161: Chapter 161 Clash of Prodigies

Upon hearing this, the white-haired elder's pupils constricted sharply like needle tips—in that instant, his eyes felt as if they had been violently pricked by something, and even the edges of his pupils were trembling slightly.

His originally steady voice seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand, every word trembling uncontrollably, like withered leaves in winter rustling in the wind:

"Y-you mean... you exhausted all your strength, yet you couldn't even force out a fraction of his true trump card...?"

She nodded slightly.

This nod was as light as a feather landing, yet it was as heavy as a massive boulder, slamming hard against the elder's heart.

Her gaze turned once again toward the direction where Xuanyuan Zhanxian had departed, but the gravity in her eyes had turned into a bottomless abyss of cold—in that abyss, there was no light, no bottom, only endless cold and darkness:

"That is not all."

"Just now, during the battle, I sensed a faint, ancient Aura behind him—this Aura was vast and domineering, carrying a wildness capable of tearing through the firmament, and it vaguely aligned with the records of the 'Ten Fiends Treasure Technique' in the Sect's archives."

"The Ten Fiends Treasure Technique?!"

The elder's voice soared, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and as if suddenly jolted awake, he hurriedly covered his mouth, forcefully swallowing the rest of his exclamation, his movements as hasty as a thief's.

His complexion instantly faded from ruddy to deathly pale, as white as the first snow of winter, and even the white hair at his temples was trembling slightly like reeds in the wind:

"That is the innate Divine Ability of the Ten Vicious Beasts from the primordial era! It has been lost for ten thousand years since the Great War of Gods and Demons, and even fragments are hard to find! You... are you truly certain you didn't sense it wrong?"

The Fairy of Penglai raised her hand, condensing a wisp of crystalline water vapor.

This water vapor swirled around her fingertips like a transparent ribbon, light and agile.

As her fingertips turned lightly, the faint fluctuations from the battle emerged within the water vapor—this was a trace of the Dao rhythm unintentionally leaked when Xuanyuan Zhanxian unleashed his Yin and Yang Qi, like an undercurrent faintly visible beneath the water's surface.

"Look."

Her voice was so light it seemed as if she feared disturbing something, like a whisper in the dead of night:

"When he channeled the Yin and Yang Qi to surround his body, within the Qi mass on his left, there was a faint phantom of a Kunpeng soaring through the Nine Heavens. Where the tips of its wings swept by, even space wrinkled slightly. Although it was extremely subtle, it could not be wrong."

She paused, her gaze dropping, her eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, her voice even softer, yet carrying an unquestionable certainty, like an iron nail driven into a wooden board:

"Moreover, that Kunpeng Dao rhythm was perfectly rounded and flawless, without the slightest hint of crudeness."

"I suspect he has already... mastered the complete Kunpeng Treasure Technique."

"Taiji Yin-Yang Divine Body, plus the complete Kunpeng Treasure Technique..."

The elder repeated, muttering, every word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a sense of powerlessness that went deep into his marrow.

He felt as if his heart had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, the hammer striking again and again, leaving him unable to breathe.

He staggered back two steps, like a drunkard, each step landing on cotton.

It was only when his back slammed heavily against the coiled dragon stone pillar beside him, the carved dragon patterns on the pillar digging painfully into his spine, that he barely managed to steady himself.

He raised his hand to wipe his forehead, his palm full of cold sweat—the cold sweat was not seeping from the surface of his skin, but oozing from the gaps in his bones.

Even his voice carried a sense of exhaustion, as if he had just recovered from a severe illness:

"If this child grows up, in the future... I fear no one will be able to control him."

Silence spread between the two, heavy as if it had congealed for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

The silence was not empty; it was stuffed with things—shock, fear, powerlessness, and a trace of indescribable awe.

The elder suddenly took a deep breath, an intake so profound it seemed he was trying to suppress all the fear in his chest. He bowed deeply to the Fairy of Penglai.

This bow was very deep; his grey hair hung down, almost touching the bluestone floor, his back bent like a fully drawn bow, even his shoulders trembling slightly:

"The Fairy pointing this out today is equivalent to giving the Penglai Dynasty a warning. This grace of guidance will be remembered by all of Penglai forever."

The Fairy of Penglai nodded slightly, her long eyelashes trembling, not surprised by this result.

She raised her eyes to scan the viewing area of the Xichu Dynasty not far away, her gaze landing precisely on that dark-clothed figure—

The Xichu team's elder leader was toying with a blood-red Blood Fiend Jade Pendant, his fingertips repeatedly rubbing the Taotie patterns on the pendant, his movements slow and rhythmic, as if caressing some beloved object.

