194: One finger defeats Wu Feng

Facing this violent hammer strike, capable of severely injuring an average Late Golden Core Stage cultivator, Yao Delong simply raised his right index finger calmly.

There was no earth-shattering Aura, no dazzling light.

At his fingertip, a point of Pure Yang finger light, condensed and purified to the extreme, suddenly flared to life!

The golden light was as thin as a needle, yet it contained a terrifying will capable of piercing everything and incinerating all things!

Swish—!

The golden light struck first despite starting later, landing with pinpoint precision on the very core of the violently descending giant hammer phantom, right at the node where its power circulated!

It was like a red-hot branding iron piercing into snow!

Boom—!

The incredibly solid phantom of the giant hammer burst apart with a roar, just like a punctured balloon!

The violent Earth-element spiritual power scattered, only to be instantly dissolved into nothingness by the Sword Domain surrounding Yao Delong!

An irresistible force surged back through the Mountain-Opening Hammer. Wu Feng felt excruciating pain in his arms, his tiger's mouths instantly split open, and blood dripped down!

He could no longer hold onto the heavy Mountain-Opening Hammer. It flew from his grasp and landed with a clang at the edge of the arena, its spiritual light dimmed!

Wu Feng let out a muffled groan. The massive recoil forced him to stumble back seven or eight steps, each step leaving deep footprints on the black iron arena. His blood and Qi churned within him, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He barely managed to steady himself. Looking at his empty hands and the dim hammer in the distance, his eyes were filled with shock and despair. The gap... was too huge!

The opponent hadn't even used the pressure of his Sword Domain; with just a single finger, he had broken his full-strength attack!

He resignedly closed his eyes, waiting for the opponent's follow-up thunderous strike. Given his previous actions, no one could say anything even if Yao Delong crippled one of his arms.

However, the expected excruciating pain did not arrive.

Yao Delong slowly lowered his finger. Looking at the pale-faced Wu Feng, who was closing his eyes waiting for "punishment," his voice rang out calmly: "The Spirit Forging Peak's Mountain-Shaking Hammer Technique has more than enough brute force, but lacks variation. When spiritual power circulates through the 'Dique' and 'Shangēn' acupoints, there is a half-breath delay; this is a flaw. Take care of yourself."

Having said that, he did not look at Wu Feng again and turned to float off the stage.

Wu Feng opened his eyes abruptly, looking at Yao Delong's departing figure in disbelief. No retaliation? No humiliation? Instead... he pointed out the flaw in his Cultivation Technique?

An indescribable, complex emotion surged into his heart. There was the relief of surviving a disaster, the humiliation of being looked down upon, but more than that, a deep sense of shame and... a faint trace of gratitude.

"Yao... Yao Delong, wins!" the referee Elder's voice announced.

Wu Feng stood where he was, looking at his bleeding hands, then at Yao Delong's straight, pine-like figure, and finally bowed deeply and complexly.

He knew that from this day forward, the petty grievances between him and Yao Delong had vanished into thin air, all because of that single finger and that piece of advice. The opponent's demeanor had earned his complete and utter respect.

On the viewing platform, the Spirit Forging Peak Master, Ouye Hong, flashed a glint in his eyes and nodded slightly: "Good lad! Clear about grievances and kindness, magnificent demeanor! Junior Sister Leng, you have taken in a good Disciple!"

His gaze toward Yao Delong was filled with genuine appreciation. As the Peak Master, he naturally knew about the several conflicts this good-for-nothing Disciple had caused at the Spirit Forging Peak's Treasure Hall.

The fierce battles of the first day came to a close. In the seventh group, Yao Delong, Zhao Wuhen, and Yan Wu all stood head and shoulders above the rest with ten consecutive victories, their scores leading by a wide margin.

However, the dominance displayed by the three of them left the spectators with their own judgments.

Zhao Wuhen's battles were like drawing an invisible formation diagram. His figure was elusive, and runes flowed from his fingertips. Often, before his opponents could even get close, they were already trapped in layers of illusion, binding, and killing formations, rushing about blindly like headless flies, only to eventually exhaust their spiritual power and concede in dejection.

His victories were filled with the peculiar trickery and calculations unique to the Zhuàn Zhèn Peak, making him impossible to defend against.

