The moment he first laid eyes on Zhang Yuntao, Su Yi recognized that although he was in the mid-stage Gathering Stars Realm, his aura was far beyond ordinary cultivators.
Ling Yunhe was a mid-stage Gathering Stars Realm cultivator too, but if they really came to blows, he feared that Zhang Yuntao would easily suppress him.
This was because Zhang Yuntaoâs essence, qi, and spirit were extremely pure for someone of his cultivation! The number of Origin Power Stars heâd condensed in his dantian likely numbered over a thousand.
Accumulations like that were first rate by the standards of the Azure Continent. Of the Gathering Stars Realm cultivators Su Yi had encountered thus far, Zhang Yuntao was the strongest.
From this, he could determine the power of the Grand Dao Zhang Yuntao pursued and the strength of the legacies of Cloudsky Divine Palace.
Thus, when fighting broke out, Su Yi didnât get complacent.
Boom!
As he rose from his wicker chair, Su Yiâs aura suddenly changed. His tall, lean figure was originally as tranquil as a cloud, but now, he exploded with sharp, piercing sword intent.
He was like a famous sword sheathed for so long, it was covered in dust. Only now did he reveal the shocking sharpness of his edge to the world.
Chhh! Chhh! Chhh!
The nearby air currents were instantly thrown into turmoil, as if countless scattered blades were slicing them apart. Tiny explosions rang out in rapid succession.
Eye-catching, startling scars soon appeared all over the ground.
Only now did Su Yi reveal his true cultivation. He was like an unrestrained immortal of the sword, his sharpness now on full display.
Even Ling Yunhe and Qing Ya were visibly shaken.
Theyâd traveled with Su Yi all this time, but this was their first time seeing this sharp and unparalleled majesty.
When they faced Su Yi now, they felt a pricking pain all over their eyes and skin.
What a powerful aura! The pupils of Ren Youyouâs beautiful eyes suddenly constricted.
Earlier, on the treasure ship, she wasnât there to witness how Su Yi defeated Qian Tianlong. Thus, she only now realized how extraordinary Su Yi was.
Despite knowing heâd defeated Qian Tianlong, when she saw Su Yi provoke Zhang Yuntao, Ren Youyou assumed that he was brazen and self-impressed, and that he completely overestimated himself.
Now, when she sensed the sharp and indomitable aura emanating from Su Yi, Ren Youyou felt a quiver of terror in her heart. She suddenly found it hard to breathe; she couldnât imagine how a Grain Avoidance Cultivator could possess such power.
Too terrifying!
He was a full level stronger even Origin Palace Realm cultivators!
âHah? No wonder you dare behave so impudently. Youâre so young, yet you tempered such an imposing aura even with your Grain Avoidance cultivation? That truly is extraordinary.â Zhang Yuntaoâs eyes narrowed. He was visibly infuriated, but he was surprised, too. He realized that, just now, he had indeed underestimated this young man from the Great Zhou.
âAlas, your temperament is simply too domineering! Someone has to repress your bluster. Otherwise, Iâm afraid youâll never know the height of the heavens or the depths of the earth!â As Zhang Yuntao spoke, he suddenly took a step forward.
Boom!
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The radiant golden light of the Charm of the Dao emanated from his withered frame, and his energy connected with heaven and earth, giving off the impression that heâd suddenly grown to enormous heights.
It was faint, but the Charm of the Dao lingered around his body. It seemed to form countless stars, all of them revolving around him, each illusory and mysterious.
In the Gathering Stars Realm, cultivators condensed Origin Power Stars in their dantian to illuminate their Origin Palace! The more Origin Power Stars a cultivator condensed, the firmer their foundations and the stronger they were.
In the Great Xia, those who could condense a thousand Origin Power Stars in the mid-stage Gathering Stars Realm like Zhang Yuntao had were absolutely peak-level experts among those of the same realm!
âThis punch is for not knowing whatâs good for you!â As Zhang Yuntaoâs icy, dignified voice rang out, he threw a punch.
