Hua Yunfei

"Life and death be damned?"

Facing the Taixuan Sect Master's words, Fang Yang asked a shocking question.

The Taixuan Sect Master's blood and qi surged backward. Did he actually intend to kill a few people?

This was going too far!

It was truly going too far!

"Stop when you've made your point."

The Taixuan Sect Master had been in charge of the sect for many years and was, after all, skilled at controlling his emotions. After forcibly suppressing his anger, he still managed to wear a faint smile as he spoke.

Nearby, Li Ruoyu watched the entire exchange and gave a self-deprecating smile. Then he turned and left, with no intention of involving himself further.

No one paid attention to where Li Ruoyu went.

"Thank you for your understanding, senior. I'll do my best."

Fang Yang glanced at Li Ruoyu's retreating figure, then looked at the Taixuan Sect Master before him and cupped his hands, speaking earnestly.

Taixuan Sect, Star Peak Battle Stage.

The mottled bronze Battle Stage was rusty and weather-beaten, with plenty of bloodstains left upon it. It was sturdy enough to bear the battles of cultivators below the Immortal Platform Realm.

At that moment, disciples from all one hundred and eight main peaks had crowded the area beneath the stage, stretching as far as the eye could see.

They were united in their hatred, ready to watch the thief who had stolen Zhuo Peak's legacy get beaten to a pulp by Taixuan Sect's disciples.

So what if he came from Yao Guang Sacred Land?

So what if he was a Candidate Holy Son?

Taixuan Sect's dignity would not brook any petty upstart's transgression.

"Make a big issue small, and a small issue nothing."

"That's a tried-and-true tactic of major powers. Your fellow countryman is a Candidate Holy Son of Yao Guang Sacred Land, so Taixuan Sect wouldn't dare do anything to him."

"The so-called challenge matches are just a way to save face."

"Just wait and see. The Taixuan Sect disciples who go up later will certainly be experts who've spent years immersed in the Four Extremities Secret Realm, not disciples at the first level of the Four Extremities Realm."

"After winning five matches, Taixuan Sect will have gauged Fang Yang's strength, then arrange for an opponent of comparable ability to 'narrowly lose' to him."

"That way, they can save face and let Fang Yang leave without drawing accusations of weakness and cowardice."

Ji Ziyue stood beside Ye Fan. The two of them were far from the Battle Stage, with no Taixuan Sect disciples nearby, but she still lowered her voice as she spoke.

"I never imagined he'd get this far so quickly."

After hearing Ji Ziyue's analysis and learning that Fang Yang would be fine, Ye Fan's expression turned complicated.

He was still only a Divine Bridge cultivator.

Yet Fang Yang had surged ahead, not only becoming a cultivator in the Four Extremities Secret Realm, but also transforming into a Candidate Holy Son of Yao Guang Sacred Land.

It was impossible for Ye Fan not to feel even a little envious.

But he wouldn't grow jealous of Fang Yang because of it; instead, he felt more motivated to cultivate.

"Did he really only begin cultivating three years ago, just like you, and open the Bitter Sea within his body?"

Ji Ziyue asked curiously.

Such a pace of cultivation was truly astonishing. It would have made a name for itself even in the history of the Eastern Wasteland.

"Yes."

Ye Fan didn't hide the truth.

The information could be uncovered with just a little investigation, so there was no need to conceal it on Fang Yang's behalf.

"Then, it seems your fellow countryman is destined to take four beatings before he can leave Taixuan Sect."

Ji Ziyue didn't think much of Fang Yang's chances.

Whether it was what the ancient records said or what her elders had taught her, she knew that cultivating too quickly made it easy for one's foundation to become unstable. One had to temper one's foundation in every realm before attempting a breakthrough; rushing for quick results was strictly forbidden.

Otherwise, with the Ji Family's resources and her elder brother Ji Haoyue being a Divine Body, how could it have taken him twenty years to reach the Four Extremities Realm?

Fang Yang was a Mortal Body who had reached the Four Extremities Realm in just three years. His comprehension was certainly extraordinary, but Ji Ziyue didn't believe he could have built a particularly solid foundation.

"Lin Yi of Li Peak requests your instruction!"

