Chapter 242: Battle!

"How is this possible?"

At this very moment, a wave of incredulous gasps erupted from the densely packed crowd below.

Under the joint attack of so many people, even peak Spirit-Ethereal Realm experts would not necessarily have met their doom, yet they were unable to even shatter the attack of the young man before them. Could it be that at such a tender age, he had already reached the realm of a Spirit-Ocean Realm expert?

However, facing the doubts and terror of the crowd, Yang Yan naturally saw no need to explain anything to them. A cold arc formed at the corners of his mouth as he forcefully pressed his palm downward.

Suddenly, that enormous energy palm seemed to receive Yang Yan's command, ruthlessly suppressing downwards in a way that was even more overwhelming and shocking to the eyes.

"Run for your lives!"

Only then did many people below snap back to their senses. In their hearts, they now understood that the combat power of the two parties was simply not on the same level.

With someone taking the lead, the rest of them began to scream in terror and fled in all directions.

However, the energy handprint unleashed by Yang Yan was simply too massive, and in their panic, the fleeing members of the Kunyang Sect acted quite chaotically. A moment later, accompanied by a thunderous roar that shook the heavens, the giant energy handprint heavily slammed into the grand halls below. Dust billowed instantly, countless miserable shrieks echoed from beneath, and those magnificent-looking grand halls were reduced to ruins under Yang Yan's attack.

Staring at the ruins below, Sun Tianyang's aged face was contorted with indescribable rage. Under Yang Yan's recent attack, probably more than half of the entire Kunyang Sect had suffered damage. Moreover, his two sons had both perished at Yang Yan's hands, and at this moment, he wished he could eat Yang Yan's flesh raw.

"Little bastard, even the Jade Emperor himself couldn't save you today. Prepare to meet your death!"

Following the shrill, furious roar, Sun Tianyang's figure flashed. Boundless fiery forest-like energy surged out from his entire body, making him look like a man ablaze with fire as he violently charged toward where Yang Yan stood.

Seeing that this old fellow finally couldn't help but make a move against him, Yang Yan let out a cold laugh. For people who betrayed their brothers, Yang Yan had always held a deep-seated hatred; therefore, he had shown no mercy whatsoever when dealing with his two sons, Sun Wukong and Sun Wufahan.

Of course, this action of his had completely enraged Sun Tianyang. Losing one's children in old age was unacceptable to anyone, especially when his two sons had been beaten to death by Yang Yan right before his eyes.

Following the shrill cry, Sun Tianyang's figure moved as if teleporting. The next instant, he abruptly appeared right in front of Yang Yan. Under the protection of dense spiritual energy, a thick layer of spiritual armor condensed over his fist, which he then ruthlessly smashed toward Yang Yan's head.

"Want close-range combat with me? Then I'll grant your wish."

Seeing this, Yang Yan sneered. Coincidentally, the training of his Supreme Mysterious Heaven Technique's Profound Ice Body had just broken through to the realm of great success, and now was a great time to test its power.

"Hahahaha, old thief, taste my punch!"

With a single thought, Yang Yan instantly activated the Profound Ice Body. A faint, pale-blue ice-layer-like substance instantly appeared across his skin.

Although this pale-blue, ice-crystal-like layer didn't look as visually impactful as the horny layer Yang Yan had previously condensed, for some reason, that thin layer of ice-like defense gave an indestructible sensation.

Even more wondrously, beneath the pale-blue ice layer, faint silver-white electric arcs seemed to be continuously dancing, appearing and disappearing, giving off a rather mystical feel.

In fact, this was something Yang Yan had not anticipated. Tempered by the power of thunder and lightning, he had not only successfully cultivated the Profound Ice Body to great success, but it had also undergone a slight mutation, granting it certain lightning special effects.

The attribute of thunder and lightning possessed extreme offensive power, and such bizarre attacks were pervasive, capable of inducing numbness. Among the special mutations of innate spiritual bodies, there was also the thunder-attribute spiritual body. Although such a physique was extremely rare, the moment one appeared, it would be fiercely contested by countless major sects and factions. The primary reason was the uniqueness of the thunder-attribute spiritual body, and anyone who possessed it was destined for great future achievements.

Although Yang Yan did not possess such an innate spiritual body, this thunder-tempering had brought him boundless benefits. Not only had the sturdiness of his physical body been vastly enhanced, but it had even imbued the spiritual energy within his body with a trace of thunder force!

This raised Yang Yan's combat power by multiples.

