High in the air, Wen Qingye and Zhong Liang were simultaneously sent flying backward.

Zhong Liang felt a searing pain in his arm and a violent roiling in his chest. Half his body seemed to have gone numb.

’This Wen Qingye... His cultivation is only at the Yin Yang Realm First Layer. How can he be this powerful?’

Defeating someone at the Yin Yang Realm Second Level while only being at the First Layer was already an incredible feat, something only a supreme genius could accomplish. After all, challenging across realms in the Yin-Yang Realm was exceedingly difficult.

But Wen Qingye hadn’t just crossed one realm—he had crossed two. Just how strong was he?

’Most importantly, why is the sheer density of Wen Qingye’s Primordial Qi only slightly less than mine? It’s definitely on par with someone at the peak of the Yin Yang Realm Second Level.’

The crowd stared at Wen Qingye in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"I refuse to believe a genius from the Celestial Martial Country is truly this powerful!"

Zhong Liang gritted his teeth. Primordial Qi surged through him like a tidal wave, and in an instant, he felt his entire body brimming with explosive power.

"Ghostly Shadows!"

Wen Qingye stood firm beneath the sky, feeling as if the heavens themselves were pressing down on him. A strange, suffocating sensation bore down into the depths of his soul. Zhong Liang thrust his hand out, and the ghastly Ghost Claw seemed to merge with the horizon.

’So it can even affect one’s Heart Spirit. This Martial Art is rather interesting,’ Wen Qingye thought with a faint smile.

Black and white currents of energy continuously condensed, and the Undying Seal Technique gradually materialized in Wen Qingye’s palm.

"Goodbye, you piece of trash from the Celestial Martial Country!"

While still fifty feet from Wen Qingye, a cold sneer touched Zhong Liang’s lips as he abruptly thrust his claw forward.

SWISH! SWISH!

A ghostly light flashed, and the horrific Ghost Claw seemed to tear through space itself, instantly appearing right before Wen Qingye. A venomous aura washed over him.

The onlookers gasped in shock, their faces draining of color. None of them had ever imagined Zhong Liang’s Ghost Claw could strike from such a distance and instantly reach Wen Qingye.

Upon seeing this, Yann Xiangyang’s and Cheng Yu’s faces instantly turned deathly pale, their hearts leaping into their throats.

But a smile touched Wen Qingye’s lips, as if he had been prepared all along. He abruptly pulled his hands back, and the Seal Technique rapidly solidified.

"Second Form of the Undying Seal Technique! Separation and Death Shatter the Heart!"

The Eight Trigrams Disc behind him spun with incredible speed, and in the next instant, the Seal Technique shot toward the Ghost Claw.

BANG!

The Ghost Claw shattered.

In the next moment, the Seal Technique pierced through Zhong Liang’s body and the surrounding black mist.

The profound and mysterious Seal Technique slammed directly into Zhong Liang. The powerful impact sent him flying hundreds of feet. He tumbled across the ground for another twenty feet, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

GACK!

Zhong Liang lay prone on the ground, his body trembling, his face ghastly pale.

He asked ruefully, "You saw through my technique from the start, didn’t you?"

Wen Qingye replied nonchalantly, "It was merely the subtlety of a King-Grade Martial Art. How could I not see through it?"

"You’re powerful... but I won’t lose to you!" Zhong Liang growled, slowly forcing himself to his feet. "You’re not in great shape either, are you?"

Zhong Liang’s gaze was piercingly sharp; he had spotted the slight tremor in Wen Qingye’s arm.

Suddenly, the atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive, tinged with an eerie quality. A dense black mist began to gather behind Zhong Liang.

Wen Qingye’s brows knitted together as a sense of danger pricked at his heart.

Zhong Liang stretched out his hands. His palms began to flash with a white light that pulsed rhythmically, like a heart.

HSSSSSS!

Zhong Liang’s aura continued to climb, and the pulsing of the white light grew more frequent.

In the blink of an eye, Zhong Liang’s palms seemed to transform into a pair of bone-white claws, as if carved from jade. Their ghastly light sent a chill through the hearts of all who watched.

Upon seeing this, many in the crowd went pale and stumbled back several steps, their mouths hanging open in horror.

"White Bone World!"

A furious wind howled, whipping Zhong Liang’s robes about him. A bloody mist seemed to cloud Wen Qingye’s vision, revealing a horrifying illusion: mountains of white bones piled high, a vast and terrifying landscape of blood and bone that was as grotesquely beautiful as it was soul-shaking.

Zhong Liang shot into the air, bringing his claws down hard toward Wen Qingye’s skull.

"Oh no, Wen Qingye is caught in the illusion!"

