Who Else

Facing the questioning gazes of everyone present, Qin Hao chuckled lightly and said, "I know you are all very dissatisfied with me, this newly appointed Holy Son who popped out of nowhere."

"It does not matter. I can give you a chance to challenge me. Anyone below the Immortal realm can step up. Whoever defeats me, I will yield this position of Holy Son to them."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue fell dead silent. Although they could not see through Qin Hao's cultivation base, they could determine his bone age. Judging from his bone age, this masked person before them was merely a young man in his early twenties.

In his early twenties! Looking across this cultivation world where people easily lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years, he was nothing but a wet-behind-the-ears brat. Yet he actually dared to declare that anyone below the Immortal realm could challenge him? And that if anyone won, he would hand over the Holy Son title on a silver platter?

"I will do it!"

An indignant roar rang out from the crowd. The speaker was none other than Wang Ling, the very person who had just assumed Yun Ya had chosen him to be the Holy Son.

"I will challenge you!"

Qin Hao did not even lift his eyes. His gaze remained lazily fixed on the ground in front of him, as if there was something there far more interesting than Wang Ling.

Wang Ling felt this blatant disregard, and his expression inevitably grew even uglier. Among the younger generation of the Xuantian Holy Land, he was part of the absolute top tier. In the entire younger generation, only he could rival Chen Ping.

A week ago, although he had lost to Chen Ping, it was a pyrrhic victory for Chen Ping, which was enough to prove that his own strength was extraordinary. Yet this guy dared to ignore him so completely.

"Why aren't you speaking? Are you too scared to accept the challenge?" Wang Ling sneered, raising his voice a few notches.

"Didn't you just boast that anyone below the Immortal realm could challenge you? Why is it that the moment I step forward, you chicken out? I am merely a Void Refinement Realm cultivator. If you don't even dare to fight me, what right do you have to tell anyone below the Immortal realm to come at you?"

Hearing this, Qin Hao finally moved. He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze landing on Wang Ling. That gaze was as calm as a pool of stagnant water—devoid of anger, devoid of disdain, and even devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

"You are not qualified enough."

The moment those words fell, an invisible force explosively erupted from Qin Hao's body. It was not spiritual energy, but an aura so tyrannical that it defied all reason.

Before Wang Ling could even retract the sneer on his face, he was struck head-on by this force.

Wang Ling only felt as if he had been viciously rammed by a primordial ferocious beast. The force was exceedingly brutal, directly piercing through his protective astral qi and shattering his physical defenses.

"Pfft—"

A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from Wang Ling's mouth. His entire body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the stone wall at the edge of the martial arts arena.

Wang Ling slid down the stone wall and slumped onto the ground. His face was as pale as paper, and a trail of blood hung from the corner of his mouth.

"To think... I was defeated in a single strike?"

An unprecedented sense of powerlessness welled up in Wang Ling's heart. The aura Qin Hao had just displayed was too terrifying, so terrifying that Wang Ling lost all thoughts of resistance in an instant.

"No, he didn't even make a move. He merely spoke a few words, and I was blasted away."

The entire venue was dead silent. Everyone looked at Qin Hao with bewildered expressions, their eyes filled with shock. They were very familiar with Wang Ling. Just like Chen Ping, he was a leading figure among the younger generation of the Xuantian Holy Land. Yet, such a leading figure could not even withstand a single move at Qin Hao's hands.

Qin Hao cracked his neck, the bones making popping sounds. "I said anyone below the Immortal realm could challenge me, but don't aim too far below. At the very least, send out a Tribulation Transcendence or Mahayana realm cultivator."

"Void Refinement Realm?"

These words were incredibly harsh, but no one dared to refute them because what Qin Hao said was the truth. A Void Refinement Realm cultivator could not even withstand his aura; what could they possibly use to challenge him?

In the spectator stands, the young disciples who had initially been itching to fight all withdrew their thoughts of challenging him with solemn expressions. Even a leading figure like Wang Ling was blasted away by a single sentence from him; what could they possibly achieve if they went up?

Yun Ya swept his gaze across the venue and then asked, "Is there anyone else who wishes to step up and challenge him? If not, then the position of the Holy Son is settled."

"I will give it a try."

The voice was not loud, but it exploded like thunder above the martial arts arena. Everyone's gaze shifted in unison toward the source of the sound. At the highest point of the spectator stands, a figure slowly stood up. The man was wearing a faded cyan Daoist robe, possessing a slender figure and a gaunt face.

"It's Senior Brother Shen!"

Shen Qingyun, a leading figure among the previous generation of disciples in the Xuantian Holy Land. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, just one step away from becoming an Immortal.

Shen Qingyun cupped his hands toward Yun Ya. "Lord Sect Master, this person just said that anyone below the Immortal realm who defeats him will be handed the position of Holy Son. However, I am a disciple of the previous generation. Logically speaking, the position of Holy Son has nothing to do with me. If I defeat him..."

Qin Hao chuckled lightly. This guy was thinking a bit too far ahead. They hadn't even fought yet, and he was already worrying about whether he would be denied the Holy Son position due to his seniority after winning.

"I said, whoever defeats me gets to be the Holy Son. Anyone below the Immortal realm, regardless of seniority. Is that acceptable, Sect Master?"

Yun Ya's mouth twitched. He looked at Qin Hao with a face full of helplessness. Why did this guy's words make it feel like he was ordering him around like a servant?

Yun Ya nodded. "That is correct. Anyone below the Immortal realm, regardless of seniority, as long as they can defeat him, they can become the Holy Son."

Hearing this, Shen Qingyun's mind was put at ease. He leaped down from the spectator stands and bowed to Qin Hao.

"Junior Brother, this is what you asked for. Do not blame your Senior Brother, a five-thousand-year-old geezer, for bullying the young."

Qin Hao did not speak; he merely silently raised three fingers.

Seeing this, Shen Qingyun looked suspicious. "What is the meaning of this, Junior Brother?"

"Three moves. If I cannot defeat you in three moves, it counts as my loss."

Qin Hao's words were like a massive boulder smashing into a tranquil lake, stirring up monstrous waves.

"What did he say? He said he would defeat Senior Brother Shen within three moves? Senior Brother Shen is the leading figure of the previous generation of disciples, with a cultivation at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm. Even if he encounters an Immortal, he can hold his own. Is this guy that arrogant?"

"I have seen arrogant people, but I have never seen anyone this arrogant! Defeat Senior Brother Shen in three moves? This guy's bone age is only in his early twenties. How high could his cultivation possibly be? Even an Immortal would not dare claim they could defeat Senior Brother Shen at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm in three moves."

Shen Qingyun's expression darkened slightly. It wasn't out of anger, but because he could see that when Qin Hao said he would defeat him in three moves, his expression was utterly placid, as casual as remarking that the weather is nice today. This was not a provocation; it was simply what he genuinely believed.