"Words are useless. Please, Senior Brother, judge this move."
Fang Yang faced Li Rui's mockery with composure, as if it hadn't angered him at all.
He raised his hand and sent out a swath of Primal Unity Sacred Light.
The Primal Unity Sacred Light was indestructible. It formed into a plain, ancient Saint Sword, its blade wrapped in countless chains of law. Its razor-sharp sword energy made the Void tremble, tearing open rift after rift.
The Saint Sword arrived in an instant.
Li Rui responded with utmost caution, likewise casting the Primordial Sacred Light Art to form a layer of sacred light around himself. It blazed brilliantly, like an eternal sun that would never perish, even after ten thousand ages.
The sword pierced the light barrier.
Under Li Rui's disbelieving gaze, the Saint Sword passed through the barrier as if it were nothing and pierced straight through his chest.
"You've lost."
Fang Yang gave a slight wave of his hand, dispelling the long sword formed from Primal Unity Sacred Light. He looked down at the former Candidate Holy Son, his eyes utterly indifferent.
If Li Rui, a few breaths ago, had still been worthy of making him act,
then now, Li Rui wasn't even worth a second glance.
"I haven't lost!"
Li Rui went completely mad.
He had been careless!
He hadn't even used his full strength before a single sword strike pierced his chest and left him gravely wounded.
He couldn't accept this result!
Roaring,
Li Rui ignored the wound in his chest and unleashed his strongest technique: the phenomenon he had cultivated after advancing to the Four Extremities Secret Realm—the Divine Light Glazed World!
Yin-Yang Divine Light, Glazed Divine Light, Evil-Slaying Divine Light...
All kinds of divine light blossomed in a riot of colors, forming a blessed land beyond the mortal world.
Roaring, Li Rui charged out, relying on his strongest defense and offense as he tried to close in and kill Fang Yang, that despicable, shameless villain.
"Boring."
Fang Yang uttered two words.
He had timed everything long ago. He had no time to indulge this arrogant, overconfident clown in another fight.
Eighty percent strength!
The Primal Unity Sacred Light evolved into a great seal. Its divine radiance was contained within, not a trace of light leaking out, yet it commanded all forces with an aura of Primal Unity, making it as heavy as a mountain.
Pure force collided head-on with Li Rui, who had unleashed the Divine Light Glazed World phenomenon and was driving ten thousand kinds of divine light into the fight.
The sacred-light seal remained completely intact.
Li Rui spat blood and flew backward. His heart leapt out from his chest, fortunately still connected by a single blood vessel; otherwise, he might truly have died from the severity of his injuries.
He smashed through one obstacle after another before landing in the center of the great hall where he had been moments earlier, his life or death unknown.
"Li Rui lost!"
"Did he really have to be so ruthless?"
The people in the hall hadn't even had time to go outside and watch the fight when Li Rui was soundly defeated and came crashing down with a thunderous roar.
Some hurried forward to treat him.
Some slipped away without a sound.
Some stood rooted to the spot, stunned.
With Li Rui defeated, the rules of the Yao Guang Sacred Land meant that his Candidate Holy Son Position would pass to Fang Yang, who had defeated him despite being the weaker fighter.
The Yao Guang Sacred Land was not short of geniuses. Once a Candidate Holy Son was defeated by someone who had overcome the odds, he fell from his pedestal and would never again be eligible to contend for the Holy Son Position.
All the privileges of a Candidate Holy Son—including a mountain peak of his own, monthly allotments of Pure Source, spirit medicines, and materials for refining weapons—would also be taken back, and the distributions would cease.
At that moment, the people who had once gathered around Li Rui hadn't left immediately only because, even without the Candidate Holy Son title, he would most likely become an Immortal Platform elder someday.
Fang Yang used the Yaoguang Footwork to return to the tea gathering.
His white robes were as pristine as snow, not so much as a speck of dust upon them.
