Chapter 172: A Fierce Fight Broke Out

As soon as Black Horse Haus made his move, Yulian immediately drew his sword and charged forward. In an instant, sword lights and shadows clashed fiercely. Black Horse Haus used the Empire’s military’s lethal sword technique, its power straightforward and unstoppable, like a mighty river. Yulian employed an ornate sword technique favored by the Empire’s nobles, where only sword shadows were visible, not the blade. Combined with the hypnotic spell attached to his longsword, the sword light was as elusive as a dream, making it hard to grasp.

In the blink of an eye, Black Horse Haus thrust his sword eight times in a row. However, all eight strikes vanished into Yulian’s dazzling sword shadows, with even some piercing into nothingness. In contrast, Yulian casually executed just three strikes, each accurately hitting Black Horse Haus’s body.

One strike landed on his left arm, one on his left ribs, and one on his right wrist. Black Horse Haus, in pain from the hits, let out a sudden roar, snapping out of the bewildering sword shadows in alarm. He staggered backward several steps. Yulian hadn’t struck heavily; the sword tip merely pierced lightly into Black Horse Haus’s flesh, the deepest wound being only half an inch into his left arm. Although it bled a lot, it wasn’t serious.

Black Horse Haus’s face darkened, and he stared fiercely at Yulian, as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

Lin Qi’s Iron Fist Brotherhood and Black Horse Haus’s Round Table Knight Society had been rivals for three years. Previously, aside from Enzo, who could face Black Horse Haus head-on, almost no one in the Iron Fist Brotherhood could withstand his ferocious attacks—not even Enzo’s close comrades, the Blood-robed Seven Blades.

But today, despite Yulian’s Combat Qi not seeming much stronger, Black Horse Haus lost so decisively.

Blood dripped onto the floor. Black Horse Haus looked up and roared furiously, then stormed down the stairs. Loud clattering echoed from the staircase as his angry shout carried from afar: “Yulian, remember this! During the Army Academy’s Combat Drill after the semester starts, I’ll teach you a lesson! A real battlefield isn’t something you fallen nobles, with your flashy but useless skills, can imagine!”

Beya frowned; that fool Black Horse Haus had just offended all the noble youths present by his words.

The sword technique Yulian used was the most popular among nobles in recent years: ornate and exquisite, yet quite lethal. Essentially, all the noble youths in the current Imperial Capital practiced this style. How dare Black Horse Haus call Yulian a fallen noble with nothing but showy moves?

Seeing the gathered noble youths stand up angrily, some with quick tempers even grabbing their sword hilts, Beya cursed Black Horse Haus inwardly as a complete idiot. To divert everyone’s attention, he immediately pointed at Lin Qi, who was savagely beating Marrs on the ground, and shouted, “Guards! Seize this reckless madman!”

Dozens of armored noble youths around Beya drew their swords and charged toward Lin Qi. All from Military Nobility families, they had undergone strict military training since childhood. As they advanced, they naturally formed a tight assault formation: the three strongest swordsmen led as the vanguard, over a dozen burly youths formed the core, with nimble fighters flanking them for support. Their disciplined air was far from that of a ragtag group.

However, besides them, the third floor also had the noble youths brought by Lartus and Tixiang.

Seeing Beya’s call rally dozens against Lin Qi, Lartus smiled gently and said, “Beya, do you intend to disrupt a sacred, fair duel? That’s no behavior for a Noble!”

Tixiang chuckled and waved his hand. The over a hundred noble youths scattered across the hall drew their swords, laughing and blocking the path of those from Military Nobility families.

Beya’s side was fierce in spirit but fewer in number, totaling only around forty. Tixiang’s group, though appearing disorganized, outnumbered them by at least three to one. Among them, over a dozen emitted a faint green Combat Qi aura, indicating they had reached the Earth Rank Intermediate Stage.

Though not from Military Nobility, no Noble family on the Continent neglected combat prowess. Even those in civil service gathered rare herbs and valuable materials to cultivate their young elites. After all, this world wasn’t entirely peaceful; strength was always essential.

Thus, among the noble youths led by Tixiang, there were several with considerable power for their age.

Sword shadows flew, and the large third-floor hall descended into chaos. Nearly two hundred noble youths drew swords, exchanging insults about each other’s relatives while fighting. Familiar with the capital’s gossip, their brawl wasn’t spectacular, but their taunts were exceptionally vivid.

“Hey, I heard your father gave you a bastard brother! Oh, congratulations—someone to fight you for the family inheritance!”

“Isn’t this so-and-so? That little lover of yours met me for a secret rendezvous just yesterday. You can’t even keep your woman, you useless fool, and you dare face me?”

“Ooh, dear pretty boy, rumor has it you’re the close ‘friend’ of what’s-his-name. True or false? Shouldn’t you be wearing a skirt? Why stand here in armor? Do you really think you’re a man?”

“You dare strike me? You wretched scum, don’t you know I’m your future brother-in-law?”

“Bastard, you brute! My sister is already engaged to you. Since you fight so harshly, don’t blame me for not holding back!”

The two hundred-plus noble youths fought with gusto, yet both sides showed restraint, avoiding fatal strikes. Brawls among nobles weren’t rare, but causing deaths was unacceptable!

On the third floor, only Beya, Tixiang, Lartus, Yulian, and Long Cheng remained still; everyone else was shouting, fighting, and cursing wildly.

Additionally, Lin Qi used his terrifying brute force to completely overpower Marrs. He grabbed Marrs by the hair, mechanically slamming his head into the floor. The thick marble tiles had already cracked in one area, and Marrs’s forehead was split open, bleeding profusely.

Marrs struggled weakly, but he couldn’t withstand Lin Qi’s overwhelming pressure. He could only roar in humiliation as Lin Qi repeatedly smashed his head against the ground.

Just as the fight reached its peak, a pair of icy beauties suddenly ascended to the third floor.

Instantly, the hall fell silent.