Chapter 255: Combat

For most cultivators, dedicating themselves solely to spiritual energy already consumes the majority of their cultivation time. Therefore, very few people simultaneously refine both soul power and spiritual energy the way Yang Yan does, with the exception of alchemists and blacksmiths.

Alchemists and blacksmiths must focus on soul power alongside spiritual energy. A single person's energy simply cannot afford enough time to bring both aspects to a level beyond ordinary reach. Consequently, among alchemists and blacksmiths, unless one possesses a freakish cultivation talent like Yang Yan's, it is extremely rare for their overall cultivation realm to reach the peak of the Oblivion Realm and break through to the Soul Control Realm.

When a cultivator dedicated solely to spiritual energy reaches the peak of the Oblivion Realm, their soul must become powerful enough to be successfully separated from the body.

This operation is perilous even for those with exceptionally strong souls. It requires one to retain a thread of consciousness within the physical body while separating the soul, and then gradually allow the soul to adapt as an independent entity. Only through this process can one successfully break through to the Soul Control Realm.

However, once any error occurs during this process, the consequences are catastrophic and virtually irreversible.

If a cultivator completely extracts the soul during a breakthrough without leaving a thread of willpower-infused soul power within the physical vessel, the extracted soul will never be able to return to the body. It will become a mindless shell, and the soul can only wander between heaven and earth like a lonely ghost, eventually vanishing into nothingness.

Moreover, if an error occurs during the soul separation, causing permanent and indelible damage to one's soul, there is a grave danger of soul destruction and dispersal.

Overall, for experts at the peak of the Oblivion Realm to break through to the legendary Soul Control Realm, it is not only extremely difficult, but the risks they must bear are immense. Describing it as walking a knife-edge would not be an exaggeration.

At times like this, the true utility of a Soul Spirit becomes vividly apparent. During soul separation, a Soul Spirit can provide a certain degree of protection. In other words, during the extraction process, it temporarily offers an extremely safe and stable dwelling place for the soul, moderately increasing the success rate of entering the Soul Control Realm.

Furthermore, even if the attempt fails, the soul can hide within the Soul Spirit to avoid the peril of total soul destruction.

Therefore, while a Soul Spirit may not hold much value for ordinary cultivators, for those at the peak of the Oblivion Realm who are about to break through to the Soul Control Realm, it is truly equivalent to a life-saving talisman. This explains why the Profound Heaven Palace and the Wind and Cloud Pavilion are so desperately eager to obtain it.

Although he did not know the exact strength of the leaders of these two factions, judging from the Martial Dao Sect leader's action earlier through the void space, the leaders of the other two factions must also have reached the Oblivion Realm. However, whether they were at the early, middle, or late stages of the Oblivion Realm was something Yang Yan could not discern at present.

"Kid, remember my name: Xu Chao of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. To die beneath my feet is an honor bestowed upon you by the heavens!"

As his cold shout fell, the middle-aged man named Xu Chao suddenly moved his stance in the empty air. His figure vanished instantly, and when he reappeared, he was already less than half a zhang away from Yang Yan. A sharp dagger in his hand viciously thrust straight toward Yang Yan's heart!

Swish! Swish!

Accompanied by a sudden, piercing sound of tearing wind, Yang Yan felt a surge of shock in his heart. Although the dagger had not yet reached him, he could already sense an imminent, razor-sharp edge. If he allowed that attack to land directly on his body, even with his Profound Heaven Body—a body-refining martial art passed down from ancient times—he would be completely unable to defend against it fully.

Judging from the piercing, cold gleam emitted by the two daggers, their grade should be at the peak of low-grade treasured weapons, merely a step away from the legendary mid-grade treasured weapons.

Moreover, relying on Xu Chao's cultivation at the peak of the fifth layer of the Spirit Sea Realm, coupled with a dagger of extraordinary grade, he would not fear even ordinary cultivators at the peak of the fifth layer of the Spirit Sea Realm. It seemed that the Wind and Cloud Pavilion truly had to have the Soul Spirit, sending him out to assassinate Yang Yan right at this critical juncture before their impending clash with the Martial Dao Sect.