"Senior Brother, did you perhaps forget something?"
A Yao Guang disciple from the Dao Palace Secret Realm asked.
"This fellow is terrifying!"
Several cultivators from the Four Extremities Realm had glimpsed the battle just now with their wondrous pupil techniques. They had gained an even deeper understanding of Fang Yang's talent and strength.
Li Rui wasn't weak.
Fang Yang was simply stronger.
Fang Yang ignored the one who had spoken and went straight to the main seat in the hall, settling back into his earlier place with unhurried grace.
The rosewood table was finely grained and gave off a faint fragrance. It hadn't originally belonged to the hall; the dozens of people before him had brought it in.
On the table, the tea in the jade cup was clear.
Fang Yang reached out and touched the cup.
"The tea is still warm!"
At these words, most people still had no idea what he meant.
The few who understood had already begun preparing words of praise, recounting what had just happened:
"He defeated Li Rui while the tea was still warm."
"Junior Brother truly has wisdom within. We mere mortals even thought to offer a word of advice. Since today's gathering was meant to make friends over tea, I ought to punish myself with three cups."
"After Li Rui's defeat, the Candidate Holy Son Position will surely be transferred within three days. I have an elder relative working in the Deacon Hall..."
In just a few words, they both explained the situation to those still in the dark and praised Fang Yang, either openly or subtly. Some even offered to pull strings and have the Candidate Holy Son's benefits distributed to him right away.
"Senior Brother Fang Yang truly is a wonder!"
The disciple who had first asked Fang Yang whether he had forgotten something heard that Fang Yang had defeated Li Rui while the tea was still warm. Ashamed of his ignorance, he praised Fang Yang from the bottom of his heart.
But in the noisy great hall, his words failed to make the slightest ripple. No one paid him any attention.
"Thank you all for your help today. I've just weathered the Four Extremities tribulation and then fought a great battle with Li Rui. I'm truly exhausted in body and mind. Perhaps we should call it a day?"
Seeing how the hall was abuzz with voices, Fang Yang wanted to end the tea gathering, so he put on an air of weariness.
"Junior Brother, get some good rest. We'll take our leave."
"I still have spirit tea and fine wine at my place. I'll come by another day to share in our fellowship, Senior Brother."
The guests were perceptive. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they rose and took their leave.
Before leaving, some even washed the teacups and other items, leaving them in the great hall.
"How do you feel?"
After everyone had left, Li Daoming appeared in the great hall and asked Fang Yang, who hurriedly rose to his feet.
"It's all fleeting as clouds before my eyes. If I ever fall, it'll be like a tree falling and the monkeys scattering. These people are only good for making connections, gathering information, and trading resources. They aren't people I can trust with my heart."
Facing his master, Li Daoming, Fang Yang dropped the pretense he had maintained before the others and spoke his mind.
"Good. It's enough that you understand this."
Li Daoming stroked his beard.
"Your martial uncle and I had agreed that once you became a Four Extremities cultivator, we'd send you to study the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron, then help you secure the Candidate Holy Son Position."
"I didn't expect that I had still underestimated you, my disciple. You've only just broken through, yet you've already defeated Li Rui and claimed the Candidate Holy Son Position."
As he spoke, Li Daoming tossed Fang Yang a jade token.
"This is the Candidate Holy Son jade token. From now on, you can use it to collect your monthly stipend from the Deacon Palace."
"Once you've consolidated your cultivation, go straight to Yaoguang Palace and find your martial uncle. Study the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron. With your comprehension, you'll be able to make another breakthrough in the Primordial Sacred Light Art."
[Becoming a Candidate Holy Son, Fate Points +2000] The moment Fang Yang took the jade token, a message flashed before his eyes. Adding it to the message that had appeared when he advanced to the Four Extremities Secret Realm: [Advancing to the Four Extremities Realm, Fate Points +600] His current Fate Points: [Current Fate Points: 3265]
Before you continue