Lee disciple to speak ill of Luo Chen.

"Look, someone else is stepping up to challenge Luo Chen!" someone blurted out, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd.

The spectators' eyes snapped back to the arena, where a young man clad in the Lee Family's disciple garb stood poised, a chilling smirk directed at Luo Chen.

"Is that Lee Hanjiang of the Lee Family?! Rumor has it he's among the top ten of the family's third-generation disciples, having mastered the Overlapping Waves Sword Technique to the Dominating Refinement level. Few in the Lee Family can hold a candle to him!" an audience member exclaimed.

"Hmph! That's my cousin, Lee Hanjiang!" The Lee disciple who had been bad-mouthing Luo Chen burst into laughter. "With my cousin stepping in, there's no way Luo Chen will come out on top again!"

At the mention of Lee Hanjiang, the chatter in the stands ceased. His reputation was well-known, and no one harbored any illusions about Luo Chen standing a chance against him.

Given the longstanding rivalry between the Lee and Luo families, it was a given that Lee Hanjiang would bring his A-game when facing a disciple from the Luo family—complacency was not in his nature.

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd surrounding the arena, a smirk spread across Lee Hanjiang's face. He fixed his gaze on Luo Chen and taunted, "Who would've thought the Luo Family's reject could actually make a comeback? Your streak of luck ends here, though. Will you step down from the arena on your own, or do I need to send you flying off?"

Luo Chen's expression darkened at the provocation. "Don't get ahead of yourself," he retorted sternly. "You might be the one eating your words in the end."

Lee Hanjiang scoffed at the comeback. "So you think reaching First Grade Martial Master status makes you unbeatable?" He turned to the emcee and asked nonchalantly, "Shall we begin?"

Upon hearing Lee Hanjiang's cue, the emcee glanced at Luo Chen, who gave a nod of assent. With that, the emcee declared with authority, "Let the battle commence!"

The moment the announcement echoed through the arena, Lee Hanjiang and Luo Chen charged at each other, their wooden swords aimed at vital points in a deadly dance.

The audience, whether seated in the stands or standing around the arena, watched with bated breath, their eyes glued to the unfolding spectacle, eager to witness the outcome of the clash.