Chapter 294: Chapter 294: Stunning the Audience

Down below, the expressions of the Daoist Children from the Thirty-Six Peaks were varied, but fear was already creeping into the eyes of many.

’To have this kind of combat power just after entering the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm... No wonder the Sect Leader made an exception and took him as a disciple.’

’That Heavy Mace is a Divine Weapon, and he’s wearing Divine Armor! How is anyone supposed to fight that!’

Some began to whisper amongst themselves, while many more were silently calculating. If he kept winning like this, the spot for the Sword Burial Abyss might really fall into Xu Yunfan’s hands.

But going up on stage now was no guarantee of success...

Their opponent was truly strong, fully capable of contending with the Daoist Children from the top few peaks. Disciples from the lower-ranked peaks would likely just be serving up easy victories.

After all, the final qualification spot for the Sword Burial Abyss would go to the last person left standing on the stage. The later one went up, the greater their chance of victory.

On the high platform, the assembled Peak Leaders of the Twelve Peaks wore varied expressions.

Li Zhi tapped his knuckles on his Wooden Sword, and the cracks on its scabbard deepened. He sneered, "This kid from the Celestial Craft Cave certainly has some power."

Chu Cangming remained standing with his sword in his arms, but his eyes were now open. His gaze, like a Cold Pool reflecting snow, mirrored the mace-wielding figure on the stage.

A smile played on Bi Yuan’s lips as his fingertip gently caressed his teacup. The Jade Liquid within stirred on its own, sending out faint ripples.

Cui Yu placed a withered palm on the Mountain-Suppressing Stone and announced hoarsely, "The third bout. Continue. If the time limit is reached with no challengers, Xu Yunfan will be declared the winner." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Chen Xuan of Cyan Nether Peak, here to witness Junior Brother Xu’s masterful techniques!"

Unable to hold back, a Daoist Child with a Bronze Ancient Sword strapped to his back flew onto the stage. His sword was still sheathed, but his body was already wreathed in cyan Sword Qi.

’Sword Qi?!’

Xu Yunfan was slightly surprised. ’This is the first time I’ve seen someone transform Sword Force into Sword Qi. It seems he’s following the same path as the Celestial Pivot Start Sect—finding a way to nurture a Sword Body and using a Secret Martial Technique to accumulate a wisp of Sword Qi.’

’But the Taoist Sect’s methods seem more refined. All of Chen Xuan’s Sword Qi is focused on that Bronze Ancient Sword, so his body doesn’t have to endure the wear and tear from the True Qi.’

’Looks like I’ll have to take this seriously.’

The Sword Qi looked fierce, its cold glint pulsing with a certain power. But in Xu Yunfan’s eyes, it was like paper against an iron rod—all form, no substance, utterly fragile!

His Pure Yang Qi Skill had long since reached the stage of Perfection. Now, with a mere thought, a wisp of Pure Yang True Qi—condensed like liquid mercury at the junction of flesh and blood near his Dantian—surged forth. It flowed through his body and into the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace.

The dark red patterns on the mace instantly lit up, and a searing golden radiance flowed across its surface like lava. The surrounding air distorted and shimmered from the scorching heat.

The Dragon Mace swept out. The Pure Yang True Qi erupted like a bursting Melting Furnace as a golden light shot through the air, tearing a blazing trail through the curtain of snow.

Wherever the mace passed, a gale thundered across the stage like a clap of thunder. The roiling heatwave instantly vaporized the falling snowflakes, turning them into a cloud of surging white mist!

"HSSSSSS!"

Like snow under a blazing sun, the Sword Qi dissolved in an instant!

Xu Yunfan swept his crimson mace through the air, his Pure Yang True Qi erupting like a furnace. Within three moves, he shattered his opponent’s Sword Qi. A final swing of the Heavy Mace sent Chen Xuan and his sword flying off the stage.

"Fourth bout, Xu Yunfan wins."

"..."

Hearing Cui Yu’s emotionless announcement, Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but grind his teeth.

Up on the high platform, Li Zhi’s pupils contracted.

As a Nine Realms Qi Cultivation Grandmaster, he had naturally seen the truth behind Xu Yunfan’s strike in a single glance, and his heart trembled. ’The Pure Yang Qi Skill at Perfection? He’s actually condensed Pure Yang True Qi?!’

One had to understand that even among the Taoist Sect’s True Disciples, very few could cultivate the Pure Yang Qi Skill to Great Success, let alone reach Perfection and achieve the qualitative leap of condensing Pure Yang True Qi.