His clouded eyes were looking this way thoughtfully; clearly, he had overheard some of the conversation, and a sharp glint was hidden deep within his eyes.

"The people of Xichu seem to have sensed something as well," she said softly, her tone devoid of joy or anger, as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

The elder followed her gaze, and when he saw that Blood Fiend Jade Pendant, a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes—a coldness like the winter wind, making one's bones ache.

He sneered, his mouth twisting into a mocking arc:

"When that brat Xiang Kunlun was fighting earlier, he clearly held back—he didn't even unleash his most proficient 'Overlord Array-Breaking Halberd Technique,' and didn't even use thirty percent of his strength. These old foxes, each one of them hiding things, only wanting to sit back and reap the rewards!"

Just as the Fairy of Penglai and the elder were conversing—

Above the Martial Arts Arena at the very edge, a piercing sound of something breaking through the air suddenly rang out.

The sound was as sharp as someone scratching a metal plate with their fingernails, and also like thousands of birds screaming at once, stabbing painfully at the eardrums.

The originally clear sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds; the clouds came so fast it was as if someone had poured a basin of ink from the heavens. A violent wind whistled by, carrying sand and gravel that stung when they hit one's face, and in an instant, the winds and clouds changed color!

The two fighting in the arena were none other than Tuoba Ye, ranked seventh on the Son of Heaven Number One List, and Lei Potian, ranked tenth.

Less than half an incense stick of time ago, the two were still testing each other with Moves, leaving room in their punches and kicks, like two beasts testing each other's claws and fangs.

But now, it was as if a powder keg had been ignited; their Aura surged abruptly, causing the Spiritual Qi in the world to churn, and even producing strange phenomena—

Dark clouds pressed down, thunder rumbled, as if even the heavens were trembling for this duel.

Tuoba Ye suddenly threw his head back and let out a long howl!

The howl shook the heavens and the earth!

The sound did not come from his throat, but erupted from the depths of his chest, from his marrow, carrying a savage, primitive, and undisguised killing intent.

Wherever the sound waves passed, the air rippled visibly, like a massive boulder thrown into the water.

The blood-colored True Qi around his body surged like boiling magma, condensing behind him into a zhang-tall, ferocious phantom of a blood wolf.

The blood wolf's fur was like ink, shiny black, purely black, like a carefully polished piece of obsidian.

Only its pair of wolf eyes were a poisonous scarlet, red like two burning flames, red like fresh blood just flowing from a wound.

It threw its head back and howled at the sky; wherever the sound waves reached, even the Spiritual Qi around the Martial Arts Arena was thrown into disorder, as if stirred upside down by an invisible giant hand.

Many low-level Cultivators were even shocked into covering their ears, their faces pale; some squatted on the ground dry-heaving, others huddled, shivering.

"This is... the Northern Wei Royal Family's nation-protecting ultimate technique, the 'Heavenly Wolf Devours the Moon Technique'!"

Someone in the viewing area exclaimed, their tone filled with disbelief, each word sounding as if they were confirming if they had seen wrong:

"Rumor has it that this Cultivation Technique requires the essence blood of a hundred kinds of Yao Beasts as a guide, and it is extremely painful to Cultivate; Tuoba Ye has actually succeeded in mastering it!"

And Lei Potian opposite him was not to be outdone.

He stomped his feet heavily on the ground—

"Boom!"

The bluestone slab instantly cracked with spiderweb-like fissures, the cracks spreading outward from the soles of his feet, like a giant spiderweb covering the entire arena, gravel splashing, dust flying.

He struck his fists together, and lightning suddenly flashed all over his body; purple electric currents coiled around his arms like frenzied vipers, climbing upward along the force of his punches, condensing in the air into a three-zhang-long phantom of a lightning dragon!

The lightning dragon's scales were distinct, each scale shining with a metallic luster, with blinding electric light flashing on them, crackling and popping.

The dragon horns were sharp as knives, gleaming with a cold light, as if they could pierce through everything.

Its open dragon mouth spat out dense lightning arcs, like tiny purple snakes writhing in the air; just looking at it made one's scalp tingle and back go cold.

"Rumble—!!"

The lightning dragon and the blood wolf lunged at each other almost at the same time, and the moment they collided violently, a thunderous sound erupted!

This loud sound was not one sound, but millions of sounds stacked together, like thousands of mountain peaks collapsing at once, like thousands of rivers bursting their banks simultaneously.

It shook one's internal organs, making one's vision go black and ears ring.