Detecting the opponent's terrifying strength, Yang Yan naturally did not dare to hold back anything. With a wave of his hand across the universe bag at his waist, an eccentric long sword gleaming with a faint silver-blue light suddenly appeared in his palm.

Clang!

With the Moon Shadow Remaining Frost in hand, Yang Yan did not hesitate at all. He flicked his wrist, and the sword violently collided with the two daggers attacking him head-on.

Amidst a metallic clash echoing in mid-air, the figures of both Yang Yan and Xu Chao stepped rapidly backward through the void. Xu Chao retreated a distance of about ten steps, while Yang Yan was forced back a full twenty steps before steadying his stance.

"As expected of an expert at the fifth layer of the Spirit Sea Realm. Truly formidable!"

At this moment, Yang Yan felt a wave of shock within. During that seemingly ordinary clash just moments ago, not only had he mobilized the water-attribute spiritual energy within his body and activated the Profound Ice Body, but he had also unleashed the unique vibrational force of his water-attribute spiritual energy.

With the blessing of so many conditions, Yang Yan had only barely managed to fight to a draw with Xu Chao.

At this point, he understood in his heart that Xu Chao was entirely different from Sun Tianyang, who had forcibly boosted his strength to the fifth layer of the Spirit Sea Realm through secret arts. Xu Chao's strength had been solidly cultivated step by step on his own. In terms of the profoundness and stability of his internal spiritual energy, he was far superior to Sun Tianyang.

Yet, facing such a predicament not only failed to evoke the slightest bit of fear in Yang Yan, but instead ignited his unyielding pride and boldness. He burst into hearty laughter and took the initiative to charge at Xu Chao instead.

Not far away, Xu Chao, standing in the void, could not help but twitch his expression.

When the leader of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion had asked him to deal with Yang Yan earlier, he had held a scornful attitude, thinking how much trouble a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth could possibly stir up to require his personal intervention for capture.

Only now did he realize how foolish his previous thought had been.

In his previous exchange with Yang Yan, he had genuinely unleashed ten percent of his body's full power, yet even so, he had failed to gain any significant upper hand against Yang Yan.

Furthermore, with his keen eye, he could naturally perceive that the long sword in Yang Yan's hand seemed to surpass his daggers in grade. This meant that Yang Yan's long sword was actually a mid-grade treasured weapon!

A treasured weapon of this caliber was something he himself had never attained, despite his high status within the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. To think it would appear in the hands of a mere seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth!

"This kid truly has profound fortune. As long as I execute him here today, apart from handing the Soul Spirit over to the master, I can claim all the treasures on his body for myself. That long sword alone makes this trip worthwhile."

After the initial shock, a trace of sudden joy welled up in Xu Chao's heart.

Once Yang Yan was captured, all these treasures on him would belong to him entirely.

With this thought, Xu Chao's spirit lifted significantly. Staring with a cold, sinister expression at the fiercely charging Yang Yan, he stamped fiercely on the void, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Their figures continuously flashed and intersected in mid-air. Every single clash unleashed a terrifying storm of spiritual energy, causing even the weaker disciples of the Fanyin Valley to stumble and fall from the shockwaves.

At this moment, Ji Yuanxuan, Ji Wuyue, and the others all stared with worried gazes at the battlefield in mid-air.

None of them had imagined that such a terrifyingly powerful figure was hidden in the shadows of their Fanyin Valley; had it not been for Yang Yan, they would never have noticed.

From the prior dialogue between the two, it was not hard to hear that this tall, thin middle-aged man actually came from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, one of the three major immortal cultivation sects of the empire.

Although Ji Wuyue and the others did not know why Yang Yan had offended the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, if given a choice, they would not hesitate for a second to stand by Yang Yan's side and live or die with him.

Possessing such resolve, Ji Wuyue tightly clenched her delicate hands, a droplet of crimson blood escaping from her palm.

