“You… you are a body cultivator!”
Xuan Tian’s voice was hoarse, his eyes narrowed into sharp slits.
Such terrifying power could only belong to a body cultivator.
Otherwise, how could anyone block his sky-shattering strike in such a way and use physical power alone to crush his spiritual barrier.
Chen Yuyang glanced at his opponent calmly and shrugged, offering no comment.
In reality, he was not a pure body cultivator; or rather, he was neither specialized in physical tempering, nor a pure swordsman or spellcaster.
He was proficient in all of them.
Whether it was hand-to-hand combat, blades, spears, swords, or various mystical arts, he had dabbled in most of them, barring techniques that were restricted by physical limitations, personality, or were simply too evil to cultivate.
Since he had no obvious weaknesses, he naturally had no specific specialization.
His physical strength was high because his body needed to withstand the origin of the Primordial Art.
Even if he hadn’t focused on tempering his body, it would only have grown stronger, never weaker.
Furthermore, he did make a point to temper his bones and sinews.
In terms of pure physical strength, Chen Yuyang estimated he was currently on par with a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Thus, blocking Xuan Tian’s spear with a sword and kicking him away was hardly a strenuous or high-difficulty task.
Outside the arena, there was absolute silence.
Cloud Lian stood there, stunned for a moment, before a smile of irrepressible delight blossomed on her lovely face.
…..
Shixiong won!
And he won so easily!
At this moment, Xuan Ke’s face was filled with utter astonishment.
The young girl’s lips were slightly parted, and though she wanted to speak, no words came out, leaving only disbelief in her eyes.
She could not believe that her brother had been so easily defeated by a disciple from the Hehuan Sect in such a fashion.
The other cultivators watching the match gradually regained their composure and began to whisper.
“That guy is amazing, he actually won!”
“What kind of tempered body is that…”
“Good win, I’ve hated that guy for a while now; always holding his chin up as if he’s some big shot.”
“Exactly, he was posturing before, now he’s humiliated, he deserves it!”
“This kid is something else! Hiding his true strength… when did the Hehuan Sect produce such a ruthless character?”
“Come to think of it, I heard the Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect is quite a figure himself…”
The conversations weren’t loud, but they were clear enough to be heard.
Chen Yuyang maintained a calm expression and cupped his hands toward Xuan Tian.
Xuan Tian lowered his head, his hands clenched into tight fists.
Hearing the comments from the crowd, though not all were directed at him, he could only hear the parts that targeted him.
An indescribable sense of humiliation made him grit his teeth and tremble all over.
He was defeated…
He had actually lost…
…..
He had lost to a man younger than himself, and one from the measly Hehuan Sect… What a joke!
What a joke!
Xuan Tian suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.
He could not accept this result!
It must be because he mistakenly thought the man was a swordsman, causing him to let his guard down.
This didn’t count as a real defeat!
He could still fight, he must fight!
Xuan Tian slowly raised the long spear in his hand, pointing the tip once again at Chen Yuyang, his eyes filled with even more intense fighting spirit.
Seeing this, Chen Yuyang couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
He could guess what the other man was thinking.
The youth was truly headstrong.
Or perhaps the pride he had cultivated all his life would not allow him to lose to someone as unknown as himself.
‘Unfortunately, as long as I don’t want to lose, you have no chance of winning.’
Chen Yuyang sighed internally, but he didn’t waste words, simply gripping the three-grade spirit weapon sword that was already covered in cracks and gestured for Xuan Tian to come forward.
Xuan Tian took a deep breath, forcing down the twisting pain in his gut.
Then, the spiritual power within the youth began to erupt without reservation, pushing the Peerless Art to its limit.
Spiritual energy rippled over the shaft of the spear, emitting a more violent air of slaughter.
“DIE!”
….
Xuan Tian gave a low roar, clutching the spear and lunging straight at Chen Yuyang.
This strike was even more violent and fierce than his previous “Sky-Shattering” attack!
The spearhead hummed with a low, sharp whistle.
On the flexible shaft, a crimson dragon-shaped shadow began to manifest, baring its fangs as it pounced toward Chen Yuyang!
[Tyrant Ancient Spear — Heavens!]
Seeing this move, Chen Yuyang’s brow furrowed slightly.
‘Is this guy trying to throw his life away?’
The power of this strike was quite impressive.
Even an ordinary Nascent Soul stage cultivator would struggle to take this blow head-on.
In other words, this move had the power to fight beyond the user’s realm.
Unfortunately, this move was still a semi-finished product.
While the power was immense and might be troublesome for others of the same realm, it was full of flaws in his eyes.
Thinking this, Chen Yuyang sighed softly.
‘What a pity. If he knew when to advance or retreat, ending the matter today would have allowed him to save face. But he insists on continuing…’
Though he felt it was a pity, Chen Yuyang’s movements held no hesitation.
He moved straight toward the pouncing blood-colored dragon spear-shadow.
