A vicious glint appeared in Tarrenno’s eyes as he stared intently at Fang Zhen.

But surprisingly, Tarrenno managed to restrain the impulse to attack immediately.

"Why should I duel you?"

"You are merely the potential descendant of a noble whose status has yet to be confirmed, while I am a Duke of the Kingdom. What right do you have to duel me?" Tarrenno said.

Fang Zhen looked at Tarrenno. ’This legendary, hot-tempered Duke Tarrenno might have a side to him that few people know.’

’Perhaps the face he shows the world is that of a short-tempered, bloodthirsty man, but in reality, he’s more rational than the rumors suggest.’

But it didn’t matter to Fang Zhen what kind of man Tarrenno truly was.

As long as he provided the right stimulus, Fang Zhen always had a way to achieve his goal.

A hint of deliberate contempt appeared on Fang Zhen’s face. "It seems I was right. You’re just a coward who doesn’t even have the courage to wash away his shame with a duel after being insulted." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Since that’s how it is, you might as well not compete."

"But from now on, don’t you dare call yourself the Kingdom’s finest warrior. At noble banquets, don’t sit with the real men. Go sit with the noble ladies and their daughters, chat about court gossip, and wait for some gentleman to ask you for a dance."

Fang Zhen’s tone was calm and his voice wasn’t loud, but it was projected with power, carrying like thunder so that every soldier and Knight in both armies could hear him clearly.

His words caused no physical harm, but they were incredibly insulting.

Furthermore, the thunderous voice carried his words, enhanced by a ’Persuasion’ skill, creating a verbal atmosphere that suggested Tarrenno was indeed afraid and didn’t dare to duel Fang Zhen.

Under these circumstances, even Tarrenno’s own legion began to feel as if their Duke might actually be afraid and was avoiding the duel.

Although Fang Zhen’s words were insulting, everyone who heard them, friend or foe, sensed an invincible confidence and an indescribable feeling of courage and valor.

Many of the soldiers were secretly astonished.

In the Nameless World, the nobility had ruled for ages, and its people had long since adapted to the system. Whether commoner or noble, everyone felt a sense of suppression when facing someone of higher status. Even in hostility, they lacked the confidence to challenge their superiors.

Fang Zhen’s status had not yet been confirmed—he was, at best, a potential noble. Yet, he still dared to mock and humiliate a confirmed Duke of the Kingdom to his face. Not everyone possessed such courage.

People have a psychological tendency to unconsciously admire the courage of someone who does or says what they themselves wish they could but do not dare.

Fang Zhen had humiliated Duke Tarrenno in front of so many people. Setting aside all other factors, this audacity alone was enough to inwardly shake many of them, making them feel he was no ordinary person.

Moreover, Fang Zhen’s words were so direct, and with the boost from his Persuasion skill, many soldiers found themselves subconsciously starting to believe him.

Fang Zhen watched Tarrenno with a cold smirk.

He refused to believe that a Duke renowned for his fiery temper could swallow this insult. After all, not everyone was like Sima Yi, who didn’t mind wearing women’s clothes.

"You’re courting death!" Tarrenno was clearly consumed by rage.

Goading tactics were extremely effective on someone like Tarrenno, who had always been in a high position and truly did have a hot-headed nature.

"You’re courting death, so I’ll grant your wish! The duel starts now!" Tarrenno let out a beast-like roar. He suddenly spurred his horse, and the exotic beast beneath him accelerated violently, reaching an incredible speed almost instantly as it charged toward Fang Zhen.

Tarrenno had already taken up his weapon as he spoke.

Tarrenno’s weapon was a massive, double-headed great-axe.

The great-axe was about one and a half meters long with a metal haft. Both its blades were honed to such a degree that they could split a single falling hair lengthwise. Faint sounds of wind and thunder emanated from the weapon, and tiny arcs of electricity danced across its surface. It was clearly an Extraordinary Weapon, incredibly sharp and containing some unknown Extraordinary Power.

Tarrenno had obviously activated some kind of skill. His charging speed was suddenly astonishingly fast. A layer of flames ignited on his great-axe, engulfing the head as he brought it down on Fang Zhen in a powerful, cleaving strike!

This was clearly a surprise attack. Tarrenno’s goal was to catch Fang Zhen off guard and kill him in a single blow.

If he could kill Fang Zhen on the spot with one move, no one would criticize his sudden, almost-a-sneak-attack. After all, victors have their privileges.

However, things were not as simple as Tarrenno imagined.

Just as Tarrenno thought he had executed a perfect surprise attack, Fang Zhen’s spear shot out.

The spear thrust wasn’t particularly powerful, nor was it aimed directly at Tarrenno’s body. However, the spearhead appeared precisely in the blind spot of Tarrenno’s attack angle.

The spear was already longer than Tarrenno’s great-axe. Thrust out at this angle, it only had to remain stationary for the charging Tarrenno to inevitably collide with its blade, which would then pierce his throat.

Tarrenno felt a profound sense of unease. His mount’s charge carried inertia and couldn’t be stopped instantly. If he continued, he would crash right into the spear.

With no other choice, Tarrenno could only change his attack posture mid-swing. The axe blow that was meant to be a killing strike against Fang Zhen now had to be diverted to knock aside the tip of the spear.