Boom! In the gazes of all, a pitch-black palm print exploded, ultimately dissipating into nothingness. “How is this possible?” Gazing at the Soul-devouring Palm, which had been shattered by Xiao Yan with a casual strike, an indescribable shock welled up in the heart of Hun Yu. He stared at the figure before him, disbelief in his eyes. The power of the Soul-devouring Palm was clear to him; even a peak Ninth Revolving Battle Emperor couldn’t directly withstand it. For the palm print contained a force so cold that it could erode the soul. Yet, he never expected such a powerful strike to be so easily destroyed in Xiao Yan’s hands.
“Is this the limit of the skills of the Yun Clan?” Above the mid-air, Xiao Yan gazed down at the pale-faced Hun Yu and smiled.
“Xiao Yan, do not be overly arrogant,” Hun Yu hissed, his eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, filled with unwillingness. He knew if Xiao Yan hadn’t spent a month cultivating under the Bodhi Ancient Tree, there was no way Xiao Yan could have matched him. But all these if’s changed nothing; reality was what it was.
“Ho ho,” Xia Yan just chuckled at Hun Yu’s cold snarl. Raising his hand, a sea of hot flame erupted from his sleeves, converging into a giant fiery hand, over a hundred feet wide. With speed like thunder, it lunged toward Hun Yu in a flash.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s move, Hun Yu grit his teeth in frustration. A black mist surged within him, transforming into ferocious beasts that charged at the flaming hand with a roar.
Bam Bam! Facing the horde of black bests, the fiery hand struck them directly. As it passed, all the mist-beasts that it hit exploded into mists, then evaporated under the scorching heat.
“Resisting stubbornly till the end,” Xiao Yan muttered, smiling faintly. He waved his sleeve, and the fire hand suddenly flashed, appearing once more above Hun Yu’s head. Without hesitation, he slammed his palm down.
BOOM! The huge, fiery hand landed on Hun Yu, who couldn’t dodge fast enough. The black battle qi that enshrouded him was shattered in an instant. The scalding and formidable rush of strength poured into every inch of his body.
Pfft! Not having formed a defensive barrier against the intensely brutal attack, the strange, searing force tore into his defenses. A stream of force burrowed inside his body like venomous serpents, forcing his face to turn pale. A mouthful of fresh blood spewed out as he was flung back, crashing heavily onto the void ground.
The distant neutral experts witnessing Xiao Yan injure Hun Yu with a single palm sucked in a breath, relieved that they hadn’t greedily interfered. It would have led them to a fate worse than Hun Yu’s.
Turning away from the injured Hun Yu, Xiao Yan cast a glance to the battles raging nearby. A cold smirk appeared on his face. Targeting several fighters, he punched through the air, sending a fearsome gust of wind slamming into the bodies of some Yun clan and Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan fighters. The force was so strong that those men were sent flying and spitting blood.
This sudden change also startled the Nine-phoenix and others. Shifting their gaze, they found the unconscious Hun Yu lying at a distance. Their expressions changed drastically.
“Was Hun Yu really taken care of that quickly?” The Nine-phoenix felt shocked. Even for him, it was hard to defeat Hun Yu in such a short time. Yet, in less than ten minutes, Hun Yu had become a dead dog under Xiao Yan’s fist.
“Are you going to make a move too?” Xiao Yan’s gaze turned to the Nine-Phoenix. His cool voice made the latter’s hand tremble slightly. The expression on his face flickered between dark and light, but he didn’t say a word. After seeing how badly Hun Yu had fared, his outcome might be even worse.
“Today, we are doomed. This young man has already achieved greatness. Only the Supreme Elders from the clan will be able to deal with him now.” The Nine-Phoenix’s gaze flickered, finally swallowing down his anger and killing intent. At a time like this, showing any form of hostility would only lead to an end like Hun Yu’s.
Xiao Yan suppressed everyone in the area, and glanced at the struggling Hun Yu. Killing intent rose in his heart. Between him and the Yunn clan, it was truly a matter of life and death. Hun Yu was the cream of the crop among the young generation of the Yun clan. To kill him would surely hurt the clan. Given this, he couldn’t let these people go.
