Ye Xuan immediately replied, "I won’t concede. Let’s just fight."
Gongsun Wenjin’s expression barely changed; he seemed to have expected this outcome. After all, who wouldn’t want a high-grade Demon Spirit Pill and a chance to enter the resource vault?
By letting him fight, Gongsun Wenjin actually wanted to see where Ye Xuan’s absolute limits lay. Could Ye Xuan, with his cultivation at the 9th Layer of the Super Spirit Realm, defeat Gongsun Yan, or even Gongsun Po? If he could, this kid would be a massive, pleasant surprise.
As his words fell, Ye Xuan proactively stepped into the fighting ring. Gongsun Yan closely followed.
"Nephew Ye Xuan, Aunt Thirteen knows you want a higher ranking. But sorry to say, Aunt Thirteen thinks the exact same way. So, I won’t be showing you any mercy."
Gongsun Yan drew a Ghost-grade mid-tier broadsword. Mid-tier weapons were already the highest grade allowed. It wasn’t that the Gongsun family lacked high-tier Ghost-grade weapons, but rather that they were far too sharp. If a genius were to die during a spar, the loss would heavily outweigh the gain.
Ye Xuan selected a longsword and cupped his hands. "I feel the same way."
"Good. Direct Lineage, Gongsun Yan."
"Ye Xuan."
"Please advise!"
After announcing their names, both immediately unleashed their Beast Soul Power.
A rabbit abruptly materialized above Gongsun Yan’s head. Roughly thirty meters in size, it crouched in the void, its eyes a sea of blood-red.
Rabbit Souls were mostly Mortal Beast Souls. However, there were exceptions, such as Gongsun Yan’s Blood-Eyed Rogue Rabbit. This was an elementary Fierce Beast Soul.
Upon appearing, the Blood-Eyed Rogue Rabbit was actually trembling slightly. This was because Ye Xuan’s Dragon Soul naturally suppressed it. Gongsun Yan furrowed her brows. She knew Ye Xuan’s Beast Soul emitted immense pressure, but she hadn’t expected it to be this overwhelming. It seemed she could hardly exert much of her Beast Soul Power.
At the scene, the only person unaffected was Gongsun Wuji, who had just been bestowed the Gongsun surname.
"Bring it on!" Gongsun Yan roared.
In the air, the Blood-Eyed Rogue Rabbit Soul suddenly transformed. The originally adorable-looking blood-eyed rabbit instantly became ferocious. Its eyes bulged like copper bells. Its body bulged with veins, blood vessels swelling rapidly. This was the Blood-Eyed Rogue Rabbit in its battle state. A little girl would definitely burst into tears of terror if she saw it.
"Fight!" Gongsun Yan bellowed, violently raising the broadsword in her hand. All her Beast Soul Power converged into the blade.
Slash!
The blade fell as she brought her hands down. As the broadsword descended, Spiritual Qi formed a colossal waterfall of light that slashed toward Ye Xuan. This strike descended from the heavens with an imposing might, seemingly capable of cleaving half the sky in two. This was a mid-tier Ghost-grade Martial Technique: Azure Heaven Slash.
Ye Xuan didn’t dare be careless. His twenty-meter Divine-Demonic Overlord Body materialized in an instant. He raised the sword in his hand, and the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body mirrored his movement.
"Divine-Demonic Slaying!"
A gold-and-black Spiritual Energy Bullet instantly took shape and shot toward Gongsun Yan. The giant Spiritual Qi blade collided with the Spiritual Energy Bullet, unexpectedly locked in a brief stalemate.
Following that momentary standoff, a deafening BOOM echoed out. The terrifying shockwave scattered the clouds in the sky. At this moment, the heavens and earth changed color, and the sun and moon lost their luster.
The Elder overseeing the battle immediately released his Spiritual Qi to envelop the surroundings, preventing the shockwave from blasting into the spectating crowd.
RUMBLE.
Inside the Spiritual Qi barrier, the sounds of explosions continued. Thick smoke and dust billowed out, completely obscuring the view.
CLANG CLANG CLANG.
