Truly Bizarre

Outside the arena.

The massive water screen mirror nearly captured all of Yanyun's movements.

At the very least, she was holding her own against ten opponents without losing ground.

She keenly pinpointed her opponents' weaknesses.

Such top-tier combat strategy and meticulous execution undoubtedly showcased Yanyun's skill.

There was no commentary, but the spectators were all experts—their silent awe was the highest praise for Yanyun.

Lv Xuan, clearly pleased with his disciple's performance, tilted his head slightly upward, though his expression feigned dissatisfaction as he theatrically shook his head.

Bai Xuanling glanced sideways at Lv Xuan's smug demeanor and gave a faint shake of her head.

Yanyun's current performance was passable—if she hadn’t even reached this level, Bai Xuanling would have had to subject her to another round of her rigorous training regimen.

Otherwise, any future embarrassment would reflect poorly on Bai Xuanling herself.

Over at the Taidao Sect’s side.

The Taidao Sect’s leader observed Yanyun’s dazzling display, then glanced at Lv Xuan’s gloating expression before turning his gaze to his own disciple.

Yuyang’s eyes remained calm as he watched the events unfolding on the water screen.

The Taidao Sect leader smiled and asked, “Well? Confident?”

Yuyang looked at his master. “You mean about Yanyun?”

The Taidao Sect leader studied the water screen. “That bold, aggressive style—it does resemble Bai Xuanling’s flair from back in the day.”

Yuyang replied evenly, “Yanyun is skilled, but if we truly fought, the difference would be marginal. What concerns me is Chu Xingchen. Back at Mist Mystic Temple… I suspect he hasn’t revealed his full strength yet.”

“Yanyun may have gained a momentary upper hand with tactics, but it’s fleeting. The fact that Chu Xingchen hasn’t made a move yet—that’s likely Tianyan Sect’s real trump card.”

The Taidao Sect leader hesitated, then asked, “Did he pressure you that much during your last fight?”

They had reviewed the battle afterward, of course—after all, a sudden emergence of a top-tier prodigy warranted thorough documentation. But the conclusion was that the gap between him and Yuyang wasn’t significant, merely at the level of a core disciple.

Besides, Tianyan Sect had later claimed him. Given their reputation, such prowess wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Especially since it was Bai Xuanling who had acknowledged him.

Yuyang thought for a moment before answering, “The pressure wasn’t overwhelming… but during the fight, there was something… unsettling about him.”

Just as the Taidao Sect leader was about to press further, the water screen’s focus shifted to Chu Xingchen.

There he stood, unmoving, holding a slightly translucent spear, his expression as detached as the spectators’ as he watched Yanyun’s elegant maneuvers—as if none of it concerned him.

The screen lingered on him briefly, but Chu Xingchen remained still.

After a pause, the water screen returned to Yanyun.

But now, Yanyun was no longer the picture of grace.

The colossal phoenix that had once blotted out the sky had shattered. The ten Xiaoyun Hall disciples, wielding their spiritual treasures, began forming a formation. One of them swiftly dealt with Chen Wei, reducing it to ashes in moments.

Yanyun’s room to maneuver was shrinking.

In one-on-one exchanges, she could dominate any Xiaoyun Hall disciple, but she couldn’t press her advantage—she couldn’t even attack at full strength.

The moment she tried, supporting strikes would come from all sides, forcing her to block and retreat.

If she hesitated even slightly, breaking free from the encirclement would become nearly impossible.

And this was with three of the ten disciples keeping a vigilant watch on Chu Xingchen, who still hadn’t moved.

Yanyun’s movements occasionally grew erratic, her spiritual energy fluctuating wildly before settling again.

Clearly, she wasn’t yet accustomed to battling at suppressed cultivation levels under such intense pressure.

The battlefield had transformed into a sea of flames, the Xiaoyun Hall disciples darting through it, their figures becoming harder to track.

In just moments, Yanyun—who had been fighting with such finesse—suddenly found herself on the back foot.

At a glance, it seemed she was being relentlessly pummeled, unable to counterattack.

Several swift figures pursued her relentlessly, each gesture summoning waves of fire to assault her.

The Taidao Sect leader watched for a while before murmuring, “There really is something off about him. And he’s holding back so well.”

The situation had grown perilous—one misstep, and Yanyun could be completely overwhelmed.

But just as the Taidao Sect leader finished speaking—

Amid Yanyun’s desperate dodging and blocking, a translucent spear suddenly shot through the fiery waves, piercing straight toward one of the Xiaoyun Hall disciples.

Boom!

The flames surged violently as the disciple was sent flying.

The spear retracted just as swiftly, its form shifting mid-flight—with a mere twist, it transformed into a sword.

Yanyun’s gaze followed the blade.

A colossal Nascent Soul hand rose, summoning countless enlarged swords before gathering them into its grasp.

On the water screen—

Chu Xingchen’s Nascent Soul avatar stood tall, its icy gaze sweeping across the battlefield. Raising the sword named “Myriad Forms,” water materialized from thin air, coiling around the blade as a terrifying sword intent surged forth like a tidal wave.

The Nascent Soul’s motion was simple.

Lift the sword—

And slash down.

The three Xiaoyun Hall disciples who had been watching Chu Xingchen rushed forward, their own Nascent Souls manifesting behind them.

Working in unison, they conjured a massive wall of flames—seemingly ignited from the heavens—to block the descending sword.

The roiling sea of fire now seemed like mere embers, snuffed out in an instant.

The fiery barrier melted away like tofu, barely slowing the strike.

The sword intent obliterated everything in its path, dispersing the boiling flames.

Yanyun retreated at breakneck speed, sensing the overwhelming sword intent ruthlessly surging forward. Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at Chu Xingchen, standing at the center of his Nascent Soul avatar.

This was—

“Karma Nascent Soul?!”

The Taidao Sect leader’s brow furrowed, disbelief flickering across his face. “Someone actually managed to cultivate such a Nascent Soul? To be this audacious… No wonder he doesn’t train within Tianyan Sect.”

“Those who blindly submit to fate could never forge a self like this.”

“Still… what a bold move. What vision! Tianyan Sect… Lv Xuan… Bai Xuanling—none of them can be underestimated in the slightest.”

His gaze returned to the water screen, where the Nascent Soul phantom raised its sword for another slash before lifting a massive foot and stomping down without hesitation.

A terrifying shockwave rippled outward.

The ten Xiaoyun Hall disciples scrambled backward, evading Chu Xingchen’s assault—but one was still struck by the Nascent Soul’s blade.

Though “struck” wasn’t entirely accurate.

Before the sword even made contact, the disciple’s protective artifact activated.

The sword’s energy blasted through, sending both the disciple and his shield flying before he was teleported out of the arena.

The Taidao Sect's sect master instinctively stroked his beard, then turned his gaze to Yuyang and declared with certainty,

"Truly sinister... How could this power belong to a mere Nascent Soul cultivator?!"