Chapter 253: Obliterate!

“Ah!”

At that very moment, a piercing scream echoed nearby. Bai Yunfei’s wrist was bleeding profusely, his face turning pale as he hastily pressed several acupuncture points on his arm to stem the flow of blood.

“You brat, I’ll kill you!” Upon recognizing his adversary, Bai Yunfei’s expression darkened instantly, and he roared fiercely.

“Yue’er, are you alright?” Ji Yuanxuan, having finally broken free from Lu Qingshan’s grasp, hurried over to Ji Wuyue, ignoring his own injuries, concern etched across his face.

“Father, I’m fine.” Ji Wuyue sobbed softly, her tear-streaked face so delicate that any man who saw it would have his heart melt.

“Uncle, leave the rest to me.” Yang Yan saluted Ji Yuanxuan and spoke resolutely.

“Lu Qingshan and Bai Yunfei have both grown stronger. Are you sure you can handle them alone?” Qu Yuan’s voice carried a hint of worry.

Though Yang Yan had severed Bai Yunfei’s palm with lightning-fast strikes, Qu Yuan knew that was due to the advantage of a surprise attack. In a head-on fight, the outcome was uncertain.

When Yang Yan had previously defeated Lu Qingshan, luck had favored him, and he had suffered grievous wounds, even severing one of Lu Qingshan’s arms in the process. So, Ji Yuanxuan harbored many concerns when he heard Yang Yan intended to take on two opponents alone.

“Uncle, rest assured. You take care of your wounds and watch over Yue’er. Leave the rest to me.” Yang Yan’s tone was firm as his expression turned cold and hard.

“Bai Yunfei, Lu Qingshan... I never expected that after more than half a year, you two old dogs still resort to such underhanded schemes.”

Yang Yan’s words echoed sharply, showing no respect for the sect leaders of Yunshan Sect and Tianjian Sect.

“Heh, sharp-tongued brat. Don’t think you can be a hero just by showing up. If we hadn’t deliberately let that scout escape, do you think he could have made it to Jinhuan City to warn you?” Lu Qingshan sneered, utterly unfazed by Yang Yan’s arrival, appearing confident and in control.

“Oh? So you had this trap set all along, and your real goal was to take me down?!” Yang Yan feigned surprise.

When he first heard of Ji Wuyue’s peril, Yang Yan had panicked and rushed toward Fanyin Valley without thought. Yet, on his way, he had sensed something amiss.

Reports had indicated that the assault on Fanyin Valley was a long-planned joint operation by Yunshan Sect and Tianjian Sect, executed without any prior warning. Facing such a surprise attack, the defenders would be at a severe disadvantage. To guarantee success, the two sects would have set numerous traps and defenses, making it nearly impossible for a cultivator at the peak of the Perception Realm to break through.

Yang Yan felt a growing sense of caution but pressed on without hesitation. With his current strength and abilities, only a true peak Spirit Sea Realm or Immortal Life Realm expert could pose a serious threat to him.

Moreover, the siege on Fanyin Valley seemed suspiciously orchestrated, likely involving the interests of other forces behind the scenes.

Yet, resolving the immediate crisis at Fanyin Valley remained paramount. Yang Yan did not dwell further on conspiracies, for in absolute strength, all schemes pale into insignificance.

“You brat, today I’ll avenge my severed arm!” Lu Qingshan suddenly sneered, brandishing a pale green longsword that materialized in his palm. A terrifying spiritual energy radiated from his body.

“That’s the aura of a Spirit Sea Realm expert! Impossible!” Ji Yuanxuan’s face changed dramatically, his expression mirrored by Ji Wuyue and her two elder brothers, all filled with grave concern.

“Looks like Fanyin Valley is doomed today,” Ji Yuanxuan’s heart sank.

Though he had reached the peak of the Tongling Realm, there remained a significant gap to the Spirit Sea Realm—a gap so vast that he felt no hope of resistance.

He couldn’t understand why Lu Qingshan had stayed behind. Had he unleashed his full power earlier, none of them could have held out so long.

“Haha, you little bastard. It’s thanks to you that I broke through to the Spirit Sea Realm. If you hadn’t caused me to lose an arm, I wouldn’t have been able to wield the sword with one hand and ascend further in swordsmanship. It was during that intense meditation that I sensed the key to my breakthrough. Now, you’ll repay me by dying beneath my sword, becoming the first soul I claim as a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator!” Lu Qingshan’s aura exploded forth, stunning everyone from Ji Yuanxuan’s group to Bai Yunfei and even the onlookers from Yunshan Sect and Tianjian Sect. Lu Qingshan had kept his breakthrough a complete secret.

