Grandmaster

This surprise attack was truly unexpected.

What sort of person, after witnessing such prowess, still dared to launch a sneak attack?

Could it be that he believed his strength surpassed all the experts of both the black and white paths, the Buddhist and Demonic Sects alike?

No one knew.

But he had indeed made his move.

That figure was like a ghost, steeped in chilling yin aura and surging demonic qi, flickering unpredictably, impossible to fathom.

Xu Yang, however, was not surprised in the least. He raised a hand and struck out with a backhand palm, yet it did not target that ghostly figure. Instead, it landed upon... empty space?

Empty space—nothingness, the air itself!

As Xu Yang's palm came down, ripples spread. A figure tumbled out of the void, both hands moving like lightning as six great hand seals flew forth in an instant. Every move shifted between solid and insubstantial, every stance cycled through life and death.

Undying Seal Technique!

By then, Xu Yang's palm force had already arrived. Yet unlike the Unrepentant Soaring Dragon from before, rigid and overwhelmingly fierce, this palm carried the momentum of Primordial Unity and united the intent of the Infinite. Like heaven and earth, it formed a perfect whole—truly a peerless marvel in this world.

Battle Scroll—Primordial Unity!

What was Primordial Unity?

Primordial Unity was the primal qi of chaos before heaven and earth had opened.

The essence of Primordial Unity techniques lay in becoming a self-contained whole, like the cosmos and the world itself. No technique that absorbed or dispersed power, redirected force, unloaded strength, or shattered momentum could cancel it out. It was one of the ultimate moves of the Combat Scroll within the Martial Scripture.

To put it in terms modern people could more easily understand... it ignored all blocking and damage immunity.

Unless the opponent's martial realm and combat techniques surpassed Xu Yang's Martial Scripture, there was absolutely no way they could dissolve this Primordial Unity force.

Did this man possess such ability?

Naturally...

"Hah!"

The man roared in fury, his hands moving wildly as though he had gone mad. Six great hand seals burst forth to meet Xu Yang's Primordial Unity palm force.

It was the Evil King's supreme art of the Demonic Sect—Undying Seal Technique!

The six great Undying Seal Techniques merged into one strike. Between substance and illusion, life and death transformed; one instant within reach, the next Far away, seeking to dissolve the opponent's ultimate move.

However...

"Bang!!!"

With a thunderous crash, the Undying Seal shattered beneath the Primordial Unity palm.

The newcomer was sent flying in response, flickering repeatedly through the air before barely landing more than ten zhang away.

Xu Yang did not pursue him. Standing in place, he watched the man calmly. "Shi Zhixuan?"

The newcomer wore a black robe, frost-white streaks showing at both temples. An awe-inspiring evilness lay between his brows, yet it somehow also carried a trace of compassion. His face was even harder to describe. Clearly, his features had not changed, yet the impression he gave was utterly different from moment to moment—at one instant a Fierce God, at another grieving for all under heaven, at another formless and without appearance...

With such a presence, there was no need for further explanation. He had to be the foremost man of the Demonic Sect, Evil King Shi Zhixuan.

Xu Yang looked at Shi Zhixuan, and Shi Zhixuan looked back at Xu Yang. Raising a hand, he wiped away a streak of crimson blood from the corner of his lips, while waves of shock and doubt surged through his eyes and heart.

As the foremost of the Eight Great Masters of the Demonic Sect, Shi Zhixuan, known as the "Evil King," was often mentioned alongside Heavenly Saber Song Que and regarded as an expert of the "Grandmaster" rank.

Yet only he knew his own affairs. Shi Zhixuan knew full well that he had not yet entered the Grandmaster realm, much less become a match for any Grandmaster in the world today.

If that was so, why did the people of the world regard him as a Grandmaster?

Very simply: when facing a Grandmaster-level powerhouse, though he could not win and could not overcome them, he could still preserve his life and even retreat calmly.

Back then, he had disguised himself as an eminent monk and infiltrated the Buddhist Sect, taking Master Jiaxiang of the Sanlun Sect and Patriarch Daoxin, the fourth patriarch of the Chan Sect, as his masters. He secretly learned the secret arts and supreme techniques of the two holy monks, provoking the Four Great Holy Monks into joining forces to hunt him down, determined to reclaim their martial arts.

