"You can’t say that. Deputy Captain Chen is one of our own, from the Jingwu Bureau. How can we let him be humiliated? Besides, he only just broke through to the Innate realm. What are his chances against Xiong Lie?"

"I don’t think so. The day Deputy Captain Chen suppressed Zhan Fusheng, his methods were ruthless and his foundation profound. He might just have a fighting chance."

"Enough bickering. Deputy Captain Chen is at a critical juncture in his seclusion and won’t be coming out anytime soon. Besides, is our great Jingwu Bureau really so intimidated by a single Xiong Lie that no one dares to fight? If word of this gets out, what will be left of our reputation?!"

The Peacekeeper Envoys glanced at each other, rapidly exchanging opinions via True Qi transmission. The atmosphere was heavy.

"I wonder, which of my peers from the Jingwu Bureau is willing to step forward and offer some guidance?!"

Seeing no one answer immediately, Xiong Lie spoke again, his voice booming and full of fighting spirit, echoing above the Jingwu Bureau.

"Hmph! Wang Teng of C Camp is here to face you!"

The silence was broken. A young man with sharp features and a piercing gaze stepped out from the crowd. It was Peacekeeper Envoy Wang Teng. With a SHING, he drew the standard-issue long saber from his waist, its tip aimed straight at Xiong Lie. Innate True Qi erupted from his body, and his presence was razor-sharp. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Good! Wang Jing’an, if you please!" A flicker of excitement flashed in Xiong Lie’s eyes as he cupped his fist in salute, accepting the challenge.

"Hah!"

Wang Teng wasted no more words. With a fierce cry, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from its string, leaving a blurry yellow afterimage in the air. The long saber in his hand transformed into a bolt of cold light, cleaving straight for Xiong Lie’s face with a sharp whistle as it cut through the air.

The two instantly clashed, a maelstrom of flashing saber light and shadowy fists. The explosive sound of their Qi Forces colliding rang out without end.

Their figures flickered and crossed at high speeds in the air, drawing gasps of shock from the crowd below.

After about a hundred breaths, a dull thud was heard. A figure plummeted from the battle like a meteorite and smashed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. It was Wang Teng.

He was in a sorry state, down on one knee, using his saber to prop himself up. A trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, and his face was pale. He stared up at the burly figure in the air, his eyes filled with unwillingness to accept defeat.

Not far away, Xiong Lie slowly retracted his fist, which glowed with a golden luster. His breathing was slightly ragged, but his face still bore that faint, all-controlling smile.

"Wang Jing’an, thank you for the match."

By now, a large crowd of onlookers, drawn by the news, had gathered outside the Jingwu Bureau. Having witnessed Xiong Lie’s clean and decisive victory over Wang Teng, they immediately burst into a clamor of discussion.

"Hiss... This Xiong Lie really lives up to his name. To be called the number one under the Iron Sword Sect’s Earth Fiends is no empty boast!"

"Tsk tsk, this is a case of ’beat the junior, and the senior shows up’... no, wait, it’s ’beat one, and someone stronger shows up’. The Iron Sword Sect is trying to win back the face the Han Family lost."

"Wang Teng’s strength is considered pretty good among the Peacekeeper Envoys, yet he was defeated so quickly!"

"Do you think there’s anyone left in the Jingwu Bureau today who can handle this Xiong Lie?"

"It’s tough. I’d say it’s highly unlikely!"

...

"Gong Jian of A Camp. I request your guidance!"

Wang Teng’s defeat made the expressions of the Jingwu Bureau’s experts turn even uglier.

A man with a vicious saber scar on his face and an exceptionally calm and cold aura stepped forward. Without saying much, he slowly drew the standard-issue Jingwu Bureau long saber from his waist. He pointed its tip at Xiong Lie, and a brutal, battlefield-forged aura began to spread.

"Gong Jing’an, if you please!"

Xiong Lie’s gaze hardened. He shed his previous casual demeanor, his expression turning serious.

He recognized this man.

Gong Jian was famous within the Jingwu Bureau for his ferocity and courage. His strength was extraordinary; he was a tough nut to crack.

The next moment, Gong Jian moved.

His figure erupted forward like a streak of blood-red lightning. Man and saber became one, lunging straight for Xiong Lie with a tragic, unstoppable momentum. The light from his saber was like blood as it tore through the sky.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The two clashed violently in an instant. Their figures crossed at high speeds in the air, Fist Gang and Sword Qi madly colliding. The deafening explosions and dissipating shockwaves of energy forced the onlookers below to retreat again and again.

Another hundred breaths passed. The two combatants abruptly separated, each floating backward several dozen feet.

Xiong Lie’s chest heaved slightly. His clothes were torn in several places, and he looked a bit disheveled. Still, he was the first to cup his fist, his voice steady.

"Gong Jing’an, thank you for the match."

Gong Jian, on the other hand, landed with his right arm, the one holding the saber, trembling slightly. The web of his hand had split open, and fresh blood flowed down the hilt.

His face grim, Gong Jian took a deep breath to suppress the churning qi and blood within him. "If this weren’t a spar," he said coldly, "the outcome would still be uncertain!"

With that, he turned and walked away without another glance at Xiong Lie. His back was still straight, but it carried a hint of desolation.

’If this had been a true life-or-death battle, I was twenty percent certain I could have taken him down with me.’

’What a pity...’

"My peers from the Jingwu Bureau! Is there anyone else willing to come forward and offer me some guidance?!"

He had fought two consecutive matches, and the tough clash with Gong Jian, in particular, had taken its toll. Yet, Xiong Lie’s fighting spirit only soared higher. His voice was like a great bell as his gaze swept across the entire scene with an air of absolute dominance.

On the Jingwu Bureau’s side, however, an awkward silence had fallen.

The successive defeats of Wang Teng and Gong Jian had left them utterly humiliated.

Those two were already among the best experts of the Chaoyuan realm within the Bureau. The others knew that they were, at best, on par with them, if not weaker. To step up now would likely only add another defeat to the tally.

...

「Inside the Jingwu Bureau, atop a pavilion with an excellent view.」

Vice Governor Sun Yuzhi took in everything happening outside the gates, her expression quite ugly. Beside her, however, Nie Xuanfeng stood with his hands behind his back, his face calm, as if he were watching a farce that had nothing to do with him.

"Envoy Nie, why hasn’t Chen Sheng come out of seclusion yet?"

Sun Yuzhi finally couldn’t hold back any longer, her tone laced with anxiety and dissatisfaction.