Chapter 208 - 206: Clash of the Gods

"Alright. Since that’s the case, let’s cut the crap and get to it." As soon as the words left his mouth, King of the Underworld launched a swift punch at Ye Xuan’s chest. Since neither agreed with the other’s methods, violence was the only way to settle it.

Fortunately, Ye Xuan was already mentally prepared for a fight. The moment King of the Underworld struck, Ye Xuan’s muscles tensed. He bent his knees slightly, lowering his center of gravity. Planting his feet firmly, he twisted his waist just enough to dodge the opening blow, then countered with lightning speed, delivering a fierce palm chop to King of the Underworld’s shoulder blade. King of the Underworld let out a muffled groan of pain and leapt backward, putting some distance between them.

"TSK, TSK, TSK. I can’t believe they’re actually fighting! The Cyan Dragon Chief taking on the former Flood Dragon—I wonder who’s going to win."

"Damn, a battle like this is a once-in-a-century event."

"Who do you guys think will win? My money is on King of the Underworld. After all, he’s spent years fighting tooth and nail in the underground world. His methods are definitely more ruthless than the Cyan Dragon Chief’s."

"Not necessarily. Looking at the Cyan Dragon Chief’s stance, it’s going to be a close match."

Seeing the two men actually duking it out, the spectators below the arena wore expressions of pure excitement. Everyone was eagerly guessing who would emerge victorious. The fight grew increasingly fierce. Their moves became a blur, almost too fast for the naked eye to track. Vermilion Bird’s heart was in her throat; she didn’t want to see either of them get hurt.

While Ye Xuan and King of the Underworld were engaged in an intense brawl, Xuanwu was cowering in the corner of the ring, clutching his head and trembling uncontrollably.

"Who’s that piece of trash in the corner? If he’s so scared, he should just roll out of the ring. What’s the point of hiding up there?" asked some of the newer recruits from the Ministry of State Security. They didn’t recognize Xuanwu and looked at him in disgust.

A veteran member standing nearby glanced at Xuanwu and scoffed dismissively. "Him? That’s the famous Black Tortoise Chief. He’s just a worthless piece of trash now. Just ignore him."

Hearing this, the new recruit grew even more confused. "Didn’t he already quit the Ministry of State Security? Why is he here today?"

Patiently addressing the rookie’s confusion, the veteran explained further.

"Man, you really are out of the loop. Rumor has it that the Cyan Dragon Chief and the Vermilion Bird Chief personally went to bring him back.

"I also heard he got into a huge fight with the Cyan Dragon Chief earlier. It was quite a spectacle, apparently.

"And according to those who saw it, the Black Tortoise Chief is perfectly fine. He still has his Martial Arts skills.

"Nobody knows why he faked his medical reports and told everyone he was a cripple, though."

The veteran member was surprisingly well-informed, having a solid grasp of the general situation. The new recruit looked at him with newfound respect, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

If the other departments noticed Xuanwu, the members of the Qilin Hall naturally did as well. However, they were completely unaware of Xuanwu’s forged medical reports. Believing him to truly be a cripple, they began to hurl insults at him.

"Trash! Get down from there! Stop embarrassing yourself up there!"

"Yeah! You piece of trash! Your brothers are fighting because of you, and you’re just hiding on the sidelines, too scared to even look!"

"Roll out of the ring! Being brothers with a worthless coward like you is a damn disgrace!"

As the angry curses from the crowd grew louder, Ye Xuan felt a surge of discomfort. Unfortunately, King of the Underworld’s fighting spirit was fully ignited. If Ye Xuan stopped now, those fists would undoubtedly land on Xuanwu.

"King of the Underworld! That’s enough! Do you want to make a scene in front of everyone?" Ye Xuan roared while parrying his opponent’s relentless attacks.

"It’s not enough! I’m going to knock some sense into this kid! Not everyone in this world is going to coddle him!" King of the Underworld had completely lost control. He bellowed at Ye Xuan, his strikes growing increasingly vicious.

Seeing this, Ye Xuan finally got serious. Since talking wasn’t working, he decided to end the fight as quickly as possible. His eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting slightly as his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t utter another word.

The battle escalated to a fever pitch. Eventually, the crowd even forgot to jeer, their eyes glued to the two fighters. They didn’t dare blink, terrified of missing a single move. A clash of titans like this was something you couldn’t just ask to see; it was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Every technique, every strike was worthy of study and emulation. Even mastering just a tenth of Ye Xuan and King of the Underworld’s Martial Arts would catapult their own skills to new heights.

Even the cynical members of the Qilin Hall fell silent, watching the duel with complex expressions. The Qilin Hall had only begun to rise in prominence over the past few years. Backed by tremendous financial resources and upper management’s support, the members of the Qilin Hall were far more arrogant than those in the other Four Palaces. They were incredibly conceited and usually looked down on everyone else in the Ministry of State Security. They firmly believed that the Qilin Hall was on the verge of becoming the head of the Four Palaces, and that their Qilin Chief would usurp the Cyan Dragon Chief’s position as Huaxia’s number one War God.

But watching Ye Xuan and King of the Underworld fight was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads. It forced them to realize the massive gap between themselves and true masters. It certainly extinguished the Qilin Hall’s raging arrogance.

As the fight neared its end, both men abandoned their flashy techniques in favor of brutal, close-quarters hand-to-hand combat. They traded punches and kicks without holding back. Although Ye Xuan was technically stronger, he lacked King of the Underworld’s sheer ruthlessness. Both men were soon bruised and battered. Watching from below, Vermilion Bird’s heart ached for them.

"Enough! Both of you, stop right now! Can you quit messing around and act your age for once?" She tried to rush the ring to break them up, but Ye Xuan and King of the Underworld shouted her down in unison.

"Stay back! Keep out of this!"

They barked the command simultaneously, their strikes suddenly accelerating to the point of leaving afterimages. Vermilion Bird stomped her foot in sheer frustration. Glaring at Xuanwu—who was still cowering like an ostrich burying its head in the sand—her fury boiled over.

"Xuanwu! How much fucking longer are you going to run away from this? We’ve already lost White Tiger—are you going to let Ye Xuan and King of the Underworld tear each other apart too?!"

Her words struck Xuanwu’s deepest nerve. He shuddered violently, and his entire aura shifted. He slowly lifted his head from his arms, his face streaked with tears.

"I’m sorry, Vermilion Bird."

Hearing that familiar name after so long, Vermilion Bird’s eyes immediately reddened. A lump formed in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. She turned her head away and blinked hard, forcing her tears back. Then, she reached out and vigorously ruffled Xuanwu’s hair.

"So you still remember I’m your sister, huh? Then hurry up and stop those two!"

Xuanwu bit his lip and slowly rose to his feet.

"Huh? The trash stood up? What is he trying to do?" Seeing Xuanwu finally stand, the spectators began to whisper in wild speculation.