The Obsidian King’s Arrogance

He let out a cold snort; his gaze fixed on Yana Tyson.

The entire Martial Arts Hall had gradually become tense after Evan’s consecutive victories. The noisy discussions from earlier had long faded away, replaced by cautious whispers and nervous glances.

Even the fragrance of tea lingering through the hall could not suppress the invisible pressure filling the air.

Evan sat calmly near the arena platform, one hand resting lazily against the armrest of his chair. Yet despite his relaxed posture, the sharpness in his black eyes felt like a hidden blade constantly searching through the crowd.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Lucas to appear.

Wasn’t Lucas interested in Yana Tyson?

As long as he made a move on Yana Tyson, Lucas would naturally be unable to sit still and would come out.

The corner of Evan’s mouth lifted slightly.

That junior brother of his always had the same weakness.

Women.

Justice.

Playing the hero.

To Evan, all of it was laughably predictable.

Meanwhile, the others in the audience were silently sipping their tea, waiting for news from Evan.

Several patriarchs sat quietly with unreadable expressions while holding their teacups. On the surface, they appeared calm, merely observing the conference like everyone else.

But hidden beneath that calmness...

Fear lingered.

They had already received orders from Evan beforehand.

The moment someone named Lucas appeared, Evan would attack first.

At that time, all of them would immediately join forces and surround him.

No hesitation.

No retreat.

Anyone who disobeyed would die.

Some had been poisoned.

Others had already been planted with the terrifying Bright Life Sucking Leach.

None dared resist anymore.

Still...

As time passed, confusion slowly appeared in their hearts.

Lucas still had not shown himself.

And strangely enough...

The tea in their hands seemed inexplicably delicious.

The warm liquid carried a faint herbal sweetness that spread gently through their bodies after every sip. Several people unconsciously drank cup after cup, feeling their minds grow lighter and their breathing smoother.

One elder from a smaller household blinked in surprise.

"This tea..."

"It actually feels refreshing."

Another old martial artist beside him nodded absentmindedly.

"It’s strange. My body feels unusually relaxed today."

None of them noticed the faintly amused look hidden deep inside Yana Tyson’s bright orange eyes.

The Tyson Family members remained unusually calm.

Especially Xavier Tyson.

He quietly drank his tea while observing the crowd like a hunter watching prey walk willingly into a trap.

...

After easily winning three consecutive rounds, Evan had already become the most dazzling presence in this year’s Ancient Martial Arts Conference.

Everywhere people looked, discussions revolved around him.

"So young..."

"And already this strong?"

"Peak Silver Realm perhaps?"

"Impossible..."

Even many older experts looked deeply shaken.

Originally considered the greatest genius among Valemont’s younger generation, Yana Tyson now seemed somewhat overshadowed beside him.

Her talent was undeniably monstrous.

But compared to Evan’s terrifying dominance...

The difference was obvious.

In the fourth match, Evan faced a little old man in his sixties.

The old man wore a faded gray martial robe and carried the aura of someone who had spent his entire life immersed in martial arts. His early Silver Realm cultivation was already considered respectable within Valemont.

Unfortunately...

Compared to a monster like Evan, it was nowhere near enough.

To conveniently show off, Evan deliberately used only one hand against him.

The audience instantly erupted into murmurs.

"He’s fighting with one hand?"

"That old senior is still a Silver Realm expert!"

"How arrogant..."

But soon, those whispers transformed into shock.

Even with one hand behind his back, Evan completely suppressed the old man from beginning to end.

Every movement looked effortless.

Every dodge looked precise.

His black robe swayed calmly with each step while his expression remained indifferent throughout the exchange.

Boom!

The old man’s palm strike slammed toward Evan’s chest.

Yet Evan merely tilted his body slightly and avoided it by inches before countering with a casual flick of his sleeve.

The old man staggered backward instantly.

The crowd gasped.

That movement looked almost casual.

But the force behind it was terrifying.

After a few more exchanges, sweat gradually appeared across the old man’s forehead. His breathing became heavier while frustration and helplessness filled his eyes.

Finally, after several minutes of fighting, he stopped attacking altogether.

He clasped his fists bitterly.

"I concede."

A wave of discussion immediately swept through the Martial Arts Hall.

Evan smiled faintly and nodded gracefully, fully displaying the demeanor of a superior expert.

The applause grew louder.

Several younger female disciples from nearby households even stared at him with admiration.

Power always attracted worship.

Especially in the Old Martial Arts world.

Back at the Tyson Family seating area, Yana silently frowned.

She hated that arrogant face more and more.

Not because he was strong.

But because of the coldness hidden beneath his smile.

Every time Evan looked toward her, she felt like prey being observed by a snake.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.

Then subconsciously...

Her thoughts drifted toward Julian D’Aurelius.

That shameless bastard was nowhere to be seen even now.

Yet strangely...

Just remembering his ridiculous inner thoughts somehow eased the pressure in her chest.

Especially those stupid comments only she could hear.

A faint warmth unconsciously appeared in her eyes before she quickly suppressed it again.

At that moment, the announcer loudly called out the next matchup. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Evan versus Yana Tyson.

The entire Martial Arts Hall instantly became excited.

Finally.

The battle everyone had been waiting for.

Compared to Evan, Yana’s condition was clearly worse after four rounds of fighting.

Though she had won all her matches cleanly, the difference between their cultivation levels remained obvious.

After a ten-minute break, both of them slowly stepped onto the arena stage.

The atmosphere instantly changed.

The surrounding crowd became unusually quiet.

Even the air itself seemed heavier.

Yana stood proudly at one end of the arena.

Her long black hair flowed behind her shoulders while her fitted dark martial outfit perfectly outlined her curvy figure. Her bright orange eyes remained cold and fearless despite the terrifying pressure radiating from Evan.

Across from her, Evan casually smiled.

Then—

Without any restraint whatsoever—

His gaze slowly traveled up and down Yana’s body.

Completely unabashed.

Completely arrogant.

The Tyson Family members instantly darkened their expressions.

Xavier Tyson nearly crushed the teacup in his hand.

Evan, however, merely smirked.

"So," he said lazily, "where’s that useless Lucas? Where’s he hiding?"

His voice echoed clearly across the arena.

The crowd exchanged confused looks.

Many still did not fully understand who exactly this Lucas was.

Yana raised an eyebrow coldly.

"You’ll find out if you look for him yourself."

Just hearing Lucas’s name now made her furious.

That idiot had nearly ruined everything before.

And now Evan kept repeatedly bringing him up.

The more she heard the name...

The more irritated she became.

Evan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Being fellow disciples, he understood Lucas’s personality too well.

That self-righteous fool always liked acting like a hero in front of women.

Always pretending noble.

Always pretending righteous.

Once Yana was pushed into danger...

Lucas would absolutely come out.

"Once I knock you down," Evan said while pursing his lips slightly, "he’ll naturally come out."

The arrogance in his tone caused many people nearby to frown.

Yet no one dared speak.

Because he truly possessed the strength to back up those words.

Then—

In front of everyone—

Evan slowly lifted one hand behind his back.

The other hand casually beckoned toward Yana.

"Come on," he said calmly, "I’ll let you use one hand."