Chapter 448 - 423: Force Against Force

Suddenly, Zhaang Ye and Yun Kairi roared in unison as the auras erupting from their bodies slammed into each other. The collision of their immense auras instantly threw the dueling ring into chaos, with terrifying Innate True Qi frantically tearing at everything in sight.

Amidst the chaos, Zhaang Ye and Yun Kairi both took a step forward in perfect sync, crossing over a hundred feet to launch incomparably fierce attacks at each other.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Zhaang Ye’s and Yun Kairi’s fists and feet collided without pause, like eight massive metal pillars hammering against one another in mid-air. Innate True Qi detonated between their limbs, causing the dueling ring’s Protective Shield to tremble so violently it looked ready to shatter at any moment. Terrifying shockwaves rolled out one after another, like ripples spreading across water.

"Heavens, that’s terrifying!"

"The sound of their blows is just unbearable!"

"Damn it, why do I feel worse the longer I listen? My chest feels like it’s about to be crushed."

As Yun Kairi and Zhaang Ye fought in a wild frenzy, the sound from their clashing limbs possessed a terrifying Penetrating Power. It traveled thousands of feet, hammering against the spectators’ hearts with every impact. The tens of thousands of audience members near the ring felt waves of discomfort. Some with weaker Cultivation even started bleeding from their mouths and ears.

Yun Kairi relied on his profound Innate True Qi to trade over a hundred blows head-on with Zhaang Ye. Afterward, he felt sharp pains shooting through his limbs and couldn’t help but gasp inwardly. When Zhaang Ye defeated Xingxing’Er with sheer strength, Yun Kairi had been surprised, but he hadn’t been fully convinced of his power.

Only now, after clashing head-on with Zhaang Ye, did Yun Kairi truly understand how terrifying his opponent’s strength was. ’He’s like a man forged from Profound Iron,’ he thought. ’No matter how potent my Innate True Qi is, I can’t seem to hurt him at all. But every casual punch he throws contains overwhelming power. Even with my abundant Innate True Qi, I can barely withstand it.’

"BOOM!"

Realizing he could never gain an advantage by trading blows head-on, Yun Kairi threw a decisive punch. He used the impact to Borrow Power, vaulting back over three hundred feet while keeping his aura locked onto Zhaang Ye to prevent a pursuit.

Seeing Yun Kairi leap back in retreat, the spectators let out a long, collective sigh of relief. The sound of their clashing limbs had been unbearable. If they had continued, the audience members near the ring might have been rattled until they bled from all seven orifices.

While the audience breathed a sigh of relief, the other competing disciples were stunned. Their perception was far sharper than the average spectator’s. The moment they saw Yun Kairi retreat, they knew he had been at a disadvantage in that head-on exchange.

Yun Kairi was ranked tenth on the charts, a man of unfathomable power. To see such a mighty genius forced back by Zhaang Ye’s raw strength revealed just how formidable Zhaang Ye was. By now, not even the four super-geniuses—Lie Xuefeng of Eastern Snow Sand City, Luo Fusheng of Southern Black Stone City, Bizhi Orchid of Western Star-picking City, and Northern Qu Mountain City’s Blood Chongyang—dared to underestimate him.

Below the dueling ring, Red Cliff Celestial Ape stared coldly at Zhaang Ye and sneered, "That Zhaang Ye brat has some decent strength; even Yun Kairi didn’t dare to continue a direct clash. But no matter how strong he is, he can’t be stronger than I, the Red Cliff Celestial Ape. Zhaang Ye, just you wait! I will use my strength to crush you utterly! I will show you the meaning of the name Power King!"

Red Cliff Celestial Ape clenched his fists, and the air in his grasp audibly popped, creating two loud bangs that startled the nearby disciples into scrambling away.

「On the dueling ring.」

Yun Kairi took a long, deep breath. "Zhaang Ye," he said, "your strength is quite impressive. You are worthy of facing my full power. You’d best be careful from now on!"

Having said his piece, Yun Kairi’s hands began to move through a series of subtle and rapid motions in the air, ultimately forming a mysterious, flower-like Hand Seal.

A look of satisfaction crossed Yun Kairi’s face as he gently clenched the Hand Seal.

"THUMP!"

As Yun Kairi clenched his hand, the hearts of the spectators near the ring convulsed violently, as if they had all been punched in the chest. A wave of agony wracked their bodies.

"Huh?!"

The spectators cried out in unison. One man clutched his chest, saying in horror, "What was that? Why does my heart suddenly feel so pained?"

Just as the audience reeled in horror, Yun Kairi clenched the Hand Seal a second time.

"THUMP! THUMP!"

Everyone’s heart hammered twice. Some of the Martial Artists with lower Cultivation felt their qi and blood scatter. Their bodies went completely limp, unable to muster even a shred of strength.

Yun Kairi’s strange actions drew the attention of several of the most powerful experts present. A flicker of surprise appeared in Ye Cangtian’s eyes as he murmured, "Interesting, very interesting! To think this Yun Kairi can actually use a Hand Seal to compress his Innate True Qi! Heh heh, Zhaang Ye is sure to lose now."

