Chapter 13
Inner Sect Members' Arrogance Leads to Their Challenge
Throughout the morning, the combat arena was filled with rounds of intense competition, the air thick with the smoke of battle.
Xie Yanchen won all three matches in three consecutive rounds, maintaining complete control of the battle throughout.
The second opponent was a female cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining who was skilled in basic swordsmanship. Her swordsmanship was neat and her offense and defense were well-organized. She was quite well-known in the outer sect.
However, in Xie Yanchen's eyes, all of the opponent's sword moves, all of his variations, and all of his preparatory actions were modeled and analyzed in advance by the terminal, revealing his flaws clearly.
With just three moves, he precisely cut off his opponent's sword momentum, breaking the core of his sword technique. His opponent was powerless to fight any longer and decisively admitted defeat.
The opponent in the third round was a top expert among the top five of the outer sect, with a Qi Refining level five cultivation, a solid foundation, and formidable combat power, far surpassing Zhao Hanshan in the previous round.
The two exchanged more than ten blows, with Xie Yanchen consistently holding back and using only his optimized Flowing Cloud Step combined with basic boxing techniques to maneuver, without revealing any special trump cards.
He patiently maneuvered, waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. Finally, he seized upon the subtle flaw in the opponent's sluggish spiritual energy flow, and with a precise punch, broke through the defense, securing another victory.
With three wins out of three, they have firmly secured a place in the top ten of the outer gates and are just one step away from becoming the monthly champion.
All eyes and expectations were focused on him.
The moment that everyone was most looking forward to and most anxious about was still nowhere to be seen.
Zhou Chong, an inner disciple, still has not shown himself.
Three days ago, Zhou Chong sent someone to publicly issue a challenge, vowing to cripple Xie Yanchen in the monthly assessment arena and wash away the shame of his defeat at the bottom of the cliff.
In the cultivation world, face and reputation are of utmost importance. A battle agreement made in public is like spilled water; there is absolutely no way to take it back.
Everyone is waiting for the ultimate showdown between the inner sect's elite and the rising dark horse.
At noon, the sun hung high in the sky, blazing fiercely.
The competition in the ring temporarily stopped as the lunch break began. The noisy crowd dispersed slightly, and the tense atmosphere eased a bit.
Xie Yanchen sat alone in a corner, closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and maintained a steady state after the winning streak.
The terminal continuously analyzes the dynamics of all the characters: Zhou Chong's injuries have not yet healed, and his spiritual power is less than 70%, but he still possesses combat strength. His fellow disciples, relatives, friends, and sect elders have been following this duel closely, and his opponent is highly unlikely to avoid battle.
Xie Yanchen's heart stirred slightly, but he calmly replied, "He will definitely come."
His pride as an inner disciple, his reputation, and the dignity of the elders behind him all prevented him from backing down and avoiding battle. This battle was unavoidable.
No sooner had the words been spoken than a violent commotion erupted at the outer entrance!
The crowd instinctively turned their heads to look, the noise instantly subsided, and a strong sense of oppression suddenly enveloped the entire scene.
A figure in a long blue robe strode over, his posture upright and his aura imposing. The spiritual energy emanating from his body was undisguised, pressing down heavily on all sides.
It was Zhou Chong!
He was followed by four inner disciples, who escorted him forward in a grand procession. Among them was Meng Hanjiang, the fifth-level Qi Refining disciple who had delivered the message earlier.
Zhou Chong's injuries were clearly not yet fully healed. The outline of bandages was faintly visible under his clothes on his left side. He walked with a slight limp and his movements were restricted.
But his aura of hostility, arrogance, and oppression remained undiminished, even more chilling and gloomy than ever before.
The immense spiritual power of the fourth level of Qi Refining spread wildly, transforming into a low-pressure area that enveloped the entire arena area, making it slightly difficult for people to breathe.
His gaze was sharp, piercing through the crowd and precisely locking onto Xie Yanchen, who was sitting quietly in the corner. His eyes were filled with a mixture of murderous intent, mockery, and anger.