Each of the Four Great Holy Monks of the four Buddhist sects was a Grandmaster-level powerhouse, difficult to distinguish from the Three Grandmasters of the World. The four monks joining hands was even more terrifying, yet Shi Zhixuan escaped their encirclement and pursuit three times. Though he suffered grievous injuries each time, he ultimately preserved his life.

That was why the people of the world regarded him as a Grandmaster. After all, if even the Four Great Holy Monks could not take someone down, it would be hard to deny that he was a Grandmaster.

But that was merely the ignorant view of the masses. Shi Zhixuan knew clearly and with certainty that he had not entered the Grandmaster realm.

The reason he had repeatedly escaped the encirclement and pursuit of the Four Great Holy Monks was, first, that the four monks were virtuous men of Buddhism who held compassion in their hearts. They only wished to Capture Alive him and had not struck with lethal intent.

Second, he possessed two exceptionally profound martial arts: the Undying Seal Technique and the Illusion Demon Movement Technique.

Though Grandmasters were supremely powerful, they still remained within the "Spirit Condensation" realm. They had not entered the "Dao Union" realm capable of Shattering the Void.

Then why could Grandmasters stand above other Spirit Condensation martial artists?

Because of the spirit!

A Grandmaster's mind and spirit had already reached perfection, even nurturing the existence of "momentum."

For Spirit Condensation martial artists, Unity of Heaven and Man meant that the efficiency with which they mobilized the power of heaven and earth directly affected the outcome of battle.

Yet a Grandmaster's mind and spirit were complete, giving rise to "momentum." Once unleashed, it could seize control of an entire area, preventing ordinary Spirit Condensation martial artists from achieving Unity of Heaven and Man or mobilizing the power of heaven and earth.

How, then, could ordinary Spirit Condensation martial artists contend against Grandmasters who possessed Unity of Heaven and Man and the great momentum at their command?

They could not contend at all!

Shi Zhixuan was not a Grandmaster and had yet to form momentum. When facing a Grandmaster powerhouse, he likewise could not resist.

But if he could not win, he could run!

His Undying Seal Technique combined the principles of substance and illusion, life and death. It could effectively render attacking force insubstantial and convert the forces of life and death.

Even a Grandmaster would find it difficult to knock him down in one blow or grievously wound him in a single move without going all out.

And when a Grandmaster gave their all, expanding their "momentum" to its limit and gathering the power of heaven and earth to unleash their strongest killing move, he would already have escaped with the ghostly, unfathomable Illusion Demon Movement Technique. After all, gathering power of heaven and earth at such intensity required quite a bit of time.

Thus, Shi Zhixuan became a Grandmaster who was not a Grandmaster. He could not defeat Grandmasters, but Grandmasters could not kill him either. As for the top experts beneath the Grandmaster rank, they were no match for him and could only treat him as a Grandmaster.

With this, Shi Zhixuan had run rampant across the world. Not only had he provoked the Four Great Holy Monks of Buddhism, he had even challenged Heavenly Saber Song Que, the Grandmaster renowned for battle and the heaviest slaughter.

That showed just how capable he was.

But Shi Zhixuan knew that this method of his was not Invincible. There was still a possibility that someone could break his techniques.

In truth, breaking this method was very simple. As long as one's moves were more exquisite than his Undying Seal Technique and Illusion Demon Movement Technique, one could kill him outright without needing to mobilize the power of heaven and earth, leaving him no chance to escape.

Shi Zhixuan understood this as well. Yet since creating the Undying Seal Technique, he had roamed the world for many years and never encountered a Grandmaster whose martial attainments and mastery of techniques surpassed his own.

Not even the Four Great Holy Monks, nor Ning Daoqi, who faintly bore the title of "the foremost man in the world," possessed martial attainments beyond his. They were merely evenly matched and difficult to distinguish. At most, they could overpower him with sheer force and defeat him. To break his moves and kill him was nothing but a fool's dream.

But...

Looking at the excessively young face before him, Shi Zhixuan's heart churned like raging waves that could not settle for a long time.

This man could actually break his Undying Seal Technique?