He cycled the Primordial Art, moving his spiritual power; there was no sky-piercing sword intent, nor any complex techniques.
It wasn’t even a particularly complicated movement.
…..
All Chen Yuyang did was point the cracked longsword in his hand forward.
He struck at the perfect timing, the perfect angle, and with the perfect amount of force.
It looked ordinary, simple.
However, it was a state that many could never reach in their entire lives.
The tip of the sword flicked out, catching the flaw in Xuan Tian’s technique.
It was an angle that made it impossible for the opponent to withdraw the move, to disperse the force, to parry, or to defend.
As the sword struck, Chen Yuyang’s movement was like a ghost.
He brushed past the lethal spear, his hair slightly stirred by the force of the strike.
Yet, he remained completely unharmed.
At the exact moment Chen Yuyang missed that spear, the sword in his hand had turned into a streak of cold light, thrusting straight at Xuan Tian’s throat!
There was no dodging it!
Xuan Tian’s pupils contracted sharply.
In that moment, a cold, deathly aura instantly enveloped his entire body.
For the first time, he felt the lethal intent transmitted from the blade.
The feeling of death had never descended so realistically, making his skin crawl!
Everyone watching from the sidelines, regardless of their previous expressions, instinctively held their breath.
Cloud Lian felt her body tremble, subconsciously wanting to call out and ask Chen Yuyang to show mercy.
After all, that was the young master of the Xuan Clan.
If that sword truly struck home, Xuan Tian would surely die! And then, the situation would escalate.
….
However, just as the tip of the longsword reached Xuan Tian’s throat.
CRACK!
A crisp, shattering sound rang out!
The cracks that had already existed on the surface of Chen Yuyang’s sword suddenly expanded.
Intricate fissures spread like spiderwebs.
In an instant, the entire blade shattered into pieces.
The broken shards flew forward following the momentum of Chen Yuyang’s strike, but they lost their lethal force.
One of the shards grazed Xuan Tian’s cheek, leaving a thin cut on his skin.
A few seconds later, a trace of crimson blood seeped out from the wound, rolling down the handsome but dazed, pale face covered in cold sweat.
Chen Yuyang held the remaining hilt in his hand, his face showing no sign of surprise.
He had known all along that the shattered three-grade spirit sword could not withstand the spiritual power he poured into it.
He had calculated that the sword would break at that exact moment.
In doing so, he could neutralize his own killing strike while still giving the other party a sufficient lesson.
‘By now, he should realize the gap between us, both in strength and character…’
However, before Chen Yuyang could finish his thought, a sudden change occurred!
A flash of cruelty and madness flickered in Xuan Tian’s eyes, his expression turning savage.
Taking advantage of Chen Yuyang’s moment of hesitation, he dropped his spear, clenched his fist, and channeled all his remaining spiritual energy into it, smashing it violently at Chen Yuyang’s chest!
This strike was abrupt and truly insidious!
….
Because Chen Yuyang had just retracted his broken sword and moved away, leaving himself completely unguarded.
At the moment of this strike, the calmness on Chen Yuyang’s face finally vanished.
It was replaced by a trace of coldness and annoyance.
He had shown mercy twice.
First by kicking him away instead of out of the arena, and then by shattering his own sword instead of dealing a lethal blow; he had done more than enough.
Yet this Xuan Tian, not only refused to appreciate the gesture but even tried to sneak an attack?
Since that was the case, he couldn’t be blamed!
Chen Yuyang’s eyes sharpened, his spiritual energy surged, and without the slightest hesitation, he countered with a punch!
THUD!
The two fists collided, making a dull, thunderous sound!
CRACK.
Following that, a crisp, shattering sound echoed throughout the entire arena.
The five fingers on Xuan Tian’s fist twisted under the impact, multiple finger bones shattering instantly!
The intense pain made Xuan Tian let out a scream.
However, this time, Chen Yuyang did not intend to hold back, and he followed through with a kick.
THUD!
This kick carried immense force, landing squarely on Xuan Tian’s chest!
Xuan Tian’s entire body flew backward like a cannonball!
“AAAH!”
With another scream, Xuan Tian couldn’t suppress the surging blood in his body, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out.
…..
BOOM!
In the next moment, Xuan Tian’s body slammed into the defensive formation at the edge of the arena, creating a violent ripple of spiritual energy.
He then crashed to the ground.
Xuan Tian lay sprawled, his limbs twitching, letting out painful moans before his head slumped to the side and he fell into a dead faint.
Seeing this, the other Xuan Clan disciples participating in the tournament revealed angry expressions and rushed up to surround Chen Yuyang.
Chen Yuyang raised his head slightly, cycling his spiritual energy, his gaze turning icy.
‘Thirteen people, is it?’
‘I’ll have to use some proper methods now…’
Seeing the situation, Cloud Lian hurried over, standing beside Chen Yuyang and taking a defensive stance.
Just then, a low, angry roar came from the center of the Xuan Clan’s area, resonating through the sky.
“You disgraceful things, all of you, retreat at once!”