Every head in the courtyard turned toward the main entrance, where the massive gates were slowly being pushed open by someone with obvious disregard for propriety or politeness. The spiritual pressure that accompanied the intrusion was chaotic and unrefined, but it carried an intensity that suggested genuine power behind it.

Du Yanze strode through the gates like he owned the place, his spiritual pressure flaring with uncontrolled fury. Behind him trailed Li Qiang, who was doing his best to look supportive while obviously struggling to keep up with his master's aggressive pace.

"I have come to reclaim what is mine!" Du Yanze declared. "To expose your stolen techniques and false superiority! To show everyone present that I am the true Chosen One!"

The crowd of Witnesses immediately began whispering among themselves, their reactions ranging from curious interest to obvious disdain. Several moved closer to Lu Wenjun, clearly preparing to defend their leader if necessary.

But Lu Wenjun himself seemed more amused than threatened.

"Du Yanze," he said, his voice carrying just enough volume to be heard clearly throughout the courtyard. "I had wondered when you would work up the courage to show your face again. Have you come to provide entertainment for my guests?"

The casual dismissal in his tone was like throwing oil on a fire. Du Yanze's spiritual pressure exploded outward with such force that several of the less experienced Witnesses actually took involuntary steps backward.

"Entertainment?" Du Yanze's eyes blazed with silver fire. "I am the rightful heir to the Du Clan's ancient power! The prophesied one who will surpass all limitations! You dare to mock me in front of witnesses, as if your temporary advantages mean anything in the face of true destiny!"

"Temporary advantages?" Lu Wenjun chuckled, the sound carrying the kind of confidence that suggested he had never seriously doubted his own superiority. "Is that what you call the systematic dismantling of your reputation, resources, and relationships? How... optimistic of you."

"I challenge you to single combat!" Du Yanze responded. "Here, now, in front of all these people! Let the heavens themselves judge which of us is truly chosen!"

The courtyard fell silent as everyone processed this declaration.

Single combat between cultivators was serious business in any realm, but in the Realm of the Chosen, it carried additional weight. The outcome wouldn't just determine who was stronger; it would actively reshape reality's perception of who deserved to be considered the protagonist of their own story.

Lu Wenjun considered the challenge for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. Then he smiled, and it was like watching the sun break through storm clouds.

"Very well," he said, "I accept your challenge. But know that when I defeat you for the ninth time, it will be final. No more interruptions, no more desperate attempts to reclaim what was never yours to begin with."

"When you defeat me?" Du Yanze laughed, the sound carrying an edge of genuine madness. "You still don't understand, do you? This is my moment of triumph! The dramatic reversal that every great story requires!"

The two cultivators moved to opposite sides of the courtyard, the crowd of Witnesses forming a natural circle around them. Li Qiang positioned himself near the edge of the formation, his face showing obvious confidence in his master's abilities, while Mei Xiaoli stood close to Lu Wenjun with the kind of certainty that suggested she had never seen him lose.

"Begin!" called out the elderly formation master.

Du Yanze immediately launched into his most powerful technique, one that he had been secretly perfecting for months in preparation for exactly this moment.

"Destined Reversal of Fortune!" he roared, his spiritual pressure exploding outward with such intensity that the air itself began to warp. "Heaven's Mandate made manifest! The moment of truth that reveals all pretenders!"

The technique was genuinely impressive.

Silver light erupted from Du Yanze's entire body, creating a dome of pure Xuán Yì that attempted to forcibly rewrite local reality. The fundamental concept was that any opponent facing the true Chosen One would find their own techniques turning against them, their confidence crumbling in the face of absolute destiny.

For a moment, it actually seemed like it might work.

The silver light pressed against Lu Wenjun's spiritual defenses, and several of the watching Witnesses looked genuinely concerned.

Then Lu Wenjun smiled and raised one hand.

"Delusion Severance," he said quietly, his voice carrying the kind of calm authority that suggested he was stating a simple fact rather than executing a technique.

The silver light around Lu Wenjun's hand flickered once, and Du Yanze's entire technique simply... stopped existing.

Not blocked, not overwhelmed, not redirected.

The Destined Reversal of Fortune technique ceased to be real, as if the universe itself had decided that it had never been anything more than wishful thinking.

Du Yanze's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Impossible! The prophecies... the signs... my destiny…"

"Your delusions," Lu Wenjun interrupted, stepping forward. "And delusions, no matter how sincerely held, cannot stand against truth."