The only one unmoved was Yang Yan, who had sensed Lu Qingshan’s true strength the moment he appeared. With his current spiritual power, it was impossible for Lu Qingshan to hide his strength from him.

Lu Qingshan noticed Yang Yan’s indifferent expression and scowled darkly.

“You little brat, keep up your act of calm. I’ll celebrate by seeing just how arrogant you remain.”

Lu Qingshan’s anger flared. How could a mere youth, barely seventeen or eighteen, remain so composed, as if none of his trump cards had any effect? This arrogance drove Lu Qingshan to the brink.

He had roamed the cultivation world of Bingzhou for decades, never once disrespected like this, especially not by one so young.

With a furious roar, Lu Qingshan made no further idle talk. He stepped off the mountaintop, floating midair.

“Die.”

With a cold shout, he swung his arm, unleashing a massive spiritual energy lance over twenty meters long, hurtling toward Yang Yan.

“Watch out!” Ji Yuanxuan bit his lip and called out, then surged forward to aid Yang Yan.

Though six months ago Yang Yan could contend with peak Tongling Realm experts while badly wounded, the Spirit Sea Realm was a different matter—an insurmountable chasm that even Ji Yuanxuan felt hopeless against.

Despite knowing the odds, Ji Yuanxuan chose to intervene, fearing his stubborn daughter might act recklessly if Yang Yan were harmed.

Yang Yan’s lips curled into a mocking smile as the enormous lance bore down on him. He flicked his fingers, emitting a slender, ruthless beam of water-elemental spiritual power that darted like an insignificant insect toward the incoming attack.

“Overestimating yourself.” Lu Qingshan sneered.

Now that he had reached Spirit Sea Realm, even peak Tongling Realm experts couldn’t match his attacks. Yang Yan’s defense was futile.

Yet, as the water-elemental beam struck his massive lance, Lu Qingshan’s expression froze in horror. His attack shattered like dry twigs, utterly destroyed by Yang Yan’s seemingly modest strike, leaving no resistance.

“How is this possible?!” Lu Qingshan trembled, unable to believe what he saw.

Even though he had held back eighty percent of his strength, intending to spare Yang Yan’s life and slowly torment him, Yang Yan should never have been able to withstand such an attack.

But the truth was the opposite. Yang Yan’s water-elemental assault not only annihilated Lu Qingshan’s attack but retained enough force to send a chilling warning of danger—even Lu Qingshan felt it.

A cold shiver ran through him as Yang Yan’s translucent water energy beam suddenly appeared less than half a meter before him.

The speed was astonishing.

With no time to react, Lu Qingshan raised his sword diagonally before his chest to block.

“Boom!”

A thunderous explosion rocked the mountain as Yang Yan’s attack crashed into Lu Qingshan’s green longsword. Lu Qingshan’s body was flung backward like a kite with a severed string, his sword flying from his grasp. He spat blood and slammed heavily against the mountainside, causing a massive fissure to split the rock beneath him.

His face drained of color, eyes wide with shock and disbelief as he stared at Yang Yan.

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone present. Gasps of astonishment echoed from all directions, taking moments before anyone could recover.

“What kind of monster is this brat, to defeat a Spirit Sea Realm expert like Lu Qingshan in a single strike?!” uproar erupted around them.

Ji Yuanxuan, Ji Wuyue, and the others exchanged glances, overwhelmed by the scene.

A Spirit Sea Realm cultivator—once thought invincible—had fallen in one blow to a youth barely out of adolescence. Had they not witnessed it themselves, no one would believe it.

“Run!” The members of Yunshan Sect and Tianjian Sect finally realized the situation. Their strongest, Lu Qingshan, had been bested so easily. How could they continue the fight with any hope?

One by one, cries of alarm erupted as they fled in panic, scattering like startled beasts.

Yang Yan had no interest in pursuing the fleeing rank-and-file. But when he saw Bai Yunfei clutching his severed hand, panicked and fleeing, a cold smirk curled his lips. In a flash, Yang Yan appeared before him.

“Please, spare me! From now on, Yunshan Sect will follow your lead!” Bai Yunfei begged desperately.

“Heh, you don’t deserve to live, and neither does Yunshan Sect.” Yang Yan’s voice was icy as he struck the air with a palm blast.

(The chapter ends.)