His Undying Seal Technique operated through the principles of "substance, illusion, life, and death." Like Taiji Yin Yang, it revolved in endless cycles, able to dissolve all force and transform it into the qi of life and death to nourish himself in return, thereby achieving the ability of "undying."

Yet that palm just now had carried the momentum of Primordial Unity and united the intent of the Infinite. Like heaven and earth becoming a self-contained whole, it was flawless and without leakage, difficult to distinguish and impossible to unravel. His Undying Seal Technique could not dissolve it at all; instead, it had been shattered by a single palm.

The difference between them had been decided!

He was no match!

Retreat!!!!

His thoughts turned in an instant, and he had already made his decision. Shi Zhixuan moved, transforming into several ghostly figures that broke out in every direction.

Illusion Demon Movement Technique!

Earlier, he had dared to launch that sneak attack because he had something to rely on.

Do not misunderstand. He had a clear understanding of his own Strength and had never believed that he, a Grandmaster who was not a Grandmaster, could take down such a terrifying expert—someone whose single move had wiped out the black and white paths and both the Buddhist and Daoist Sects.

He had dared to ambush Xu Yang because Xu Yang had just used an ultimate killing move.

Grandmasters had already formed their great momentum and could achieve Unity of Heaven and Man, unleashing terrifying might.

But the burden of Unity of Heaven and Man was immense. Whether in spirit or gangyuan, the expenditure was extremely severe. Thus, after using an ultimate move, a martial artist would fall into a relatively weakened state for a period of time.

Shi Zhixuan had seized upon precisely this point before daring to attack. And this ambush had never been intended to take down his opponent. He had merely wanted to use his movement technique to close in and snatch the Evil Emperor's Sarira.

Who would have thought this 'Xu Qingyang' would be so formidable? Even without using Heavenly Human power, he could forcefully break the Undying Seal Technique.

What was there left to fight? He needed to flee for his life.

No matter how important the Evil Emperor's Sarira was, it could not compare to his own life, could it?

The Illusion Demon Movement Technique unfolded, producing several ghostly figures. Each was impossible to fathom as they sought a direction to break through.

Which one was the true body?

Xu Yang's expression did not change. He took a step forward, moving several zhang ahead in an instant as though using Shrink Ground into Inches. At the same time, both hands rose, his moves transforming into Supreme Ultimate. Seemingly slow but actually swift, he struck after yet arrived first, sending one force crashing into the void.

"Dong!!!"

The void shuddered like a Bell Ring. Amid rolling ripples, a figure fell out.

Shi Zhixuan!

"!!!"

Though he had anticipated it, having his Illusion Demon Movement Technique broken still gave Shi Zhixuan a fright. Disregarding the injury from the blow, he twisted his body and prepared to transform into phantom figures once more.

Yet he did not expect...

"Whoosh!!!"

Xu Yang moved both hands. The Yin Yang Two Energies transformed into black-and-white twin fish chasing one another's tails, drawing in the surrounding void with the force of Supreme Ultimate. The Illusion Demon technique immediately collapsed, and even Shi Zhixuan himself was dragged along, unable to help being pulled and flipped before Xu Yang.

Battle Scroll—Supreme Ultimate!

If the momentum of Primordial Unity was strong because it was stable and whole, flawless and without gaps, then the Supreme Ultimate method excelled in inclusiveness. It could swallow all under heaven and encompass the myriad things, possessing an immensely powerful force of control.

"!!!"

Shi Zhixuan, forcibly dragged into the vortex, was shocked and enraged. He was about to force out the Undying Seal Technique.

However...

Xu Yang moved like a turtle and serpent, slow to the extreme yet swift to the extreme.

Before Shi Zhixuan could unleash the Undying Seal Technique, Xu Yang struck his chest with the back of one hand. The shock scattered his gangyuan, and the Undying Seal Technique died before it could be born.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, several moves struck in succession. Flowing like clouds and water, the blows landed all across Shi Zhixuan's body, severing the circulation of his gangyuan and locking the movement of his acupoints.

Finally...

"Bang!!!"

The black-and-white twin fish chased one another's tails as they shot forth, blasting the Evil King of the Demonic Sect away in a single strike. He crashed more than ten zhang away, unable to rise again.