Chapter 112: Routed with Ease

Now that his cultivation had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, Ye Yun’s horizons had long since moved beyond that realm and risen toward the Golden Core stage.

Back in the outer reaches of the wasteland, Yue Feng, whose cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment perfection, could be slain with a mere lift of the hand. Liu Heng’s strength, being on the same level as Yue Feng’s, would not amount to much even if he were somewhat more capable.

Ye Yun felt no interest at all in Liu Heng’s challenge. But he also understood that, besides Liu Heng, there were probably many inner sect disciples who had been staring covetously at his position as a core disciple.

Liu Heng was merely the first to stick his head out, a spark set to kindle a fire. What Ye Yun needed to do was establish his authority.

Liu Heng had not gone to challenge another core disciple, but had chosen Ye Yun instead, plainly because Ye Yun’s cultivation was lower.

Then Ye Yun would use this battle to proclaim the dignity of a core disciple and extinguish all thoughts among those Foundation Establishment perfection inner sect disciples.

“The martial arena?”

A trace of cold amusement appeared at the corner of Ye Yun’s mouth, and he immediately strode away.

“What? As a core disciple, you do not even dare accept an inner sect disciple’s challenge?” Seeing Ye Yun’s disdainful expression, Liu Heng’s face darkened at once as he said with sarcasm.

“I am going to the martial arena,” Ye Yun said without turning back, his voice calm and detached. “Didn’t you want to challenge me? I will grant your wish.”

“Just a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, and you still put on the airs of a core disciple?” Liu Heng chased after him in anger, already determined to thoroughly humiliate this obnoxious fellow named Ye Yun on the martial arena.

He did not stop to consider that, from beginning to end, it had always been he who was the aggressor.

The martial arena was a raised platform spanning hundreds of li in radius. Ye Yun did not use any movement technique to leap up; instead, he ascended the steps one by one.

Liu Heng, however, sprang upward with arms outstretched like a roc, his movement light and graceful, landing steadily on the martial arena.

“What graceful movement technique. Who is that?” Many Changchun Palace disciples were gathered on and around the martial arena. Seeing Liu Heng’s exquisite footwork, someone could not help but praise him.

“You don’t even know him? One of the more famous experts among the inner sect disciples, Liu Heng, whose cultivation has reached Foundation Establishment perfection,” someone replied with a smile.

Elsewhere on the martial arena, many other Changchun Palace disciples were sparring and cultivating. When they saw Liu Heng and Ye Yun arrive and face one another, many turned their attention toward them.

“Such abundant spiritual energy!”

As soon as Ye Yun stepped onto the martial arena, he felt as though he had entered a vast formation space.

The spiritual energy here was extremely dense. One day of cultivation here was equivalent to five days outside, a fivefold increase in speed.

If he added a lower-grade spirit marrow, along with spirit stones and relic beads, Ye Yun was certain his cultivation speed could rise again, approaching nearly ten times the normal rate.

“An ignorant bumpkin. Is this your first time on the martial arena? Too bad this is not a place a trash cultivator with only late Foundation Establishment cultivation can set foot in,” Liu Heng sneered coldly. Only those with at least Foundation Establishment perfection cultivation were qualified to cultivate on the martial arena.

There were indeed quite a few Foundation Establishment perfection disciples in Changchun Palace, but the space within the martial arena was limited. Those who could occupy a patch of ground here to cultivate were all formidable experts.

“You talk too much,” Ye Yun said, glancing at him with utter indifference.

“Hmph. Even if you are a core disciple and perhaps have high talent, you still need enough strength to act arrogant. Today I will defeat you here and take your token!”

As he spoke, Liu Heng could no longer suppress his desire to become a core disciple. His hands formed a set of seals, and with a hum, a flying sword shot out from the storage pouch at his waist, transforming into a brilliant streak of light that slashed straight toward Ye Yun.

“A lower-grade flying sword?”

Seeing the flying sword magical artifact he had brought out, Ye Yun actually laughed. As an inner sect disciple, Liu Heng was truly impoverished beyond belief, even worse than Yue Feng, and yet he still dared challenge him?

After his cultivation advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage, Ye Yun’s martial body became even stronger, already reaching the level of a middle-grade magical artifact. A mere lower-grade flying sword, no matter how fiercely it struck, would not leave the slightest mark on his flesh.

Standing motionless where he was, Ye Yun slowly raised a hand only when the flying sword came close. His five fingers spread wide as he reached straight for it.

At this sight, Liu Heng sneered even more fiercely. He thought, Does Ye Yun really intend to oppose a flying sword with his bare hand? Could he be under the impression that he is a body cultivator of Foundation Establishment perfection?

“Die!”

Liu Heng formed another seal, and the flying sword’s radiance exploded with even greater brilliance, sword light crisscrossing wildly. He meant to sever Ye Yun’s hand with a single strike and make him understand the gap between them.

Even on the martial arena, fellow disciples were not allowed to slaughter one another. Liu Heng naturally did not dare kill Ye Yun, but in a sparring match, some injuries were perfectly within the rules of Changchun Palace.

Clang!

A sharp sound like metal crashing against stone suddenly rang out, rattling the ears. Brilliant sparks burst and scattered between Ye Yun’s palm and the flying sword, dazzling beyond measure.

Is that all the strength Foundation Establishment perfection amounts to?

Ye Yun’s expression remained perfectly calm. His fingers closed, and he caught the flying sword in one grasp. A savage, overwhelming force surged out from his five fingers, crushing the sword with a crackling snap and breaking it into several pieces.

“How is that possible?”

Liu Heng’s face was filled with terror. With the flying sword destroyed, his own divine sense was affected as well; pain stabbed through his sea of consciousness, his vision blurred, and blood leaked from both his nostrils and the corners of his mouth.

He staggered back several steps, panic and disbelief written all over his face.

Crushing a lower-grade flying sword with bare hands—was that really a late Foundation Establishment cultivator? Even a body cultivator at Foundation Establishment perfection, whose flesh rivaled a lower-grade magical artifact, should not have been this terrifying, should he?

But the next instant, before Liu Heng’s mind could even react, Ye Yun was already before him. His speed was so fast it was astonishing; at the very least, Liu Heng could not comprehend how Ye Yun had done it.

Bang!

A fist wreathed in flames kept enlarging within Liu Heng’s pupils. He could feel a dreadful pressure erupting from Ye Yun’s body, engulfing him. Even though he wanted to dodge or defend, his body could not react in the slightest; his legs were as heavy as if filled with lead.

Whether on the martial arena or below it, everyone’s pupils contracted at once. Every gaze was fixed on Ye Yun standing upon the martial arena. As for the wretched Liu Heng, who had been sent tumbling down, no one spared him another glance.

A late Foundation Establishment cultivator defeating Foundation Establishment perfection was not particularly strange. After all, Ye Yun wore violet robes, clearly marking him as a core disciple.

Those qualified to become core disciples were usually highly gifted and had some extraordinary quality. But to so cleanly beat a Foundation Establishment perfection cultivator into having no ability to fight back, many people could not help but reassess the strength of this newly arrived core disciple.

There were too few updates for me to have the face to put it on sale; next month, it will remain free.