The Duel Begins

Qin Wuya's gaze shifted between Qin Hao and Jiang Xinyao for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile as he spoke slowly:

"Since everyone has no objections, then... let the sparring begin."

As soon as his voice fell, a figure leaped onto the arena.

"Opportunities like today are rare. Let my Ye family be the first to break the ice!"

The young man cupped his hands toward Qin Hao and said in a deep voice, "Ye Family, Ye Jingyun. Please enlighten me."

Seeing the young man, an uproar broke out in the crowd.

"Whoa, it's the Ye Family's Imperial Son, Ye Jingyun! I heard he is only fifty years old this year but is already a cultivator at the Mahayana Realm. Moreover, he was born with a Supreme Bone and is invincible among his peers. I thought he would be the grand finale, but I didn't expect him to be unable to hold back so soon."

"Suppressing one's cultivation is actually very advantageous for high-realm cultivators like Ye Jingyun. After all, even though the realm is lowered, their mastery over spiritual energy and their comprehension of the realm remain unchanged. The Qin Family's Imperial Son talked big, but could he be eliminated in the first round?"

Burning gazes from the audience focused on Qin Hao. Facing the challenge of the Ye Family's Imperial Son, Ye Jingyun, would this Qin Family's Imperial Son who made such bold claims truly astound everyone today, or was he just putting on a front?

Qin Hao and Ye Jingyun faced each other from afar. He cupped his fists toward Ye Jingyun: "Qin Family, Qin Hao!"

"You make the first move. I'm afraid that once I strike, you won't even have a chance to show off," Qin Hao's airy voice drifted over, piercing Ye Jingyun's heart like a poisoned needle.

Ye Jingyun's mouth twitched, his eyes filled with coldness. "Haha, Qin Hao? I'll remember you. Since the day I, Ye Jingyun, was born, you are the only one who has dared to look down on me!"

"I hope your skills are as big as your arrogance!"

Furious to the point of laughing, Ye Jingyun's face completely darkened. As the Imperial Son of the Ye Family, born with a Supreme Bone, when had he ever been so slighted?

Ye Jingyun said no more. Taking a deep breath, the aura around him abruptly changed. He extended his right index finger. At this moment, that segment of his finger faintly emitted a jade-like luster. Tiny purple specks of starlight circulated at his fingertip, and an ancient, berserk pressure permeated from it.

"Supreme Bone! Is the Ye Family's Imperial Son using the power of his Supreme Bone right from the start? Interesting."

"A Supreme Bone divine ability is not inferior to an Emperor-tier divine ability. I wonder how the Qin Family's Imperial Son will deal with it."

"Startling Thunder Finger!"

Just as the crowd watched with eager anticipation, Ye Jingyun let out a low roar. His spiritual energy, suppressed to the first stage of the Soul Formation Realm by the formation, madly surged toward that index finger. The lightning-attribute spiritual energy in heaven and earth was also drawn in, gathering frantically.

Before long, a massive and pure finger of lightning shot toward Qin Hao at extreme speed.

"So strong! An ordinary peak Soul Formation cultivator would find it hard to block this strike!"

"Peak Soul Formation? Who are you looking down on? Our Imperial Son once killed a Void Refinement Realm cultivator while he was only at the Soul Formation Realm. Now that he is a Mahayana Realm cultivator, possessing the spiritual energy control and realm comprehension of the Mahayana Realm, even a Void Refinement Realm cultivator wouldn't be able to block this finger!"

The geniuses of the Ye Family spoke with proud expressions, their tone full of reverence for their Imperial Son.

Facing this strike that was as fast as lightning and as forceful as a galloping thunderbolt, Qin Hao stood in place, his body completely unmoving.

"Dual Pupils, open!"

Deep within Qin Hao's eyes, a vision of chaotic creation and destruction flashed by. The Startling Thunder Finger hurtling toward him was instantly analyzed in his vision.

Whether it was the trajectory of the energy, the core runes, or even that trace of the Supreme Bone's origin aura, everything was clearly reflected.

