I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

"That's right! Did you notice how those girls coordinated so seamlessly?" another female tourist exclaimed. "It's so strategic. You wouldn't believe it if you didn't see it with your own eyes."

As everyone was discussing this heatedly, the guardian slowly stepped forward, interrupting the noise. He announced in a voice filled with authority, "Enough, let's stop here. As the master of this place, I cannot allow this holy land to become a site for private fighting!"

Upon hearing this, both parties immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at the speaker in unison—after all, no one wanted to lose all their efforts just before they could claim the treasure because of a violation of the rules. "According to tradition, only those who have passed the trials and earned the qualification are entitled to possess the treasure. Now, please have one of you step forward to represent the team and receive final confirmation."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan took a deep breath and took the lead, stepping forward to take his position. Immediately afterwards, an equally young yet steady figure stepped out from the opposing team's camp. "Since that's the case, I'll challenge you on their behalf."

Then the two looked at each other, each ready to strike...

Just as everyone was waiting with bated breath for what would happen next, a sudden burst of applause from the side interrupted their thoughts:

"Wonderful, truly wonderful, hahahahahaha... These two warriors are truly extraordinary. But I'm even more curious about who will be the true winner in the end~"

Turning around, he saw the voice coming from the strange old man he'd met and impressed upon his journey. "What do you think, boys? How about another friendly match? Don't worry, no matter what the outcome, at least the participants won't be unfair."

He narrowed his eyes and smiled mysteriously, as if he was full of anticipation for the upcoming performance... Zhao Yan's gaze was sharp as a torch, and he stared at the young man from the opposing camp for a long time. The people around him almost held their breath at this moment, only the sound of the wind gently brushing through the leaves could be heard, and an inexplicable tension filled the air.

"Brother, you don't seem to be a simple person." Zhao Yan spoke slowly, with a tentative tone in his voice.

The other person's mouth curled up slightly: "Same here. I'm Mo Chen."

As soon as she finished speaking, a bystander next to her couldn't help but interrupt: "Wow, this guy named Mo Chen looks really handsome! How come I have never seen him before?" Her companion patted her gently, signaling her to be quiet.

At this moment, Lin Xi approached Zhao Yan lightly and whispered a warning: "Zhao Yan, be careful. The aura emanating from this person seems to be very different from that of an ordinary warrior."

Genos also joined the conversation from the back. "Indeed, his aura just now surprised me. This guy's strength is probably far beyond our imagination."

After hearing his companions' analysis, Zhao Yan dared not delay any longer. "Brother Mo Chen, can we start right away?"

Mo Chen nodded in agreement, "Of course. But I have a small suggestion: since both sides are so powerful, why don't we have three matches to decide the final result? Whoever wins two games first will be the winner."

Hearing this, there was another commotion among the crowd:

"What? Three rounds to decide the winner? Isn't that even more exciting?! This is so exciting~"

"Hey there~ That's a great idea! Not only can we show off each team's true abilities, but we can also watch a few more rounds of battle! What a wise decision, hahaha."

Just when everyone thought this was a reasonable arrangement, the mysterious old man spoke again to break the silence:

"Haha, that's really the idea of ​​young people~ Very good, very good. In this case, as a witness and referee, I will officially announce it - the first round of competition begins now!" After speaking, he quickly stepped back, leaving enough space for the contestants to display their skills.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, the two quickly entered combat mode: Zhao Yan, still relying on his agility, constantly sought out flaws and delivered precise attacks; while Mo Chen, on the other hand, appeared quite relaxed, as if he had already anticipated every move, calmly responding to his opponent's every move...

After several rounds, Mo Chen suddenly clasped his hands together in front of his chest and began to mutter something. "As witnesses to Heaven and Earth, I will summon the power of the elements into an invisible shield to block all external threats!"

As the spell sounded, an energy barrier that was invisible to the naked eye was instantly formed and successfully blocked the heavy blow that was about to hit Zhao Yan.

"Hiss... Is this... a barrier technique?" An old man with a long beard not far away opened his eyes wide in surprise. "I didn't expect someone so young to be able to perform such powerful magic... The young are truly formidable."

Meanwhile, Genos, who had been watching the battle for a while, couldn't help but sigh, "He truly deserves to be the one to stand up and represent the entire team. Looks like we have to take this seriously from now on."

Seeing his move easily blocked, Zhao Yan immediately adjusted his mindset and redeployed his strategic plan, quickly changing direction and trying other methods to break through the enemy's defenses...

Just as the situation was becoming increasingly tense and difficult to resolve, something unexpected occurred: hurried footsteps were heard in the distance, and then a group of people in uniform quickly moved toward the center of the venue. The leader was a middle-aged man with a stern face, holding a longsword. "Everyone, I apologize for disturbing you. What's going on here? Why are so many people gathered here?"

Everyone who was originally immersed in the atmosphere of the duel was suddenly stunned. Even the old man who had been smiling all the time restrained his expression and looked over there.

"Ah..." Lin Xi, who was the first to come back to his senses, blinked and replied, "It's nothing. It's just that our two teams are fighting for the ownership of the treasure. There's no need to worry too much."

"Hmm... I see." The middle-aged man nodded and then looked at the two young warriors facing each other and continued, "Since it's a legal competition, I have no objection. I just hope you can try to avoid causing unnecessary harm. And by the way—no matter what the final result is, I hope to have the honor of seeing the winner."

He then turned and led his men to retreat to the side to wait. These words instantly added a touch of uncertainty to the already intense atmosphere of the confrontation...

"Then the second round - are you ready too?" The old man suggested with a smile, seizing the opportunity.

Faced with this new development, Zhao Yan and Mo Chen exchanged a glance, then silently nodded, throwing themselves back into the fray. As for what would happen next? Perhaps even they themselves couldn't predict it. Just as Zhao Yan and Mo Chen were poised to strike again, an unusual aura suddenly filled the air, as if the entire world had been distorted by an invisible force. A strange glint flashed in Mo Chen's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, clearly confident in his next move.