“A bit too early to be haughty and declare victor-...” Zhan Hu responded.

“No. It’s as clear as day.” Li Qiye waved his hand and smiled.

The two’s expression turned ugly because Li Qiye was treating them like two dead ants.

They were geniuses in Divine Black, definitely among the top three of their generation.

“Hmph, where is his baseless confidence coming from?” A spectating demon said with annoyance.

“We’ll find out soon enough who the final winner will be.” Huang Ning said with a murderous glare.

He had made up his mind about killing Li Qiye. Nothing could change it.

He was quite confident after gaining the Verdant Bamboo Stick from his master. This artifact was quite mighty and doubled his battle potential.

“Let’s get started then.” Li Qiye nonchalantly smiled.

His attitude surprised the spectators. This was a battle to the death yet Li Qiye didn’t pay it any mind, treating it like breakfast.

“This is a fight to the death.” Zhan Hu emphasized. This wasn’t a duel between fellow disciples. They wouldn’t show any mercy to Li Qiye.

“Yep, I’ll be killing you two.” Li Qiye responded.

The two clenched their fists, determined to cut Li Qiye to pieces. 

“Are you two ready to die?” Li Qiye didn’t even take a defensive stance, completely heedless.

“What’s going on?” The disciples and top-ranking members of the sect became confused by his appearance.

Zhan Hu and Huang Ning didn’t get it either. Why was Li Qiye so carefree? This seemed out of place.

“Don’t forget about the agreement, you said that you’ll only use Tortoise Fist.” Huang Ning became nervous and tried to confirm.

“Don’t worry, I won’t go back on my words. I will not use any thing else because this technique alone is more than enough to crush you two.” Li Qiye chuckled.

The rage built up inside the two but they still managed to restrain it.

“However, we won’t be restricted by anything. Don’t renege on the deal midway now when you’re about to lose.” Zhan Hu said seriously. He wanted to make sure that Li Qiye couldn’t change his mind after a public statement.

To renege on this deal would allow them to kill him while possessing the moral ground. No one would stop them from doing so then.

“Got it, feel free to try whatever treasure or merit law. I’m only using my bare hands.” Li Qiye started losing his patience and waved his hand.

The two exchanged glances, feeling much better after Li Qiye’s confirmation. Alas, they still had some doubts.

This was the case for the protectors, elders, and the peak lords hiding in the clouds.

Could Li Qiye really kill them using just Tortoise Fist? This was as illogical and impossible as can be due to the cultivation difference.

They watched with great anticipation. Their eyes were as wide open as can be, not wanting to miss a single detail.

Zhan Hu and Huang Ning took out their weapon.

“Boom!” Zhan Hu had a massive war hammer. When he rested it on his shoulder, a loud metallic noise came about.

Given his current strength, he would be able to raise a large mountain. This hammer appeared to be as heavy as one.

Moreover, tiny shimmers not seen by the naked eyes circled around the hammer. When they touched, little sparks of lightning would come off.

The crowd immediately realized that it had the lightning element infused in it, akin to the weapon of a thunder god. Each smash would unleash lightning bolts.

“Extermination Lightning Hammer, mid earth level.” A protector became surprised.

“That famous weapon from the tiger clan?” The experts discussed.

Zhan Hu didn’t use his demon horn since he couldn’t control it yet. This hammer was different. It was one of the strongest weapons in his clan and he had contact with it at a young age.

Due to his bloodline and current power, he could use it to its fullest potential.

He had the Divine Tiger Blood Carapace and the Extermination Lightning Hammer. The crowd thought that one couldn’t ask for more in terms of equipment.

“Should be unbeatable in the same realm.” One disciple murmured.

He had a perfect mix of offense and defense. They were perfectly suitable for him as well.

Not many in Divine Black could do this. He was lucky enough to be from a prestigious clan with plenty of resources.

“Poof!” Huang Ning summoned a cauldron that exuded a scorching temperature, ready to turn anything to ashes.

It seemed to be made from wood, at least at first sight. Strangely enough, the fire burning inside didn’t damage the wooden frame.

“Eight-flame Wooden Cauldron, low earth level. A smart combination.” The chief elder glanced at the cauldron then the stick on Huang Ning’s back.

“That’s not as good as Senior Brother Zhan Hu’s weapon.” One disciple commented.

“No, this is as good as it gets.” A First Brother explained with a serious expression: “It’s actually not made of wood but rather, the dao bone of an eight-flame beast. It can bring out Huang Ning’s bloodline and with the help of that stick, his samadhi flame will be exponentially stronger.”

An eight-flame beast was a chaos primal beast with two affinities - fire and wood.

On the other hand, Huang Ning was a descendant of Luminous Vine Demon King, a master of fire and alchemy.

Because he carried this bloodline, the cauldron was a perfect weapon for him. In addition to the stick, it was as if he had two wings added right now, hence the chief elder’s approval. It was a smart combination.