C8 Battle Began

"Chu Tian, next year I'll bring this beauty to visit your grave. If you beg me now, I might even strip her naked right there for you to see. Hahaha, you'll never get to see this whore's body in life, but tonight, I'll have her bare for my eyes only. You'll just be lying in your coffin, unable to do a thing, while I accomplish what you couldn't!" Yan Nanfeng's laughter was filled with provocation as he leered at Shen Mengxian, his gaze attempting to undress her. Uncomfortably, Shen Mengxian instinctively sought refuge behind Chu Tian.

Chu Tian stood, pulling Shen Mengxian protectively behind him, and said with a dismissive tone, "You think you can disrespect my woman right to my face and get away with it? That's laughable. Don't fool yourself into thinking that because you have a Seven-Vein Root Bone, you're stronger than me. You're nothing but a maggot in my eyes."

Yan Nanfeng's disdain for Shen Mengxian hiding behind Chu Tian only fueled his perverse desire. His loathing intertwined with his lust, the deeper the disgust, the stronger the craving. He was eager to dominate this fragile woman, reminiscent of how he used to tarnish the pristine snow with dark footprints as a child—destroying delicate beauty to affirm his own twisted sense of power, an act that brought him an extreme, addictive satisfaction.

"Bitch!" Yan Nanfeng spat at Shen Mengxian, his innermost vile desires nearly overtaking his sanity, leaving only venom, hatred, and repulsiveness in their wake.

Chu Tian escorted Shen Mengxian to the periphery of the arena, where they joined Shen Xingsu. With Shen Xingsu by her side, Shen Mengxian would likely be spared from the upcoming battle's fallout. Looking intently at Shen Mengxian, Chu Tian reassured her, "Don't worry, I won't let the man who has defiled you with his words see another day."

Yet, it was Chu Tian's safety that preoccupied Shen Mengxian. She would sacrifice anything for him, but now she was the one at risk—a prospect Chu Tian would never condone. Shen Mengxian understood that while Su Hao could bear losing everything else in the world, he would never allow her to come to even the slightest harm. His love for her surpassed even his own well-being.

Cradling Chu Tian's face with tears streaming down her cheeks, Shen Mengxian said, "If you die, I'll join you."

Chu Tian gazed into Shen Mengxian's swollen eyes, a smile breaking through as he gently wiped away her tears and embraced her. "Don't worry, I won't die. I promise to live on. And even if I were to pass away, you must continue to live. By living, you'll be experiencing the world's joys and sorrows for both of us."

Shen Mengxian's tears flowed even more fiercely, her fear of losing Chu Tian overwhelming. He had been by her side since childhood, the one before whom she had no secrets. With Chu Tian, she could be her true self—not the princess of Yizera, not Shen Xingsu's daughter, not even a beauty—simply Shen Mengxian.

Chu Tian soothed her, patting her back. "There, there, no more tears. If you cry any more, I might just stop liking you," he teased.

At his words, Shen Mengxian's sobs ceased. Chu Tian grinned and coaxed, "Now, give me a smile."

A pained smile crept onto her face, tinged with a trace of sorrow.

Chu Tian stepped into the center of the arena and beckoned Yan Nanfeng with a crooked index finger, a taunting gesture that seemed just as effective in this world as it had been on Earth. Yan Nanfeng, fueled by the challenge, approached with a fluorescent sword in hand, his anger palpable.

Chu Tian hadn't anticipated weapons in this duel. He scanned the surroundings for anything to use in defense, but the marble floor offered nothing.

A spectator voiced their curiosity, "What's with that sword? Why does it look so unusual?"

Before anyone could clarify, another odd event unfolded.

The black-clothed elder caught Chu Tian's searching gaze and chuckled, "Looking for this, young man?"

With that, he mimed a throwing motion skyward, yet Chu Tian saw nothing leave the man's hands. It appeared the elder was merely jesting, unconcerned with the fight's outcome, much like the rest of the audience.

Suddenly, a black object materialized in the air. It seemed to have been hurled from the hand of the man in black, but Chu Tian hadn't noticed him throw anything at all.

It wasn't just Chu Tian who was perplexed; the onlookers hadn't seen the man in black throw anything either. They exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had just happened.

"What is that?"

"I think it's a knife."

"How did a knife just appear out of nowhere?"

A surprised shout from someone in the crowd drew all eyes to the knife that had appeared in the air. It was pitch black, without a hint of reflection, as if the space around it was a void and the knife had simply sliced through the darkness to become visible.

Chu Tian watched as the knife flew towards him and instinctively caught it. He barely had time to assess its heft before Yan Nanfeng's sword thrust at him, glinting with a trace of light. Yan Nanfeng was intent on killing Chu Tian to put an end to the conflict.

As Chu Tian gripped the knife, a growing sense of mortal danger washed over him. Dodging swiftly, he narrowly avoided a luminous blade that sliced through the fabric of his clothes. Yan Nanfeng's sword was aimed to kill or cause grievous harm.

Knowing that a severe injury would not stop Yan Nanfeng from finishing him off, Chu Tian acted. He would be killed if he didn't act before anyone else could intervene.

Chu Tian, seeing the sword thrust reach its zenith, countered by striking the newly acquired nameless knife against Yan Nanfeng's sword. Every movement has its limits. A person's center of gravity shifts with their motions, and in combat, these shifts are most pronounced when transitioning from attack to defense. At the point of maximum extension, a slight external force can disrupt balance, leading to a fall. And in battle, to fall is to die.