Chapter 118 - 115: Three Moves

Chapter 118: Chapter 115: Three MovesYe Xuan’s words took Murong Yun and Feng Yuan by surprise, clearly unable to comprehend. "Ye Xuan, this Elder Shen Hong is a genuine Second Grade Martial Sect member. Even if he suppresses his cultivation, no one below the level of Martial Sect stands a chance against him. Are you sure you want to accept his challenge?" Murong Yun furrowed his brows and gazed at Ye Xuan with a grave voice, the undertone of his reminder was unmistakable. Ye Xuan slowly nodded, his gaze sweeping across the three elders who were also stunned by his words. He knew that if he did not comply with these two old men today, he feared he would not be able to smoothly enter the Yang Yuan Pond and would instead invite a needless fight. With that in mind, why not accept their wishes and take the three moves from the other party? If Shen Hong hadn’t mentioned suppressing his cultivation, Ye Xuan certainly wouldn’t have been confident in accepting the challenge. However, since the other party had suppressed his power to below that of a Martial Sect level, there might be a chance for battle after all. Seeing Ye Xuan agree, Murong Yun’s brows knitted even tighter. He glanced at Shen Hong and the others, who appeared somewhat overjoyed, and could only helplessly nod, saying, "Since you’ve chosen this path, there’s nothing I can do. You only have one opportunity, and if you fail the challenge, I’m afraid you won’t be able to enter the Yang Yuan Pond for a while. So, think it through carefully." Ye Xuan nodded with a smile, certainly not the reckless type. Unless he was confident about something, he would not pursue it. Moreover, this challenge was related to whether he could enter the Yang Yuan Pond or not, so it was certainly no trifling matter. "Don’t worry, Hall Master. It’s only three moves. Who knows, maybe this young one could really hold out..." Shen Hong’s mouth curved into a smile, but it was clear he had no intention of going easy. To this, Murong Yun merely snorted coldly. This old fellow was truly stubborn and old-fashioned. "Since there are no objections, let’s begin." Having made his choice, Murong Yun naturally had nothing more to say. As for winning or losing, that was beyond his control. Next, they could only wait and see if Ye Xuan could create a sliver of a miracle. As the words fell, they proactively cleared an area, leaving space for the two to fight. Shen Hong stood with his hands behind his back, an aged face displaying a faint smile. The chasm between Ye Xuan’s strength and his was as vast as the heavens and the earth. Although he didn’t understand why Ye Xuan would accept his challenge, it didn’t make him particularly worried. In the face of absolute power, all tricks and clever maneuvers would be futile. "Heh heh, young man, you are, after all, a disciple favored by the Hall Master. Even if you can’t enter the Yang Yuan Pond, if the Hall Master wants to give you some other reward, we won’t object. That way, it won’t all be for nothing." With a smile on his face, Shen Hong gave a bit of face to Murong Yun, not wanting to take things too far. "Let’s talk about that after the three moves are over," Ye Xuan said indifferently, clearly not too fond of the old man. "Oh?" Shen Hong raised his eyebrows and then laughed, "It seems you still hold hope... Sometimes, it’s better to give up sooner rather than later..." Whoosh! With a light step forward, all of a sudden, a vast surge of crimson True Qi burst forth from Shen Hong’s body. In this moment, his white hair fluttered, and his robes rustled with an extremely frightening momentum. The scorching True Qi enveloped him like flames, and within Shen Hong’s originally unremarkable eyes, a piercing sharpness burst forth. His voice carried a daunting power, "Are you ready?" Ye Xuan lifted his foot gently, the flow of True Qi within his body suddenly accelerated, and his expression grew serious. Then, extending his right hand, he said, "Make your move!" Hearing this, Shen Hong laughed heartily, and amidst the thunderous True Qi, his voice echoed like muffled thunder in the sky. As he stepped into the air as if a phantom, his palm gathered a fiery glow, clawing fiercely towards Ye Xuan. Seeing Shen Hong charge forward, Ye Xuan’s gaze also sharply concentrated. Then, his body trembled and leaned back abruptly! Pfft! With a seeming lack of sufficient reaction, Shen Hong’s crimson claw arrived in front of Ye Xuan and struck viciously on his chest. However, at the expected moment of impact, when Ye Xuan should have been gravely injured, it did not happen. Shen Hong’s claw only fell on an afterimage left by Ye Xuan as he retreated backward. By the time Ye Xuan stopped moving, his chest clothing bore only a faintly burnt claw mark, blood slowly seeping through, but it was just a superficial wound that had not caused any substantial damage. "Dodged it?" Shen Hong’s face darkened slightly. He had thought that his move would be enough to handle Ye Xuan, but the latter had managed to dodge it so gracefully. "Not bad." Murong Yun and Feng Yuan also let out a slight sigh of relief. Shen Hong had not held back at all with his first move, and they had worried that Ye Xuan would not withstand even one. This unexpected turn of events was indeed surprising. "Hmph, that was just the first move." Shen Hong sneered, pulling at his mouth. With two moves remaining, the first had been narrowly evaded by Ye Xuan. He was curious to see how the other party