Defeating Li Hong
On the arena, Li Hong stared blankly at the Heaven-Expanding Mountain, which had been split in two, as if he had lost his soul.
As for Yang Dingkun, who had boasted that he would master the Tai'a Sacred Law in five months, he gripped the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands until his knuckles turned white.
"Radiant Sun True Qi... Radiant Sun True Qi, he mastered the <Tai'a Sacred Law>?"
Two months ago, when Yi Yun used his Glory Points to exchange for the <Tai'a Sacred Law>, countless people mocked him, thinking that a peasant like him dared to try to master a royal secret technique.
But now, everyone who had laughed at Yi Yun was speechless. Yi Yun had not only mastered the Tai'a Sacred Law, but he had also achieved the Radiant Sun True Qi at the Tang Valley level!
In just two months, Qin Haotian, Luo Huo'er, and Li Xiao, these geniuses who dominated the Heaven, Earth, and Man Rankings of Tai'a Divine City, have all been surpassed by Yi Yun in their cultivation of the <Tai'a Sacred Law>!
Li Hong looked at Yi Yun, clenching his fists. He was a genius with extensive connections. Everyone said he was a dragon among men, destined for great things. He had already achieved remarkable success by mastering the top three skills in Tai'a Divine City, the <Heaven-Expanding Merit>. But compared to Yi Yun's mastery of the <Tai'a Sacred Law> in just two months, it was a joke.
Before this battle, he had considered Yi Yun's trump cards, thinking that Yi Yun might only have a few hidden sword techniques. He never expected that Yi Yun's hidden strength was the Radiant Sun True Qi!
"You... mastered the <Tai'a Sacred Law> before the competition?"
Li Hong gritted his teeth and said that he suddenly realized that Yi Yun might have been planning to trick him from the beginning. He had hidden his strength to dig a trap for him to fall into.
Yi Yun said, "That's right. I did indeed master the <Tai'a Sacred Law> before the rookie competition. But don't get too cocky. The reason I didn't show my full strength before wasn't because of you, but mainly to hone my sword techniques. I only comprehended my sword techniques after the rookie competition started, and I needed opponents to hone them. Both Qiu Niu and Chu Xiaoran are top experts among the rookies, and sparring with them has benefited me immensely."
"As for tricking you... that was just a side effect. I just didn't expect that you would not only gamble on the Dragon Scale Rune, but also give me a copy of <True Understanding of Laws>."
Yi Yun didn't need to take Liu Yuxing's opponents seriously at all; those people weren't even qualified to hone Yi Yun's sword techniques. Qiu Niu and Chu Xiaoran were perfect for testing the Thirty-two Sword Dao Characters.
After Yi Yun finished speaking, he casually glanced at the audience. In a corner of the audience, Yang Dingkun stood in the crowd, his face terribly gloomy.
Yi Yun was treating him Big Head! The mocking tone sounded incredibly grating to Yang Dingkun.
Yang Dingkun clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with intense killing intent!
Yi Yun saw all of this.
While Yi Yun was waiting to go on stage, Zhao Qingcheng had already pointed out Yi Yun Yang Dingkun to him. Yi Yun then got to know this young prince of the Prince Chu's Estate who wanted to take advantage of the situation.
Yi Yun was not afraid of Yang Dingkun. Although the Prince Chu's Estate claimed to be royalty, their actual relationship with the royal family was very distant. They only had high Noble Title and great power, but even so, a young master of the Prince Chu's Estate had limited influence.
How many young people are there in the Prince Chu's Estate's Mansion? There are too many to count.
The current Prince Chu has lived for over a thousand years. In that time, how many wives and concubines did he marry? How many sons did he have? It's likely that even the Prince Chu himself doesn't remember.
The number of illegitimate sons, legitimate sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons is truly difficult to count.
Yang Dingkun was the most outstanding among these descendants, but he was not the most valued by the Prince Chu, because he was not the heir apparent.
For this reason, Yang Dingkun had to win Yi Yun's <Tai'a Sacred Law> through a gambling contest. He couldn't rely too much on the Prince Chu's Estate and had to find his own way out.
Upon hearing Yi Yun's words, Li Hong's face turned blood red. "Just a side effect? Hahaha, just a side effect!!"
Li Hong went berserk!
"Who do you think you are? So what if you've mastered the Tai'a Sacred Law? Today, I will kill you!"
Li Hong suddenly leaped up, his long staff sweeping across the earth's vital energy!
Whew! Whew!
The Heaven-Expanding Mountain, which had been cleaved in two by Yi Yun, transformed back into pure primordial energy and merged into Li Hong's body.
Li Hong knew that under the threat of Radiant Sun True Qi, his Heaven-Expanding Mountain was useless, so he might as well turn Heaven-Expanding Mountain into energy and unleash his strongest attack.
Mountain-Splitting Staff!
With a roar, the long staff in Li Hong's hand, after absorbing the earth's energy, grew from six feet long to several feet long, and the thickness of the staff also became as thick as a person could hug, like a pillar!
Such a thick and long pillar would be impossible for an ordinary person to use as a weapon; even holding it would be difficult. However, under the impetus of Li Hong's Earth Law, he used this thick and long stick as if it were his own arm!
The long staff whistled as it pressed down like a mountain.
Yi Yun focused his energy in his dantian, and the Thousand Army Saber in his hand ignited with blazing flames, its purple qi aura surging like the burning sun.
This was Yi Yun's first time truly unleashing his full power, using his Radiant Sun True Qi to activate the Thirty-two Sword Dao Characters sword technique!
King's Reign Over the World!
"Snap!"
With a single slash, a purple blade of light flashed in the field of vision, and the Purple Tungsten Steel arena was cleaved open with a deep blade mark by the energy of this slash!
