"Hah!"

Ren Hong let out a great shout as the Primordial Qi around him morphed into a blood-red mist. The dense, sanguine aura was blindingly sharp, and with the force of a thunderbolt, he shot toward Wen Qingye.

It was the Blood Transformation Technique, a Low-Level King Grade Martial Art. With it, Primordial Qi was converted into a swirling blood mist that could not only disrupt an opponent’s Heart Spirit but was also fierce enough to invade their very being.

HUM!

From his very first move, Ren Hong held nothing back, striking cleanly and decisively.

Wen Qingye didn’t flinch, thrusting his palm toward Ren Hong within the blood mist.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed in the ears of the crowd. The very ground seemed to tremble violently, and everyone felt their bodies shudder.

The dense blood mist had completely swallowed both of them, and an eerie silence fell within it.

At this sight, everyone’s heart leaped into their throat, their eyes filled with astonishment.

Was it over?

Suddenly, a tidal wave of cheers erupted from the Luocheng Ancient Country crowd, and they all began to laugh.

"That Wen Qingye, a hick from some backwater country, actually dared to challenge Senior Brother Ren? He really has a death wish."

"Hicks from backwater countries will always be hicks. They’re destined to never amount to anything."

"Hahaha! Luocheng is invincible! Luocheng is invincible!"

"Luocheng is invincible! Ren Hong is invincible!"

...

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

A rapid series of impacts echoed from within the blood mist. Then, as if pierced by several rays of light, the mist scattered in all directions.

The figures of Wen Qingye and Ren Hong were revealed to the crowd.

The area immediately fell silent. Ren Hong’s face was flushed, and he stumbled back four or five steps.

In a flash, several thoughts raced through Ren Hong’s mind. ’This Wen Qingye is astonishing! I just exchanged three punches with him, and each one was stronger than the last. Is his cultivation really only at the Yin-Yang Realm Third Layer? Is he really a genius from some backwater country?’

The moment he regained his footing, Wen Qingye had already closed the distance, unleashing a punch surging with boundless Primordial Qi toward Ren Hong.

Ren Hong gritted his teeth. He slowly gathered Primordial Qi into his arm, which immediately felt filled with endless power as he moved to meet Wen Qingye’s fist.

There was nothing fancy about their exchange; they were simply trading one brutal punch after another.

Each collision produced a massive explosion, sending waves of violent Primordial Qi radiating outwards.

"This kid at the Yin-Yang Realm Third Layer is no simple matter," Steward Bai remarked, somewhat astonished.

Qin Wuya nodded. "Indeed. Look at his attacks. He’s striking the weak points in the Luocheng Ancient Country disciple’s techniques every single time. And from the looks of it, he still isn’t going all out."

"He’s a promising talent."

The onlookers were all inwardly stunned. A battle like this was a rare sight for them; both combatants seemed to be fighting with dogged determination.

A disciple from Luocheng Ancient Country stammered, "I feel like Senior Brother Ren has already broken through to the Yin Yang Realm Fifth Layer Heaven. Why does it look like he still can’t do anything to that Wen Qingye?"

The crowd fell silent, every single one of them watching the two combatants with grave expressions.

’This isn’t working. I need to defeat Wen Qingye quickly. I can’t drag this out any longer,’ Ren Hong thought, taking a small step back.

SWOOSH!

His body flickered. Ren Hong’s Primordial Qi surged, and he began to exude an incredibly terrifying, baleful aura.

"Seven Stars of Falling Dust!"

Ren Hong stomped, and starlight seemed to flash beneath his feet. His body moved as fast as a shooting star, his Fist Force brimming with a domineering, heaven-shaking might!

This was a Mid-Level King Grade technique from the Luocheng Ancient Country’s collection of Royal Martial Arts. Its power was extraordinary, and Ren Hong had received it as a reward from the Royal Family for a great service he had rendered.

Wen Qingye saw Ren Hong charge toward him. His own aura was still slightly unstable from the previous exchange. If he met this attack head-on, he would likely suffer minor injuries even if he won. So, with a leap, Wen Qingye’s body blurred into a series of afterimages.

With the force of a thunderbolt, Ren Hong threw a punch at Wen Qingye.

With a loud BOOM, the ground shook. A large section of it caved in as if struck by a giant hammer.

"The Cyan Smoke Stone floor caved in! Ren Hong is too strong!"

"With his current level of strength, he’s definitely one of the top one hundred experts."

"Wen Qingye couldn’t take it. He actually dodged."

...

"You think you can run?" Ren Hong sneered, charging toward Wen Qingye without a moment’s hesitation.

"Dust Settling Wheel!"

Ren Hong threw another punch. The Primordial Qi went through a Ninth Turn, making this strike significantly more powerful than the last. This time, however, he aimed straight for Wen Qingye’s head, not the Cyan Smoke Stone.

But in the next instant!

The unexpected happened!

As Ren Hong charged toward him, Wen Qingye watched calmly. Black and white energy began to swirl in his palm, and a mysterious Eight Trigrams pattern started spinning in the air before him.

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

He thrust his hands forward. The streams of energy flowed and condensed, forming a peculiar Seal Technique. The moment it formed, it shot directly toward Ren Hong’s Fist Force.

BOOM!

A powerful ripple of Primordial Qi mixed with a cloud of dust. An earth-shaking roar was heard, and Ren Hong’s body was sent crashing heavily into the Cyan Smoke Stone ground.

THUD!

The Cyan Smoke Stone floor shattered into powder. Ren Hong lay there, convulsing and spitting up mouthfuls of blood.

The battle was over.

In the next moment, the entire Celestial Profound Mountain erupted into an uproar.

Wen Qingye dusted himself off, calmly walked to the side, and picked up Ren Hong’s Token. He then glanced at the still-shocked crowd from Luocheng Ancient Country and said flatly, "If you don’t start treating his wounds, I’m not sure how much longer he has to live."

With that, Wen Qingye turned and started walking down Celestial Profound Mountain.

At that moment, on the ranking board up ahead, Wen Qingye’s name shot up to rank 171.

"Quick, help Senior Brother Ren!"

The disciples from Luocheng Ancient Country snapped out of their stupor and scrambled to give Ren Hong a pill and channel their Qi to begin healing him.

The onlookers clicked their tongues in amazement.

"This trip was well worth it. I just came to Celestial Profound Mountain to pick up a mission and got to see such an incredible duel."

"That Wen Qingye... he’s incredibly strong!"

"Luocheng Ancient Country has lost to Wen Qingye again. I wonder if any of their other disciples will try to challenge him."

"Wen Qingye is from the Celestial Martial Country? I’ve never even heard of that place."

Qin Wuya suddenly stared at Wen Qingye’s departing figure and said, "What’s that disciple’s name? I need to go back and study him carefully."

"Taking an interest in new talent, Senior Brother Qin? Hahaha," Steward Bai said with a laugh, stroking his beard. "This young man’s strength is impressive, and he has a great deal of untapped potential."

Qin Wuya nodded in agreement with Steward Bai’s words.