With a hearty, roaring laugh, Yang Yan's face showed no trace of fear; instead, it was filled with boundless, surging battle intent. He cast an icy smirk at Sun Tianyang and threw out his right punch without any fancy techniques.

Bang!

A heaven-shaking explosion suddenly resounded in mid-air. Where Sun Tianyang's and Yang Yan's fists met, a terrifying shockwave of spiritual energy erupted, rippling outward like continuously surging waves. The remaining surrounding grand halls collapsed entirely at this moment, sending dust flying into the air.

The figures of the two simultaneously blasted backward, retreating dozens of steps in the void before stabilizing themselves. As for Yang Yan, he had stepped back a little over twenty steps.

"Hahahaha, exhilarating!"

Facing this situation, however, Yang Yan's face bore no trace of fear or panic; he threw his head back and laughed loudly.

His previous exchange with Sun Tianyang had relied purely on his physical strength without employing any spiritual energy at all, yet the effect achieved exceeded Yang Yan's expectations.

In fact, Sun Tianyang not far away also wore an extremely grim expression. Though previously shocked by Yang Yan's strength, with his own capabilities, he could naturally discern certain clues. Although he couldn't sense what method Yang Yan used to walk through the air like him, he was certain it didn't rely on spiritual cultivation—meaning the youth hadn't even truly stepped into the Spirit-Ocean Realm yet.

Even so, he hadn't expected Yang Yan to withstand his attack using purely physical strength alone—a feat impossible even for some peak Spirit-Ethereal Realm experts. Clearly, the strength Yang Yan currently possessed far surpassed the peak Spirit-Ethereal Realm level; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was invincible below the Spirit-Ocean Realm.

And all of this was happening to a youth of only seventeen or eighteen years of age.

Based on the bloodline Yang Yan had previously revealed, Sun Tianyang could confirm his identity: he was indeed the descendant of his sworn brother.

As his sworn brother, Sun Tianyang was no stranger to Yang Yan's strength and cultivation talent. The former had reached the peak Spirit-Ethereal Realm before the age of thirty—a talent not weak at all, not just across Jinzhou or Qingzhou, but throughout the entire Feiyun Empire.

Yet he never expected this son of his to be even more monstrous than his father, possessing terrifying strength and talent that matched or even surpassed his father's at such a tender age.

"This son must not be allowed to live."

This was the thought that popped into Sun Tianyang's mind at that very moment.

Not to mention that his two sons, Sun Wukong and Sun Wufahan, had died at Yang Yan's hands, putting them in an irreconcilable, mortal feud.

If Yang Yan were allowed to walk away from here alive today, Sun Tianyang dared to be certain that in less than three years, or even a shorter time, this fellow would surpass him. By then, given the ruthless methods Yang Yan displayed today, the Kunyang Sect he had painstakingly managed and built would likely be wiped off the map in Qingzhou!

Therefore, no matter what, he could not let Yang Yan leave this place alive today.

Having made up his mind, Sun Tianyang no longer hesitated. As boundless spiritual energy surged around him, the energy of heaven and earth grew violent, rushing into his body like a thousand rivers converging into the sea in an endless stream.

Injected with such boundless energy, Sun Tianyang's entire body grew somewhat translucent and illusory. The fiery-red spiritual energy on the surface of his skin grew increasingly dense, until he ultimately transformed into a semi-translucent man of fire, looking terrifying in the extreme.

As the torrential spiritual energy kept pouring in, Sun Tianyang's figure grew ethereal, yet the meridians and blood vessels inside his transparent body became vividly distinct, creating a rather bizarre sight.

"Little bastard, today I'll let you witness my Dharma Image Heaven and Earth. You can die content having fallen to this move!"

Sun Tianyang, whose figure had grown quite bizarre, smiled coldly and spoke to Yang Yan.

Hearing this, Yang Yan's gaze narrowed, and a grave expression surfaced on his face as he thought to himself inwardly.

"Although this old fellow's Dharma Image Heaven and Earth doesn't seem to undergo any changes in size and lacks the visual impact of what that fellow Liu Zong displayed..."

Despite such thoughts, Yang Yan was not someone shallow enough to judge solely by appearances. His spiritual perception told him that the violent energy restrained within Sun Tianyang at this moment was far more formidable than Liu Zong's had been.

Because he concentrated all his natural energy and surrounding spiritual energy within his body, his physical volume hadn't changed, yet every punch and kick possessed the power to shatter mountains and split rocks. Moreover, since his size hadn't changed, his mobility wouldn't be overly restricted, meaning his speed would not be much slower than before.