He reached out with one finger and gently touched Du Yanze's forehead.

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The result was devastating.

Du Yanze's spiritual pressure, which had been building toward genuinely impressive levels, collapsed like a house of cards. His carefully cultivated confidence crumbled as the reality of his situation crashed down on him like a physical weight.

The touch carried the full force of Lu Wenjun's Existence Erasure Dao, specifically designed to cut through false beliefs and reveal underlying truth.

In this case, the truth was that Du Yanze's recent "breakthroughs" had been nothing more than self-deception, his "secret techniques" were poorly understood fragments of his family's former knowledge, and his "destined victory" was just the desperate hope of someone who couldn't accept his own limitations.

Du Yanze went flying backward through the air, his body spinning like a discarded puppet. He crashed into one of the ancient trees that bordered the courtyard, hitting the thick trunk with enough force to crack the bark and send a shower of leaves drifting down around him.

For a moment, the courtyard was completely silent except for the sound of Du Yanze's body sliding down the tree trunk to land in a crumpled heap at its base.

Then the tree spoke.

"How DARE you," it rumbled, its voice carrying the weight of centuries and the kind of indignation that could only come from someone who had never been challenged before. "How DARE you, you insignificant insect, crash into the magnificent form of the Ancient One without permission!"

The tree's voice grew stronger with each word, its branches beginning to sway despite the absence of any wind. Like every other thing in the Realm of the Chosen, it was absolutely certain of its own importance.

"I am the Oak of Destiny!" it declared, its bark beginning to glow with the same golden light that marked all things touched by strong Xuán Yì. "I have stood in this spot for eight thousand years, growing in wisdom and power while lesser beings scurried about like ants at my roots! I have weathered storms that would shatter mountains, drawn strength from the earth itself, and achieved a level of cultivation that your pathetic mind cannot even comprehend!"

Du Yanze, still dazed from Lu Wenjun's attack, tried to push himself away from the tree's trunk. This movement was immediately interpreted as another insult.

"And now you add injury to insult by daring to touch me with your filthy hands!" the Oak continued, its branches reaching down to grab Du Yanze's prone form. "You crash into my sacred bark like a common projectile, and then you have the audacity to continue existing in my presence!"

The ancient tree lifted Du Yanze into the air with surprising gentleness, though its voice remained thunderous with righteous anger. "I should reduce you to nothing more than fertilizer for my roots, but I am merciful. I am wise. I am the chosen of the forest itself, and I will not stain my perfect bark with the blood of such an insignificant creature."

With that declaration, the Oak of Destiny drew back its branches like a catapult and launched Du Yanze out of the compound with enough force to send him flying over the walls and into the street beyond. The young man's body disappeared into the distance, still spinning from the impact.

"Let that be a lesson to anyone else who thinks they can challenge the Ancient One!" the tree called after him. "I am the guardian of the earth! And I will not tolerate disrespect from insects!"

The crowd watched in stunned silence as the tree settled back into its normal position, its branches swaying with what could only be described as smug satisfaction.

Lu Wenjun himself seemed entirely untroubled by the dramatic conclusion to what had been shaping up as a proper duel. He dusted off his hands, then turned back to his audience with the same gracious smile he had worn before the interruption.

"As I was saying," he continued smoothly, "the demonstration of advanced dao comprehension requires both understanding and practical application..."

Outside the compound walls, Li Qiang hurried toward the spot where his master had landed, his robes flapping with each urgent step. He found Du Yanze crumpled against a merchant's cart, unconscious but breathing, his robes now torn and stained with dirt from the street.

Without hesitation, the loyal servant hoisted his master's limp form over his shoulder, grunting slightly under the weight. Du Yanze's head lolled back, a thin line of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but Li Qiang's expression remained resolute.

"Just a temporary setback, Young Master," he muttered under his breath as he began the long walk back to their estate, adjusting his grip to better support Du Yanze's unconscious form. "The ancient texts speak of such trials. Even the greatest heroes must face their darkest hour before the final victory."

He paused to catch his breath, looking back once at the imposing walls of the Lu compound where the sound of continued cultivation practice drifted over the stone barriers.

"But perhaps," Li Qiang whispered, his voice carrying the weight of desperate hope, "it is time to seek the counsel of the Gold Emperor himself. Only your esteemed grandfather could guide us through this tribulation."

With those words, the old servant adjusted his burden and continued down the dusty street, his faith in his master's ultimate destiny as unshakeable as ever.

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