Ever since she had surrendered both her body and mind to Yang Yan earlier, she had long since secretly resolved in her heart to stay with Yang Yan no matter what happened in this lifetime.

As for Ji Yuanxuan and Ji Wuyue's two older brothers, they had treasured her like a precious pearl since childhood, viewing her even more importantly than their own lives. Moreover, Ji Wuyue alone could represent the ultimate decision of the entire Fanyin Valley.

While feeling anxious about the fierce battle in mid-air, a faint sense of powerlessness also arose in Ji Wuyue's heart.

Judging by her special dark-attribute spiritual body and her own cultivation talent, she could be considered a top-tier existence among the younger generation of cultivators in Bingzhou, and quite exceptional even across the entire immortal cultivation world of the Feiyun Empire.

Because of this, Ji Wuyue had harbored a sense of pride since childhood.

Yet now, seeing Yang Yan—who was even younger than her—already capable of fighting head-on against an expert at the fifth layer of the Spirit Sea Realm without falling into a disadvantage, and considering that only half a year had passed since they met...

Such a massive contrast filled Ji Wuyue's heart with a trace of defeat.

However, this feeling in her heart vanished in a flash, because no matter how powerful Yang Yan became, he was ultimately her man. Besides, she had a shortcut to rapidly elevate her own strength—engaging in dual cultivation of joy with Yang Yan.

Faced with this sudden thought arising in her own mind, Ji Wuyue could not help blushing fiercely.

The battle in mid-air continued relentlessly. The figures of Yang Yan and Xu Chao traded blows, leaving only blurred afterimages in the sky as they crossed paths. The sheer speed genuinely shocked everyone present.

The one who felt this most profoundly was none other than Xu Chao himself.

As a member of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, he was extremely well-versed in movement techniques that boosted speed. Coupled with his wind-attribute spiritual energy and a strength far surpassing Yang Yan's, he never expected that Yang Yan had mastered some bizarre movement technique from somewhere. Although the technique looked extremely unsightly and even somewhat comical when executed, its speed was not a bit slower than his own.

Furthermore, the water-attribute spiritual energy used within Yang Yan's body was as vast and boundless as a surging river. Compared to an equivalent amount of spiritual energy, the tenacity of Yang Yan's energy even surpassed his own. This meant that the quality of Yang Yan's innate spiritual body far exceeded his; otherwise, it would have been utterly impossible for him to cross so many realms to fight him without falling behind.

This provided a logical explanation for how Yang Yan could achieve such a level at such a tender age.

Realizing this abruptly, a surge of jealous fury welled up within Xu Chao.

Though he appeared to be only in his early forties, his actual age had already exceeded a hundred years; due to his cultivation realm and special youth-preserving techniques, it did not show much on his surface.

The strength that allowed him to reach his current standing was entirely the result of decades of bitter cultivation. Yet, the strength he had acquired with such grueling effort had failed to produce much effect against a youth of only seventeen or eighteen. Moreover, the time it took the opponent to reach his level was nearly dozens of times shorter!

Such a blow could hardly be described as small.

As cultivators increased their cultivation realm, their lifespans also expanded. For instance, ordinary experts who reached the Spirit-Connecting Realm could break through a hundred-year lifespan without much trouble, while cultivators of the Spirit Sea Realm could reach roughly three hundred years.

As for those whose cultivation reached the Oblivion Realm, they had hopes of exceeding a thousand years of lifespan. Above that, in the Soul Control Realm, lifespans were even more enduring. Legend had it that reaching the legendary Pilgrimage Realm granted lifespans of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years.

Therefore, the mere prospect of extending one's lifespan drove countless immortal cultivators to charge toward higher realms. Even though the path of immortal cultivation was thorny and full of pitfalls where a single misstep meant soul destruction, people flocked to it like moths to a flame, stepping onto this path one after another.

Ninety-nine percent of these people would meet untimely ends along the way, or give up because their cultivation stalled for too long. Only less than one percent could persist to the very end, becoming the supreme existences at the pinnacle of the Tianyuan Continent's immortal cultivation world.