A cold shout resounded throughout the entire venue!
"Xie Yanchen!"
The sound was high-pitched and sharp, silencing all other voices around it.
"You've been living the high life for the past three days!"
"The spirit stones are acting strangely, three battles have been won, and you've entered the top ten of the outer sect. How dare you, with your mere mixed spiritual roots, show off and act arrogantly in the Qingyun Sect?"
Zhou Chong strode forward, with inner disciples clearing a path for him and roughly shoving aside outer disciples who were blocking his way.
The outer sect cultivators dared not speak out in anger and could only passively back down, voluntarily giving up the wide passage.
The principle of "respecting the internal and devaluing the external" has been an established rule of the Qingyun Sect for thousands of years, deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people, and no one dares to easily overstep it.
Even though Xie Yanchen is currently enjoying great popularity and his reputation in the outer sect is soaring, he is still considered a lowly member of the outer sect and a inferior figure in the eyes of the inner sect disciples.
Zhou Chong strode to the center of the arena, turned around and stood there, looking down at Xie Yanchen below with an extremely arrogant posture.
He spread his arms slightly, his expression one of utter provocation and contempt: "Aren't you trying to prove yourself? Aren't you trying to wash away the 'good-for-nothing' label?"
"Today, I will give you this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Step onto the stage and fight me!"
His eyes were sinister, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he publicly made a bet:
"If you can defeat me, I, Zhou Chong, will kneel down and kowtow in public to apologize, and the grudges at Broken Soul Cliff will be wiped clean. I will never trouble you again!"
"If you lose—"
He paused, a chill running down his spine.
"I request to be expelled from the Qingyun Sect, and never set foot in the sect again, disappearing from my sight forever!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in uproar!
The stakes of the bet are staggering!
The outcome of the competition is no longer about winning or losing; it has directly gambled Xie Yanchen's entire future in cultivation!
Being expelled from the Qingyun Sect means being a discarded disciple. In the entire Eastern Wilderness cultivation world, one will be ostracized and rejected by everyone, almost cutting off all paths of cultivation.
On the viewing platform, several outer sect elders frowned, their faces showing reluctance, but none of them spoke up to stop them.
Han Tiesong stood beside the arena, his expression cold, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men, remaining silent and tacitly acquiescing to this cross-level duel.
All eyes were focused on the gray figure in the corner, awaiting his response.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xie Yanchen slowly stood up.
He stepped out of the corner, walked through the passage made clear by the crowd, his steps steady and unhurried, and stepped onto the towering arena.
With an upright posture and a calm expression, he stood opposite Zhou Chong, neither humble nor arrogant.
The entire audience held their breath, waiting for the words to be spoken.
After a long silence, Xie Yanchen spoke softly, his voice clear and cold, each word distinct and resonating far and wide:
"There's no need to kowtow and apologize."
"You lost, just kneel down."
In short, it's extremely arrogant and overly confident.
Zhou Chong's arrogant smile froze instantly, his anger surged in his eyes, and his aura of hostility intensified.
He laughed in fury, his laughter cold and piercing: "Fine! What an arrogant hybrid spiritual root!"
"I'll see if you'll still be able to spout such boasts when I've crippled your cultivation and left you in a sorry state!"
He turned to Han Tiesong and asked in a deep voice, "Elder Han, please bear witness for us and ensure that we abide by our bet!"
Han Tiesong remained silent for two breaths, then nodded slightly and raised his hand to signal the two to each take three steps back, widening the distance between them.
An intense atmosphere of tension instantly enveloped the entire arena.
The outer disciples below the stage were terrified, their palms sweating; the inner disciples had mocking expressions on their faces, certain that Zhou Chong would win, and waiting for Xie Yanchen to be disgraced and expelled from the sect.
"The contest begins!"
The cold announcement fell, and the duel officially began.