The expert Fengyun Sheng also wore a surprised expression. He muttered to himself, "This Yun Kairi is quite skilled. After compressing his Innate True Qi, its power will multiply. Defeating Zhaang Ye will be a simple matter for him."

Several of the Sect’s Elders were closely following the battle. Seventh Elder Jin Zhongyu watched Yun Kairi and smiled faintly. "This child, Yun Kairi, has excellent Comprehension," he said. "To think he can use the power of a Hand Seal to compress his own Innate True Qi."

Eighth Elder Chi Haisheng nodded. "Normally, a Martial Artist cannot directly control their Innate True Qi," he said. "Yun Kairi’s clever use of a Hand Seal to compress it is truly an innovative idea. Once compressed, the Innate True Qi’s power will increase dramatically. Zhaang Ye is sure to lose this time."

The Seventh Elder sighed. "Zhaang Ye’s combat experience is still lacking. If he were to strike now and interrupt Yun Kairi’s Hand Seal, he might still have a chance. But unfortunately, he seems intimidated by the immense power gathering in Yun Kairi’s hands and doesn’t dare to act. He’s bound to lose this fight."

The Ninth Elder shook his head slightly. ’I can’t believe Yun Kairi can compress Innate True Qi,’ he thought. ’This is completely unexpected. If Zhaang Ye had more combat experience, he could have attacked the moment the Hand Seal formed and still had a chance of winning. But now, Yun Kairi has already clenched the seal twice. The Innate True Qi has been compressed two times, its power doubling as a result. Zhaang Ye has no chance left.’

On the dueling ring, Zhaang Ye’s expression was grave. He could faintly sense an immense power coalescing within Yun Kairi’s Hand Seal. It was so vast that even he felt a tremor of alarm. What astonished him further was that this terrifying power in Yun Kairi’s hand was still growing, seemingly without end.

Zhaang Ye’s sharp instincts told him he should strike first to interrupt the Hand Seal. However, the thought had barely formed before he dismissed it.

Ever since he began his Cultivation of the Celestial River Righteous Qi, Zhaang Ye’s power had grown stronger with each passing day. By this point, even he didn’t know where his limits truly lay. Seeing Yun Kairi continuously amass power, a wild thought sparked in Zhaang Ye’s mind: he would let his opponent gather his strength, just to see if he could withstand the resulting attack.

As Zhaang Ye watched, Yun Kairi clenched the Hand Seal a third time. With this clench, every spectator within four thousand feet of the ring felt their hearts hammer three times in their chests. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP. Even Martial Artists who had reached the Martial Arts Ninth Layer felt waves of pain in their chests. As for those with Cultivation below the Martial Arts Seventh Layer, their vision went dark, and they found it hard to breathe.

The Innate True Qi had now been compressed three times, and a destructive aura emanated from Yun Kairi’s hand. With a loud laugh, he abruptly raised his arm. Two streams of vast, abyssal power instantly locked onto Zhaang Ye and blasted toward him!

There were no fancy moves in Yun Kairi’s attack because none were needed. This strike contained Innate True Qi that had been compressed three times—it was powerful enough to level a mountain or blast a lake dry! In the face of such absolute power, any Transformation or exquisite Combat Skill was utterly redundant!

Standing on the dueling ring, Zhaang Ye felt as if heaven and earth were collapsing upon him. All power, all existence, seemed to be bearing down to crush him. Propelled by this terrifying force, even a single speck of dust now carried lethal power!

’What a terrifying strike!’

Zhaang Ye praised the attack inwardly. His arms, like a pair of great sabers, whirled and chopped forward, cleaving directly into the two streams of compressed Innate True Qi.

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s move, the entire crowd went pale. A single thought flashed through everyone’s mind: ’Zhaang Ye is insane! He’s actually meeting Yun Kairi’s painstakingly compressed Innate True Qi head-on! That’s suicide!’

The thought had barely crossed their minds when Zhaang Ye’s bladed hands viciously slammed into the two masses of compressed Innate True Qi.

BOOM!

The immense Celestial River Righteous Qi met the thrice-compressed Innate True Qi head-on. Amid an indescribable, deafening roar, a colossal force erupted skyward, instantly shattering the dueling ring’s Protective Shield. After destroying the shield, the force swept out frantically in all directions. Within a ten-thousand-foot radius of the ring, a pillar of dust and smoke billowed into the clouds, obscuring everything from sight.

"AHH—"

Within the roiling cloud of dust, some spectators were caught by the shockwave and instantly coughed up blood. Others, seated higher up, tumbled from their seats like stones. The area in a ten-thousand-foot radius was a complete wreck.

After what felt like an eternity, the dust and violent energy finally began to settle. The people eagerly fixed their gazes upon the dueling ring, desperate to see who had emerged victorious from that cataclysmic clash between Yun Kairi and Zhaang Ye.

At the sight, everyone was stunned speechless. Their jaws hung open, and their eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets.

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