From this perspective alone, the current Sun Tianyang seemed to possess even greater strength than Liu Zong.

Following the shrill cry, Sun Tianyang wasted no breath. With a lift of his foot, his entire body shot toward Yang Yan like a teleportation. The moment he swung his arm, even space showed minute ripples, and the air several feet ahead of him burst apart directly, transforming into countless air bubbles that assaulted Yang Yan.

Seeing this, Yang Yan felt a secret shock in his heart. This level of attack was something even fully unleashing the Profound Ice Body could not achieve. Consequently, Sun Tianyang's combat power at this moment completely surpassed his own; thus, he could no longer rely solely on physical strength to contend with him.

Realizing this, Yang Yan no longer hesitated. Boundless water-attribute spiritual energy abruptly materialized on his palms, forming a water-attribute spiritual energy film akin to a protective shield in front of his fists.

That film looked like a blown-up bubble—extremely frail and delicate, as if a breeze could pop it. Yet outsiders were unaware that it condensed the water-attribute spiritual energy at the perfection state from Yang Yan's Qi Sea. Although its exterior looked unremarkable, he knew how terrifyingly strong its defensive power truly was.

Having done all this, Yang Yan still chose not to take a single step back. Clenching his fists tightly, he violently lashed out toward Sun Tianyang.

Yet this time, when their fists collided, it didn't produce the earth-shattering roar of before. Instead, Sun Tianyang's expression abruptly shifted, for he could feel that the moment his fist struck Yang Yan's hands, it felt like hitting a water balloon. The fierce force contained in his fist was not only entirely neutralized, but a reactive counter-force traveled back from the protective water-attribute spiritual energy film of his opponent. Caught off guard, the spiritual energy within his body was thrown into slight disarray by that recoil force.

"The combat experience this kid displays is simply not something his age should possess."

A wave of shock rippled through Sun Tianyang's heart at this moment.

The things Yang Yan exhibited exceeded his comprehension. Even though he knew this fellow was the descendant of that person and possessed cultivation talent that would naturally not be subpar,

he never imagined Yang Yan could grow to such a terrifying degree. Not only could he withstand a blow with purely physical strength, but even after unleashing his Dharma Image Heaven and Earth, not only had he failed to gain the slightest upper hand in the previous clash, but he had also secretly suffered a minor loss.

Furthermore, the combat experience Yang Yan just demonstrated was utterly beyond the grasp of a youth of such tender age. He felt profound shock, wondering what on earth this young man before him had experienced to possess such skillful combat experience—capable of making the most correct judgments at critical moments—which even he himself lacked.

Yet all of this appeared in a youth of barely seventeen or eighteen years of age, making it nothing short of sensational.

At this moment, although Yang Yan maintained an expressionless exterior, turbulent shock was surging in his heart as well.

At the exact instant their palms met earlier, Yang Yan could perceive the terrifying force pouring out from Sun Tianyang's fist. He had no doubt that if Sun Tianyang's punch had struck a mountain peak, the entire mountain would have shattered instantly.

Though he utilized the unique vibrational property of water-attribute spiritual energy to dissipate more than half of that terrifying force, some of it still invaded his body, causing his blood to churn slightly.

"A Spirit-Ocean Realm expert is truly extraordinary."

A sigh involuntarily escaped Yang Yan's heart at this moment.

Although he was far stronger now than when he faced Liu Zong—having reached the peak Spirit-Ethereal Realm in personal strength, with qualitative improvements in both physical and spiritual power—

the gap between the Spirit-Ethereal Realm and the Spirit-Ocean Realm remained simply too vast. Even with Yang Yan's numerous methods, easily crossing that chasm was still impossible.

Moreover, the Sun Tianyang before him was even stronger by a fraction than Liu Zong had been. By Yang Yan's estimation, his current strength should be around the second layer of the Spirit-Ocean Realm. Such power, even across the entire Feiyun Empire, likely had few equals outside of foundational powers like the three major sects.

Yet Yang Yan had still not unleashed his full strength, which kept him entirely free of panic.

"Old dog, today I'll let you experience the sword technique your grandpa has learned!"

Flowers wither, leaves fall, water flows mercilessly!

Following an icy, ferocious roar, Yang Yan's figure flashed violently the next instant, and the emerald-green longsword in his hand slashed forward with lightning speed. Upon closer inspection, one could discover that the emerald sword was not physical, but condensed from the verdant wood-attribute spiritual energy within Yang Yan's spiritual pivot.