Zhou Chong did not rush to launch a strong attack. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, his posture lazy and arrogant, like a hunter toying with his prey.
He looked down at him with disdain and said, "Xie Yanchen, you will never understand the world of difference between the inner and outer sects."
"The difference lies not in cultivation level, nor in movement techniques, but in the foundation and inheritance!"
"My inner sect's cultivation techniques are all exquisite classics, personally passed down by the elders and honed over a thousand years. You, a mere outer sect cultivator with mixed spiritual roots, rose to prominence through unorthodox methods. What makes you think you can contend with my orthodox lineage?"
His words were full of contempt, displaying the arrogance of someone who crushes others by social class.
Before he finished speaking, Zhou Chong suddenly burst into motion!
No more probing, he immediately unleashed his ultimate move!
His spiritual power surged, and a blue spiritual light condensed into a form, sharp as a knife. The air was cut by the sharp energy, producing a shimmering sound!
Inner Sect Mid-Rank High-Grade Technique - Azure罡破!
This technique has extremely strong penetrating power and is specifically designed to counter protective spiritual power and defensive moves. Its destructive power far exceeds that of basic outer sect techniques, making it the unique skill that Zhou Chong relied on to become famous.
After three days of recuperation and honing his skills, his proficiency in martial arts and the refinement of his spiritual energy were more than 50% stronger than in the battle at the bottom of the cliff!
He came to the stage today with the mindset of crushing the opponent and defeating them decisively, determined to settle the score in one battle and wash away all the shame!
The cyan palm strike, imbued with deadly power, aimed directly at Xie Yanchen's throat, its fierce and domineering attack sealing off all escape routes.
Faced with the swift and deadly attack, Xie Yanchen remained calm and took a slight step back.
It's not about fleeing in fear, but about accurately observing and analyzing the moves.
In his mind, the terminal instantly completed a full-dimensional modeling and analysis. The trajectory of Zhou Chong's spiritual energy flow, the path of his meridian circulation, and the distribution of his protective spiritual light were all transformed into clear data and spread out in his field of vision.
All the flaws from the battle at the bottom of the cliff were not repaired; on the contrary, the injuries aggravated the weaknesses, making them even more obvious.
The terminal accurately marked three critical vulnerabilities, highlighting them all.
Firstly, the old injury on his left rib has not healed, and the protective spiritual energy has been broken, leaving his defense more than 40% weak.
Secondly, during the Qinggang Annihilation Kill's power-gathering phase, the spiritual energy node on the right shoulder is completely exposed, making it impossible to change moves or defend.
Thirdly, the habitual forward leaning of the center of gravity results in a 40% lag in backward turning speed, revealing a fatal weakness in the body movement technique.
Three flaws, each fatal!
Xie Yanchen remained calm and focused, using the Flowing Cloud Step to its fullest extent. His body traced graceful arcs on the arena as he retreated and dodged step by step.
Every movement was precisely timed to the very edge of the Qing Gang Po's attack range.
The sharp blue palm strikes grazed his clothes time and time again, the force whistling and his hair flying, but they could not harm him in the slightest.
One move, two moves, ten moves, twenty moves!
Despite launching over twenty fierce attacks in succession, Zhou Chong exerted all his strength, unleashing a continuous stream of powerful and violent moves, yet he couldn't even touch a single hem of Xie Yanchen's clothes!
The audience was completely stunned.
The inner disciple's mocking smile gradually froze, his face filled with disbelief.
No one could have imagined that an outer disciple at the third level of Qi Refining could so calmly and playfully suppress an inner disciple at the fourth level of Qi Refining!
After a series of unsuccessful attacks, Zhou Chong's spiritual energy was more than half depleted, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, his breathing gradually becoming restless and disordered.
The Azure Strike is incredibly powerful, but its flaws are also extremely obvious—it consumes twice the spiritual energy of ordinary techniques, making it impossible to sustain a prolonged battle.
The more anxious and flustered they became, the more ineffective their attacks became, and the more intense their anxiety and humiliation grew.
