Chapter 576 - 572: Tuoba’s Breakthrough

Chapter 576: Chapter 572: Tuoba’s Breakthrough

Of all the people displeased by Duanmu Ci’s retreat, Tuoba Yangyu was undoubtedly the most upset.

Tuoba Yangyu knew perfectly well what Duanmu Ci was scheming.

He was clearly trying to use him to test the waters and find out the true extent of Lin Hao’s abilities.

The corner of Tuoba Yangyu’s mouth twitched as he silently cursed Duanmu Ci’s mother.

But as things stood, he had no choice but to make a move.

If Duanmu Ci hadn’t shown up, Tuoba Yangyu would have been absolutely confident in his ability to kill Lin Hao.

But now, after witnessing the battle between Lin Hao and Duanmu Ci, Tuoba Yangyu’s confidence had hit rock bottom.

Although Lin Hao had just lost to Duanmu Ci, anyone could see it was an honorable defeat.

Under these circumstances, Tuoba Yangyu had long since lost his earlier sharp-edged vigor.

Outside the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion’s Holy Hall, the elders were all shaking their heads.

Although Tuoba Yangyu hadn’t done a thing, these elders were no ordinary men. They could discern his aura with a single glance.

"Bo Yan, give Tuoba Yangyu some encouragement," Guan Zhengyang suddenly said to the Fourth Elder.

The Fourth Elder’s full name was Wan Boyan.

Wan Boyan was stunned for a moment, but he immediately understood Guan Zhengyang’s intentions.

Momentum was far too important for a Martial Artist.

The reason Lin Hao had managed to walk away from his duel with Duanmu Ci intact was precisely because of his momentum.

Only with an overwhelming momentum could one be invincible.

And the reason for bolstering Tuoba Yangyu’s momentum wasn’t for Tuoba Yangyu’s sake, but to temper Lin Hao.

Only by fighting a strong opponent could Lin Hao grow faster.

Understanding Guan Zhengyang’s purpose, Wan Boyan acted at once.

He used a secret technique to transmit his voice to Tuoba Yangyu.

No one knew what he said, but Tuoba Yangyu’s body jolted, and a fervent glow suddenly lit up his eyes.

Immediately, a terrifying pressure erupted from Tuoba Yangyu’s body.

"Fourth Brother, what did you say? He actually advanced from the Eighth Layer of Soul Gathering Realm to the Ninth Layer."

As elders, they were of course keenly aware of what had just happened to Tuoba Yangyu. For him to advance from the Eighth Layer to the Ninth Layer under such circumstances was simply too sudden.

Thus, the Third Elder asked.

It wasn’t just the Third Elder; even the Fourth Elder himself was stunned. "I just told him, ’To conquer others, you must first conquer yourself. If you can’t break through to the Ninth Layer, I’ll destroy you.’"

"That actually worked?" Liu Bo was also in disbelief.

"Tuoba Yangyu’s cultivation was already infinitely close to the Ninth Layer; he only lacked the right trigger. He was deluding himself by placing all his hopes on Lin Hao. The battle between Lin Hao and Duanmu Ci showed him that hope was lost. When Bo Yan woke him from his stupor, his breakthrough was only natural."

It was Guan Zhengyang who explained the reason.

The other elders listened and nodded in agreement.

"Tuoba Yangyu’s talent is extraordinary; he could be considered a peerless genius. Now that Fourth Brother has snapped him out of it, he will no longer have any fear of Lin Hao. Lin Hao is in danger," the Third Elder said, beginning to worry for him.

Initially, the Third Elder hadn’t taken a side, but after the incident in the Holy Hall, even a fool would know which side to choose.

That was why he was now making his support unequivocally clear.

"This is exactly the outcome I wanted," Guan Zhengyang said with a smile.

He was no longer worried about Lin Hao, only filled with anticipation.

He was eager to see Lin Hao put on a stunning performance.

As they spoke, Tuoba Yangyu, on the field, seemed to have transformed into a completely different person.

