Lin Chong’s face was livid.

In a head-on clash, Zhaang Ye had actually managed to suppress him, which made Lin Chong extremely uncomfortable.

The Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique that Lin Chong cultivated was an incredibly domineering Cultivation Technique. Relying on this technique, it had always been him overpowering others; never had anyone overpowered him!

’The Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique is all about pressing forward relentlessly, crushing all opponents underfoot, and forcing everything to submit to me. This Zhaang Ye is powerful enough to contend with me. An opponent like this must be put down! Otherwise, he’ll affect my mental state for Cultivation!’ Lin Chong stared at Zhaang Ye, a trace of killing intent leaking from his gaze.

Zhaang Ye was extremely sensitive to killing intent. Sensing the trace of it coming from Lin Chong, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but frown. He truly couldn’t understand why Lin Chong would harbor killing intent toward him.

Just then, Zhaang Yijian came to his side. He glanced at Zhaang Ye, noting that one of his arms was slightly swollen, but he was otherwise in high spirits.

Seeing that Zhaang Ye was fine, Zhaang Yijian said with some surprise, "Lin Chong’s Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique is exceptionally domineering. I was worried you had suffered internal injuries in that last clash. I never expected your Force-Dissipating Technique to be so incredible. In the end, you only sustained minor bone injuries to your arm and shoulder."

After saying this, Zhaang Yijian lowered his voice. "Zhaang Ye, be careful from here on out. Lin Chong has a Combat Skill that complements his Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique, called the Three Powerful Strikes. When he uses it, his attacks will be significantly more powerful than what you just faced..."

Zhaang Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you saying he wasn’t using his true strength just now?"

Zhaang Yijian nodded slightly. "His Three Powerful Strikes is an extremely ferocious Fist Technique. When used in conjunction with his Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique, its power is immense. However, he only has one strike left. With your strength, you should have no problem receiving his final blow."

As the two were speaking, Lin Chong slowly walked over. The sleeve on his arm had been shredded into fragments, and the arm itself was slightly swollen. It was clear that, like Zhaang Ye, he had been injured in the previous exchange.

Lin Chong’s gaze shot toward Zhaang Ye, like that of a wounded Fierce Beast ready to pounce and devour its prey.

A Fierce Beast is formidable, but a wounded one is even more so.

Their gazes clashed, and the entire Inner Mansion seemed to freeze in that moment.

Everyone in the Inner Mansion fixed their eyes on Lin Chong and Zhaang Ye.

No one noticed that high above the City Lord’s Mansion, a man and a woman were standing quietly, observing the battle below.

The two people standing high in the air were none other than the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes and the purple-clad woman. They weren’t standing on thin air, but at the bow of a small, azure boat. The boat was over ten zhang long, its surface faintly shimmering with various Runes. Its entire body glowed with a soft cyan light, making it look like a patch of blue sky when viewed from below.

The two purple-clad figures stood at the bow of the azure boat, while inside sat ten youths. Their faces were pale, as if they were enduring some great strain. Each one was meditating with their eyes closed, oblivious to the world outside.

"Senior Brother, that kid in black below, that must be your Cyan Wood County’s most outstanding genius, Lin Chong, right?" the purple-clad woman asked, her gaze fixed on him.

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes nodded slightly. "That’s him. Lin Chong’s talent is exceptional, and he’s had several fortuitous encounters since childhood. The Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique he cultivates is a fragmented Advanced Heart Method, and his combat strength is impressive. Of the ten geniuses chosen from Cyan Wood County this time, he has the best chance of entering the Inner Hall."

The purple-clad woman nodded. "This Lin Chong is indeed impressive. But judging from their clash, Zhaang Ye’s performance is no less remarkable."

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes sighed softly. "The Body Refining Technique Zhaang Ye cultivates is quite good. His combat strength is high, and his Comprehension is impressive. However, his innate aptitude is very poor. If he wants to achieve anything, he can only rely on that technique. And while Body Refining Techniques grant immense combat power, using one to break through to the True Dao is as difficult as ascending to heaven..."

The purple-clad woman nodded, a hint of pity in her voice. "Zhaang Ye’s Body Refining Technique is certainly powerful. But since Ancient Times, the number of people who have reached the True Dao by cultivating such techniques can be counted on one hand. That’s precisely why Body Refining Techniques have fallen into decline. It seems this Zhaang Ye is fated to never reach the True Dao."

While the two conversed, Zhaang Ye and Lin Chong below had both begun circulating their Cultivation Techniques, preparing for a final strike.

The purple-clad woman watched them silently for a moment before suddenly asking, "Senior Brother, who do you think is stronger?"

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes pondered for a moment. "If Zhaang Ye were using his saber, they would likely be evenly matched. But he’s fighting empty-handed, and Lin Chong’s Three Powerful Strikes is an exceptionally powerful Combat Skill. Zhaang Ye will likely be at a slight disadvantage. On this final strike, I sense Lin Chong will come out slightly ahead."

