Heaven-raising, Moon-falling, Wish-fulfilling Bones [Cultivation Realm Chart in the Author's Note at Chapter's End]

In the Martial Arena of Perching Phoenix Hall, the formation's radiance flowed, completely sealing the interior off from the outside.

Yun Huang stood quietly at the center. His pale-gold eyes shone with astonishing brilliance, and the vast pressure of a reincarnated Immortal Emperor seemed almost tangible, making even the surrounding air congeal.

"Give it everything you have." Yun Huang's voice was calm, yet rang with the resonance of clashing metal and stone. "Let me see your mettle. If you keep hiding your abilities and dishonor my invitation..." An icy edge flashed through his pale-gold eyes. "Do not blame me for showing no mercy."

The pressure descended with a crash, like a mountain ten thousand fathoms high!

Yun Qing drew a deep breath. Within his double pupils, fighting spirit blazed to life like sparks setting a prairie aflame. He knew he would lose this battle, but the chance to fight a reincarnated Immortal Emperor without restraint was an opportunity that came once in a thousand years!

He wouldn't actually strike to kill... probably.

"Since you are in the mood, Young Lord, I shall not disappoint you." Yun Qing laughed openly, his broad smile carrying an unbridled ease that broke the Martial Arena's silence.

He gripped the spirit-calming jade pendant at his waist and tightened his fingers slightly. With a click, its silk cord snapped. He casually tossed the smooth, cloud-patterned pendant to the edge of the grounds, then pulled open his jade belt. His blue outer robe slipped away, revealing the fitted black martial attire beneath.

With a casual flick, he tossed the fallen blue robe aside. Its folds fluttered like butterflies before landing neatly beside the pendant, his movements crisp and graceful, flowing like clouds and water.

Freed of his loose robe, Yun Qing cinched his cuffs, revealing the sleek lines of his forearms. He stood tall as a solitary peak with sheer, unscalable cliffs. His Chaos Dao Embryo circulated without concealment, spreading an ancient, boundless, terrifying aura.

"Then forgive my presumption!" A sharp gleam flashed in Yun Qing's eyes as he raised his hand and grasped at empty air.

"Silent Abyss."

At his low utterance, a dark spear materialized, humming softly with delight in Yun Qing's palm. Cold light flickered at its tip, and its intent of annihilation locked onto the figure ahead, standing against Yun Huang's blazing divine might as an equal.

A flicker of approval passed through Yun Huang's eyes. "That is more like it."

No further words were needed.

Yun Qing moved. His black-clad figure became a bolt of lightning that tore through light and shadow, charging forward like thunder, his spear striking like a dragon! The Silent Abyss Spear ripped through space, tracing a path of annihilation that would devour all things as it thrust straight at Yun Huang. This strike discarded every flourish, condensing the vastness of chaos power and the uncompromising resolve of annihilation to their utmost limits!

Faced with this earth-shattering thrust, Yun Huang finally moved. With a slight shift of his feet, he slipped half a foot sideways like a phantom, narrowly avoiding the spear's sharpest point. At the same time, he joined two fingers like a sword, blazing golden spiritual light gathering at their tips as he struck the side of the shaft with flawless precision!

Clang!

Fingers met spear with a piercing shriek! Yun Qing was not immediately driven back. He sharply twisted his wrist, making the Silent Abyss Spear shudder like a living creature. The chaos energy coiling around its shaft became countless fine threads, attempting to entangle and erode that wisp of Radiant Sun finger power!

"Interesting." Yun Huang gave a soft snort. His finger power erupted like an exploding sun, forcibly scattering the chaos threads. But Yun Qing turned that force to his advantage, already circling to the side like a roaming dragon. His spearwork abruptly became elusive and unpredictable. Countless spear shadows swept out, enveloping the vital points across Yun Huang's body, every thrust targeting a crucial node in his spiritual power's circulation!

"Those eyes of yours really are troublesome." Understanding flashed in Yun Huang's golden eyes. He no longer confined himself to blocking. As his figure shifted, palms, fingers, fists, and elbows all became lethal weapons. His Radiant Sun Divine Power alternated between unmatched ferocity and supple, unbroken resilience, dismantling Yun Qing's exquisite spear attacks one by one.

Their figures crossed at blinding speed across the grounds, black and gold light colliding and annihilating each other again and again. Roars and explosive bursts of air rang out without pause. The protective formation rippled violently, its light flickering.

Yun Qing was already pushing beyond his limits. His double pupils worked at their utmost, his Chaos Dao Embryo circulated madly, and his spearwork swept wide while remaining vicious and cunning. Combining the two realms of "annihilation" and "chaos," he displayed terrifying combat strength far beyond his peers. Even an ordinary clan elder would likely have fallen to him by now.