Jolted by the Fourth Elder’s words and completely free from his past inhibitions, Tuoba Yangyu had advanced to the Ninth Layer of Soul Gathering Realm. A powerful confidence now surged within him.

In fact, Tuoba Yangyu was now filled with a sense of unrivaled supremacy.

He believed that even if he were to face Duanmu Ci again, he could defeat him!

Of course, this was just a conviction.

The sudden moment of enlightenment had instilled in Tuoba Yangyu the powerful conviction that he was invincible.

"Lin Hao, watch out!" With a sharp cry, Tuoba Yangyu took a single step.

In that single step, he appeared before Lin Hao.

He immediately thrust out a palm.

The palm strike seemed effortless, yet it was perfectly executed.

At the same time, the palm contained incomparable power.

The world around them turned strange.

There was no wind.

Even the air seemed to stop moving.

Lin Hao actually felt as if he were suffocating.

This should have been impossible.

After all, since his body had been reconstructed, every inch of his skin could breathe on its own; he should never have been able to feel suffocated.

And yet, now he did.

Faced with such a palm strike, Lin Hao reacted instantly.

He, too, thrust out a palm in response.

This time, he used the hand seal he had just comprehended from the "Lín" character.

In his duel with Duanmu Ci, the failure of the "Lín" character at the end had revealed his weakness. But for that very reason, he was more determined to use it.

Although he had successfully comprehended a character from the Dao Sound, it contained endless, magnificent power, and Lin Hao had only scratched the surface of its true meaning.

Lin Hao even had a feeling that if he could fully comprehend this character, he would gain a new Secret Skill.

A Secret Skill that would be in no way inferior to his Body Double.

This was an incredible prospect.

After all, the complete Body Double Secret Skill he currently possessed was nearly on par with an Emperor-level technique.

It was for this very reason that Lin Hao chose to use the hand seal, hoping to further his comprehension of the Secret Skill.

The moment the hand seal formed, it collided directly with Tuoba Yangyu’s palm.

Space distorted, and a ripple spread out in all directions.

Farther away, the very fabric of the void churned and collapsed.

One black hole after another began to appear.

The aftershock of their clash alone was enough to shatter the void!

Tuoba Yangyu’s hair whipped about wildly, his eyes gazing down upon the world with immense heroic pride.

Lin Hao stood several hundred meters away, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face flushed red.

’Tuoba Yangyu has advanced to the Ninth Layer. His combat power is terrifying. Even using the hand seal, I’m still no match for him.’

At that moment, Lin Hao’s internal organs were severely damaged. The Emperor-level technique within him was circulating frantically to aid his recovery.

Across from him, Tuoba Yangyu’s eyes narrowed, and he attacked once more.

’I’ve advanced to the Ninth Layer of Soul Gathering Realm, and Lin Hao is only at the Seventh Layer. Yet he took my palm strike and is still standing. His ability surpasses all the opponents I’ve ever faced.’

’Lin Hao is too terrifying. I can’t give him a moment to catch his breath.’

The moment Tuoba Yangyu moved, Lin Hao moved as well.

This time, however, Lin Hao didn’t choose a head-on confrontation. Instead, he stomped his foot and shot straight up toward Tianyu.

’Fighting Tuoba Yangyu before my body has fully recovered would be suicide.’

As Lin Hao shot toward Tianyu, Tuoba Yangyu naturally wouldn’t let him go, following him like a shadow.

At the same time, Tuoba Yangyu thrust a palm toward the empty space.

However, Lin Hao’s body instantly shifted sideways through the void, escaping several hundred meters away.

"Where do you think you’re going!" Tuoba Yangyu roared, shaping his hands into claws and grabbing in Lin Hao’s direction.

He then yanked his hands back sharply.

Lin Hao’s body faltered for a moment, but he still managed to escape.

The misty clouds in the sky, however, began to surge madly toward Tuoba Yangyu.

The vast expanse of clouds and mist converged, resembling a great river in full flood from a distance...