（Chapter 71）Showdown

"The two of us, together?" Huo Fan's eyes flashed with murderous intent at Lin Chen's words.

He turned to Sun He and exchanged glances. 

This kid is overconfident. As a swordsman, his attacks are fierce. Sun He is a strong body refiner with an impressive physique. One-on-one combat is completely different from one versus two! Just because he can defeat Zheng Liang one-on-one doesn't mean he can defeat both of them simultaneously. 

"That's what you think!" 

Huo Fan sneered, the magic sword in his hand radiating an increasingly powerful aura. He seemed to envision Lin Chen's tragic demise. 

"Lin Chen, don't be impulsive!" Yan Lin's expression changed. 

"Lin Chen?" Huo Fan seemed to recall something upon hearing the name. The name sounded familiar. 

Once upon a time, Lin Chen, the most talented cultivator in the Great Cang Kingdom, had participated in the Spiritual Road Trial. However, he was caught cheating and had his cultivation stripped by Sect Master Feng Bumie. He was then sent back to the Great Cang Kingdom. 

Unexpectedly, a few months later, he had risen again and joined the Lihuo Sect. 

"So, you are Lin Chen!" Huo Fan's lips curled into a murderous smile. "I heard you have a three-year appointment with Senior Sister Su. Now that I think about it, the time is almost upon us. How could a wastrel like you have the qualifications to date Senior Sister Su? Fight me, and I will end your life today!" 

Huo Fan had always harbored feelings for Su Huanxue, but he also recognized that he was not worthy of her. 

However, this did not diminish his love. He was willing to do anything for Su Huanxue, including killing Lin Chen. 

If Lin Chen were to die at his hands, Senior Sister Su would surely be grateful to him for eliminating a potential threat. 

On the other side, Sun He's brow creased slightly as he sensed the murderous intent in Huo Fan's heart. 

After a moment of contemplation, he nodded in agreement to fight. 

Seeing the two men accept the challenge, Xie Yu's eyes in the distance narrowed. He wondered how confident they truly were facing Lin Chen. 

The three of them were all at the same cultivation level. Lin Chen possessed exceptional physical strength and a capable phantom beast, but that was only effective in one-on-one combat. 

If Huo Fan and Sun He attacked together, Lin Chen would have no opportunity to retaliate. With this in mind, Xie Yu felt slightly relieved. 

"I declared my willingness to fight one against two in front of so many people. If I were to back down now, it would be truly embarrassing." Xie Yu sneered. 

"Fighting one against two is not an issue. I can handle more than that." 

Lin Chen stood with his hands behind his back, an air of confidence radiating from him. "Let us fight to the death!" 

"Since you seek death, I shall oblige." 

Huo Fan grinned sinisterly. "However, I am curious where you derive your confidence from. A wastrel who was expelled from the Fengjian Sect for cheating, surprisingly, became an inner disciple of the Lihuo Sect in the blink of an eye! It is evident that the Lihuo Sect is extremely lenient in its disciple selection, even accepting the garbage that we do not want." 

This statement drew angry stares from the disciples. 

"Enough nonsense." Lin Chen waved his hand. "Let's begin!" 

Huo Fan and Sun He exchanged glances, their eyes revealing killing intent. 

Although fighting one against two was somewhat underhanded, it was Lin Chen who had proposed it. 

"Use all your strength, suppress him from the start, and never give him an opening." Huo Fan communicated to Sun He. "I will primarily attack with sword techniques to create time for you. You quickly dispose of his phantom beast and then join me in suppressing him!" 

"Understood." Sun He nodded. 

He was itching to fight. 

Since they were all at the seventh level of the Earth Spirit Realm, who needed to fear whom? 

Meanwhile, more and more cultivators gathered to witness the spectacle. Thousands of people had already assembled before the mountain gate. 

It was a packed and lively atmosphere. The entire Lihuo City was aware of the disciples from the Fengjian Sect coming to provoke the Lihuo Sect. 

Everyone wanted to see how this battle would unfold. 

Would the Lihuo Sect uphold its honor, or would the Fengjian Sect emerge victorious? 

"Two pitiful souls." Tuntun sighed, as if it had foreseen the tragic end of the duo. 

As the saying goes, it's not advisable to cross paths with Lin Chen. 

Were they not courting death? 

"Time to end this!" 

The magic sword in Huo Fan's hand emitted a powerful surge of sword energy. A sharp blade of energy cleaved through the void towards Lin Chen, tearing apart the spiritual energy and creating a deafening roar. 

The stadium's atmosphere intensified dramatically. 

The blade of energy surged forward, threatening to slice Lin Chen's face to ribbons. 

At that moment, no force could withstand the sword in Huo Fan's hand—sharp, swift, and unstoppable! 

"Clang!" 

However, his sword struck Lin Chen's arm. 

The gruesome scene that Huo Fan had envisioned did not materialize. A layer of hardened bark covered Lin Chen's arm, allowing him to withstand the sword attack. 

"Is that all you've got?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "Could you try harder?" 

Huo Fan's sword missed, and he quickly turned around and thrust his sword towards Lin Chen's ribs in an unconventional manner. 

Lin Chen sidestepped and dodged the attack. 

"Starshard Sword Technique!" 

Huo Fan unleashed a flurry of rapid sword strikes, the blade glimmering and flashing through the air. 

Many disciples grew worried for Lin Chen. 

Lin Chen continued to evade, his movements graceful and precise. He calmly sidestepped Huo Fan's sword techniques. 

Meanwhile, Tuntun and Sun He were engaged in a fierce battle. 

Sun He possessed tremendous strength, and every punch he threw released a shockwave of energy. 

Tuntun scoffed at this and charged forward. A faint glow enveloped its fist as it collided head-on with Sun He. 

"Boom!" 

A thunderous explosion erupted, and Sun He was knocked back several steps. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes. 

The strength is astonishing! 

If he had not experienced it firsthand, he would not have believed it. 

This phantom beast possesses physical strength on par with mine. 

In an instant, the one man and one tree resumed their fierce battle, each refusing to yield. 

"Swish, swish, swish!" 

Huo Fan activated the magic sword, its light resembling lightning, as if each swing could cut down the stars. 

However, Lin Chen consistently relied on his agility to dodge. 

Frustrated by his inability to land a hit, Huo Fan shouted, "You coward, why are you only running away? Do you dare to stand and fight me? I will make you die a horrible death!" 

"Humph!" 

Before he could finish, Huo Fan gathered his strength and thrust his sword forward. 

Lin Chen's eyes gleamed, and he swiftly used his Long Jade Hand to seize the blade of the magic sword with uncanny precision. 

The magic sword was firmly gripped in Lin Chen's hand. Huo Fan yanked and pulled mehrmals, but it didn't budge an inch. 

Lin Chen's hand was like an iron vise, holding the sword steady. 

"How is this possible?" 

Huo Fan's eyes widened in disbelief. 

This fellow is a beast master, not a warrior. 

How could he possess such immense physical strength? 

Anyone else who dared to attempt this would have been killed instantly. 

"How dare you threaten to kill me at this level?" 

At that moment, Lin Chen slowly looked up, his eyes blazing with a murderous intent.