A boom sounded as a surge of violent force struck Yang Kai's chest.
Yan Qing didn't even glance at him, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Even though the blow was merely a casual strike from his hand, he was a third-stage Void King realm cultivator. How could someone with not a shred of spiritual energy on their body possibly withstand it and come out unscathed?
Being reduced to powder would be considered fortunate; turning to fine dust would be the expected outcome.
His body suddenly shuddered, and he turned his head in disbelief. He saw the young man over there calmly flicking at the spot on his chest where he'd been hit, as if it were nothing, and then flash a grin before leisurely strolling toward him.
What the hell?
Yan Qing thought his eyes were deceiving him. How could he possibly be fine?
Unwilling to trust his senses, he released his spiritual perception, scanning Yang Kai once more. The conclusion was undeniable: there wasn't the slightest trace of cultivation on him. This guy was practically indistinguishable from an ordinary mortal.
A frown creasing his brow, Yan Qing struck out with his palm again.
This time, he'd used thirty percent of his strength, a probing attack to test his opponent.
The young man walking toward him didn't dodge or evade, allowing the ferocious attack to land squarely on his chest. His figure didn't even sway, as if the palm strike were merely a pleasant breeze brushing his face.
Yan Qing's face drained of color. How could he not realize he'd misjudged the situation? Blocking two of his palm strikes without using any power himself—could this person possibly be...
"You're a Body Refinement Cultivator!"
In this world, there existed an exceedingly rare group of beings. They didn't cultivate the strength of meridians, focusing solely on their physical bodies. Rumor had it that they, too, could reach the pinnacle of martial arts, their bodies achieving sainthood. But this path was never verified because, compared to mainstream Cultivation, it was as narrow and treacherous as a goat path. For countless years, no one had dedicated themselves solely to tempering the physical body. Records of such individuals only existed from the distant ancient era.
So He Yunxiang's confidence rested on this man? The thought inevitably surfaced in Yan Qing's mind.
If this person truly was a Body Refinement Cultivator, he would not be easy to deal with. Such cultivators focused only on their physical forms, possessing vitality so tenacious they were nearly impossible to kill. Moreover, while this path was fraught with thorns and incredibly arduous to walk, once one achieved success, the power they could wield was terrifying. Among those of the same realm, they were virtually unbeatable.
By the time the third palm struck, Yan Qing was holding nothing back.
He wanted to see just how far this Body Refinement Cultivator had progressed.
A whistling wind sounded as the force in his palm coalesced into a vortex. An aura that made one's skin crawl radiated outward as his palm hammered down.
Boom...
The energy exploded, causing the entire great hall to seem as if heaven and earth were turning upside down. Visibly, a pale green palm print slammed into Yang Kai's chest.
Yan Qing's eyes went wide, wishing he could gouge them out and place them on the young man's body for a closer look.
The result, however, left him both shocked and horrified. Even a full-powered strike had failed to budge the young man in the slightest; it hadn't even so much as creased his robes.
He was absolutely no match!
In the span of a heartbeat, a figure was suddenly before him.
The young man, who had been over a dozen zhang away, had appeared in front of him as if by teleportation, without warning.
"Humph!" Yan Qing's reaction was lightning-fast. With a sharp shout, a burst of azure light erupted from his mouth, shooting straight toward Yang Kai's unprotected eyes. It was a three-inch-long needle—a high-grade Void King realm Artifact. It was silent and invisible, impossible to guard against.
Needle-type Artifacts were rare and difficult to forge, but they were often incredibly powerful, serving as one of Yan Qing's most formidable killing moves.
Yet, this ultimate trump card brought Yan Qing not a shred of security. After the strike, his figure immediately began to retreat, aiming to create distance between himself and the young man.
His body suddenly froze as a large hand clamped onto his neck, squeezing so hard he instantly couldn't breathe. The moment he was grabbed, Yan Qing went limp like a dead dog, the Saint Yuan within his body no longer responding to his commands.
With a clatter, the needle Artifact fell to the floor.
Yan Qing was horrified beyond belief. He saw the young man before him simply blow a breath, and that breath had nullified his killing move.
How was this possible? How could this be? Was he dreaming? Hahaha!
With a crash, the doors and windows of the great hall shattered inward, and more than a dozen figures poured inside in a stream.
The commotion inside had naturally not escaped the perception of the powerful experts outside. The moment they sensed the signs of a fight breaking out, they had rushed in. Every single one radiated the aura of the Void King realm.
Leading them was an elderly man with white hair at his temples, his eyes bright and sharp, also a third-stage Void King. His aura was even a fraction stronger than Yan Qing's.
The Grand Elder of the Yan Family, Yan An!
In his hand, a long sword danced, conjuring blossoms of sword-light. The tip of the blade quivered, then suddenly shot straight, ten thousand rays of sword-light converging into a single point of brilliance that thrust directly toward Yang Kai's back.
Murderous intent filled the air, completely ignoring everyone else! His mastery of the sword was displayed with breathtaking perfection in this instant, enough to leave onlookers marveling and lost in the vision of an endless world dedicated to the sword's path.