"Is that Abe Seiya?" Kazusa was also drawn to the sudden appearance of Abe Seiya. She turned to Chen Chen and said softly, "He's my teacher Abe Tadaharu's grandson, and in a way, my senior. His power is immense. At just twenty-six, he already possesses cultivation close to that of the legendary Onmyoji Abe no Seimei. Be careful later—he has... peculiar feelings for me."
After speaking, Kazusa deliberately glanced at Chen Chen's reaction. To her relief, his expression remained calm, and a gentle smile spread across his face.
The two men locked eyes.
"You must be Chen Chen," Abe Seiya said, his gaze sharp. "You've been making quite a stir lately. Meeting you now, I see you indeed have an extraordinary aura." After a moment of eye contact, Abe Seiya's slightly somber expression suddenly broke into a smile as he extended his hand to Chen Chen.
"What! He's Chen Chen?"
"Holy shit, he looks barely twenty! The Ancient One is actually planning to pass the title to this kid?"
Abe Seiya's cunning words instantly reignited the tension in the hall, and the surrounding Sorcerers erupted into a fresh wave of murmurs.
Chen Chen, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the judgmental gazes and whispers.
Narrowing his eyes, he observed Abe Seiya's actions, noting the dark intent and subtle calculation in the man's eyes. A faint smile played on Chen Chen's lips as he extended his hand and firmly grasped Abe Seiya's palm, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
The moment their hands clasped, the smile vanished from Abe Seiya's face. A ferocious, aggressive aura erupted from his body, sending the crowd's robes billowing and forcing weaker individuals to stumble back. The area where their hands met instantly glowed with dense Magical Energy.
Feeling the power surging through his palm, Abe Seiya maintained his smile, but his eyes seemed to mock him, and a spark of fury ignited within his heart.
Magical Energy swirled within him, being siphoned from his body and channeled at his command toward his hand.
Just as the white energy was about to erupt from his body, Abe Seiya's lips curled into a cold smile. He slightly bent his middle finger, channeling the white energy into it. Then, with an almost imperceptible arc, he slammed it into Chen Chen's palm, as if trying to pierce through his hand.
Chen Chen felt the energy impact in his palm but paid it no mind. Abe Seiya's petty tricks were utterly ineffective against him, like trying to amuse a child.
Believing he had struck his enemy, Abe Seiya was surprised by Chen Chen's lack of reaction, assuming his attack had inflicted some grievous wound.
Chen Chen's eyes glinted with amusement. Black flames erupted from his fingertips, swiftly pursuing Abe Seiya's retreating hand.
"Hm?"
Abe Seiya glanced at the ordinary black flames, devoid of even the slightest heat, and a disdainful smile curled his lips. In his eyes, Chen Chen's spell was utterly embarrassing and crude.
"Your strength is utterly unworthy of Kazusa. I don't know what crooked path you took to get the Ancient One to choose you as his successor. It's utterly laughable."
Suddenly, white Magical Energy surged from Abe Seiya's palm, forming a tiny net to envelop the black flame.
"Ah!?" A searing pain shot through his palm, followed by a wave of agony that seemed to rip through every cell in his body. The sudden, overwhelming pain made Abe Seiya cry out involuntarily.
He immediately checked his palm. The black flame Chen Chen had unleashed hadn't been contained; instead, it had devoured his white energy, leaving behind a writhing, pitch-black mass that was now corroding his palm. Abe Seiya's pupils constricted.
All his energy surged forth, flowing into his hand as he desperately tried to suppress the tiny black flame.
After several tense seconds, he finally managed to quell it. He bent over, gasping for breath, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Slowly, Abe Seiya raised his head and found everyone present staring at him with looks that clearly asked, "Are you out of your mind?"
After all, the black flame had been so tiny that none of the surrounding Sorcerers had even noticed it. They only saw Abe Seiya shake Chen Chen's hand, then withdraw it and start wailing in frustration, his face contorted as if he'd been utterly defeated.
Clenching his fists, Abe Seiya felt an overwhelming surge of anger. He refused to believe Chen Chen's power far surpassed his own; he was convinced this was a temporary fluke, possibly aided by some secret technique the Ancient One had provided, that had allowed Chen Chen to injure him.
"Young Master, are you alright?" A guard stepped forward from behind, bending down respectfully to ask.
Rubbing his hands, Abe Seiya shifted his gaze to Chen Chen, who was now leaning against Kazusa, teasing her. He took a slow, deliberate breath, suppressing his fury, and declared, "Chen Chen, let's be direct! If you're a man, face me in a proper duel!"
Abe Seiya glared coldly at Chen Chen, each word dripping with icy contempt. This was a battle between men.
"Abe Seiya, I respect you as my senior," Kazusa said, her expression darkening. With a flick of her wrist, Magical Energy rapidly coalesced in her palm. "But don't push too far." Abe Seiya's provocations against Chen Chen had crossed her line.
"Idiot, stay back. I'll handle this."
At that moment, a hand suddenly reached out and gripped Kazusa's slender wrist. She turned to see Chen Chen's faint smile. Knowing him well, she understood that he was deadly serious at times like these. After a brief hesitation, she nodded slightly and took a step back.
"You really want to fight?" Chen Chen took a step forward, craning his neck as he glanced at Abe Seiya, who held a cypress fan. He chuckled.
"Why wouldn't I fight? I've been eager to test the might of this so-called 'Supreme Mage' firsthand." Abe Seiya, fully aware that Chen Chen's succession was not widely recognized, sneered.
Chen Chen remained unfazed by the taunt, his smile unwavering. "If you insist on fighting, this isn't the place. Let's move to the plaza—it's more open there."
With that, Chen Chen took Kazusa's hand and slowly walked toward the entrance of the trading district.
-----------------------
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