Hearing such arrogant words, the sect disciples below stirred restlessly, wanting to go up and teach him a lesson.
Just then, a voice rang out from the crowd.
"In that case, let me see what you're worth."
As he spoke, the man walked out of the crowd.
When everyone saw his face clearly, the entire training ground fell silent for a moment before deafening cheers erupted.
"It's Long Aotian."
"Long Aotian, beat him! Show him the price of arrogance!"
The newcomer stood nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a wide back that stretched his fitted combat clothes taut.
His skin was so white it was almost translucent, like a layer of white jade covering his bones.
His long reddish-brown hair fell in a center part, and the narrow eyes beneath his brows were cold, devoid of any emotion as he looked at others.
Hearing Long Aotian's words, Yun Luo could not help scoffing.
"See what I'm worth? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard."
"If you want to fight, then come."
With that, Yun Luo leaped into the center of a competition platform.
Looking at Yun Luo's arrogant demeanor, Long Aotian's lips curved upward.
He had never expected to meet someone even more arrogant than himself. At fifteen, he was level fifty-four and had undergone a silver-rank second awakening; he considered himself among the greatest geniuses of his generation.
So Long Aotian did not believe the person before him could be much stronger than him. At most, his Soul Power would be a few levels higher.
"Haha, it's been a long time since anyone let me fight to my heart's content. I hope you can."
With that, Long Aotian appeared on the competition platform as well.
"Long Aotian."
Hearing Long Aotian introduce himself, Yun Luo naturally replied in kind.
"Yun Luo."
After introducing themselves, the two released their Martial Souls simultaneously, as though sharing a tacit understanding.
Five Soul Rings rose beneath Long Aotian's feet.
"Yellow, purple, purple, black, black."
Then he raised his right hand, and the skin all over his body instantly turned jade-white.
His muscles bulged in an instant, and his finger joints transformed into sharp claws with a crisp clang of metal striking stone.
Behind him, a silvery-white humanoid phantom slowly rose to its feet, giving off an unparalleled sense of oppression.
On the other side, a silvery-white gleam flashed through Yun Luo's ice-blue eyes as six Soul Rings rose beneath his feet.
"Black, black, black, black, black, red."
"Holy fuck."
"How could anyone have such a heaven-defying Soul Ring configuration?"
Everyone on the training ground stared at Yun Luo's Soul Ring configuration in disbelief.
Seeing this, Du Busi's lips curved slightly upward.
He had been the same back then, shocked by Yun Luo's Soul Ring configuration. But once he remembered that Yun Luo had come from ten thousand years in the future, it all made sense.
At this sight, all the Body Sect's senior figures could not help recalling what Du Busi had said that day. His words truly made sense.
If Du Busi really finished investigating Yun Luo's background thoroughly, making him the Holy Son would surely take the Body Sect to new heights.
As his opponent, Long Aotian was dumbfounded by such a heaven-defying Soul Ring configuration.
For a moment, he even forgot to attack and stood frozen in place.
Hearing everyone's praise, Yun Luo could barely keep the corners of his mouth down.
His nine years of bitter cultivation had not been wasted. As the saying went, failing to return home after gaining wealth and honor was like wearing brocade robes through the night.
Hadn't he cultivated bitterly for nine years precisely so that one day he could display his prowess before others?
"Well? Do you still want to challenge me?"
Taking in everyone's reactions, Yun Luo smiled and beckoned to Long Aotian.
"Of course I'll fight."
"Though I know I can't beat you, backing down without a fight isn't my style. Come on."
Hearing Yun Luo's words, Long Aotian snapped out of his daze and answered him.
As his words fell, the fourth Soul Ring beneath his feet abruptly lit up.
The Soul Ring blazed with light, and his body suddenly grew to five meters tall.
His arms came together, transforming into a massive dark-gold battle-axe, and he resembled a miniature god of war.
"Mad God Slash!"
With a furious roar, Long Aotian cleaved down at Yun Luo's head with the momentum to split heaven and earth.
The massive dark-gold axe sliced through the air with a piercing explosive shriek. Wherever its blade passed, the air tore into visibly distorted ripples.
Yun Luo stood where he was, without a trace of panic in his ice-blue eyes.
The suffocating red Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up.
Silvery-white light erupted from within him and shot straight into the heavens.
A gigantic silvery-white eye appeared behind Yun Luo, its vertical pupil slightly open as a terrifying pressure poured down as though it were tangible.
At that instant, the air throughout the training ground froze.
Everyone watching felt their breath catch, as though a massive stone pressed against their chest.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Illusory Hell Imprisoning Eye."
As he finished speaking, the silvery-white pupil abruptly contracted.
Then a spiritual fluctuation invisible to the naked eye erupted from that enormous eye, locking directly onto Long Aotian in midair.
Long Aotian did not even have a chance to react before his eyes instantly lost focus.
His body stiffened in midair, the massive dark-gold axe stopping less than three meters above Yun Luo's head, unable to descend any farther.
His consciousness was forcibly dragged into an endless silvery-white space.
Within that space, countless silvery-white chains pierced in from every direction, pinning his soul firmly in place.
Before he could react, all the chains tightened at once.
In an instant, Long Aotian felt tearing agony sweep through his entire body.
He tried to mobilize his Soul Power, but it did not budge.
He tried to struggle, but the chains only tightened further. Every struggle felt as though someone were repeatedly grinding a red-hot branding iron against his soul.
Terror, despair, and the breath of death surged in from every direction, washing over his consciousness again and again.
Within the illusion, he "died" over and over, only to be dragged back each time.
With every "death," another layer of mental trauma accumulated, feeding back into his physical body as real damage.
In reality, Long Aotian's body began trembling violently, and traces of blood seeped from his seven orifices.
After holding on for less than thirty seconds, Long Aotian fell stiffly out of the air with a thud.
The massive dark-gold axe instantly dispersed, and his five-meter body returned to its original size, slamming heavily onto the competition platform.
His eyes rolled back, and he fell into a deep sleep.
In an instant, the entire training ground fell deathly silent.
"Holy fuck, hit me. I... I didn't see that wrong, did I?"
"A... a one-shot?"
"Long Aotian didn't even get a chance to fight back?"
The disciples on the training ground gaped, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
Looking at the unconscious Long Aotian, Du Busi flashed to his side, placed a hand on him, and checked his condition.
"He only fainted. His mind suffered a little shock, but it's nothing serious."
He beckoned for someone to carry Long Aotian away.
Meanwhile, Yun Luo turned to face the members of the Body Sect and slowly spoke.
"Who else wants to challenge me?"
His voice was not loud, yet it struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.
Everyone below instantly fell silent like cicadas in the cold, not daring to speak.
Those who had been itching to step onto the platform earlier now lowered their heads, wishing they could hide themselves away.
Was this a joke?
Even Long Aotian had been one-shotted. What could they do up there? Serve themselves up on a platter?
Yun Luo stood on the platform, silver hair falling over his shoulders as his ice-blue eyes swept calmly over the crowd.
The faces that had been full of defiance earlier now held only awe and shock.
"I'll give you a chance to catch up."
His voice was level, yet it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.
"Until you can no longer even see my silhouette."