"All you can do is hide?!"
Zhou Chong gritted his teeth and growled, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, leaving no room for retreat.
He poured all the remaining spiritual energy in his body into his right arm, and the cyan blade was compressed and condensed to the extreme, transforming into a phantom cyan short blade with a chilling and piercing aura!
The ultimate killing move of Qing Gang Po - Po Jun!
With its ultimate single-point penetration, its explosive power triples, capable of breaking through all protective spiritual power of the same level. Few opponents below the sixth level of Qi Refining can withstand it head-on!
"Let's see where you can hide now!"
Zhou Chong took a step forward, his figure shooting out like an arrow, his sharp palm strike, like a short blade, aimed straight at Xie Yanchen's heart, intending to kill him in one blow!
Everyone was convinced that Xie Yanchen would be defeated by this move!
But just as the sharp edge was about to touch him, Xie Yanchen's eyes suddenly narrowed. He stopped dodging and instead took a step forward, charging head-on into the face of the deadly attack!
The entire audience erupted in uproar; everyone thought he had gone mad and was courting death!
At the critical moment, he twisted his body at an incredible angle.
The extremely refined cyan killing move whistled past his chest, just half an inch away. The sharp aftershock tore his clothes but did not harm his flesh in the slightest!
At the same time, Xie Yanchen's five fingers interlocked with unparalleled precision, locking onto the spiritual energy node on Zhou Chong's right shoulder!
It was timed perfectly to strike at the critical moment when the opponent was charging up for a powerful burst of energy and their defense was wide open!
With five fingers like pincers, the source of the spiritual energy eruption was firmly sealed off!
The immense spiritual power that was about to be unleashed was suddenly cut off, unable to be released, and instead backfired on the meridians!
puff!
Zhou Chong froze, felt a sweet taste in his throat, and almost vomited blood on the spot. His entire right arm went limp and powerless instantly, and all his attacks crumbled and collapsed.
The excruciating pain from the backlash of spiritual energy swept through his entire body, causing his meridians to ache and tear, making the pain unbearable.
His body continued to lunge forward due to the momentum of his forward momentum, and he completely lost control of his center of gravity.
Xie Yanchen used the opponent's force against them, tripping them precisely with his foot and twisting his waist sharply, using the force to pull them along.
A clean, crisp, and unpretentious over-the-shoulder throw!
boom!
A dull, heavy impact resounded throughout the arena!
Zhou Chong flipped over in mid-air and slammed his back heavily onto the hard bluestone arena!
The cracking sound of his bones vibrating was clearly audible. Instant pain swept through his body, his vision went black, he felt dizzy and weak.
Before he could struggle to his feet, Xie Yanchen stepped forward and pressed his knee firmly against his chest, pinning him to the ring and rendering him unable to move!
Throughout the entire process, he didn't throw a single punch or strike!
With precise prediction, leveraging the opponent's strength to counterattack, and seizing the opening, he completely crushed and killed Zhou Chong, an elite inner disciple!
The entire place was deathly silent for three breaths, then erupted into a deafening roar that shook the mountains!
"We won! We really won!"
"One move! With just one move, he broke through the Azure罡破绝杀 (Azure罡破绝杀) and completely crushed Zhou Chong!"
"An inner sect mid-level cultivation technique was easily broken by an outer sect practitioner with mixed spiritual roots; this is simply mind-blowing!"
The cheers from the outer disciples rose in waves, deafeningly loud!
The inner disciples were ashen-faced and gloomy, utterly humiliated, yet powerless to refute.
On the stage, Zhou Chong was firmly suppressed, his chest was compressed, he had difficulty breathing, his face was pale, and his eyes were filled with humiliation and horror.
He struggled to lift his head, looking up at the calm-looking young man above him. His body stiffened, his mind trembled, and he could not accept this crushing defeat.
Xie Yanchen lowered his eyes and looked down, his voice calm, yet every word was piercing, clearly resounding throughout the entire hall:
"It's not that I'm too strong."