’And how long has Xu Yunfan been cultivating? It’s been barely more than two years since he obtained the Pure Yang Qi Skill from Bi Sheng, yet he’s already reached this stage without anyone knowing!’

Li Zhi’s gaze deepened, and his fingertips unconsciously caressed his teacup.

The Spirit Tea in the cup was long cold, but it reflected the sharp glint in his eyes. ’This boy’s talent... it’s probably even more astonishing than I estimated!’

’The external release of Pure Yang True Qi... even if it’s just a few wisps, has it already reached the state of Mercury Slurry Formation?’

He was inwardly shaken. His fingers subconsciously gripped the armrest of his chair, making it creak under the pressure before he finally snapped back to his senses.

Beside him, Bi Yuan was both shocked and delighted. ’I’ve really struck gold!’

Li Zhi’s stern face twitched.

As a lifelong sword cultivator, he naturally understood the terrifying power of that mace strike. At first, he’d assumed it was merely the might of the Divine Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace. But now, seeing that golden light tear through the air, he realized Xu Yunfan had actually condensed Pure Yang True Qi!

Li Zhi couldn’t help but glance at Bi Yuan, who sat with a calm expression, his eyelids lowered and his face devoid of any emotion.

’That old fox. No wonder he defied everyone to take him as a disciple.’

His knuckles turned white as his Sword Intent leaked out uncontrollably, forming a thin layer of frost around him. He had clearly lost his composure. Realizing this, he quickly retracted his aura and fell silent.

Chu Cangming remained standing with his sword in his arms, his eyes wide open. He stared intently at Xu Yunfan on the stage, his eyes having become faintly bloodshot at some unknown point.

"Wu Shuang of Cold Crow Peak, I’ve come for a lesson!"

Nine custom-made Profound Ice Needles shot out from the black-robed Daoist Child’s sleeve, leaving a thick layer of frost in their wake.

However, Xu Yunfan executed Stepping on Snow Without Trace, spinning his crimson mace like a fiery tornado. The searing Gang Wind vaporized all the Profound Ice Needles. With a backhand swing, he struck Wu Shuang on the shoulder, and the sound of cracking bone was clearly audible.

"Fifth bout, Xu Yunfan wins."

Five matches, five wins!

And he had won them all with utter ease. The victories were so clean and decisive that there hadn’t even been a single heated exchange.

A commotion finally erupted among the Daoist Children below.

"Senior Brother Wu is on the verge of Great Success in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, and he couldn’t even withstand three moves?!"

"That Mace Technique... it’s clearly the Eight Desolates Dragon Fall Mace from the ninth floor of the Langhuan Book Tower!"

A dead silence fell.

Most of the Daoist Children from the Thirty-Six Peaks looked at one another, but not a single one dared to step onto the stage.

Xu Yunfan had successively defeated several experts of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, including Zhao Wujiu and Zhou Ziling. The edge of his Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace was on full display, and the Pure Yang True Qi he revealed was so incomparably tyrannical it shook everyone to their core.

The disciples of the Taoist Sect naturally understood that one could condense Pure Yang True Qi after cultivating the Pure Yang Qi Skill to Perfection.

But the Pure Yang Qi Skill became exponentially more difficult in its later stages. Besides the current Sect Leader, Bi Yuan, who had accomplished it in his youth, not a single disciple of the current generation had succeeded.

Standing on the stage now, his imposing aura was enough to intimidate the crowd into hesitation.

"What? Among all the great Thirty-Six Peaks of the Taoist Sect, is there no one left who dares to fight?"

Xu Yunfan surveyed the crowd. His voice was calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

’He was growing impatient. ’If they keep fighting one match and then waiting a long time, this will drag on late into the night.’’

Finally, a disciple from Cyan Nether Peak could hold it in no longer. He turned to a man in white standing with his hands clasped behind his back and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Lu, you’ve already reached the Organ Cultivation Realm. If you make a move, you can surely crush his momentum! Senior Brother Chen Xuan spends most of his time absorbed in his Martial Arts research and lacks real combat experience. He likely only came up to test his sword. You..."

The man in white was none other than Lu Wuchen, a True Disciple of Cyan Nether Peak. He had already reached the early stage of the Organ Cultivation Realm. His aura was restrained, yet it faintly exuded a sharp Sword Intent.

Hearing this, Lu Wuchen smiled faintly. His gaze remained fixed on the distance as if admiring the falling snow. "It is not yet time," he said calmly.