Chapter 4204 — Another Perfect Golden Core

Only then did Nan Tianxiong force down his rage. He jabbed a finger at Yu Jiang's nose and snarled, "Hah! You treacherous, ungrateful wretch—you actually dare come back? You've got nerve, I'll give you that! Fine. I searched for you long enough, and today you've delivered yourself right to my door!"

"Haha, if it isn't my two martial uncles, Nan Tianxiong and Nan Tianguan! It's been far too long!" Yu Jiang, utterly calm and unruffled, showed not the slightest sign of taking either of them seriously. Instead he laughed smugly and said, "Oh, that's right—I misspoke. You're not my martial uncles anymore, wahahaha!"

"Nonsense! As if we could ever have a treacherous wretch like you for a disciple!" Nan Tianxiong barked.

"You misunderstand, both of you. What I mean is—you aren't fit to be my martial uncles! Hahahaha!" Yu Jiang still wore that same smug, imperious expression, utterly unafraid and looking down on everything before him.

"You're asking for death!" Nan Tianxiong flew into a towering rage and was about to strike at Yu Jiang on the spot. Even if it meant suffering a heavy punishment, he was determined to teach this reckless wretch a proper lesson today!

After so many months, he had no idea why Yu Jiang had suddenly appeared, or why he dared strut about so brazenly right in front of the two of them—but whatever the reason, nothing could change the boy's essential nature as a posturing clown. With Nan Tianxiong's domineering temperament, how could he possibly tolerate having sand thrown in his eyes like this?

Yet just as Nan Tianxiong was about to throw caution to the wind and strike, Yu Jiang suddenly gave a cold smile, then violently unleashed his aura without the slightest reservation. It was unmistakably the early Golden Core stage!

The two sides stood mere steps apart. Nan Tianxiong and Nan Tianguan were caught completely off guard, frightened into stumbling back a pace, both of them turning pale with shock as they exchanged glances.

"You! You're actually at the early Golden Core stage! How is that possible?!" Nan Tianxiong said, his face a mask of disbelief.

He himself was at the early Golden Core stage as well, and a veteran of long standing at that—far stronger than an ordinary early Golden Core expert. Yet before this treacherous wretch Yu Jiang, he actually felt a sense of danger, one that made him shiver to the bone by pure instinct.

"Hehe, why shouldn't it be possible? And this is only the early Golden Core stage for now. Give me a little more time and I'll be even stronger than this!" Yu Jiang sneered smugly, an indescribable, towering confidence shining through his expression.

"Hmph! A petty man drunk on his own success!" Though Nan Tianxiong and Nan Tianguan were shocked to the core, they still demanded in low, heavy voices, "Where have you been all this time?"

"Why don't you guess?" Yu Jiang cast them a mocking glance and smirked. "Now that you mention it, I really ought to thank the two of you. If you hadn't wanted to slice me to pieces and offer me up as a living sacrifice, I never would have had such a stroke of fortune. Forgive my curiosity—I'd like to ask, how are the two of you feeling right now? Nervous and afraid? Or filled with regret? Hahaha!"

"Enough of your nonsense! If you've got the guts, don't run—get out there and fight me, old man to brat. I refuse to believe I can't deal with a cheap, posturing clown like you!" Nan Tianxiong roared, his fury blazing to the heavens.

Nan Tianguan had only the strength of peak Foundation Establishment and was no longer Yu Jiang's match—but Nan Tianxiong was another matter. Even though he had already sensed the threat Yu Jiang posed, he simply refused to believe that he could not kill this treacherous wretch!

No matter what crooked, unorthodox means Yu Jiang had used to make his strength explode so wildly, before a seasoned veteran of the early Golden Core stage like himself, the boy was nothing but a paper tiger in the end.

"No rush. I'm going to compete in the inner-sect tournament anyway. Who knows, maybe I'll draw you on the platform in a bit? Then, in front of all these people, I'll pay back the humiliation you old dog heaped on me—bit by bit, wahahaha!" Yu Jiang sneered with gloating composure, not the least bit hurried.

Being called an old dog to his face made Nan Tianxiong's veins bulge with fury. He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles went white and ground out through his teeth, "And what if I'm not drawn? What then?"

"Hmph, then we'll just challenge each other outright. A revenge spectacle this crowd-pleasing—without an audience, wouldn't that be a shame?" Yu Jiang laughed carelessly, his every word and gesture showing not the slightest regard for Nan Tianxiong—and as for Nan Tianguan beside him, even less needed to be said.

"Fine. We'll see, then!" Nan Tianxiong glared at him with murderous hatred, longing to swallow the scum whole, but the moment had not yet come, and so he could only endure a little longer.

Whether someone had secretly tampered with the draw, or it was simply that much of a coincidence, the results that emerged a short while later were astonishingly this: Nan Tianxiong versus Yu Jiang.

"Hmph, so it is the will of heaven. It seems the spirit of the third brother is with us, wanting me to avenge him!" Nan Tianxiong sneered and was the first to step onto the platform.

"Hehe, maybe he's just feeling lonely and wants me to send you to keep him company?" Yu Jiang returned the cold sneer, and when he stepped onto the platform, the entire hall erupted in an uproar.

The matter of Yu Jiang killing his own master had never been formally ruled upon by the Law Enforcement Hall, nor had a manhunt or bounty ever been issued, but it had indeed caused an enormous stir and become known to all. Who would have thought the creature would return at this critical juncture of the inner-sect tournament!

And now the creature was actually an expert of the early Golden Core stage—the second person after Xu Lingchong to vanish and then suddenly reappear with his strength inexplicably skyrocketing!

For a time, everyone below the platform was seized with the desire to watch the spectacle. A grudge match like this was always a crowd-pleaser—even if everyone seated here was a Golden Core expert, they still had hearts hungry for gossip!

The two sides faced off on the platform, tension crackling in the air. After a brief standoff, at the referee's command, both figures shot forward at once, killing intent surging from each—a terrifying display that looked for all the world like they meant to devour each other alive.

Yu Jiang seemed somewhat sinister and unorthodox, while Nan Tianxiong, though only at the early Golden Core stage as well, was a ruthless, decisive character far stronger than the average expert of his level—and this was, besides, a grudge match etched into the bone. Everyone expected the fight to be a long, bitter struggle, but the way things unfolded was far beyond anything they had imagined.

In a single move, the grudge match was decided. Nan Tianxiong was sent flying by a single sword qi—Yu Jiang won a complete victory!

Even after the referee announced the result, the crowd below still had not recovered. Silence reigned; everyone stared at one another. They had been looking forward to a rare bit of excitement to break the boredom—how was it over already?

And up in the stands at that moment, Shangguan Tianxia was left even more speechless. Another perfect breakthrough to the Golden Core stage—the fifth already. Was the world going mad?

Below the platform, Nan Tianguan hurried to help the bedraggled Nan Tianxiong to his feet. Though he had been sent flying by a single move, Nan Tianxiong was, after all, vastly experienced; he was not actually badly hurt at this moment—just a little disheveled in appearance, and that was all.