"It's because you're too weak."
Xie Yanchen won all three matches in three consecutive rounds, maintaining complete control of the battle throughout.
The second opponent was a female cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining who was skilled in basic swordsmanship. Her swordsmanship was neat and her offense and defense were well-organized. She was quite well-known in the outer sect.
However, in Xie Yanchen's eyes, all of the opponent's sword moves, all of his variations, and all of his preparatory actions were modeled and analyzed in advance by the terminal, revealing his flaws clearly.
With just three moves, he precisely cut off his opponent's sword momentum, breaking the core of his sword technique. His opponent was powerless to fight any longer and decisively admitted defeat.
The opponent in the third round was a top expert among the top five of the outer sect, with a Qi Refining level five cultivation, a solid foundation, and formidable combat power, far surpassing Zhao Hanshan in the previous round.
The two exchanged more than ten blows, with Xie Yanchen consistently holding back and using only his optimized Flowing Cloud Step combined with basic boxing techniques to maneuver, without revealing any special trump cards.
He patiently maneuvered, waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. Finally, he seized upon the subtle flaw in the opponent's sluggish spiritual energy flow, and with a precise punch, broke through the defense, securing another victory.
With three wins out of three, they have firmly secured a place in the top ten of the outer gates and are just one step away from becoming the monthly champion.
All eyes and expectations were focused on him.
The moment that everyone was most looking forward to and most anxious about was still nowhere to be seen.
Zhou Chong, an inner disciple, still has not shown himself.
Three days ago, Zhou Chong sent someone to publicly issue a challenge, vowing to cripple Xie Yanchen in the monthly assessment arena and wash away the shame of his defeat at the bottom of the cliff.
In the cultivation world, face and reputation are of utmost importance. A battle agreement made in public is like spilled water; there is absolutely no way to take it back.
Everyone is waiting for the ultimate showdown between the inner sect's elite and the rising dark horse.
At noon, the sun hung high in the sky, blazing fiercely.
The competition in the ring temporarily stopped as the lunch break began. The noisy crowd dispersed slightly, and the tense atmosphere eased a bit.
Xie Yanchen sat alone in a corner, closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and maintained a steady state after the winning streak.
The terminal continuously analyzes the dynamics of all the characters: Zhou Chong's injuries have not yet healed, and his spiritual power is less than 70%, but he still possesses combat strength. His fellow disciples, relatives, friends, and sect elders have been following this duel closely, and his opponent is highly unlikely to avoid battle.
Xie Yanchen's heart stirred slightly, but he calmly replied, "He will definitely come."
His pride as an inner disciple, his reputation, and the dignity of the elders behind him all prevented him from backing down and avoiding battle. This battle was unavoidable.
No sooner had the words been spoken than a violent commotion erupted at the outer entrance!
The crowd instinctively turned their heads to look, the noise instantly subsided, and a strong sense of oppression suddenly enveloped the entire scene.
A figure in a long blue robe strode over, his posture upright and his aura imposing. The spiritual energy emanating from his body was undisguised, pressing down heavily on all sides.
It was Zhou Chong!
He was followed by four inner disciples, who escorted him forward in a grand procession. Among them was Meng Hanjiang, the fifth-level Qi Refining disciple who had delivered the message earlier.
Zhou Chong's injuries were clearly not yet fully healed. The outline of bandages was faintly visible under his clothes on his left side. He walked with a slight limp and his movements were restricted.
But his aura of hostility, arrogance, and oppression remained undiminished, even more chilling and gloomy than ever before.
The immense spiritual power of the fourth level of Qi Refining spread wildly, transforming into a low-pressure area that enveloped the entire arena area, making it slightly difficult for people to breathe.
His gaze was sharp, piercing through the crowd and precisely locking onto Xie Yanchen, who was sitting quietly in the corner. His eyes were filled with a mixture of murderous intent, mockery, and anger.
