Although Chen Yuyang had considered using this secret realm trial to draw some attention to himself, hoping the Hidden Sect would notice him and allow him to track their movements, he had not intended to be so conspicuous in the first round.
He certainly had not expected to go up against a prodigy like Xuan Tian right away.
After all, he did not yet know the rules for the subsequent rounds; acting too recklessly now might guarantee he would be targeted.
He understood the principle that the nail which sticks out gets hammered down.
But now that the situation was set and Xuan Tian had personally come looking for him, there was no reason to hold back anymore.
Nearby, Yunlian was tense, her palms sweating with uncontrollable anxiety.
She knew Chen Yuyang was talented, but she did not know just how strong he truly was.
She only knew that he had just reached the early stage of the Golden Core realm a few months prior.
Xuan Tian, however, was already in the late stage of the Golden Core realm and was an absolute top-tier expert among his peers.
‘Can Shixiong win?’ Yunlian wondered, feeling truly uncertain.
After all, whether it was the equipment, the techniques, or the actual cultivation base, there seemed to be a significant gap between him and Xuan Tian.
But… Shixiong possessed the Hao Yang Body; with such a constitution, perhaps he had a chance at an upset victory.
In any case, this was a chaotic melee.
Although they were currently dueling one-on-one, if Shixiong truly ended up in a disadvantageous position… she might not be able to stand by and watch.
Yunlian made up her mind, her eyes locked on the arena, her palm resting unconsciously on the hilt of her sword.
On the other side, Chen Yuyang and Xuan Tian stood about 6 feet apart.
They locked eyes, yet neither moved first.
Chen Yuyang narrowed his eyes, his expression calm and ripple-free.
Xuan Tian carried the arrogant air of a ruler looking down at the world, though deep in his eyes lay a hint of caution.
He observed every movement Chen Yuyang made.
He was arrogant, but he was not stupid.
“Hmph!”
Suddenly, Xuan Tian snorted coldly.
The golden battle armor on his body flared with light, and a majestic aura erupted outward.
This aura surged like a tide, pressing down heavily enough to displace the dust floating in the air.
He released the full force of his peak Golden Core realm cultivation without reservation.
However, Chen Yuyang remained upright, unshakable, his expression completely unchanged.
Under these circumstances, there were only two possibilities for Chen Yuyang’s indifference: either he was bluffing, or his cultivation and strength were entirely on par with Xuan Tian.
Xuan Tian could not guess which one it was.
He gradually lost the patience to continue the stalemate.
“Fight!” with a low shout, Xuan Tian did not hesitate and launched a fierce attack.
Spiritual energy erupted from the blood-red spear in his hands, followed by a sweeping, murderous intent.
Whoosh!
The blood-red spear tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound like a red bolt of lightning, charging toward Chen Yuyang’s chest with an unstoppable momentum.
The spear-tip arrived first, causing the air to warp.
His body followed, his steady footwork making the strike even more lethal.
This move, regardless of speed, power, or angle, showed a deep mastery of skill.
Chen Yuyang’s eyes focused, and his long sword slid from its scabbard.
His movements were not particularly fast, yet the tip of his sword met the tip of the spear precisely.
Clang–
Metal clashed against metal, sparks flying in all directions.
The sword acted like a serpent, sliding along the spear-tip and continuing to thrust forward.
The point of Xuan Tian’s spear was mere inches from Chen Yuyang’s chest.
Yet, at this critical moment, Chen Yuyang flicked his wrist.
Hum!
A low, resounding chime of the sword echoed through the air.
A burst of internal force surged from his wrist and erupted along the blade.
It was subtle but possessed extraordinary power, directly knocking the spear-tip away.
Simultaneously, that internal force traveled along the shaft of the weapon.
Xuan Tian felt a massive, surging strength that left his palm numb; he nearly lost his grip on the spear!
‘Such great strength!’ Xuan Tian was secretly shocked, yet this did not fill him with fear; rather, it only heightened his desire to fight.
After all, this first move was only a test, and he had not used his full power.
Taking a deep breath, Xuan Tian circulated his spiritual energy violently.
The spear in his hands transformed into countless afterimages, weaving into a dense spear-array that swept toward Chen Yuyang like a torrential storm.
At the same time, a domineering spear intent erupted from him—unyielding and relentless!
‘Spear intent?’ Chen Yuyang admired silently.
He was indeed worthy of being called a prodigy of the Xuan clan; to have realized a portion of spear intent at such a young age.
Chen Yuyang raised his sword, parrying move after move.
Clang-clang-clang!
The sound of metal clashing was endless.
Chen Yuyang used his footwork to dodge and weave, parrying with his sword when necessary.
Facing the relentless rain of spears, he moved nimbly through the gaps, and not a single strike truly injured him.
Xuan Tian became more shocked with every exchange.
But what shocked him most was not that Chen Yuyang could block his attacks, but that the opponent could maintain such a calm demeanor under his assault.
‘Could it be that his strength is actually greater than mine? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!’ Xuan Tian shook his head violently, casting the thought from his mind as a look of wild arrogance flashed in his eyes.
He believed he was invincible among his peers!
In the next instant, Xuan Tian abruptly retracted his spear, the shaft trembling as he pointed it toward the heavens.
