Nie Pengju's words made Gu Tianyuan heave a sigh of relief. At least they still had some rationality left.
"Let's end this bet quickly. I'll take my turn."
"Brother Gu, don’t worry. I’ll hold back—this will only be about victory or defeat, not life and death."
Gu Tianyuan found himself in an awkward position, unsure whether to nod or shake his head.
The main issue was that he had no idea how to explain this to the clan’s ancestor. What puzzled him even more was how the ancestor hadn’t intervened yet, given how far things had escalated. Wasn’t Chen Chang'an someone the ancestor valued?
"I told you, both of you should attack together."
"Otherwise, what if someone tries to go back on their word?" Chen Chang'an said with a faint smile.
Go back on their word?
That actually made sense.
If Chen Chang'an lost, what if he claimed they hadn’t followed the rules and tried to renege?
"Chen Chang'an, think carefully. If both of us attack at once, you’ll be in serious danger."
"Relax. You’ll have to actually land a hit on me first."
"Remember, each of you only gets three chances," Chen Chang'an said calmly.
"Young man, don’t get too cocky."
"Let’s do this."
"Fine!"
Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun had no intention of wasting more words. They exchanged a glance, then flashed forward, appearing right in front of Chen Chang'an in the next instant.
As peak Emperor-level experts, their speed was so fast that only Gu Tianyuan and the big yellow dog could clearly track their movements.
"This is too easy!"
Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun both grinned, controlling their strength as they struck at Chen Chang'an from left and right.
But just as their palms were about to make contact—Chen Chang'an vanished!
"What?!"
"Where did he go?"
This time, not just Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun, even Gu Tianyuan was stunned. He hadn’t been able to detect how Chen Chang'an had done it either.
A moment later, Chen Chang'an’s presence reappeared—right behind them, about ten paces away. Yet there was no trace of how he’d gotten there.
It was as if he had simply blinked out of existence and then back again.
"One down," Chen Chang'an said with a faint smile.
Now, Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun’s expressions turned grave.
No wonder Chen Chang'an dared to be so arrogant—he clearly had some tricks up his sleeve.
Just the ability to vanish without a trace in front of two Emperors was enough to shock anyone.
"Alright, this time we’re getting serious."
"Together."
Despite their rivalry, Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun had fought each other enough times to develop some understanding. A single glance was enough to convey their thoughts.
This time, they held nothing back, pushing their speed to the limit—prioritizing agility over raw power.
Yet once again, just as they were about to touch Chen Chang'an, he disappeared without a trace.
This time, they had even extended their senses, covering the entire area so that nothing could escape their perception.
But the result? Chen Chang'an had vanished again, leaving no trace behind.
Panic set in.
At this moment, Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun were genuinely rattled.
They were on the verge of losing. If Chen Chang'an pulled this off one more time, they’d have to bark like dogs!
The mere thought of having to start every conversation with a few barks in the future was worse than death to them.
"No!"
"We can’t lose!"
"Even if Chen Chang'an has some kind of escape technique, we’re both Emperors. How could he possibly react fast enough?"
"Right, he shouldn’t be able to react in time. And yet..."
Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun were baffled. How was Chen Chang'an dodging them so precisely?
Even if he had a life-saving technique, activating it should take time, right?
In the split second it took to think, how was he reacting so quickly?
They couldn’t figure it out—and neither could Gu Tianyuan, who had been staring intently at Chen Chang'an the whole time.
Meanwhile, Nie Haotian and Ye Beiming were completely dumbfounded.
What the hell was happening?
These two were legendary Emperor-level experts, yet Chen Chang'an was toying with them like children?
If they lost, how could they ever show their faces again? Would they really have to bark like dogs?
"Gentlemen, you’ve got one last chance."
"Make it count."
Chen Chang'an had reappeared in his chair, lounging lazily as if nothing had happened.
Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Nie Pengju and Ye Liuyun exchanged a glance—then, to Gu Tianyuan’s utter disbelief, they turned tail and fled!
"Chen Chang'an!"
"The bet isn’t over until all three attempts are done!"
"Just wait—we’ll come back someday to settle this."
"Mark our words!"
In his ten thousand years of life, Chen Chang'an had encountered plenty of gamblers, but this was the first time he’d met someone even more shameless than himself.
Their sudden escape left even him momentarily speechless.
"Are these your friends?"
"How shameless can you get?"
"And they call themselves Emperors?"
"They just ran away?"
Chen Chang'an had truly not expected these two to outdo him in sheer audacity. They’d bolted without a second thought.
Can’t handle losing?
Seriously?
"Ahem. I barely know them. Really, we’re not close at all."
Gu Tianyuan also felt embarrassed. Two Emperor-level experts, unable to accept defeat? How humiliating. How would they face their peers in the Emperor circle now?
Wouldn’t the other Emperors laugh at them?
"You two still here? Waiting for me to treat you to dinner?"
Chen Chang'an glanced at Nie Haotian and Ye Beiming, who stood frozen in shock.
It was clear that the two fleeing Emperors had left them deeply traumatized.
Only Chen Chang'an’s words snapped them out of their daze.
"Uh… Senior Gu, we’ll… we’ll take our leave now."
"Senior Gu, I’ll be going too."
With that, they turned and sprinted away.
Humiliation. This was pure humiliation.
From now on, they doubted they could even look a member of the Gu family in the eye.
"Little Gu, those two have terrible character. You should keep your distance."
"Sore losers, no sense of honor. Absolutely disgraceful," Chen Chang'an said with disdain.
"Ahem. You’re right, I should keep my distance. But how did you do that earlier?"
"Even I couldn’t detect how you disappeared."
Gu Tianyuan hadn’t even noticed Chen Chang'an’s casual nickname for him, too fixated on his mysterious technique.
"Just a few parlor tricks, nothing worth mentioning," Chen Chang'an said modestly.
Parlor tricks?
Nothing worth mentioning?
A technique that even Emperors couldn’t counter was just a "parlor trick"?
Could you be any more full of yourself?
"Had lunch yet?"
Chen Chang'an’s sudden question left Gu Tianyuan baffled. What was that supposed to mean?
"No, I haven't eaten," Gu Tianyuan replied instinctively, thinking to himself, Is this guy planning to invite me for a meal?
"If you haven't eaten, then go home and eat. There's no food for you here."
"The Gu family is so big, yet you still come here looking for a free meal?"
"How stingy!"
Chen Chang'an's words made Gu Tianyuan's lips twitch uncontrollably.
Who the hell came here to mooch off your food?
Weren't you the one who asked if I'd eaten?
If you weren't going to offer, why even ask?
Furious, Gu Tianyuan turned and stormed off, not wanting to lay eyes on Chen Chang'an for another second.
That bastard is absolutely infuriating!