"Innate Dao Body, open!"

With the Innate Dao Body activated, the berserk energy of the Startling Thunder Finger became much tamer.

"Heavenly Phoenix Divine Body, open!"

"Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, open!"

"Sword of Absolute Beginning!"

Under the augmentation of Qin Hao's multiple top-tier physiques, the moment his Sword of Absolute Beginning was unleashed, time seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second. The spiritual energy around the arena frantically retreated, seemingly afraid of being tainted by this sword energy.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the space distorted slightly, emitting faint wails of being unable to bear the burden.

The sword energy collided with the giant lightning finger. In the face of the Sword of Absolute Beginning's energy, the imposing giant lightning finger melted at a visible rate, like ice and snow under the sun.

Seeing this scene, Ye Jingyun's pupils shrank, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

"This texture of spiritual energy! How is this possible?!"

Ye Jingyun could clearly feel that the quality of Qin Hao's spiritual energy was far beyond his own.

Tempered by multiple top-tier physiques, Qin Hao's spiritual energy had been condensed to a terrifying degree. Ye Jingyun felt that his own spiritual energy, when compared to it, was like fluffy cotton facing hundred-tempered steel.

This made Ye Jingyun somewhat unable to believe it for a moment, but he was battle-hardened after all and quickly reacted. He finally knew why Qin Wuya dared to let Qin Hao be the first to challenge so many geniuses present across realms. The quality of this spiritual energy alone was enough to bridge the gap in cultivation realms.

Thinking of this, Ye Jingyun no longer held back. He hurriedly unleashed the Dharma Avatar that only Soul Formation Realm cultivators could execute.

"Heaven and Earth Avatar—Descent of the Thunder Sovereign!"

Ye Jingyun roared loudly, holding nothing back. The spiritual energy in his body surged madly, drawing upon deeper powers and his comprehension of laws.

"Boom—"

A thunderclap seemingly echoed from the highest heavens. The void behind Ye Jingyun distorted, and a solemn Dharma Avatar up to ten-zhang tall, entirely condensed from purple lightning, suddenly manifested.

"It's a Soul Formation Dharma Avatar! Ye Jingyun was actually forced to summon his Soul Formation Dharma Avatar!"

"What a powerful Dharma Avatar. This Avatar isn't something an ordinary Soul Formation Realm cultivator could condense. The Qin Family's Imperial Son is in danger now. To think Ye Jingyun of the Ye Family would be so cautious, using his Supreme Bone right from the start, and now his Dharma Avatar."

Bolstered by the Dharma Avatar, Ye Jingyun's Startling Thunder Finger reversed its disadvantage, forcing Qin Hao's sword energy to retreat again and again.

Seeing this, Ye Jingyun couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief in his heart. He looked at Qin Hao with lingering fear, a bit more admiration appearing in his eyes.

"Qin Hao! You are very strong. It has always been me, Ye Jingyun, fighting those above my realm. Today, with my Soul Formation Realm cultivation, I was actually forced to use my Dharma Avatar by a Nascent Soul like you! If we were in the same realm, I would definitely not be your match."

"But, you are at the Nascent Soul Realm, and I am at the Soul Formation Realm. This is the rule set by your Qin Family. Therefore, if you lose, you have nothing to complain about."

Hearing this, the corners of Qin Hao's mouth curled up slightly:

"Dharma Avatar? You call this a Dharma Avatar?"

Qin Hao's words made Ye Jingyun furrow his brows tightly. His hand couldn't help but reach toward his storage bag. The sense of oppression Qin Hao gave him was too strong; he needed to use some treasures.

Unfortunately, Qin Hao didn't give him the chance at all.

"Immemorial Dragon Emperor Avatar, open!"

"Roar—!!!"

A high-pitched, desolate, and universally domineering dragon roar echoed from behind Qin Hao. Immediately after, a vast, ancient, and majestic terrifying aura erupted from Qin Hao's body.

That was no simple spiritual energy fluctuation, but a supreme pressure originating from his bloodline, his soul, and the very level of his existence.