Euwen stood on the stage, his chestnut hair fluttering in the breeze, his jaw clenched, his eyes, sharp and focused, locked onto Leon with a look of defiance and unyielding resolve.


    By his side, a long sword rested in its sheath, its hilt gripped tightly by his right hand.


    The sword, with its intricate design and evident craftsmanship, was a testament to his status and skill.


    The way he held it, with a mixture of familiarity and readiness, spoke volumes about his experience and prowess.


    The crowd''s murmurs grew louder as they took in the sight of Leon''s opponent, their excitement and anticipation palpable.


    Here stood a warrior who was ready to give his all, to fight with every ounce of strength and skill he possessed.


    The stage was set for a sh of titans, and everyone present could feel the tension in the air, thick and electrifying.


    Euwen''s gaze was cold and disdainful as he watched Leon ascend to the battle tform. "What''s that thing by your side? Are you even worthy of wielding something like that?"


    Though the katana wasn''t of a particrly high rank, Euwen recognized it as an artifact.


    His mocking words were misunderstood by the crowd, who burst intoughter, jeering at Leon and cheering for Euwen.


    Leon stepped onto the tform, theughter of the crowd echoing around him. He faced Euwen calmly, his expression unwavering. "You know, this battle doesn''t have a wager. Don''t you think a wager would make things more interesting?"


    "A true warrior doesn''t need a reason for battle," Euwen retorted.


    "You mean a brainless warrior. I''m not that stupid to fight a battle without benefits," Leon scoffed, a slight smile on his face.


    Euwen''s eyes twitched in irritation. "Don''t tell me you''re withdrawing. You''re more cowardly than I thought. But since it''s a wager you want, a wager you''ll get. It doesn''t matter anyway, the result has already been decided and destined by fate."


    Leon smiled, looking cool andposed in his battle robe, while Euwen radiated the fierce aura of a seasoned warrior.


    The tension between them was palpable, and the crowd fell silent in anticipation of the impending sh.


    Euwen smirked confidently. "We bet on both of our storage bags. The winner takes the loser''s storage bag."


    Rumors began to spread among the spectators, their voices buzzing with excitement and awe at Euwen''s sheer boldness and confidence.


    "Sir Euwen is too bold, wagering the battle with his storage bag..."


    "Hmmph! If his confidence was that weak, he wouldn''t be from the Mountain Heart family..."


    "So he''s from the Mountain Heart family, it''s no wonder..."


    "Looks like you''re new here. It''s rare for anyone not to know of Euwen''s family, especially with all the anticipation for this duel..."


    "He''s bound to win if he''s willing to wager his storage bag. Sir Leon has no chance!"


    "He never stood a chance in the first ce!"


    "Do you think Leon will ept?"


    "He has to, whether he likes it or not. Otherwise, he''ll lose face, and that''s exactly what Euwen wants..."


    Meanwhile, Leon smiled, unfazed by the murmurs. A cool breeze swept by, making his silver hair flutter for a moment. He looked enchanting, a grin spreading across his face. "Okay, I wager my storage bag as well."


    The crowd''s whispers grew louder, their anticipation reaching a fever pitch. Euwen''s smirk deepened, confident in his inevitable victory.


    The two opponents stood ready, the air crackling with tension as they prepared for the sh that would determine the fate of their prized possessions.


    Leon knew his storage bag was empty, but he handed it over confidently. The two young masters of the Dawnde n gave their storage bags to an elder, who would act as the referee.


    This precaution ensured that neither would get seriously injured, damage their cultivation base, or identally kill each other during the duel. No matter what, they''re both young masters and son-inws of the dawnde, irreversible harm and death are frowned against...


    The elder took the storage pouches without checking their contents. In this world, it was rare for someone to carry an empty spatial bag; it simply didn''t make sense.


    However, Leon was an exception. He had a spatial ring where he kept all his possessions, using the empty storage bag as a decoy to avoid prying eyes.


    The elder moved to the center of the battle arena, his voice resonating through the grounds. "The rules for this duel are as follows: First, no lethal blows are to be struck. This is a test of skill, not a fight to the death. Second, external weapons or artifacts that were not present at the start of the duel are forbidden.