Yan Wu was like a burning firestorm. Her movement technique was as swift as fire, and as she brandished her crimson long whip, she stirred up heaven-toppling flames. The whip shadows intertwined with fire snakes, turning the entire arena into a sea of fire.

Her opponents were either forced into a wretched state by the violent flames or struck in vital spots by the tricky whip shadows, defeated cleanly and efficiently.

Her victories were filled with the violence and intensity unique to the Chiyan Peak.

And Yao Delong... his battles could be summed up in two words: crushing dominance.

Once his Sword Domain opened, his opponents felt as if they were carrying a mountain, unable to take a single step, their fighting spirit disintegrating, leading them to concede directly. Simple, direct, and overbearing!

That sense of ease as if lifting a weight, that Aura of settling the outcome without even needing to strike—it brought a shock to people that far surpassed the other two.

In the preparation area, Zhao Wuhen watched Yao Delong's figure as he closed his eyes to regulate his breath, his brows furrowing imperceptibly. His fingertips traced unconsciously, as if deducing something. Finally, he shook his head slightly and muttered to himself: "Although the Sword Domain is strong, it is ultimately an externalized force, and its suppression of top-tier experts of the same Realm is limited... I fear his true killing move has yet to be revealed."

He was vigilant in his heart, but he did not truly view Yao Delong as an insurmountable mountain; after all, the unique skills of his Zhuàn Zhèn Peak were best at using finesse to break brute force.

Yan Wu stared at Yao Delong with her beautiful eyes burning brightly, her Battle Intent raging like the flames around her. "Sword Domain? Hmph! This girl's 'Heaven-Incinerating Fire Domain' is nothing to sneeze at either! I really want to face him sooner to see if his sword is sharper, or if my flames are fiercer!"

She licked her red lips, filled with a wild desire for a challenge. In her view, although the Sword Domain Yao Delong displayed was strong, she too had trump cards, and the outcome remained to be seen.

The next day, the round-robin tournament continued. Seventh group, Arena No. 1. "Yao Delong (Luoxia Peak) versus Jin Lie (Jinxin Peak)!"

Following the referee Elder's voice, a burly man with a tall stature, knotted muscles, and holding a twelve-foot steel-tipped spear leaped onto the arena. His Aura was heavy and dense; he was clearly at the Golden Core Perfection Realm! It was none other than Jin Lie, the Jinxin Peak Disciple who had ranked seventy-eighth in the previous competition!

"Junior Brother Yao, please enlighten me!" Jin Lie's voice was like a booming bell, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

Although he knew Yao Delong's Sword Domain was powerful, he relied on his profound cultivation and the fact that his Metal-element Cultivation Technique focused on offense, while his defense was also not weak. He intended to test him and did not cower before the fight like the previous Disciples.

"Senior Brother Jin, please." Yao Delong's expression was calm, his white robes still as pure as snow.

Hum—! The familiar, vast Sword Domain will, like the might of heaven, descended once again, instantly shrouding the entire arena!

Jin Lie's body sank abruptly, and his expression changed slightly! It truly lived up to its reputation!

He felt as if he were submerged in thick liquid mercury; his movements became sluggish, and the circulation of his spiritual power was significantly suppressed, as if he were carrying a thousand-pound burden!

But that was all! His profound Golden Core Perfection cultivation and strong Physical Body and will prevented him from being overwhelmed like the Middle Golden Core Stage Disciples; his strength was only suppressed by less than twenty percent!

"As expected! Although the Sword Domain is strong, since the gap in Realm is not large, its effect is greatly reduced!" Yao Delong realized in his heart. Instead of being disappointed, a glimmer of excitement ignited in his eyes. This was exactly the opponent he wanted! A whetstone that could allow him to be slightly serious and test his true strength!

"Hah!" Jin Lie let out a violent shout, forcibly driving his Golden Core. A layer of tough golden luster appeared on the surface of his body, as if he had donned a suit of metal armor!

He shook the steel-tipped spear in his hand, and the tip of the spear erupted with blinding golden light. It tore through the thick air, carrying an unstoppable, sharp Aura, and thrust straight at Yao Delong's face!