A breath even more violent than before erupted from his body.
[BOGU SPEAR – HEAVEN BREAKER!]
Xuan Tian channeled his strength, pouring every ounce of his spiritual energy into the spear.
In an instant, ten thousand spear images condensed into a single, sharp ray of light!
This energy was over 10 feet long and truly carried the momentum of something that could pierce the sky.
This spear strike was the one Xuan Tian was most proud of.
It was the strongest attack he could currently unleash.
“Boy from the Hehuan Sect, you have enough glory just by dying to this strike.”
Outside the arena, the cultivators felt a suffocating pressure rushing toward them, and they couldn’t help but feel an urge to submit.
“What a domineering strike! This Xuan Tian is truly worthy of being the number one genius of the Xuan clan!”
“After this move, that boy is surely going to be skewered!”
“I am also at the ninth level of the Golden Core, but I feel I would have no hope at all against this strike; I could only try to avoid its edge.”
The crowd buzzed with discussion, full of praise and shock.
Yunlian, meanwhile, gripped her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white.
She, too, could feel the terrifying power contained within that spear-beam and could only resist the pressure by using her own sword intent.
‘But… can Shixiong block it?’
However, in the arena, facing the Heaven Breaker strike, Chen Yuyang’s reaction remained surprisingly simple.
He didn’t use any secret arts, nor did he erupt with earth-shattering energy.
The youth merely focused his gaze, the tip of his long sword held steadily toward the ground.
He intended to take this strike head-on.
‘Foolish,’ Xuan Ke thought, a sneer curling her lips as she watched.
As Xuan Tian’s sister, she had sparred with him and naturally knew the terror of this technique.
Even she only had a twenty-percent chance of not being severely injured if she tried to block it head-on. ‘
What gives him the right to try?’
Just as the Heaven Breaker spear-beam, holding all of Xuan Tian’s power, arrived within 3 feet of Chen Yuyang, he finally moved.
He raised his sword.
It was a simple motion, a basic parry.
He did not use any flowery or intricate techniques to counter it.
He simply held his long sword horizontally in front of his chest and caught the strike with the flat of his blade.
Ping!
A crisp collision sound rang out.
It was even softer than the sounds of their previous collisions.
But the shockwave of spiritual energy that rippled outward caused everyone to instinctively step back half a pace; some of the weaker ones were forced to block with their own energy just to avoid being injured.
As the dust settled, the crowd finally saw the scene in the arena—a scene that left every single one of them completely dumbfounded.
The sword was steadily pressing against the blood-red spear-tip.
It had stopped that unstoppable, heaven-piercing strike—and the still-lunging Xuan Tian—dead in its tracks!
The center of the arena fell into an eerie, frozen silence.
Amidst this stillness came a crisp cracking sound.
The 3rd-grade spiritual long sword in Chen Yuyang’s hand could no longer bear the pressure, and fine cracks began to appear along the blade.
The power of Xuan Tian’s strike had exceeded the endurance limit of the weapon, nearly shattering the 3rd-grade spiritual treasure.
This undoubtedly proved the weight of the strike.
Yet, it proved even more the strength of Chen Yuyang, who had blocked the blow so steadily.
At this moment, Xuan Tian was absolutely stunned!
He could clearly feel how abruptly the strike had ended.
It felt as though his spear had slammed into a mountain… No, even a small mountain should have been broken in half by his attack.
Yet, his opponent stood there without taking a single step backward, and not a trace of power had leaked out.
Just like that, he had calmly neutralized and caught his all-out attack.
“How is this possible!”
His proudest Heaven Breaker strike had been blocked so easily!
At the very moment Xuan Tian’s mind was blank from utter shock, Chen Yuyang moved.
He did not continue using the sword or cast any complex spells; he simply kicked out with his right leg toward Xuan Tian’s abdomen!
His leg struck like a steel whip, carrying simple and brutal force, grinding through the air with a low, whistling sound.
Xuan Tian’s reaction was not slow; he realized it the moment Chen Yuyang lifted his leg and reflexively circulated his spiritual energy to form a thick shield in front of him.
Thud!
With a muffled sound, Chen Yuyang’s whip-leg lashed against Xuan Tian’s spiritual shield.
The shield, which could have even blocked a blow from the Nascent Soul realm, shattered into pieces like paper under that leg, failing to provide even a shred of protection!
With most of its massive force still intact, the leg connected with Xuan Tian’s abdomen.
Xuan Tian felt an indescribable force strike him, and his entire body flew backward out of control.
He tumbled heavily onto the ground several yards away, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He clutched his stomach and lifted his head, his face as pale as paper—not so much from the injury, but from disbelief and terror.
Chen Yuyang did not pursue him.
The outcome was already decided.
In fact, Chen Yuyang had intentionally held back some force in that kick and had not chosen to kick Xuan Tian out of the arena, granting him a modicum of dignity.
If he had wanted to, he could have easily caused Xuan Tian to be heavily injured or forced him out of bounds.
Xuan Tian struggled to his feet, his abdomen still pulsing with violent, throbbing pain.
He glared at Chen Yuyang, his eyes complex—filled with shock and unwillingness.
But beneath it all was a sense of defeat, humiliation, and the anger fueled by those very feelings.
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