Then came the sound of clashing blades. Sparks shot out from within the smoke and dust. Following their ranged attacks, it seemed the two had engaged in close-quarters combat. These flying sparks were generated by their colliding weapons.
As the dust settled, their figures reappeared in everyone’s line of sight. Buffed by their Beast Soul Power, Ye Xuan and Gongsun Yan traded blows back and forth, locked in an inextricable melee.
"Ye Xuan, you are indeed strong. But your Aunt Thirteen isn’t just an empty name. Body Techniques, Flame Battle Body!" Gongsun Yan suddenly let out a cold shout.
The red Spiritual Qi around her abruptly condensed, wrapping around her like Flame Armor. Her aura surged significantly. The Flame Battle Body was a mid-tier Ghost-grade Body Technique. Executing this Body Technique allowed one to easily block attacks from Cultivators below the 6th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm.
Body Techniques were exceedingly rare, and mastering them was no easy feat. This specific Body Technique was the fruit of Gongsun Yan’s recent closed-door cultivation.
"It’s actually a mid-tier Ghost-grade Body Technique!"
"With a Body Technique buffing her, both her offense and defense will be doubled. She’s won! Aunt Thirteen has definitely won!"
Once the Body Technique was deployed, the prior balance was shattered. What was originally an evenly matched battle turned into Gongsun Yan overwhelmingly suppressing Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan’s Divine-Demonic Overlord Body dimmed at a visible rate.
Just as the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body was about to vanish, golden flames ignited across Ye Xuan’s physical form, and his aura surged fiercely.
"Fire Attribute Spiritual Qi!"
"Ah, how could we forget that Ye Xuan’s Spiritual Qi has an elemental attribute?!"
By utilizing his Fire Attribute Spiritual Qi, Ye Xuan was once again evenly matched with Gongsun Yan.
Gongsun Yan sneered, "Not bad. To think you can still hold on. But what about this? Floating Flower Body Technique!"
Gongsun Yan’s speed grew even faster, her movements becoming increasingly agile.
"Floating Flower Body Technique, a mid-tier Ghost-grade Body Technique Martial Technique! This movement skill is notoriously difficult to learn, yet Aunt Thirteen actually mastered it."
"Incredible! Blade Martial Techniques, Body Technique Martial Techniques, and Body Techniques—Aunt Thirteen knows them all!"
Having unleashed her Body Technique Martial Technique, Gongsun Yan seized the upper hand once more. Even going all-out with his Butterfly Soft Step, Ye Xuan couldn’t evade her strikes at all.
SQUELCH.
A muffled sound rang out. Caught off guard, Ye Xuan was slashed right across the waist by Gongsun Yan’s broadsword. A rift was cleaved straight into his Divine-Demonic Overlord Body.
Fortunately, Ye Xuan stamped his feet and used the force of the slash to rapidly retreat. Glancing down, he saw blood oozing from his waist.
Ye Xuan frowned. Fighting Gongsun Yan was completely different from fighting Gongsun Wuji. Gongsun Wuji was a Body Refiner, and Ye Xuan simply hadn’t given him the chance to close the distance. But Gongsun Yan was different; she could use her Spiritual Qi to completely suppress his, creating an opening for close-quarters combat.
Once in close range, the sharpness of a mid-tier Ghost-grade weapon became fully apparent. If his Divine-Demonic Overlord Body was pierced, his physical flesh wouldn’t be able to withstand the blow. If the battle continued like this, he wouldn’t even be able to defeat Gongsun Yan.
He knew he could no longer remain passive. He had to end this battle as quickly as possible!
Just as Ye Xuan was formulating a plan, Gongsun Yan stomped her feet, thrusting her broadsword straight at him. Ye Xuan’s gaze was icy cold, and surprisingly, he didn’t mount a defense. Radiant with terrifying Spiritual Qi, Gongsun Yan’s broadsword instantly pierced through the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body.
SQUELCH!
The next moment, with a soft tear, Ye Xuan’s physical body was skewered by the blade. Against the sheer sharpness of a mid-tier Ghost-grade broadsword, his flesh stood absolutely no chance.
"It pierced him! Ye Xuan’s body has been pierced through!"
"Aunt Thirteen is mighty!"
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers.