Jiang Chen, an Eleven-Meridian True Qi master.
Senior Brother Yi, a half-step Spirit Realm expert.
By all logic, the gap between the two was substantial — not even a contest of the same caliber.
But as that Tempest Strike slashed out, the massive surge of true qi sent a blade aura hurtling forth with exquisite precision, cleaving through the void.
The overwhelming torrent of true qi chaos the airflow of empty space in an instant. The binding currents generated by those six chains were caught in that turbulent stream.
Clang!
The ear-piercing ring of metal striking metal echoed across the heavens.
After a single exchange, neither side had gained the upper hand.
"Hmm?" Senior Brother Yi looked visibly surprised. "A True Qi Realm cultivator can actually disrupt my spirit qi flow and break the bindings of my Wind and Cloud Chains?"
Jiang Chen's slash forced his opponent back, and in the brief moment of shock, he urged the Golden-Winged Sword Bird and retreated.
A streak of golden light pierced the sky. Jiang Chen already had the Dayu Bow in his hands.
"Die!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Three arrows in rapid succession, merciless and unerring, shot toward three disciples of the Qianlan Northern Palace.
Over there, the Qianlan Northern Palace disciples were in the middle of besieging Jiang Feng and his group. They had no idea the tide of battle had shifted here, nor did they expect that Jiang Chen, under pressure from Senior Brother Yi, would still have the leisure to attack them.
The sound of arrows cutting through the air reached them a split second before the shafts arrived.
Ah!
Three screams rang out almost simultaneously as three arrows pierced straight through their throats.
Of course, Jiang Chen was using ordinary arrows. These common True Qi Realm fighters didn't warrant the special arrows crafted to pair with the Dayu Bow.
Senior Brother Yi had been caught off guard for just an instant, and Jiang Chen exploited the opening — three of his fellow disciples fell dead in the blink of an eye.
Though Senior Brother Yi didn't particularly care whether his juniors lived or died, having his own people killed right under his nose was nothing short of a slap in the face.
Jiang Chen let out a cold snort, the Nameless Blade in hand, hovering in midair at a measured distance from the main skirmish.
Senior Brother Yi's eyes glinted with vicious intent. "That strike was decent," he snarled. "But if you think a True Qi Realm cultivator can stand against a Spirit Realm powerhouse, you're sorely mistaken."
"Hmph, as though I've never seen a Spirit Realm expert before," Jiang Chen replied with a cold smile.
He had not only witnessed Spirit Realm cultivators — he had fought them. This Senior Brother Yi was a half-step Spirit Realm at best, far inferior to even Xu Zhen, and yet he dared to posture in front of Jiang Chen.
The airflow trembled once more. Around Senior Brother Yi, a colossal storm spiraled to life, a blue-green vortex condensing into a current as thick as a barrel. The chains around him churned within the vortex, coiling and merging until they formed a stream resembling a cerulean dragon, which then shot toward Jiang Chen like a massive drill.
"All flash, no substance!"
Having witnessed Senior Brother Yi's first attack, Jiang Chen had already seen through the man's true measure. This time, he didn't even bother with the Nameless Blade.
He urged the Golden-Winged Sword Bird forward and his body rocketed skyward. His hands formed fists — one channeling the energy of the Great Yin, the other the Great Yang.
"Kurong Shenquan — the Yin-Yang Millstone!"
Two streams of true qi, one Yin and one Yang, merged in a cycle of convergence and divergence, condensing into a devastating fist aura that smashed headlong into the oncoming current!
The Kurong Shenquan was a fist technique that harnessed the dual forces of Yin and Yang. Jiang Chen's present mastery had only reached the peak of the Fourth Withering and Fourth Flourishing stage.
But the profundity of the Four Withering and Four Flourishing was equivalent to a threefold stacking of true qi. Combined with the mysteries of Yin and Yang, the fusion of these two fists carried the force of tenfold true qi amplification.
A majestic punch, within which a full cycle of withering and flourishing unfolded — the turning of the seasons in a single heartbeat.
Boom!
The fist aura collided with the stream of spirit qi and blasted it apart. The mighty fist aura, in turn, was shattered by the impact and dissipated into nothingness.
The first clash had ended in a draw once again.
"What?" Senior Brother Yi could hardly believe it. He had already opened his Spirit Sea — this strike had employed the full power of a half-step Spirit Realm. Against any ordinary True Qi Realm cultivator, they would have been swallowed whole and ground to pulp.
What was this young man's background, that he could trade blows head-on with a half-step Spirit Realm expert — not once, but twice?
This defied all reason. It violated every known principle of the martial path!
"Heh heh. So the so-called half-step Spirit Realm is still no match for a true Spirit Realm cultivator after all!" Jiang Chen's voice dripped with mockery.
He reached out and seized the Dayu Bow once more. "You've had two swings at me. Now let's see how you handle one of mine!"
The Dayu Bow — a fourth-refined spirit artifact.
Earlier, when Jiang Chen had injured those three, it had been mere practice with ordinary arrows.
But he knew full well that against this scar-faced youth, even the strongest ordinary arrow would pose no real threat.
So it was time for a taste of the real Dayu Bow!
Jiang Chen's calm face sharpened with a flash of deadly resolve. He had drawn his true killing intent. The Qianlan Northern Palace had pushed his limits again and again!
Even if killing these people meant the Qianlan Northern Palace would send more experts to cause trouble tomorrow, Jiang Chen would not regret this decision for a single moment.
The path of martial cultivation demanded endurance — but it did not demand endless submission.