"There aren't many conditions—very simple, just two," Wang Juechu said evenly. "First, your people must evacuate our domain, and this evacuation must be carried out in stages, under the constant supervision of our disciples." His tone was firm. "Agreed, no problem," Jia Tianlong replied without hesitation. Seeing how promptly the other had agreed, Wang Juechu gave a quiet chuckle and then announced the next condition that completely surprised Jia Tianlong. "Second, we must conduct a life-or-death blood duel here between us. Only after that can you leave." "A life-or-death blood duel!" "Really? Is that true?" "Has the other side gone mad?" ... As soon as Wang Juechu uttered these words, a wave of excitement rippled through the crowd. The listeners reacted in varied ways—some looked as if struck by poison scorpions, pale and stunned, while others were filled with excitement, eager to participate. Jia Tianlong's face also turned pale upon hearing this, but he soon regained his composure. "Did I just hear that right? A dead pact duel where only one of us can leave the battlefield?" He chuckled casually, as if asking a simple question. "Exactly! This is a necessary duel to settle the blood debts of Wu Master and others—both of us must participate," Wang Juechu said, his hand resting on his sword hilt, eyes cold and steady. Jia Tianlong smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying immediately, but his gaze flickered as he pondered. It was clear he was taking the dead pact duel seriously, and would carefully consider his response. Seeing that everyone around was excitedly discussing the dead pact duel, while Han Li remained utterly puzzled, he could no longer contain his curiosity and turned to Li Feiyu beside him. "What exactly is a dead pact duel? It sounds like something truly significant!" "No way! You don't even know what a dead pact duel is? That's truly astonishing!" "This is indeed the most famous and bloody way of settling disputes among the martial circles!" Hearing this, Li Feiyu's face lit up with astonishment, as if he had seen a ghost, his expression full of bewilderment. "Nonsense! You've always known—I've never really been well-versed in these martial affairs. What's so special about this?" Han Li replied with a rather impatient tone. "Ah, that's true—I almost forgot about that point." Li Feiyu blushed slightly and rubbed his head. "The so-called 'Death Oath Duel' refers to two parties with deep-seated grudges who, before the duel, sign a 'Life-and-Death Covenant,' declaring that once they enter the duel arena, only one of them can emerge alive. If either party leaves the arena prematurely, not only will their reputation be ruined and they be scorned by all, but they will also be formally pursued and hunted down throughout the entire martial world. For all the martial people believe the Death Oath Duel to be a sacred form of conflict resolution; anyone who tarnishes this tradition must be executed as a warning." "And such duels are typically held in the context of multi-party combat, making them especially bloody and brutal. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly rare to hear of such duels being conducted." Li Feiyu spoke slowly, explaining in great detail. After listening, Han Li furrowed his brows. Understanding the nature of the 'death bond duel,' he found himself unconvinced by the Master of the Wang Sect's sudden proposal. In his view, such a duel clearly ended in mutual devastation—why go through such a costly process? It would have been far more efficient simply to allow the enemy to depart early and cleanly, avoiding prolonged uncertainty and anxiety. "Very well, I accept. We shall proceed with the death bond duel." After careful consideration, Jia Tianlong finally made up his mind, his gaze shifting several times among the gathered figures, especially settling on the person of the golden-clad master. Indeed, the other party hoped to use this opportunity to eliminate him, and he, in turn, saw this as a prime chance to wipe out the remaining elite forces of the Qi-Xuan Sect. Wang Juechu's real intentions were clear to Jia Tianlong—he simply wanted to rely on his three little-known senior teachers for support! Unfortunately, Jia had already learned the details through his well-placed spies and had thus been well-prepared. Now, with the ability to wield flying swords as his decisive weapon, and taking the initiative while the opponent was unprepared, his chances of triumphing in the final duel were absolutely over 90%. As long as he could eliminate Wang Juechu and the remaining elite fighters of Qixuan Sect during the battle, even if this current plan failed, it would still be a success. After all, it would take far more than a year or two to cultivate such elite talents. That is precisely why the usually cautious Jia Tianlong, who always preferred careful deliberation, was willing to take this risk and firmly agreed to sign the life-and-death pact. "Master Wang! According to the rules of the Death Duel, since it was your lordship who proposed the time and place of the duel, and I have not objected, the number of duelists and the mode of combat should be decided by me, correct? said Jia Tianlong, smiling politely while his tone remained reserved. "Hmm. Very well," Wang Juechu agreed reluctantly. "Then, I propose that the total number of duelists be one hundred, with fifty from each side, engaging in a mixed combat format," Jia Tianlong stated without hesitation. "Fifty? A mixed format?" Wang Master's composed expression revealed a subtle surprise. After all, in typical Death Duels, both sides usually aim to preserve their strength and settle for only twenty or thirty duelists; the mixed format is rare, and the most common approach remains one-on-one single combat. Yet, since it was he who first proposed the duel, he could not now back down. Moreover, he had full confidence in his three senior uncles—believing that even under the mixed combat conditions, his side would surely prevail. Moreover, as long as Jia Tianlong could be eliminated, the costs involved would surely have been worthwhile. Once this astute, wolf-like leader of the Wild Wolf Clan perished, his restless subordinates would inevitably fracture, engaging in internal struggles for the position of clan chief—leaving the now-weakened Qi Xuan Sect with ample breathing room. With this in mind, Wang the Clan Master nodded in agreement and accepted the proposal. "Attend! Clear the battlefield for a final confrontation! Prepare the life-and-death scrolls!" Wang Juechu commanded sharply to those behind him.