The violent energy shockwave spread out like a bursting flood; the defensive barrier inscribed with runes around the Martial Arts Arena shook violently, and white cracks appeared on the light blue light membrane, dense and numerous, like shattered porcelain, as if it would completely break in the next second!

"Crack—!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out.

The sound was not loud, but it was more piercing than any loud noise, because it meant—the barrier was not going to hold.

The defensive barrier cracked open with spiderweb-like fissures in response, and a few wisps of violent air waves leaked out from the gaps, surging toward the surroundings like a tide.

The Cultivators watching in the front row were caught off guard and were blown back repeatedly by the air waves; some fell to the ground, others crashed into the seats behind them.

Many hurriedly unleashed their defensive Magical Artifacts—

Some unleashed small bronze shields, with archaic runes carved on the shield surface, glowing with a faint light under the drive of Spiritual Qi; others unfolded beast-hide chest Protectors, the mirror surface smooth as glass, reflecting the chaotic scene ahead.

The surfaces of the Magical Artifacts instantly glowed with a faint light, but they were still vibrated by the air waves, humming, and even the hands holding the Magical Artifacts were trembling, knuckles turning white.

Tuoba Ye's eyes were blood-red, his eyes covered with bloodshot veins, like a red web.

The blood wolf phantom behind him became more solid after absorbing the scattered Spiritual Qi; it opened its wolf mouth, revealing two rows of deathly white fangs, the fangs like rows of daggers, gleaming with cold light.

The saliva dripping from the fangs carried a pungent, fishy odor, and when it landed on the ground, it actually corroded the bluestone slabs into small pits, white smoke rising, hissing and popping.

"Lei Potian, you always say that rankings cannot represent strength—"

He stepped forward violently, the bluestone slab under his feet shattering inch by inch in response, the cracks spreading like spiderwebs, like scars on the earth.

"Today I will let you see why I, Tuoba Ye, am seventh, and you, Lei Potian, can only be tenth!"

The blood wolf phantom followed with a deafening roar; this roar was like rolling thunder, and also like a mountain torrent erupting, shaking one's eardrums.

It pushed off the ground with four claws and lunged, the sharp wolf claws tearing through the air, leaving trails of dark red blood marks, and it actually accurately avoided the lightning dragon's sharp claws, locking the neck of the lightning dragon phantom tightly!

Lei Potian's hair and beard stood on end, every single hair standing up, like a lion with bristling fur. The lightning around his body suddenly surged several times over, the purple light casting his face in flickering light and shadow, like a ghost.

The purple electric currents formed a violent lightning curtain around him, and even his robes were dyed an eerie light purple by the lightning, his hem flapping loudly in the lightning, like a flag fluttering in a gale.

He roared, and the lightning dragon phantom behind him followed with a deafening roar; that roar carried unwillingness, anger, and a determination to fight to the death.

The giant dragon claws slammed fiercely toward the blood wolf's head, each claw carrying the might to tear everything apart:

"Tuoba Ye, don't get too smug! Today, I will let you know the strength of the tenth rank—"

"Watch me shatter your wolf head!"

"Bang—!!!"

The blood wolf and the lightning dragon tore at each other crazily in the air.

Blood light and lightning light intertwined and collided, each contact erupting with blinding light, red and purple intertwined together, like two flames that refused to merge, desperately trying to devour each other.

This light was too bright, so bright that one could not open their eyes, as if it were about to tear this heaven and earth apart!

The ground of the Martial Arts Arena was repeatedly struck by the two forces, the surface bluestone slabs had long since turned into powder, and even the rock layers buried deep below were blown away, revealing the serpentine Spiritual Vein beneath the ground—that Spiritual Vein was like a sleeping dragon, now awakened, emitting a low rumble.

Dense Spiritual Qi gushed out from the Spiritual Vein, permeating the space above the Martial Arts Arena like white mist, a vast expanse of white, like thick winter fog, where one could not see their own fingers.

But before the Spiritual Qi could disperse—

The blood wolf and the lightning dragon turned their heads simultaneously, opening their giant mouths to compete in devouring it.

The scene was eerie and shocking—two giant beasts condensed from energy were frantically snatching the Spiritual Qi gushing from the ground in mid-air, like two starving wild dogs fighting for food.

The moment the Spiritual Qi entered their bodies, the Aura of both surged again.

The blood wolf's fur became increasingly as black as night, black as a black hole capable of devouring all light.

The lightning dragon's scales became increasingly dazzling, bright as the stars above the Nine Heavens.

Even the winds and clouds between heaven and earth became more violent, dark clouds rolling, thunder pealing, gales whistling, as if the apocalypse had arrived!