The spectators were quite surprised to see Ye Yao step up to fight.
Judging by her previous performances, while Ye Yao wasn't weak in any aspect, she wasn't the strongest either.
If one had to pick the most formidable fighter currently, it would be their senior sister, Lin Xueyan.
Even Lin Xueyan asked with some concern, "Junior sister, are you sure about fighting? That guy's weapon and strength are quite dangerous..."
She hadn't seen the opponent display overly formidable power before, which made her extremely worried.
Ye Yao smiled and said, "Senior sister, no need to worry. Trust me, I can handle him."
Seeing her confidence, Lin Xueyan couldn't help but wonder if the opponent had been hiding his strength all along.
But regardless, she ultimately chose to support and trust her.
"Alright, but be very careful!"
"Mm, I understand."
Ye Yao nodded.
At this moment, Ye Yun looked at her and asked, "That brat is relying on the power of his high-grade immortal sword. Are you going to use a top-grade immortal artifact for defense?"
His flippant tone made the expressions of the people in the stands quite peculiar.
"What does this guy think top-grade immortal artifacts are? He talks as if he has plenty."
Such top-tier magical treasures like top-grade immortal artifacts, rarely seen by ordinary people, were unattainable even by many quasi-emperor cultivators.
Otherwise, why would Qian Hong have agreed so readily when Ye Yun offered a top-grade immortal artifact as a stake?
Even though he knew there might be a trap, the sight of a top-grade immortal artifact before him simply made him lose his head.
However, Ye Yao did not accept his offer.
"No need. There's no point in wasting a treasure on such trash who relies on magical artifacts."
Her tone was exceedingly arrogant. Ye Yun smiled helplessly and said,
"In that case, you can go all out and have a good fight."
"Don't worry about anything else. Use whatever methods you have. If anything happens, I, your master, will take responsibility!"
His words were undoubtedly a reminder to Ye Yao that she could use the means of the Abyss race.
In reality, if she were to go all out, directly using the domain skill innate to her bloodline, the pseudo-Abyss domain, would be enough to overwhelm Qian Feng.
Ye Yao nodded slightly and said, "Yes, disciple understands!"
"Junior sister, fight hard! Beat that guy into a pig's head!"
Lin Xueyan and the others cheered her on.
As Ye Yao stepped onto the battlefield and stood opposite Qian Feng, all eyes focused on them.
Qian Feng, standing opposite her, raised an eyebrow upon seeing Ye Yao.
"Little sister, you're quite arrogant. Instead of letting your senior sister fight, you've come to give your life away?"
After all, judging by the address, Ye Yao was likely the youngest among Ye Yun's disciples.
With such a status, how could her strength be too formidable?
Ye Yao glanced at him and calmly replied,
"I'm enough to deal with scum like you."
Compared to Lin Xueyan and the others, Ye Yao's words were as direct as they could be.
This directly ignited Qian Feng's rage.
"Good, then I'll torment you first! And then I'll properly teach your senior sister a lesson!"
Qian Feng's eyes flashed with fierce light as he sneered and threatened.
"I was a bit hesitant to act against Fang Zhiwei earlier. With you, I'm going to thoroughly ravage you."
However, Ye Yao was unfazed and no longer engaged in verbal sparring with him.
As Ye Yun could not leave his seat, another elder from Chaofeng Mountain was appointed as the referee.
She looked at the two on the stage and slowly announced,
"First match of the semi-finals, Ye Yao of Chaofeng Mountain versus Qian Feng of Qianxun Mountain. The match begins now!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Feng, as usual, erupted with power.
Relying on the powerful amplification of his high-grade immortal sword, he suddenly slashed at Ye Yao.
However, Ye Yao's footwork was far superior to Fang Zhiwei's, and she easily dodged the attack.
Then, two short blades materialized in her palm, and she seized the momentary opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack against Qian Feng.
"This guy..."
Qian Feng's pupils contracted, and he quickly switched from offense to defense, managing to barely block her fierce assault.
Unlike Fang Zhiwei, who excelled in long-range positional battles, the Ye Yao he saw now was like a shadow dancer on the tip of a blade.
She always managed to evade his attacks at the last moment and use them to launch a counterattack, catching him off guard.
In the ancient arena, intense Xuan Qi explosions erupted one after another, with the two combatants locked in a fierce struggle.
The intensity of the battle was unprecedented, leaving the spectators mesmerized.
"This girl is terrifying! She's fighting on par with Qian Feng, who has the enhancement of a high-grade immortal sword?!"
"Her offensive methods are particularly impressive. Every move is a killing blow, with no wasted effort!"
"I can't understand it. Where did Ye Yun find so many monstrous disciples? This girl has clearly been through countless life-and-death battles!"
"Who cares? I think Qianxun Mountain is in for a tough time in this match..."
The spectators discussed animatedly, and Qian Hong's expression became extremely grim.
Was this girl's strength really that outrageous? If he hadn't prepared that immortal sword, Qian Feng wouldn't have lasted long, let alone won.
But in the end, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, I foresaw this and made preparations in advance..."
The battle in the ancient arena continued.
Ye Yao did not reveal her Abyss race abilities right from the start.
If possible, she still wanted to avoid causing trouble for her master.
"If I continue for a bit longer, I should find an opening..."
Ye Yao, while locked in combat with Qian Feng, analyzed his fighting habits.
Having undergone countless life-and-death trials, she had long learned to find, and even create, opportunities for a killing blow.
In her eyes, Qian Feng was now a locked-on prey. After a brief exchange, she had gauged his speed and strength.
However, as the battle gradually heated up, she began to notice something amiss.
"What's going on... this guy's speed and strength are continuously increasing?"
As she was pondering this, Qian Feng appeared behind her with a speed far beyond expectations and swung his sword.
With a bang!
Although Ye Yao managed to block it, she was still blasted into the ground by the terrifying power contained within the sword.
"This Qian Feng... something is wrong!"
It wasn't just Ye Yao; even some of the spectators noticed Qian Feng's abnormal increase in strength.
In the stands, Ye Yun, staring intently at Qian Feng, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"His strength and speed are increasing at a constant rate. What exactly did that old scoundrel Qian Hong do to him?"
After some thought, Ye Yun decided to use his Heavenly Mandate Eye to examine Qian Feng's condition.
As soon as he looked, Ye Yun was stunned by the information he saw.