A cold shout resounded throughout the entire venue!
"Xie Yanchen!"
The sound was high-pitched and sharp, silencing all other voices around it.
"You've been living the high life for the past three days!"
"The spirit stones are acting strangely, three battles have been won, and you've entered the top ten of the outer sect. How dare you, with your mere mixed spiritual roots, show off and act arrogantly in the Qingyun Sect?"
Zhou Chong strode forward, with inner disciples clearing a path for him and roughly shoving aside outer disciples who were blocking his way.
The outer sect cultivators dared not speak out in anger and could only passively back down, voluntarily giving up the wide passage.
The principle of "respecting the internal and devaluing the external" has been an established rule of the Qingyun Sect for thousands of years, deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people, and no one dares to easily overstep it.
Even though Xie Yanchen is currently enjoying great popularity and his reputation in the outer sect is soaring, he is still considered a lowly member of the outer sect and a inferior figure in the eyes of the inner sect disciples.
Zhou Chong strode to the center of the arena, turned around and stood there, looking down at Xie Yanchen below with an extremely arrogant posture.
He spread his arms slightly, his expression one of utter provocation and contempt: "Aren't you trying to prove yourself? Aren't you trying to wash away the 'good-for-nothing' label?"
"Today, I will give you this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Step onto the stage and fight me!"
His eyes were sinister, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he publicly made a bet:
"If you can defeat me, I, Zhou Chong, will kneel down and kowtow in public to apologize, and the grudges at Broken Soul Cliff will be wiped clean. I will never trouble you again!"
"If you lose—"
He paused, a chill running down his spine.
"I request to be expelled from the Qingyun Sect, and never set foot in the sect again, disappearing from my sight forever!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in uproar!
The stakes of the bet are staggering!
The outcome of the competition is no longer about winning or losing; it has directly gambled Xie Yanchen's entire future in cultivation!
Being expelled from the Qingyun Sect means being a discarded disciple. In the entire Eastern Wilderness cultivation world, one will be ostracized and rejected by everyone, almost cutting off all paths of cultivation.
On the viewing platform, several outer sect elders frowned, their faces showing reluctance, but none of them spoke up to stop them.
Han Tiesong stood beside the arena, his expression cold, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men, remaining silent and tacitly acquiescing to this cross-level duel.
All eyes were focused on the gray figure in the corner, awaiting his response.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xie Yanchen slowly stood up.
He stepped out of the corner, walked through the passage made clear by the crowd, his steps steady and unhurried, and stepped onto the towering arena.
With an upright posture and a calm expression, he stood opposite Zhou Chong, neither humble nor arrogant.
The entire audience held their breath, waiting for the words to be spoken.
After a long silence, Xie Yanchen spoke softly, his voice clear and cold, each word distinct and resonating far and wide:
"There's no need to kowtow and apologize."
"You lost, just kneel down."
In short, it's extremely arrogant and overly confident.
Zhou Chong's arrogant smile froze instantly, his anger surged in his eyes, and his aura of hostility intensified.
He laughed in fury, his laughter cold and piercing: "Fine! What an arrogant hybrid spiritual root!"
"I'll see if you'll still be able to spout such boasts when I've crippled your cultivation and left you in a sorry state!"
He turned to Han Tiesong and asked in a deep voice, "Elder Han, please bear witness for us and ensure that we abide by our bet!"
Han Tiesong remained silent for two breaths, then nodded slightly and raised his hand to signal the two to each take three steps back, widening the distance between them.
An intense atmosphere of tension instantly enveloped the entire arena.
The outer disciples below the stage were terrified, their palms sweating; the inner disciples had mocking expressions on their faces, certain that Zhou Chong would win, and waiting for Xie Yanchen to be disgraced and expelled from the sect.
"The contest begins!"
The cold announcement fell, and the duel officially began.
Zhou Chong did not rush to launch a strong attack. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, his posture lazy and arrogant, like a hunter toying with his prey.