When Li Hong's thick, long staff collided with this sword strike, the rocks formed from the earth's primordial energy were continuously melted by the radiant Radiant Sun True Qi!
But Li Hong continued to forge ahead relentlessly!
"Boom!"
Li Hong's staff clashed with Yi Yun's Thousand Army Saber, unleashing a violent shockwave that made everyone hold their breath.
In this impact, Yi Yun was forced back ten feet, almost touching the edge of the arena.
However, just as Li Hong used the Earth Shock to force Yi Yun to retreat, Li Hong watched helplessly as a crimson-purple blade of energy burst out from the shockwave and pierced his Protective Vital Energy!
"Snap!"
Li Hong's prized Earth Armor was cleaved open by this strike, and blood spurted out!
Li Hong is injured!
Yi Yun merely retreated, while Li Hong was already wounded. In this exchange, the difference in skill was immediately apparent!
However, this strike was only the beginning. Yi Yun took a step forward, his body shooting out like lightning. The Subtle Movement Technique!
A series of sword shadows slashed towards Li Hong!
Li Hong disassembled the Heaven-Expanding Mountain and infused the long staff with earth energy, making the weapon more powerful. However, given the sheer size of the weapon, even with Li Hong's mastery of the Earth Law, he couldn't make it as fast as the Thousand Army Saber!
Damn it!
Li Hong's gaze sharpened, and his entire body's scales expanded!
Heaven-Expanding Shield!
Li Hong, relying on his defensive "Heaven-Expanding Merit," withstood Yi Yun's blade light, just as Li Hong had always done before.
But this time, driven by the Radiant Sun True Qi, every strike from Yi Yun was extremely sharp!
"Snap snap snap!"
In an instant, Li Hong was struck by dozens of blades, each one piercing his body and cutting through his Protective Vital Energy. The scales of his <Heaven-Expanding Merit> technique were continuously melting under the pure Radiant Sun True Qi!
"You say a knife can't split a mountain? That's just because the knife isn't sharp enough. Besides, how can the rocks on the mountain withstand the sun's fire?"
Yi Yun's sword strikes became faster and more ferocious, the endless stream of sword energy resembling crimson-purple waves crashing towards Li Hong.
"Boom!"
The Mountain-Splitting Staff in Li Hong's hand was cleaved in two by Yi Yun's blade. Rocks crumbled, and lava gushed down!
Large patches of scales on Li Hong's body melted away, burning intensely.
The scalding magma was burning Li Hong's Protective Vital Energy, making it thinner and thinner.
"Puff!"
Yi Yun cleaved Li Hong in two with a single strike, landing squarely on Li Hong's shoulder. Blood spurted out, and Li Hong was sent flying back ten feet!
At that very moment, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood erupted behind Yi Yun!
Blood spurted out, ghosts wailed, and it was as if a hellish realm had been laid bare on earth.
The Way of the Sword – Slaughter as the Heart!
Yi Yun poured all his vital energy into this one strike, slaughtering all living beings and cleaving through the heavens!
Forced to his limit, Li Hong mustered his last bit of energy, held his long staff horizontally, and met Yi Yun's blade head-on.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion, with rampant red spreading like a pool of blood bursting open!
Li Hong's body flew backward, like a kite with a broken string, tumbling and crashing heavily onto the protective wall of the Divine Desolation Stage!
"Bang!"
The long staff in Li Hong's hand was sent flying by the force of the energy, crashing onto the Purple Tungsten Steel arena. A six-foot-long staff had actually been cleaved in two by Yi Yun's single strike!
"What!?"
The sight of the long stick broken in two sent a shiver down everyone's spine!
Li Hong's weapon was no ordinary item either; it must have been made by a master craftsman.
Under normal circumstances, it is difficult for warriors of the Purple Blood Realm to break weapons made by masters!
But Yi Yun did it!
In terms of quality, Li Hong's long staff is probably superior to Yi Yun's Thousand Army Saber!
Why is this happening?
Some people found it incomprehensible that the Thousand Army Saber, which was clearly not a Divine Weapon, had actually cut through Li Hong's long staff!
"It's the blessing of vital energy!"
Someone sighed.
With the Radiant Sun True Qi infused into the Thousand Army Saber, the blade's sharpness was completely transformed, making it unbearable for Li Hong's earth elemental energy!
"Yi Yun won!"
The outcome was clear: Li Hong's scales had shattered, his meridians had been invaded by the Radiant Sun True Qi, and he was injured all over. If the fight continued, he would be crippled.
Yi Yun defeated Li Hong!
When Yi Yun unleashed his Radiant Sun True Qi, people had already guessed this possible outcome, but when it actually happened, they still felt it was somewhat unreal.
Li Hong had spent a year more training in Tai'a Divine City than Yi Yun, and was also the top freshman in his class. His cultivation was about to break through to the Yuanji stage, yet he was killed by Yi Yun just like that.
This Yi Yun is truly terrifying.
However... it was clear to everyone that Yi Yun had also expended a great deal of energy.
The Radiant Sun True Qi is powerful, but it also consumes vital energy quickly!
Yi Yun's cultivation level is currently limited, only at the Peak of Purple Blood Mid-stage. He has already reached his limit in using the Bright Radiant Sun True Qi to fight until now.
If Yi Yun fails to defeat Li Hong with his final strike, he won't have much strength left to fight.
[With just twenty minutes until the Year of the Monkey, the author of * True Martial World *, Silkworm in Cocooned Cow, wishes everyone a Happy New Year! May you all achieve success in your careers and studies, be blessed with wealth, and have the five fortunes upon you. Thank you to CKtalon, a Singaporean Chinese, for the generous red envelope. I also wish all Chinese readers of * True Martial World around the world, and those reading the English translation in Europe and America, a Happy Chinese New Year!]
...(To be continued~^~)