At that moment, Zhaang Ye and Lin Chong, who had been circulating their techniques, attacked in unison.

Lin Chong’s body lunged forward as he threw a punch. His footwork was incredibly profound, and the ensuing strike carried an unparalleled domineering aura, as if declaring, ’Who but I reigns supreme under the heavens?’ As the punch flew, the entire Inner Mansion was filled with a thunderous sound, like the roar of a Fierce Beast from Ancient Times or the crash of a colossal mountain collapsing. The sheer momentum was so powerful that even the youths watching from more than ten zhang away felt as if they had been plunged into a raging ocean, in danger of being swallowed at any moment.

As Lin Chong made his move, Zhaang Ye’s body abruptly spun, transforming him into a Tornado that was difficult to see with the naked eye. Within his rotation was the faint suggestion of an unstoppable Realm that could devour the heavens and the earth.

’Hmm? Zhaang Ye’s Saber Technique has improved again! It looks like Lin Chong’s attack is destined to fail!’ Seeing Zhaang Ye’s move, Zhaang Yijian’s eyes flickered, and he set his heart at ease.

Aboard the azure boat in the clouds, the eyes of the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes and the purple-clad woman also twitched. They had seen Zhaang Ye use this move once before, on the summit of Huiwu Mountain, but the power he had displayed then was far inferior to what he was showing now. It was the same move, yet its power was now immensely greater!

What amazed the two purple-clad observers even more was that the Realm of Zhaang Ye’s technique was becoming increasingly similar to the legendary Space Storm!

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, one of Zhaang Ye’s palms shot out from the Tornado like a ray of noonday sun. It instantly pierced through the dense Qi Force and drove viciously toward Lin Chong’s fist.

Though Zhaang Ye’s palm was still several inches away, Lin Chong felt an incomparable power surge from it. This power was bizarre; his fist hadn’t even been touched by Zhaang Ye’s hand, yet the True Qi surrounding it began to vibrate violently. With this vibration, Lin Chong was horrified to feel the True Qi on his fist instantly dissolve.

Their attacks were as fast as lightning. Before Lin Chong could react, Zhaang Ye’s palm slammed into his fist. The impact shocked Lin Chong even more; he felt the skin on his hitherto indestructible fist completely dissolve upon contact with Zhaang Ye’s palm!

It was like ice and snow meeting a torch!

If this kept up, Lin Chong felt, his entire fist might be dissolved by Zhaang Ye!

This was unbelievable!

Terrified, Lin Chong unleashed an explosive burst of True Qi from his fist. Amid a deafening blast of clashing Qi Force, Zhaang Ye felt the True Qi from Lin Chong’s fist surge into his body like a tidal wave. Faced with such a tyrannical force, even with his Dragon Elephant Skill, Zhaang Ye couldn’t fully withstand it. He coughed up a mouthful of blood as the impact sent him flying backward, hurtling far outside the City Lord’s Mansion.

While airborne, Zhaang Ye began to execute his Force-Dissipating Technique. His body spun like a Tornado as he flew a full forty-plus zhang before finally neutralizing the tyrannical force and landing steadily on his feet.

By the time Zhaang Ye had steadied himself, Lin Chong was still airborne. He flew a full fifty-some zhang before crashing to the ground, where he spat out two large mouthfuls of blood.

Lin Chong had no Force-Dissipating Technique; he had taken Zhaang Ye’s blow head-on. As a result, his injuries were slightly more severe than Zhaang Ye’s.

Seeing that Lin Chong had not only been sent flying over fifty zhang but had also spat out one more mouthful of blood than Zhaang Ye, the young spectators were all dumbfounded. They stared at Zhaang Ye with wide eyes, letting out gasps of astonishment.

After spitting out the two mouthfuls of blood, Lin Chong looked down at his fist. He was horrified to see that in that brief exchange, the skin had been completely dissolved, revealing glistening white finger bones and several green-blue veins.

HISS!

Lin Chong was utterly horrified. He looked at Zhaang Ye, unable to fathom how his palm could have dissolved his incredibly tough skin.

As a cultivator of the Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique, nearly all of Lin Chong’s power was concentrated in his fists. He was a man of many fortuitous encounters; his fists had been soaked in special medicinal concoctions and were fortified with incredibly domineering True Qi. Even an ordinary weapon could not hope to leave so much as a white scratch on them.

For such a hard fist to have its very skin dissolved by Zhaang Ye... this ability of his was simply terrifying!

The people in the Inner Mansion were all sharp-eyed. They couldn’t miss the fact that a layer of Lin Chong’s fist had been dissolved. When the youths saw that Lin Chong’s internal injuries were worse than Zhaang Ye’s and that his fist had sustained such a bizarre wound, their shock was beyond words.

The entire Inner Mansion fell silent.

Zhaang Ye had not escaped this exchange unscathed. He sat down cross-legged and was about to treat his internal injuries when he suddenly sensed something unusual in the sky. A faint whistling sound drifted down from above.

The youths craned their necks to look up at the sky, and every one of them froze in shock. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)