would handle his ensuing attacks! His robes billowed, the sizzling True Qi gathering in the palm of his hand, turning it completely red. In the center of his palm, it seemed as if a small sun had appeared, radiating extremely scorching waves, causing the surrounding temperature to rise significantly. "It’s the Fiery Sun Heart Execution Hand! That old fart is seriously going all out... To think he would resort to such a martial art." Seeing the changes in Shen Hong’s body, Murong Yun’s expression turned even uglier. To deal with a newly admitted disciple, this old man resorted to such a move—it was rather shameless... "Ye Xuan is in danger." A worry also appeared between Feng Yuan’s brows. This move would likely end the battle. "Die!" A muffled voice rose. The hard stone where Shen Hong had landed burst open on the spot, and his figure, like a flash of lightning, charged at Ye Xuan once again, his hand seemingly clutching a miniature sun, with the terrifying fluctuations spreading out. Faced with such an astonishing offensive, Ye Xuan also swiftly drew out the Star-cutting Saber from behind him and gathered True Qi in his left hand, striking with both saber and palm. With the Wave Treading Shifting Step under his feet, he instantly activated the integral state of the Martial Arts Realm! "Integral as one!" Murong Yun and Feng Yuan were naturally familiar with this martial arts realm. At the sight of Ye Xuan’s execution, they immediately exclaimed in astonishment and were profoundly shaken! "Impossible." The other two Elders of the Yang Hall, witnessing Ye Xuan multitasking three major martial arts at the same time, couldn’t help but click their tongues. Despite their reluctance to admit it, the undeniable fact before their eyes was that Ye Xuan was operating in the integral realm, invoking the Martial Arts Grand Momentum and significantly bolstering his presence. Considering the entire Heavenly Martial Hall, there were very few who could reach such a level, and among the disciples, apart from one True Disciple, there were no others. Merely by this feat, Ye Xuan proved himself to be an extraordinary talent. "This kid really has some tricks up his sleeve." Witnessing Ye Xuan’s surge in momentum, Shen Hong’s eyes also filled with shock, but at this critical juncture, it was naturally impossible for him to back down—doing so would undoubtedly be slapping his own face. Right then, his eyes became even fiercer, and with a massive offensive, he fiercely collided with Ye Xuan. Boom! The dull sound of an air explosion echoed. Ye Xuan’s figure was forced to retreat, but after receding a dozen steps or so, he performed an aerial side flip and firmly stopped, his breath slightly disordered. But this second strike, at least, was smoothly blocked. "Well done!" Murong Yun bellowed, clearly unable to conceal his excitement. He hadn’t misjudged, for Ye Xuan was indeed a genius disciple worth cultivating. Now, it was possible that Ye Xuan might withstand three moves from Shen Hong and make the latter suffer a setback. "Elder Shen, that’s two moves." Ye Xuan dusted off the dirt from his clothes and said with a light smile. Hearing this, Shen Hong’s expression gradually darkened. He hadn’t expected the battle that should have ended in an instant to be dragged out by Ye Xuan. Another move, and wouldn’t it mean that Ye Xuan had really made it through? Where would he put his old face then? In the arena, Shen Hong gazed coldly at the smiling Ye Xuan, and after a moment, took a deep breath before slowly saying, "Indeed, I underestimated you, but don’t be so arrogant. There’s one final round, and this time, I certainly will not hold back!" As his words fell, a fierce gleam swept across Shen Hong’s eyes, evidently annoyed. He then suddenly stomped on the ground, and the boundless True Qi crazily surged out from within his body, seemingly igniting his entire form and transforming him into a fiery silhouette. A domineering and violent wave of energy spread fiercely. "Is this old guy actually going to use his ultimate technique? Absolutely preposterous!" Feeling the crimson True Qi beginning to spread from Shen Hong, Murong Yun’s expression suddenly changed. Was this old guy actually going for that move? This old bastard really couldn’t afford to lose. "This..." The other two Elders of the Yang Hall also exchanged glances, obviously, they hadn’t expected Shen Hong to be pushed to such a point by Ye Xuan... Although still below the level of a Martial Sect, the power of this move was probably enough to shatter any Martial Sect or lower-ranked fighter. "Take this attack, Flaming Battle Body, Fire Refining Fist!" Shen Hong bellowed, and the gigantic flame-engulfed fist, now wrapped in blinding crimson light, along with the terrifying momentum of a burning meteor, smashed directly towards Ye Xuan! The huge hand, now enveloped in blinding red light, accompanied by a torrent of dread, furiously bombarded towards Ye Xuan below! "He’s really going all out. If I don’t use my full strength, under this move, defeat would be certain..." Ye Xuan’s gaze lifted to the overwhelming red glow filling his vision, and his face slowly took on an icy smile. Then, he planted the Star-cutting Saber into the ground before him, and the next moment, the Spiritual Edge Sword appeared in his hands. The pressing Sword Qi shot straight into the sky. Winds surged and clouds swirled around him, a colossal sword with a terrifying sharpness forming above Ye Xuan’s head, appearing faintly visible.