He looked down at him with disdain and said, "Xie Yanchen, you will never understand the world of difference between the inner and outer sects."
"The difference lies not in cultivation level, nor in movement techniques, but in the foundation and inheritance!"
"My inner sect's cultivation techniques are all exquisite classics, personally passed down by the elders and honed over a thousand years. You, a mere outer sect cultivator with mixed spiritual roots, rose to prominence through unorthodox methods. What makes you think you can contend with my orthodox lineage?"
His words were full of contempt, displaying the arrogance of someone who crushes others by social class.
Before he finished speaking, Zhou Chong suddenly burst into motion!
No more probing, he immediately unleashed his ultimate move!
His spiritual power surged, and a blue spiritual light condensed into a form, sharp as a knife. The air was cut by the sharp energy, producing a shimmering sound!
Inner Sect Mid-Rank High-Grade Technique - Azure罡破!
This technique has extremely strong penetrating power and is specifically designed to counter protective spiritual power and defensive moves. Its destructive power far exceeds that of basic outer sect techniques, making it the unique skill that Zhou Chong relied on to become famous.
After three days of recuperation and honing his skills, his proficiency in martial arts and the refinement of his spiritual energy were more than 50% stronger than in the battle at the bottom of the cliff!
He came to the stage today with the mindset of crushing the opponent and defeating them decisively, determined to settle the score in one battle and wash away all the shame!
The cyan palm strike, imbued with deadly power, aimed directly at Xie Yanchen's throat, its fierce and domineering attack sealing off all escape routes.
Faced with the swift and deadly attack, Xie Yanchen remained calm and took a slight step back.
It's not about fleeing in fear, but about accurately observing and analyzing the moves.
In his mind, the terminal instantly completed a full-dimensional modeling and analysis. The trajectory of Zhou Chong's spiritual energy flow, the path of his meridian circulation, and the distribution of his protective spiritual light were all transformed into clear data and spread out in his field of vision.
All the flaws from the battle at the bottom of the cliff were not repaired; on the contrary, the injuries aggravated the weaknesses, making them even more obvious.
The terminal accurately marked three critical vulnerabilities, highlighting them all.
Firstly, the old injury on his left rib has not healed, and the protective spiritual energy has been broken, leaving his defense more than 40% weak.
Secondly, during the Qinggang Annihilation Kill's power-gathering phase, the spiritual energy node on the right shoulder is completely exposed, making it impossible to change moves or defend.
Thirdly, the habitual forward leaning of the center of gravity results in a 40% lag in backward turning speed, revealing a fatal weakness in the body movement technique.
Three flaws, each fatal!
Xie Yanchen remained calm and focused, using the Flowing Cloud Step to its fullest extent. His body traced graceful arcs on the arena as he retreated and dodged step by step.
Every movement was precisely timed to the very edge of the Qing Gang Po's attack range.
The sharp blue palm strikes grazed his clothes time and time again, the force whistling and his hair flying, but they could not harm him in the slightest.
One move, two moves, ten moves, twenty moves!
Despite launching over twenty fierce attacks in succession, Zhou Chong exerted all his strength, unleashing a continuous stream of powerful and violent moves, yet he couldn't even touch a single hem of Xie Yanchen's clothes!
The audience was completely stunned.
The inner disciple's mocking smile gradually froze, his face filled with disbelief.
No one could have imagined that an outer disciple at the third level of Qi Refining could so calmly and playfully suppress an inner disciple at the fourth level of Qi Refining!
After a series of unsuccessful attacks, Zhou Chong's spiritual energy was more than half depleted, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, his breathing gradually becoming restless and disordered.
The Azure Strike is incredibly powerful, but its flaws are also extremely obvious—it consumes twice the spiritual energy of ordinary techniques, making it impossible to sustain a prolonged battle.
The more anxious and flustered they became, the more ineffective their attacks became, and the more intense their anxiety and humiliation grew.
"All you can do is hide?!"