    Third, should any party yield or be unable to continue, the duel ends immediately. Fourth, the use of forbidden techniques or any action that would cause irreversible harm to your opponent is strictly prohibited. Finally, respect must be maintained at all times. This duel is a demonstration of honor and prowess. You can only win by forcing your opponent to ept defeat."


    He paused, looking at both Leon and Euwen, ensuring they understood the gravity of the rules. "Are both parties ready?"


    Euwen nodded, his eyes still fierce and determined. Leon gave a small smile and nodded as well.


    "Begin!" the elder dered, stepping back to give them space.


    The air grew tense as the duelmenced, the crowd''s whispers fading into an expectant silence.


    Both young masters faced each other, ready to prove their worth in the arena.


    Euwen broke the silence, drawing his longsword with a metallic ring that echoed through the arena.


    A maniacal grin spread across his face as he taunted, "Now, let''s see if you''re worthy of that sheathed thing beside you, or if it''s just for show."


    Leon remained silent, drawing his katana, its de gleaming in the rays of the morning sun.


    With inhuman speed, they both rushed at each other, their swords shing with a resounding impact that reverberated through the arena.


    Their movements were a blur to the untrained eye, each strike and parry executed with precision.


    Euwen''s powerful shes were met with Leon''s swift, calcted parries. The sound of metal on metal filled the air as they danced across the tform, their swords an extension of their will.


    Euwen''s grin faded, reced by a focused re. He scoffed, "It looks like you''re indeed worthy, wielding strange sword katana techniques, but the warm-up is over... It''s time for the real deal."


    Leon simply scoffed and remained silent, knowing that their battle couldn''t be decided by mere swordy. Both were strong, and neither had revealed their true strength.


    The crowd erupted in cheers and whispers of amazement as the two of them stood in a momentary stand-off.


    "It looks like Leon wasn''t just a pretty face after all..."


    "Indeed, even one at the 7th realm of body tempering would have had crushed and cracked bones from that sh..."


    But, as their swords shed again, Leon''s eyes narrowed, watching Euwen form a hand seal.


    "Mountain Heart Art, Earth Golem Control!" Euwen intoned coldly.


    The ground trembled, and from the earth rose a massive golem, its form rough and intimidating. The crowd gasped in awe at the sight of the towering creature.


    Leon''s grip tightened on his katana, his eyes narrowing. He sidestepped as the golem swung its massive arm, the force of the blow creating a crater where he had just stood.


    Euwen watched with a satisfied smirk. "Let''s see how you handle this," he taunted.


    Leon narrowed his eyes, gripping his katana tightly. He darted forward, his movements a blur as he avoided the golem''s sweeping attacks.


    Each time the golem''s fist mmed into the ground, it left a crater in its wake. Leon struck at the creature''s joints, his katana slicing through the rock with precision.


    ng-!!!


    A ngorous sound reverberated in the arena as the golem shrugged off the powerful sh as if it was nothing. There wasn''t even a scratch on it''s rock hard skin....


    Euwen scoffed, his voice filled with pride. "If the golem''s arm could be easily sliced off like that, it wouldn''t be worthy of being a famous technique of the Mountain Heart family. It''s not just a mere pile of earth that you can easily slice off, it''s imbued with Qi!" His tone was cold and taunting as hemanded the golem to attack without giving Leon a moment of respite.


    The crowd was awed after hearing this:


    "Imbued with Qi? No wonder it''s so tough!"


    "Euwen''s golem technique is truly formidable. Can Leon even stand a chance against that?"


    "I heard only elite cultivators of the Mountain Heart family can use that technique."


    "Look at Leon''s face. He doesn''t seem worried at all!"


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    A grin appeared on Leon''s face upon hearing Euwen, as an idea crept into his mind. In the next instant, as if it was only natural, mana flowed out of his dantian, coating his sword.


    The katana seemed to hum with newfound energy, its de now shimmering with a fierce, almost ethereal light.