Boom!
The skies were instantly turbulent.
A golden fist imprint flew through their air with searing, dazzling light. It struck with incomparable ferocity and the unstoppable, unyielding Charm of the Dao. Its momentum was enough to shake oneâs heart.
He struck directly, without any flourishes.
Yet the power of his fist stunned even Ling Yunhe, an expert of the same cultivation. His hair stood on end, and he sensed an impending lethal threat.
There was no doubt about it; in Su Yiâs shoes, heâd have had no choice but to avoid this attack. He couldnât take it head-on, or it would deal devastating damage!
However, Su Yiâs expression didnât so much as waver. He used his fingers as a sword and stabbed the air.
In stark contrast with the vast majesty of Zhang Yuntaoâs fist, Su Yiâs slash was simple and unassuming, as if all its complexities had been washed away, so unremarkable it almost seemed rustic.
However, the instant the sword clashed with the golden fist, it burst with incredible sharpness.
Crack!
The golden fist broke apart, scattering into a rain of light.
Although this clash ended extremely quickly, when those present saw it, their hearts quivered, and they were so stunned that their bodies went rigid.
Especially Ren Youyou. She was so shocked that her jaw practically fell off, and she was at a complete loss for words. A single sword finger was actually that terrifying?
However, Su Yiâs attack wasnât over. After slicing through the golden fist, his slash continued ahead, its power not diminished in the slightest. It was headed right toward Zhang Yuntao!
What terrifying sword qi! Zhang Yuntaoâs expressions shifted.
The terrifying power of this sword far exceeded his expectations.
However, he had no time for hesitation. The instant the sword qi drew near, his gaze turned solemn and austere, and his eyes flashed with cold electricity. His wizened frame suddenly expanded, roaring like waters at high tide.
Inside his dantian, fully one thousand Origin Power Stars burst with radiant light, and his cultivation circulated to its very limit.
âBreak!â Zhang Yuntaoâs sleeves billowed around him as his voice boomed like spring thunder.
Bzzzz!
He raised and swung his right fist, like a demonic god swinging a mountain. The radiant golden fist force made heaven and earth seem dull by comparison, and the nearby air currents collapsed with a boom.
Breaking the Sky!
This was a killer technique of the ancient fist sutra Zhang Yuntao practiced. When unleashed, his fist was like a mallet beating a drum. It could shake the curtain of the sky and shatter mountains and rivers.
Zhang Yuntao had immersed himself in practicing this attack for years. When he used it, he really did resemble a deity beating a celestial drum and breaking through the heavens.
Its force was significantly greater than his initial punch!
Bang bang bang!
Amidst a series of deafening booms, fist force clashed against sword qi. The resulting energy currents spread outward, reducing the nearby stones and vegetation to powder and sweeping the dirt and fragmenting rock into the air.
The onlookers, including Ling Yunhe and Ren Youyou, had no choice but to flee further away.
Amidst the smoke and dust, Su Yi said calmly, âYou blocked my sword. Youâre actually somewhat capable, but thatâs all.â
WIth that, he put one hand behind his back, raised the other into the air, and slashed once more.
Boom!
The onlookers felt as if heaven and earth trembled. A three-foot-long streak of clear sword qi condensed in the sky, then shot forth.
It was only three feet long, but its sword intent seemed to fill all of creation, and it was unimaginably concentrated. It seemed intent on piercing through the dome of heaven, crushing the earth, and slicing through everything in its path.
It had an unblockable charm.
This was the first stance of the Rejoicing Sword Sutra, Splitting Mountains and Seas!
Ren Youyou felt a chill in her hands and feet. Witnessing this sword made her realize how enormous the gap between her and Su Yi was.
If I were the one facing that sword, I couldnât possibly block it. All I could do was wait to die!
Ling Yunhe and Qing Ya gasped as the momentum of this sword shook their hearts and minds.