"Figures. Someone from a backwater nation will always be unsophisticated. They just can’t handle the big stage."

"He’s a dead man. What a pity."

The crowd sighed, watching the unmoving figure of Wen Qingye.

........

WHOOSH!

Just as the crowd was shaking their heads in pity, Wen Qingye gripped his sword with both hands, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

A few mournfully beautiful raindrops materialized in the air, cold and clear as they drifted down.

"Fifth Form of the Four Symbols Sword Technique! Rain Without Interruption!"

With a single swing, his sword seemed to unleash countless streams of Sword Aura, all converging on the center of the bone claw.

BANG!

Zhong Liang plummeted from the sky. His body slammed into the ground, cracking the stone beneath him. He lay there, blood gushing endlessly from his mouth.

Struck by the aftershock, Wen Qingye stumbled back a full eight steps before managing to steady himself. His internal organs had already sustained minor damage.

"You... you..." Zhong Liang sputtered, pointing a trembling finger at Wen Qingye.

Wen Qingye wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. His voice was calm as he spoke into the wind, "By focusing all my power on a single point, I could break your claw. Your opening was far too wide."

The light in Zhong Liang’s eyes dimmed at Wen Qingye’s words. ’He’s right. I put my all into that last attack, a killing blow with nothing held back. If I had only used ninety percent of my strength, I might have had enough energy left to defend myself. Then my meridians and internal organs wouldn’t have been completely shattered.’

’I tried to kill Wen Qingye, but it ended up being my own undoing. How pathetic. How laughable!’

THUD!

Suddenly, Zhong Liang’s head hit the ground, and his eyes shut for the last time.

Zhong Liang was dead!

The crowd fell silent. The tables had turned so quickly that none of them had time to fully process it.

From start to finish, Wen Qingye had remained calm and unruffled, as if everything was completely under his control. As the crowd looked at the young man in silence, a feeling of utter incomparability welled up from the depths of their hearts.

Blood dripped from Wen Qingye’s own palm. Zhong Liang had used his full power, and he was a master at the Yin Yang Realm Third Layer, after all. Wen Qingye was far from unscathed; his injuries were not light. If he hadn’t cultivated the Five Elements Body Refining Technique, he would have been severely wounded, even in victory.

He took a deep breath, collected Zhong Liang’s Token, and turned his gaze toward the people from the Luocheng Ancient Country. He pointed his sword directly at Li Zhouyu. "Li Zhouyu, does the Luocheng Ancient Country have anyone else to send up? If not, then you’re next."

WHOOSH!

All eyes swiveled to Li Zhouyu of the Luocheng Ancient Country.

Hearing Wen Qingye’s words and feeling the countless pairs of eyes on him, terror seized Li Zhouyu’s heart. His face went pale, and he instinctively stumbled back four or five steps.

"Sister Yue, what do I do?" Li Zhouyu asked Geng Yue in a panic.

Geng Yue’s expression was grim. She knew that, at best, her strength was only on par with Zhong Liang’s. Now that he had been killed, how could she possibly dare to challenge Wen Qingye?

"What’s the matter, Li Zhouyu? You were the one who forced me out here. Cat got your tongue now?" Wen Qingye’s eyes narrowed as he began walking slowly toward him.

"Stay back! Don’t come any closer!" Seeing Wen Qingye approach, Li Zhouyu felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest. He scrambled to hide behind the others from the Luocheng Ancient Country.

"Trying to run? Leave your life behind!"

Wen Qingye let out a low growl. With a series of quick steps, he appeared in a flash before the group from the Luocheng Ancient Country.

"Wen Qingye, stop!" Geng Yue, suddenly remembering Li Zhouyu’s cousin, stepped forward to block Wen Qingye’s path.

"You’re going to stop me?"

A cold glint shone in Wen Qingye’s eyes. His sharp gaze seemed to become tangible, piercing straight into Geng Yue’s heart.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, a shiver of fear ran through Geng Yue, and she stumbled back several steps.

With Geng Yue’s retreat, no one from the Luocheng Ancient Country dared to stand in Li Zhouyu’s way.

’Run!’

Seeing his chance, Li Zhouyu had only one thought in his mind. He used every ounce of strength he had to sprint away. He knew he would be safe as long as he could get off Hidden Peak.

But in just a few short moments, Li Zhouyu felt an icy presence at his back.

"Don’t kill me, don’t ki—" A streak of red flashed before his eyes. It was his own blood.

When Geng Yue saw Wen Qingye raise his sword and rush toward Li Zhouyu, her face flushed red and she roared, "Wen Qingye, how dare you kill him! Do you have any idea who his cousin is? Li Zhouyu’s cousin is Nangong Xin!"