A graceful figure in pale white leaped onto the Battle Stage. She made no effort to conceal the aura of the fourth level of the Four Extremities Realm; it descended like a torrential downpour.

"Fang Yang."

Fang Yang cupped his hands.

As soon as the words left his mouth,

the woman in white rushed forward, wielding a slender, long sword. Countless petals appeared, forming a dazzling sea of flowers.

"Li Peak's signature art!"

"Senior Sister Lin thinks way too highly of that brat. She's going all out right from the start."

The Taixuan Sect disciples roared with excitement. They knew Lin Yi's technique well and had already foreseen Fang Yang's fate.

A cultivator at the Four Extremities Grand Completion fighting someone at the first level of the Four Extremities Realm—and going all out from the start.

The advantage was ours.

Fang Yang didn't recognize Li Peak's signature art, but there was no need to. He raised his right hand and unleashed a mighty palm strike formed from Primordial Sacred Light.

Its force shook the heavens; demons and spirits fled before it!

The supposedly boundless sea of flowers, Li Peak's signature art, was like a field of delicate blossoms before true violence, ravaged beyond recognition.

Lin Yi's expression changed dramatically. Her figure flitted backward like a startled swan, retreating at breakneck speed. She wanted to dodge, but there was nowhere to run.

The Primordial Sacred Light palm strike was enormous, yet it also possessed the lightning speed of light. After blasting a huge hole through the sea of flowers, it reached her in an instant and struck in front of the Li Peak disciple.

Smack!

Her snow-white robes blossomed with a blood-red plum blossom.

Lin Yi fell from the stage, gravely injured and unconscious.

"She couldn't take much of a hit. I only used half my strength."

Fang Yang controlled the Primordial Sacred Light palm strike, sweeping it left and right to crush the remaining sea of flowers. A hint of apology appeared on his face, just enough to seem sincere.

The Taixuan Sect disciples erupted in an uproar.

Ji Ziyue's mouth fell open.

The Taixuan Sect Master frowned.

"Is a Candidate Holy Son really this strong?"

He hadn't underestimated Fang Yang. He understood the weight behind the title of Candidate Holy Son of Yao Guang Sacred Land, but he hadn't expected Fang Yang to overcome three minor levels and defeat a true disciple of Li Peak.

"We can't stick to the original plan. We have to hit him hard!"

The Taixuan Sect Master sent a message to a trusted attendant and secretly switched out several of the people who were scheduled to fight next.

"The Primordial Sacred Light Art of Yao Guang Sacred Land truly lives up to its reputation. Since you've won this match, we'll let bygones be bygones."

"However, there are still people in Taixuan Sect who wish to study the Primordial Sacred Light Art. Would you be willing to fight another match?"

The Taixuan Sect Master smiled warmly, showing no sign of anything amiss.

"Of course."

Fang Yang accepted the challenge.

He was on someone else's turf, after all. He had to show them some respect.

But even a cultivator at the Four Extremities Grand Completion had fallen to him. Whom would the Taixuan Sect Master send out to recover the lost face?

"I'm Hua Yunfei. Greetings, fellow cultivator!"

A young man in blue stepped before the stage. He gave the impression of a refreshing breeze and warm sunshine.

The moment he appeared, the Taixuan Sect disciples burst into deafening cheers, shouting their support for the undisputed number one of the younger generation.

Star Peak was the strongest of Taixuan Sect's main peaks.

Hua Yunfei was the young grandson of Star Peak's master and had inherited Star Peak's true teachings. Although he hadn't reached completion in the Four Extremities Secret Realm and was only at the second or third level of the Four Extremities Realm,

if anyone had to choose between the Lin Yi who had just taken the stage and Hua Yunfei, no one would think Hua Yunfei would lose.

"Your fellow countryman is definitely going to lose this time."

"My brother once fought Hua Yunfei, and in the end, he only managed a narrow victory. This young grandson of the Star Peak Master is no ordinary person."

Ji Ziyue told Ye Fan about a little-known story.

Everyone believed that Ji Haoyue had only emerged from seclusion after his Divine Body had reached minor completion. What they didn't know was that a few years earlier, his elders had already brought him to Taixuan Sect, where he'd had a friendly match with Hua Yunfei.