Zhao Wuji looked at Jun Yi, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile. "Those two little girls with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and Hell Spirit Cat suddenly disappeared earlier. Was that your doing too?"
Although Zhao Wuji had not attacked Jun Yi at first, he had kept part of his attention on him. After all, Jun Yi was a Soul Elder, so he warranted some attention.
When Zhao Wuji saw Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing suddenly disappear, he immediately thought of Jun Yi and watched his next movements. Yet all he saw was Jun Yi moving his fingers slightly, doing nothing else. That made him even more curious about just what Jun Yi had relied on to relocate the two girls.
"Just a little trick. Next, let me see what the Immovable Wisdom King can do."
Jun Yi poured Soul Power into his soul-guided saber. In an instant, dozens of blue blades of light whistled out, rushing toward Zhao Wuji like a raging storm and sealing off every direction around him.
Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes slightly, and the Soul Rings on his body lit up. "Immovable Bright King Body."
Dazzling, powerful golden light immediately burst forth around his body, forming a protective barrier that enveloped him. The blades of light slashed viciously against it.
Clang, clang, clang...
Blade after blade of light was blocked by the golden glow, but Zhao Wuji did not retreat. He let the blades strike his body without so much as furrowing his brows.
"A very good attack." As he spoke, Zhao Wuji suddenly thrust out both palms.
Rumble! A terrifying golden glow clung to Zhao Wuji's hands. His Soul Power exploded, annihilating the blades of light one after another.
"Gravity Squeeze!" Zhao Wuji shouted again. The purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring on his body abruptly expanded and surged straight into the ground. A mass of dense golden light suddenly spread out, filling the space around them.
"Hm?" Jun Yi felt the air around him grow sluggish, as though the entire world had frozen. Then he felt an added restraint on his body, and he stiffened.
Immediately afterward, Zhao Wuji charged at Jun Yi. Jun Yi felt the gravity around him grow increasingly concentrated as golden light surged from Zhao Wuji's palm, which came smashing toward him.
Bang-!
The two collided, instantly producing a ring of ripples visible to the naked eye. Powerful fluctuations of Soul Power spread outward, sending the surrounding leaves flying and brushing them against everyone's faces.
"How is that possible?"
Standing to the side, Tang San stared in shock at the two who were, for the moment, evenly matched. He had never imagined Jun Yi could fight Zhao Wuji to a draw. Zhao Wuji was a Soul Saint, while Jun Yi was just an ordinary Soul Elder. How on earth had this fellow done it?
"Good lad. Your strength really isn't bad."
Zhao Wuji smiled. He had not expected Jun Yi to emerge completely unscathed against his second Soul Skill, much less match him evenly.
Jun Yi answered with a smile, "If Teacher Zhao hadn't held back, I'm afraid I would've been sent flying to the edge of the sky already."
Jun Yi was not exaggerating. Zhao Wuji had indeed held back, using roughly less than a tenth of his strength. Otherwise, that punch alone would have been enough to break Jun Yi's bones and tear his tendons.
"Hahahaha!" Zhao Wuji threw his head back and laughed. "Lad, you're the first person to take that move of mine with a Soul Elder's cultivation."
Then Zhao Wuji struck out with another palm. This time, he increased his Soul Power output to the level of a Soul King. As his palm swept out, even the air seemed about to freeze, and a series of sonic booms rang out.
Bang-! Jun Yi showed no fear. He raised his right arm, black-and-red Armament Haki coating his fist, and met it with a punch.
Fist met palm with a dull thud. Jun Yi felt as though his fist had been electrocuted as a tremendous force surged through it. He slid backward more than ten meters, digging his toes into the ground and barely steadying himself.
"Oh? Interesting."
Seeing Jun Yi withstand a Soul King-level palm strike head-on, Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed with a peculiar light as he silently marveled at Jun Yi's talent.
"There's only a sliver left of that incense stick. I want to see your strongest strike."
Zhao Wuji smiled as he spoke to Jun Yi. He was already growing impatient to find out just how much fighting strength the young man before him could unleash.
Jun Yi merely smiled at those words. He did not like casually revealing his trump cards in front of others, especially during a useless assessment like this.
Blue lightning gathered in Jun Yi's hand. He then coated his soul-guided saber with it and charged toward Zhao Wuji.
"Counter Shock."
With that low growl, blue-violet arcs of electricity instantly covered the entire field. Zhao Wuji felt his chest suddenly go numb. His heart was being subjected to high-frequency electric shocks, numbing his entire body. Even Zhao Wuji himself froze, for he had not expected Jun Yi to penetrate his Soul Skill's defenses and directly injure his internal organs.
In a flash, Jun Yi appeared right in front of Zhao Wuji. The blade in his hand sliced through the air, leaving dazzling trails as it slashed toward Zhao Wuji's arm with a murderous force.
Zhao Wuji's heart was filled with shock. He had never imagined that Jun Yi could truly put even a little pressure on him with a Soul Elder's cultivation.
Jun Yi's attacks were simply too fast. Even Zhao Wuji reacted only after that brief moment of surprise.
Boom!
The Soul Rings on Zhao Wuji's body began spinning rapidly. An intense metallic sheen burst from his hands as he crossed his palms in front of him.
Bang-!
Jun Yi's blade light landed on his crossed hands, erupting in a violent shower of sparks. Immediately afterward, an even more powerful shock wave exploded outward from the two of them.
Wherever the shock wave passed, grass and trees were pulverized. Ning Rongrong, who was watching from nearby, was nearly swept off her feet.
After that exchange, Jun Yi was sent flying backward. While airborne, he moved his fingers again, swapping his position with a pebble beside the incense stick. Then he sheathed his soul-guided saber and put it into his storage ring.
By now, Jun Yi had returned to his earlier cheeky, grinning manner. He stretched lazily and said to Zhao Wuji, "Teacher, the incense has burned out. The assessment is over."
"Haha, lad, your strength really isn't bad, and your Soul Skill is even more ingenious. To think it could penetrate my defenses and directly injure my internal organs. Not simple at all!"
Zhao Wuji could not help praising him. Although Jun Yi's Soul Skill had numbed him, the strength Jun Yi had displayed was already enough to gratify him.
Jun Yi waved a hand. "Of course. Just look at who I am."
"Good lad. One word of praise, and you're already getting conceited."
"Young people should be full of fire. Without it, could they still be called young? Once you're old, even showing off will be hard."
(End of chapter)