Vibrate, vibrate! As Xiao Yan resolved to leave Hun Yu’s group here forever, the ever-standing Bodhi Ancient Tree suddenly emitted a buzzing sound. Then, ripples began to spread from the space.
“Is this space about to collapse?” Xiao Yan’s brow furrowed when he saw this. He knew the Bodhi Ancient Tree wouldn’t stay in this world forever. When it finished spitting its Bodhi seed, it would sink back into the earth to rest until it gathered enough energy to surface again… though by then it might be centuries later.
Space anomalies caused anxiety, and the battlefield quickly dispersed. The Yun clan hurriedly pulled up Hun Yu, forming a group with the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, eyes warily focused on Xiao Yan and the surrounding space.
“Hun Yu, are you alright?” The Nine-Phoenix asked, looking at the pale-faced Hun Yu.
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Hun Yu shook his head slightly. His eyes were cold and hard, staring at Xiao Yan. After a moment, his lips twitched imperceptibly. The Nine-Phoenix’s body stiffened slightly, biting his teeth and nodding gently.
Vib-buzz, vib-buzz! As everyone took steps back, the shaking of the space grew increasingly intense. A crack appeared from which a beam of light darted out. Cracks started sprouting throughout the space, and in mere minutes, the impregnable space became full of openings. Finally, in front of everyone’s stunned eyes, the space shattered.
In the depths of the Desolate Ancient Region, a massive Bodhi Ancient Tree stood in solitary splendor at the center of a barren land. Vast waves of ethereal qi emanated from its core, spreading spectacularly in all directions.
A short distance from the tree, figures sat: Nalan Yanran, Qing Lin, and other companions left behind. There were also some other strong cultivators who had survived the monster horde. Now fully recovered, they still lingered here, reluctant to leave, waiting and watching.
Swish, swish. Suddenly, amidst the quiet grassland, the nearly still Bodhi Ancient Tree burst forth with brilliant green light, ejecting figures from its brilliance to land haphazardly on the surroundings.
“Teacher?!” Everyone was stunned, instantly overwhelmed with joy. Nalan Yanran and others hastily stood, their eyes gleaming as they watched the silhouettes appear nearby.
“Finally out,” sighed Gu Qingyang and the others, relishing the crisp air of the grasslands. No one could have guessed the horrors they faced in this past month inside the terrifying illusions. These haunting memories would remain with them long after.
Xiao Yan breathed out softly. Among all, his changes were the most profound. What seemed like a simple month to observers had seen him experience lifetimes of cultivation. Though he did not rise to a fearsome level yet, he had unknowingly gained invaluable treasures affecting his future journey.
As the last figure was thrown out, the ancient Bodhi Tree trembled wildly. A jade-green radiance spread from its base, turning the soil beneath into a liquid. The tree slowly submerged, vanishing from sight.
Witnessing this, dismay colored many faces. Once the Bodhi Ancient Tree descended, even a Dou Saint expert could not find it. Reunion with this mighty entity would occur only during its next emergence, perhaps millennia later.
“Ah, what a pity that I have not obtained the Bodhi Heart,” Gu Qingyang sighed, somewhat wistfully, as he watched the tree merge into the earth.
Beside him, Xiao Yan, hearing his words, smiled gently. Lightly placing his hand upon his chest, suspended in his heart was a green orb, crystal-clear as jade—this was the legendary Bodhi Heart. However, Xiao Yan had not yet refined it. Upon true refinement, Xiao Yan would attain the Saint Tier!
“Bodhi Friend, thank you. I hope to see you again,” Xiao Yan murmured, a tinge of regret crossing his heart. The ancient Bodhi Tree lacked self-awareness, or it would certainly be a paramount figure on the Continent of Fighting Qi. An alliance with such a being would bring great advantages.
Under the watchful eyes of many, the Bodhi Ancient Tree slowly sank below, the last rays of emerald light vanishing. This grassland was once again desolate and empty. Seeing the complete disappearance of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, Xiao Yan heaved a sigh. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed. Space around them violently twisted, forming a prison that sealed them in tightly.
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