The instant the emerald longsword appeared in Yang Yan's hand, Sun Tianyang's expression underwent a drastic change.

"You actually possess both wood-attribute and water-attribute spiritual energy simultaneously! It seems that item is indeed on you."

Sun Tianyang roared coldly.

Hearing Sun Tianyang's words, Yang Yan's pupils narrowed slightly. It seemed this old fellow truly knew something about the Sun Pearl, and moreover, seemed aware that the Nine Nether Taiyin Art he practiced was related to it.

The cultivation method he practiced and the existence of Elder Yang were Yang Yan's greatest secrets; for so long, he rarely mentioned them to anyone, not even those closest to him.

Yet this matter was now known by an enemy who opposed him. Naturally, Yang Yan could not allow this to pass—therefore, Sun Tianyang had to die today.

The change in Yang Yan's expression was naturally captured by Sun Tianyang, which only further cemented his conviction. His body, resembling a glowing red piece of iron, charged fiercely toward the sword technique unleashed by Yang Yan.

Clang!

A crisp sound akin to metallic collision suddenly rang out in mid-air. Amidst bursting sparks, the longsword formed of spiritual energy in Yang Yan's hand shattered inch by inch, while simultaneously, a white scratch appeared on the fiery armor Sun Tianyang had condensed.

"Withered grass, cold autumn wind, the startled swan appears!"

Faced with this situation, Yang Yan's expression remained completely unchanged. With a flick of his hand, another longsword appeared, and as his wrists danced continuously, sweeping sword beams flashed into existence, shooting like projectiles toward Sun Tianyang's figure not far away.

Boundless sword beams swept forth densely like a torrential rainstorm. At this moment, Sun Tianyang's expression couldn't help but shift drastically, for he could perceive that among the boundless sword shadows, not a single one was illusory—every last one was a solid, genuine attack.

"What level of sword technique is this, to be able to split into so many real sword-shadow attacks?"

Though shocked to his core, Sun Tianyang, as a Spirit-Ocean Realm cultivator, snapped back to reality instantly. The dense fire-attribute spiritual energy covering his body grew thicker once more. Using both hands and feet, he whirled his arms like a windmilling shield that blocked out the wind. The sound of metal clashing rang out continuously in mid-air; the collapse of one spiritual-energy longsword was followed immediately by the descent of countless more.

As the clanging sounds echoed incessantly, countless sparks bloomed across Sun Tianyang's body, looking as colorful and dazzling as fireworks blooming across the sky.

A moment later, those countless spiritual-energy longswords seemed to be guided by some force, suddenly focusing on a single point and fiercely attacking the region around Sun Tianyang's heart. Although those scattered sword-shadow attacks had not caused substantive damage to him previously, constant drops of water wear away stone; even attacks he could ordinarily ignore, when continuously applied to a single point over time, would shatter the strongest defense on the body's surface—especially since Yang Yan's attacks could not be easily ignored by him, even when utilizing Dharma Image Heaven and Earth.

Under Yang Yan's spiritual manipulation, all those countless sword shadows attacked the exact same spot on Sun Tianyang—his heart—from different angles.

Faced with such a dense onslaught, no matter how high Sun Tianyang's cultivation or how swift his footwork, there would inevitably be one or two stray shots landing right where the attack was aimed.

As time ticked on, the layer of fiery-red spiritual energy over Sun Tianyang's heart began to gradually thin out, appearing remarkably distinct compared to the dense fire-attribute energy surrounding it.

Noticing this development, Sun Tianyang hurriedly began driving his mind to transfer spiritual energy from other parts of his body to make up for the depletion here.

This practice was commonly known as robbing Peter to pay Paul. Facing this maneuver, Yang Yan naturally had a countermeasure: casting a wide net.

Under his mental manipulation once more, sword strikes resembling a howling rainstorm blanketed Sun Tianyang's entire body. While this dispersed attack lacked the concentrated punch of a single-point assault, it created substantial trouble for Sun Tianyang by exploiting the vulnerabilities left when he redirected his internal energy.

Sure enough, under Yang Yan's pesky, fly-like harassment attacks, nameless fury flared in Sun Tianyang's heart.

"Get lost!"

With a loud roar, Sun Tianyang's body suddenly curled up like a shrimp before bursting outward violently. A terrifying wave of spiritual energy rippled outward with his body as the center, shattering any sword-shadow attacks it came into contact with.