But his opponent was Yun Huang.

They clashed once more. Spear met fingers, unleashing a shrill metallic ring that pierced straight into the soul. A visible, circular shock wave burst outward from between them and slammed into the surrounding protective formation, stirring ripples across the sky!

Yun Qing felt an indescribable force of utmost yang and unyielding strength surge toward him along the Silent Abyss Spear's shaft! The web of his hand split instantly, blood staining the shaft, while the bones throughout his right arm groaned beneath the unbearable burden. As the force poured into him, blood rose in his throat, but he swallowed it without betraying a thing.

He slid backward uncontrollably. His boot soles plowed two deep furrows several yards long through the black stone floor, which was harder than starsteel, before he barely steadied himself. His spear-wielding right hand trembled slightly, and the Silent Abyss Spear gave a low hum, as though lamenting too.

The gap! A gap like a chasm no heaven could bridge!

Yun Huang still stood where he had been, utterly composed, as though he had merely brushed dust from the hem of his robe. Looking at Yun Qing's flushed face and disordered breathing, he offered a mild assessment:

"Your intent is distinctive. Unfortunately, you are too slow."

"Let us end this here." Yun Huang's aura abruptly changed. His blazing divine might unfolded like a tangible domain. The temperature within the Martial Arena soared, the air twisting and steaming as his presence instantly crushed Yun Qing's momentum.

Yun Huang formed a seal with one hand, and a golden sigil condensed from pure Radiant Sun Divine Power appeared out of thin air!

"Take this move-Radiant Sun Seal!"

The seal was small, yet resembled a sun compressed to its utmost limit. Bearing a supreme will to subdue the eight wildernesses and burn the nine nether depths to ash, it slowly descended toward Yun Qing! Wherever it passed, space froze, and even time seemed to thicken. Its terrifying suppressive force nearly stopped Yun Qing's breathing.

There was no escaping it.

I can't take it head-on! Yun Qing drew a deep breath. Inspiration flashed through his sea of consciousness as he recalled Yun Huang's earlier assessment-"Too direct"! Chaos was not merely destruction charging relentlessly forward!

Yun Qing drove the Silent Abyss Spear straight into the ground. The Chaos Dao Embryo within him circulated at full power, dark light surging in his double pupils. The paths of his spiritual power abruptly changed. Rather than pursuing the ultimate attack, he drew upon the Chaos Dao Embryo's innate capacity to encompass and evolve. Faint gray mist curled around the Silent Abyss Spear's shaft, with chaos runes dimly flowing within it.

"Chaos Return to Ruins!"

At his low shout, a small, dark devouring field instantly spread around him. Like a bottomless mire, it attempted to disperse and devour the vast Radiant Sun Divine Power!

Boom!

The fist seal crashed violently into the dark force field,

and the entire Martial Arena shook violently.

The stalemate lasted several breaths.

Then the dark force field finally exhausted its strength and shattered, and the Radiant Sun Seal struck directly against the spear shaft Yun Qing held crosswise to block it!

"Pfft."

Yun Qing reeled beneath the heavy blow and spat out a mouthful of blood. He flew backward, slamming into the formation's wall of light with a dull thud.

Yet after landing, he barely managed to brace himself with his spear and rise onto one knee instead of collapsing. Though his organs were injured and his meridians burned with pain, he was clearly far from losing the ability to move.

Yun Huang had held back.

Had the First Elder or the others been present, they would have seen that Yun Huang had deliberately restrained at least half the seal's power.

Otherwise, Yun Qing would have had no chance of surviving.

Yun Huang slowly withdrew his stance, the surging divine power around him receding like the tide. Looking at Yun Qing, disheveled yet still clear-eyed, his fighting spirit undimmed like a proud young beast's, he no longer concealed his appreciation.

"Heaven-raising, moon-falling, wish-fulfilling bones," he suddenly recited, his voice clear as a jade chime as it echoed across the grounds. "Among our Yun Clan's Twelve Young Masters, you stand first. A fitting place indeed."

That verse referred to the three most dazzling prodigies of this generation in the Yun Clan's main bloodline, the top three of the Twelve Young Masters: Yun Qing, the clan head's eldest son by a concubine; Yun Tianluo, the First Elder's grandson; and Yun Ruyi, the gifted daughter of the Fifth Elder's lineage! With those words, Yun Huang had acknowledged his strength and standing as the "Yun Clan's First Young Master."

Bracing his spear against the ground, Yun Qing slowly straightened and wiped the blood from his lips. Meeting Yun Huang's gaze, light flowed through his double pupils as he answered firmly, his voice earnest and wholehearted:

"Above the twelve clouded heavens, Huang alone commands the immortal astral might."