Zhou Chong gritted his teeth and growled, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, leaving no room for retreat.
He poured all the remaining spiritual energy in his body into his right arm, and the cyan blade was compressed and condensed to the extreme, transforming into a phantom cyan short blade with a chilling and piercing aura!
The ultimate killing move of Qing Gang Po - Po Jun!
With its ultimate single-point penetration, its explosive power triples, capable of breaking through all protective spiritual power of the same level. Few opponents below the sixth level of Qi Refining can withstand it head-on!
"Let's see where you can hide now!"
Zhou Chong took a step forward, his figure shooting out like an arrow, his sharp palm strike, like a short blade, aimed straight at Xie Yanchen's heart, intending to kill him in one blow!
Everyone was convinced that Xie Yanchen would be defeated by this move!
But just as the sharp edge was about to touch him, Xie Yanchen's eyes suddenly narrowed. He stopped dodging and instead took a step forward, charging head-on into the face of the deadly attack!
The entire audience erupted in uproar; everyone thought he had gone mad and was courting death!
At the critical moment, he twisted his body at an incredible angle.
The extremely refined cyan killing move whistled past his chest, just half an inch away. The sharp aftershock tore his clothes but did not harm his flesh in the slightest!
At the same time, Xie Yanchen's five fingers interlocked with unparalleled precision, locking onto the spiritual energy node on Zhou Chong's right shoulder!
It was timed perfectly to strike at the critical moment when the opponent was charging up for a powerful burst of energy and their defense was wide open!
With five fingers like pincers, the source of the spiritual energy eruption was firmly sealed off!
The immense spiritual power that was about to be unleashed was suddenly cut off, unable to be released, and instead backfired on the meridians!
puff!
Zhou Chong froze, felt a sweet taste in his throat, and almost vomited blood on the spot. His entire right arm went limp and powerless instantly, and all his attacks crumbled and collapsed.
The excruciating pain from the backlash of spiritual energy swept through his entire body, causing his meridians to ache and tear, making the pain unbearable.
His body continued to lunge forward due to the momentum of his forward momentum, and he completely lost control of his center of gravity.
Xie Yanchen used the opponent's force against them, tripping them precisely with his foot and twisting his waist sharply, using the force to pull them along.
A clean, crisp, and unpretentious over-the-shoulder throw!
boom!
A dull, heavy impact resounded throughout the arena!
Zhou Chong flipped over in mid-air and slammed his back heavily onto the hard bluestone arena!
The cracking sound of his bones vibrating was clearly audible. Instant pain swept through his body, his vision went black, he felt dizzy and weak.
Before he could struggle to his feet, Xie Yanchen stepped forward and pressed his knee firmly against his chest, pinning him to the ring and rendering him unable to move!
Throughout the entire process, he didn't throw a single punch or strike!
With precise prediction, leveraging the opponent's strength to counterattack, and seizing the opening, he completely crushed and killed Zhou Chong, an elite inner disciple!
The entire place was deathly silent for three breaths, then erupted into a deafening roar that shook the mountains!
"We won! We really won!"
"One move! With just one move, he broke through the Azure罡破绝杀 (Azure罡破绝杀) and completely crushed Zhou Chong!"
"An inner sect mid-level cultivation technique was easily broken by an outer sect practitioner with mixed spiritual roots; this is simply mind-blowing!"
The cheers from the outer disciples rose in waves, deafeningly loud!
The inner disciples were ashen-faced and gloomy, utterly humiliated, yet powerless to refute.
On the stage, Zhou Chong was firmly suppressed, his chest was compressed, he had difficulty breathing, his face was pale, and his eyes were filled with humiliation and horror.
He struggled to lift his head, looking up at the calm-looking young man above him. His body stiffened, his mind trembled, and he could not accept this crushing defeat.
Xie Yanchen lowered his eyes and looked down, his voice calm, yet every word was piercing, clearly resounding throughout the entire hall:
"It's not that I'm too strong."
"It's because you're too weak."