Meanwhile, as he faced Su Yiâs swordâŠ
Zhang Yuntaoâs expression filled with unprecedented solemnity. He now realized his error in judgment. Yes, the young man heâd bumped was from an insignificant minor nation, and he was incomparably domineering, but this heaven-defying power was no different from the monstrous geniuses of rumors!
âRise!â Zhang Yuntao raised his hands, as if lifting the air, then clasped his palms together.
Instantly, a golden blade surged out of his fingertips. It was only a foot long, yet it looked as if it were forged entirely out of gold, and it surged with the radiant light of the charm of the Grand Dao, filling the air with glittering golden luster.
Incomparably tyrannical destructive power spread out, permeating the air around the golden blade.
The Goldenflame Supreme Yang Saber
This was a streak of saber qi that Zhang Yuntao had nourished with his cultivation base for close to twenty years. It was based on the Dao Charm of Golden Flame, and it had merged with his essence, qi, and spirit.
Power of this level could easily slay the vast majority of worldly Gathering Stars experts!
Even at Cloudsky Divine Palace, numerous Spiritual Manifestation cultivators had complimented this saber, saying its âfierce, tyrannical strength could scare even ghosts and gods.â
If Su Yi hadnât forced his hand, Zhang Yuntao wouldnât have used his ultimate killer move lightly.
âCut!â Zhang Yuntao bellowed, gripped his saber in both hands, and cut.
The onlookers felt a stinging pain in their eyes; they almost couldnât open them.
Their senses told them that Su Yiâs sword seemed unblockable, with concentrated, limitless power, while Zhang Yuntaoâs saber was fierce and tyrannical, with a monstrous destructive aura.
When sword and saber clashed in midair, an explosion grand enough to shake heaven and earth rang out.
Rumble! Boom!
Terrifying sword and saber qi swept outward like a hurricane or a raging tidal wave. Wherever it passed, pavilions, gazebos, and other structures collapsed with a bang, reduced to mere rubble.
A cloud of dust spread outward.
âWho won?â
Ren Youyouâs heart clenched, however, she still didnât think Zhang Yuntao would lose. After all, he was an elder of Cloudsky Divine Palace! Anyone with eyes could see how mighty his cultivation was.
Ling Yunhe and Qing Ya were alarmed and bewildered. The power of Zhang Yuntaoâs last slash was terrifying to the extreme. No matter how confident they were in Su Yi, they still felt a bit uncertain.
When the misty light faded and the smoke dissipated, everyone from Leng Yunhe to Ren Youyou was dumbstruck.
The battlefield was now covered in scorched earth, and the ground was littered with alarming cuts and ditches. Zhang Yuntao had fallen into the dirt, his clothes in tatters and his hair disheveled. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.
His aged face was already deathly pale, and his face was a mask of lingering terror and bewilderment. It almost seemed as if heâd lost his soul, or as if he still couldnât believe what had happened.
Su Yi stood across from him, hands behind his back, without so much as a single stain or speck of dust on his tall, slender figure. Beneath the light of the heavens, he looked like a banished immortal, transcendent and detached.
It was immediately obvious whoâd come out on top!
âThisâŠâ Ren Youyouâs heart shook, and her eyes widened. She was completely dumbstruck. She could never have imagined that someone as strong as Zhang Yuntao would fall to the ground injured!
Anyone capable of becoming an elder of Cloudsky Divine Palace was a first-rate expert of the Great Xiaâs cultivation world!
Yet now, a young man from the Great Zhou had, with his mid-stage Grain Avoidance cultivation, defeated Zhang Yuntao with a swing of his sword!
Even Ling Yunhe and Qing Ya looked a bit dazed. They were too shocked for words.
They both knew that Su Yi was strong. He was comparable, or even superior, to monsters of unknown origins like Gu Cangning and the Nirvanic Winds Holy Son.
Still, they wouldnât have guessed that heâd defeat Zhang Yuntao, a first-rate expert famed throughout the Great Xia, in just two attacks!
Suddenly, Su Yi looked up and gazed at a spot not far away. âHave you seen enough yet?â