Chapter 17 — The Prophet Awakens: Shedding the Worthless Shell

The day of the challenge has finally arrived. Since dawn, tens of thousands of people from all over Bắcương have flocked to Đại Thí Trường, jostling each other on the ancient stone steps to gain a position to witness what is considered the most important event in decades in this land.

Tuyết Doanh sat on the honor stand, wearing majestic ceremonial armor, her cold face did not reveal any emotions, even though inside her heart was burning like fire. Next to her, Tiểu Nguyệt was carried by Đoàn Thư Nhạc, her big round eyes bewildered in front of the large sea of people.

On the opposite side, the Nam Xuyên group entered with great fanfare. Ước Liêm Phong wore a crimson cloak and confidently walked amid the cheers of a few supporters hired by him in advance.

"Today," Elder Bách Niên stood in the middle of the arena, his voice echoing throughout the vast space thanks to the ancient sound amplification technique built into the architecture of the Great Thien Truong, "the preliminary round will officially begin. The representative of Earl Ước Liêm Phong - the warrior Hàn Bạo. The representative of Queen Xa - Cố Vọng Thần."

When Vọng Thần stepped out into the middle of the arena in a simple rough-cloth outfit, giggles and disparaging whispers immediately rang out throughout the stands.

"Oh my god, look at that guy, how can he compete with Hàn Bạo!"

"This is like putting a goat into the tiger's mouth..."

Tuyết Doanh clasped her hands on the armrests of the chair, but her eyes were still steadfastly looking at her husband's figure in the arena. She promised to trust him, and even though she was still worried, she would not let that worry shake her resolve in front of people.

Hàn Bạo stepped out, his tall and muscular body contrasting completely with Vọng Thần's thin physique, holding a heavy sword in his hand, his eyes full of contempt looking at his opponent.

"Are you sure you want to fight me, beggar? I can end this match in just one move." He smiled arrogantly.

"I will try not to disappoint you," Vọng Thần replied, his voice unusually calm, causing Hàn Bạo to pause for a moment before this strange calmness.

The signal drum rang, signaling the official start of the match.

***

Hàn Bạo did not hesitate, immediately swung his great sword and rushed straight towards Vọng Thần with all his strength, a slash calculated to end the match right from the first moment as he had declared.

The whole arena held its breath. Many people closed their eyes, not daring to witness the tragic scene that was about to happen.

But right at the moment the blade was about to touch his body, Vọng Thần leaned forward to dodge at an unbelievable speed, just inches away from the blade, causing Hàn Bạo to lose momentum and rush forward.

A gasp of surprise echoed throughout the stands. This was not simple luck — Vọng Thần's evasion was precise to the exact moment, as if he knew in advance the exact angle and timing of the slash.

Hàn Bạo, although surprised, did not flinch, turning around to attack continuously, each attack carrying the power to split a rock in half. But every time, Vọng Thần narrowly avoided it, sometimes only using small, seemingly clumsy movements but always at the right time to neutralize the attack.

After nearly twenty rounds of fighting without being hit, Hàn Bạo began to breathe heavily, his initial confidence gradually turning into surprise and anger. "You... who are you really?"

"Just a lucky beggar," Vọng Thần replied, his voice still calm, even though inside he was having to concentrate hard to control his true power, only using enough to dodge without counterattacking, trying to maintain the image of someone who was just "lucky to escape death" in the eyes of the crowd.

But Hàn Bạo, in anger at being humiliated by a "useless beggar" in front of everyone, put all his remaining strength into one final fatal blow, aimed straight at Vọng Thần's head with a speed and force far exceeding the previous blows - a blow designed to kill the opponent instantly, despite Liêm Phong's instructions to only humiliate, not kill.

At that moment, Vọng Thần realized he no longer had enough time to avoid using normal methods. If he continues to restrain himself, the blade will take his life right in front of his wife and children.

In that moment of deciding life and death, he let a small part of his true power explode - not all of it, just enough to create an invisible aura that pushed the blade of the sword out of the way in an inch. At the same time, his hand reached out and grabbed Hàn Bạo's wrist tightly, a grip containing extraordinary power that made the giant warrior scream in pain, the great sword clattering to the ground.

The entire arena was in absolute silence for a few seconds, before murmurs of surprise erupted everywhere.

"What...what just happened?"

"How can someone so skinny have such strength?"

Vọng Thần let go of Hàn Bạo's hand, took a few steps back, trying to regain his familiar naive look. "Ha ha, it's probably because I drank too much so all my strength went to my hands! Truly the luck of the drunkard!"

He laughed, deliberately pretending to stagger as if he had just used up all his strength randomly, without intention. But the eyes of the most discerning people in the crowd - including Vân Khinh Nhược standing among the civilians, and Ước Liêm Phong sitting on the opposite stage - were not fooled by that clumsy scene.

***

Elder Bách Niên, after a short consultation with the other elders, stood up and declared. "The preliminary round is over! Cố Vọng Thần has proven her ability to defend herself and protect the queen's reputation. According to ancient rules, we will move on to the argument before the council in the next three days."

Cheers echoed throughout the Dai Thien Truong. The majority of the people, although still skeptical, could not help but be excited at the spectacular comeback they had just witnessed.

In the stands, Tuyết Doanh breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes still followed Vọng Thần with another worry - she knew that after the performance just now, all eyes, especially Ước Liêm Phong's, would focus on her husband with greater vigilance than ever.

On the opposite side, Ước Liêm Phong sat silently, his face darkened with anger and a new insecurity gradually forming. He had witnessed enough to understand that the "useless beggar" was not as simple as he once thought, and if this situation continued, his plan to revive the Uoc family could completely collapse.

"Chu Bình," he called softly, his voice cold as ice, "activate the backup plan tonight. I can't let any more surprises happen."

***

After the match ended, amidst the crowd of people gradually dispersing from the Đại Thí Trường, Vân Khinh Nhược quietly made her way through the crowd, approaching the area where Vọng Thần was being surrounded by a number of curious people asking questions. She did not come close, just stood at a distance, her eyes following him with deep anxiety.

"You've already used it," she whispered to herself, recalling the familiar feeling of the invisible aura just now - a basic technique of Thiên Cơ Các that she had first learned before leaving the headquarters to go far away. "No matter how much you restrain yourself, those with sharp eyes will still notice. I only hope that the remaining time is enough for you to prepare for what is to come."

She turned and left the crowd, her heart heavy with a premonition that the remaining peaceful days of her small family in Nguyệt Trạch would not last much longer.

***

Returning to Nguyệt Trạch that night, the atmosphere celebrating the small victory was quickly mixed with constant tension. Tuyết Doanh sat with Vọng Thần in a private room, her eyes still filled with surprise from what she witnessed during the day.

"You've been holding back a lot, haven't you?" She asked, her voice gentle but full of meaning.