Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Chapter 548: The Duel Begins

Su Han’s voice was clear and distinct, echoing across the heavens and the earth for all to hear. Instantly, the crowd erupted in an uproar. No one had expected Su Han to make such a brash declaration, daring to claim he would slay the Tian Lou Saint. It was sheer madness! The Tian Lou Saint’s power had been witnessed by everyone, and coupled with his brilliant record of ninety-nine victories, many believed he would surpass Chu Feng to become the number one prodigy of the Eastern Region. Under these circumstances, Su Han’s audacious words were nothing but the delusions of a fool.

"He’s gone mad! He must have been driven to insanity to utter such wild words!"

"How arrogant! The Saint Heir must torture him to death later. I want to see with my own eyes how the Saint Heir defeats and slaughters him!"

"There’s always a detestable side to the pitiful. This Su Han is far too conceited; he’s truly despicable!"

The din was incessant, with malicious insults flying. The attitude of the 100,000 spectators was clear: they overwhelmingly sided with the Tian Lou Saint, condemning Su Han with their words.

Su Han simply ignored their voices; he had never been one to live by the opinions of others.

SWISH!

Su Han soared into the air, flying toward Holy Meteor Mountain. At this moment, his eyes were fixed on the Tian Lou Saint alone; no one else was his target.

The resentful will of the Xuanming Great Saint surged toward him, attempting to corrupt him. However, Su Han’s Sacred Body was impervious to all techniques and remained completely unaffected, proving it to be a degree or two more profound than the Tian Lou Saint’s own resistance.

So this is the Su Han my sister is always thinking about? He does have some courage, and his strength isn’t weak, either. He’s actually broken through to the Supreme Realm’s Third Layer. Yun Chang’s gaze rested on Su Han, her heart filled with curiosity.

After all, Empress Duobao had launched a war that engulfed the entire Eastern Region for Su Han’s sake. How could Yun Chang not be curious? Her first impression of Su Han was quite favorable, not because of his appearance or strength, but because of his audacity. Yun Chang herself was a forceful woman who despised hypocrites and petty, posturing cowards. Su Han’s bold declaration and utter fearlessness were enough to win her admiration.

However, the Tian Lou Saint’s power was undeniable, and she still couldn’t help but worry for Su Han. But this was a duel to the death, and even she could not break the rules and interfere.

"Su Han!"

This was also the first time the Great Saint of Divine Calculation had seen Su Han in person. The thought that his most prized disciple had died at Su Han’s hands caused the killing intent in his heart to become nearly uncontrollable.

Hidden within his sleeves, his hands were constantly forming seals. He was not, of course, attempting to interfere with Su Han, but rather using the Heaven Earth Mystic Yellow Deduction Law to divine everything about him. Yet, the moment he began his deduction, he felt a black hole, like the gaping maw of a ravenous beast, swallow him whole. In that instant, his Heart Spirit trembled, and a cold sweat drenched his back.

What in the world are his origins?

The Great Saint of Divine Calculation gasped for breath, staring at Su Han in horror. The Heaven Earth Mystic Yellow Deduction Law, his pride and joy, had not only failed but had also backfired. Such a thing had never happened before, and it left him utterly stunned.

At that moment, Xiao Tianming, Ye Lingyin, Jun Zhantian, and even the Heavenly Dragon Saint were all observing Su Han. Some had met him before, while others were seeing him for the first time; a myriad of thoughts passed through their minds.

"Go, Su Su! Beat that damn Saint Heir!" Zhang Xiaowan yelled, waving her small fists to cheer Su Han on.

Among 100,000 spectators, she was the only one shouting in his support. It was a bleak scene, but she paid it no mind, ignoring the angry glares around her. All she wanted was to cheer for Su Han.

"Go!"

Lan Xi, being more reserved, couldn’t bring herself to shout things like "damn Saint Heir," but she still added her support from the side. Together with Zhang Xiaowan, they became a unique sight.

Su Han felt the stares of the crowd and heard the cheers from Zhang Xiaowan and Lan Xi, but he said nothing. His steps remained steady as he ascended, step by step, toward the summit of Holy Meteor Mountain.

Finally, he set foot on the peak and stood before the Tian Lou Saint. One was a veteran prodigy, the other the strongest dark horse. Both possessed the Great Accomplishment of the Sacred Body, and both were at the Supreme Realm’s Third Layer. In that moment, even the wind seemed to stand still.

The Tian Lou Saint looked at Su Han, his eyes filled not with intense killing intent, but with boundless combat intent. Combat intent and killing intent are different.

Although Zi Qiong and the others had died by Su Han’s hand, they were merely his followers. His feelings for them were that of a master to his servants, devoid of any deep camaraderie. As for the Tiger Strength Saint, while there was some sentiment, death was death. Now that he was so close to the Saint Realm himself, the protection of the Tiger Strength Saint had become somewhat dispensable. Since he felt no real affection for Zi Qiong or the Tiger Strength Saint, he felt no true killing intent.

What he did possess was boundless combat intent. He needed to defeat Su Han—to beat him and kill him—in order to hone his hundred-victory battle will. This would not only serve as a reply to the dead but also provide an opportunity to sharpen himself for a higher, mightier path.

That’s right. He saw Su Han as a whetstone for his own blade.

He had always been a callous man. Whether it was Zi Qiong, the Tiger Strength Saint, or even the Heavenly Dragon Saint, they were all just tools in his eyes. And now, Su Han was a tool as well.

"You should feel honored to become my whetstone!" the Tian Lou Saint said with a faint smile, radiating absolute confidence and a hint of derision, as if he could crush Su Han with a mere thought.

This condescending attitude greatly displeased Su Han. Killing intent boiled in his heart, filling his eyes until it seemed to overflow. The Tian Lou Saint had sent people to kill him time and again, a debt of hatred that was already carved into his soul. Toward the Tian Lou Saint, Su Han felt nothing but ice-cold killing intent. It was for this very reason that he had accepted the challenge without hesitation.

Now, he gazed at the Tian Lou Saint, his killing intent clashing with the other’s combat intent. An invisible field seemed to form between them, causing the very space to warp and twist.

"Thunderbolt Seven Absolute Slashes!"

Su Han wasted no time on words and made the first move. He reached for his Black Blade, instantly unleashing the Thunderbolt Seven Absolute Slashes in a single stroke that cut across the sky.

CRACK!

This attack did not manifest a Thunder Dragon Saber Aura because Su Han had concentrated all of its power within the Black Blade itself. Lightning crackled across the blade, its Demonic Patterns flaring to life. The blade carried the unyielding momentum of a fatal blow, aimed directly at the Tian Lou Saint’s neck.

Su Han’s initiative to strike made the 100,000 spectators crane their necks, their eyes wide with shock. They couldn’t believe that in the face of the Tian Lou Saint’s immense combat intent, Su Han would still dare to attack first. He was truly courting death.

"Su Han! Today, I will kill you here to cement my hundred-victory battle will!" The Tian Lou Saint’s combat intent surged like a tidal wave. He reached out, the Buddha Stupa Holy Halberd appearing in his hand, and launched it forward in an earth-shattering strike.

The duel to the death between Su Han and the Tian Lou Saint had officially begun.