Chapter 218: One After Another

Looking at the massive black dragon figure, magnified countless times in the mid-air, Yang Yan’s expression became extremely grave. With his sharp soul perception, he could naturally discern the terrifying energy fluctuations contained within that gargantuan dragon.

"Kid, are you scared? It's too late for regrets now. Blame yourself for taking what you shouldn't have and offending those you cannot afford to provoke!"

The man in black, observing the change in Yang Yan’s expression from not far away, revealed a cold, sinister smile on his pale face.

Activating the Black Dragon Annihilation Seal placed a heavy burden on him as well. Having gathered all his strength into this single strike, even a fellow practitioner at the peak of the Psychic Realm would have no choice but to face death.

Yang Yan, however, turned a deaf ear to the man’s sneer. He did not harbor any naive hopes that his opponent would show mercy. Facing an enemy, Yang Yan never yielded. He could clearly feel that while he had gained a new understanding of the Profound Back Demon Fist and become more skilled in its application—especially now, with a treasure-grade weapon sacrificed to fuel it—the magnitude of its power was unimaginably terrifying.

Even so, Yang Yan still lacked the confidence that the Demon Fist could withstand the attack of such a horrific black dragon.

Though his face remained solemn, there was no trace of nervousness or fear. As the glow of the golden blade in his hand faded, it signaled that a treasure, which would have made any Psychic Realm powerhouse drool with envy, had been reduced to a heap of scrap metal.

Not a flicker of heartache crossed Yang Yan’s eyes. His pupils suddenly constricted, and the ambient energy of the forest began to converge upon him in a bizarre, ocean-like torrent, pouring endlessly into his body.

"Ancient Emperor’s Treasure Mirror, Devour Heaven and Earth!"

As the shout fell, the surrounding energy flooded into him with frantic intensity. Upon absorbing such violent power, a faint layer of blue crystal emerged on his skin—a sign that he had pushed the Profound Ice Body of his Supreme Profound Heaven Technique to its limit.

The Ancient Emperor’s Treasure Mirror was a martial art Yang Yan had previously seized from the Heavenly Sword Sect. It allowed the user to gather ambient energy into their weapon in a short time, enhancing the power of their next attack. Thanks to the Heaven-tier body-tempering technique of the Supreme Profound Heaven Technique, the violent energy that would have burst a normal person’s body caused Yang Yan little harm.

Both the Profound Back Demon Fist and the Ancient Emperor’s Treasure Mirror were among Yang Yan’s trump cards. Using either alone would give him the capital to stand toe-to-toe with a typical peak Psychic Realm expert. Combining them exponentially increased the explosive power, but the burden on his body was equally immense.

Although he had cultivated the Supreme Profound Heaven Technique, he remained at the initial stage of the Profound Ice Body. The technique was divided into three stages: Profound Ice Body, Profound Jade Body, and Profound Heaven Body, each with levels of minor success, major success, and perfection. He had long been stuck at the minor success stage, as the extremely yin and cold artifacts required for further progress were rare.

His actions drew the attention of the man in black, whose cold smile turned into one of shock. He could not believe that a seventeen-year-old boy possessed such endless means, and each technique was so powerful and bizarre that even his experience at the peak of the Psychic Realm could not mask his astonishment.

"Black Dragon Rushing Shadow!"

Realizing how troublesome Yang Yan was, the man in black decided not to wait for his opponent to reach peak power. He suppressed his fear and roared, his hands changing seals rapidly. The five-to-six-zhang-long black dragon figure began to flicker and turn illusory.

With the shifting of his seals, the dragon light-shadow flickered violently before splitting into two identical black dragons! The process did not stop; these two split into four, then eight.

To an outsider, the four dragons looked no different than the one, but Yang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. This was far too bizarre; such a powerful technique could only be a legendary Heaven-tier martial art.

Yang Yan calmed himself, his soul power surging to sense the eight figures hovering in the air. A smirk curled his lips. He realized that while the eight dragons appeared identical on the surface, their internal energy had been diluted with every split. It was a mere illusion to intimidate the weak, but it was useless against someone with Yang Yan’s powerful soul.

The man in black, noticing Yang Yan’s calm, stopped his seals. He looked up at the eight dragons with a sinister grin.

He did not care if Yang Yan saw through his trick; his goal was to ensure a direct hit. In a life-or-death moment, any negligence could be fatal. He had to ensure the strike landed.

"Go to hell!"

The man in black roared, and with a挥 (wave) of his arm, the eight black dragons lunged at Yang Yan from eight different directions like arrows released from a bow, carrying the crushing momentum of Mount Tai.

Yang Yan’s right arm had swollen to three times its size. Infused with the spirit energy of the treasure, his own Taiyin power, and the chaotic ambient energy, these three distinct forces merged perfectly. His arm, previously golden and blue, now took on the luster of white jade. The sharp, aggressive aura vanished, replaced by a soft, restrained energy. Yet, a keen observer would note that its power was greater than ever.

Locked from all sides, Yang Yan had nowhere to run, which was exactly what he wanted. If the attacks had come one by one, he would have been in trouble, but the fool had chosen to strike all at once.

"Now!"

Yang Yan roared. His small figure looked like an ant beneath the eight dragons, yet he charged forward without fear. His right arm thrust out, and a translucent, silver-white fist shadow burst forth, cutting through the air like a ship breaking through waves.

*Chi!*

The fist shadow moved with speed and power that defied the eye, striking the focal point of the eight dragons. The air exploded, and even space itself seemed unable to bear the weight, leaving faint black traces of tears in its wake.

*BOOM!*

A sound like a mountain collapsing echoed through the forest. The explosion was so loud it left Yang Yan temporarily deaf. The fist shadow struck the heads of the eight dragons, and the resulting shockwaves of energy flattened the lush forest, turning massive trees into dust.

In a separate engagement, one of the two men in black fighting Blue Snow stared in horror at the spreading storm. He could not believe that Black Demon had been forced to use his strongest attack to capture a boy at the fourth level of the Psychic Realm.

"How can this kid be so strong?!" the other man muttered, his eyes filled with shock.

Even Blue Snow had stopped fighting, its ice-blue eyes wide with astonishment. It had lived with Yang Yan since birth and knew his strength, but this surpassed everything it had expected.

The terrifying energy storm finally began to subside after five or six minutes, revealing a landscape scarred with deep ravines. From one such pit, a lean figure slowly emerged.

"Young Master Yang Yan!" Qing’er cried out with joy, tears welling in her eyes.

Seeing Yang Yan climb out, battered with torn clothes and blood at the corner of his mouth, the heavy weight on her heart lifted.

In contrast, the two remaining men in black turned pale. Near the pit, they saw the motionless body of the man in black—the Black Demon. He had been defeated by a seventeen-year-old.

Overcome with terror, they exchanged a glance and bolted. But as they turned to flee, Blue Snow let out a dragon roar and chased after them. Just as it was about to reach them, two sharp beams of light shot from the distance, striking the two men square in the chest. They fell to the ground like broken kites, their lives extinguished instantly.

The sudden turn of events shocked Blue Snow, and Yang Yan’s eyes narrowed as he looked toward the newcomers. Standing there were the two ambassadors from the Profound Heaven Palace and the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, whom he had met at the Artifact Refiners' Guild.

"Young Brother Yang Yan, what a display! To single-handedly defeat a peak Psychic Realm powerhouse—truly a hero among youth!"

The man from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion spoke with a faint, elegant smile, yet his words sent an uncomfortable chill down Yang Yan’s spine.