When Xiao Yan had left the Tianluo Continent, he was still at the peak of Greater Earth Sovereign. However, after this period of training, his spiritual energy had successfully broken through to the level of Perfected Earth Sovereign. If it weren't for the need to enter the Ancient Sacred Abyss, he might already have begun preparing to charge into the Heavenly Sovereign realm.
Yet, Xiao Yan's greatest strength wasn't actually his spiritual energy. For most cultivators, spiritual energy was of paramount importance, but for him, even without it, he could still rely on his soul force in battle. And if even that failed, his physical body alone could unleash terrifying combat power—just like now.
After breaking free, Xiao Yan didn't immediately launch an attack. He could feel that, although he had escaped the suppression of the Sacred Pagoda, his spiritual energy remained sealed. As expected of the Ancient Buddha Clan, one of the Five Great Ancient Clans of the Great Thousand World—their strange methods were indeed impressive.
"Flame Body." Though his spiritual energy was still sealed, he could still utilize the Dragon Phoenix Art, and thus Xiao Yan instantly activated the Flame Body of Xiao Yao, invoking the Emperor Flame to refine the invading crystalline energy within his body. Only then did he dispel the sealing state.
Otherwise, no matter how many trump cards he held in reserve, facing such a formidable opponent without access to his spiritual energy would have been extremely troublesome.
"You actually broke my Sacred Pagoda…" Qing Yanjing stared at Xiao Yan, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. However, just as he stepped forward, he suddenly felt the surrounding space grow incomparably hot. A vast surge of red light exploded outward, and countless spiritual seals rapidly converged, forming a seething magma realm that enveloped him completely.
Her earlier look of shock had merely been a ruse, meant to buy time to lay down this spiritual array. Judging by the fluctuations coming from it, it was clearly a high-grade grandmaster-level spiritual array. No wonder she wanted the crystal orb—her attainments in the art of arrays were formidable.
Within the magma space, a massive crimson figure slowly rose, exuding a wild and violent spiritual energy. Moreover, the intense heat emanating from its body was so fierce it distorted the space around it.
Xiao Yan looked up at the crimson figure and frowned slightly. It was clearly an entity condensed from the array, and its spiritual pressure was not one bit inferior to a Perfected Earth Sovereign. This confirmed that the array's power was at the pinnacle of the high-grade grandmaster level.
Still, no matter how powerful it was, trying to trap someone like Xiao Yan—whose strength was also at Perfected Earth Sovereign—was unrealistic. Just as he prepared to break the array, he suddenly sensed something else. Looking down, he found that the ground beneath him had become coated with inky black water, and his body began to sink into it as though trapped in a swamp.
This was… another spiritual array!
"Two high-grade grandmaster-level arrays… quite the display." Xiao Yan raised a brow, even he hadn't expected that Qing Yanjing would simultaneously lay down a second array. To deploy two such powerful formations in such a short time was not something he could accomplish himself.
"Your skill in spiritual arrays is indeed impressive," Xiao Yan said calmly, "but next time, I won't give you the chance to set any up."
"That's only if you can get out first," Qing Yanjing snorted. Either of these formations alone could give a Perfected Earth Sovereign a massive headache, and now she had used both simultaneously. No matter how many tricks Xiao Yan had, he'd surely be trapped long enough for her to claim the inheritance of the Heavenly Array Elder.
"You seemed just as confident when you tried to trap me with your pagoda. I'd say breaking through these formations is easier than breaking your tower." A smirk appeared on Xiao Yan's lips. His hand clenched into a fist, and the space in front of him suddenly began to twist. A moment later, his figure stepped out from the distorted space—and appeared directly in front of Qing Yanjing.
No matter how powerful an array was, it always had limits—especially space-type arrays. As long as one escaped their boundaries, even the strongest formation was useless. While Qing Yanjing certainly had ways to reactivate the array's coverage, Xiao Yan had no intention of giving her that chance.
"How… how did he do that?" For the first time, Qing Yanjing's composed demeanor faltered. It wasn't hard for an Earth Sovereign to bend space, but her formation had already sealed the area—Xiao Yan shouldn't have been able to break through so easily.
She didn't know that Xiao Yan had once consumed the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit back on the Dou Qi Continent, granting him a unique Dragon Phoenix Constitution. This constitution didn't just strengthen his body to extreme levels, it also gave him an exceptional affinity with spatial power, far beyond others of his level.
Even more importantly, he carried the Ancestral Symbol of Space from the Tianxuan Continent. Though he rarely used the Nine Ancestral Symbols in combat, his mastery over them had grown steadily. With these combined advantages, escaping the two spiritual arrays wasn't out of reach.
Having broken free, Xiao Yan no longer bothered with words. His figure flickered, and he shot into the air above Qing Yanjing. The Heavy Black Ruler instantly appeared in his hand. With a swift swing, he brought it crashing down toward her.
Faced with the sudden attack, Qing Yanjing swiftly activated a body movement divine art and dodged the blow. In the next moment, a crystal long sword materialized in her hand, gleaming with killing intent as it thrust straight for Xiao Yan's throat.
That sword was clearly a powerful Saint Artifact. If it landed, even Xiao Yan's formidable body would suffer injury. Naturally, he had no intention of taking it head-on. He instantly raised the ruler and used it as a shield, barely managing to block the strike.
Clang! The resounding impact of Saint Artifact against heavy ruler echoed through the air. The recoil caused Xiao Yan's arm to tremble slightly, but he remained composed.
Qing Yanjing's movements were swift and her strikes lethal—each one aiming for a vital point. The crystal sword danced like lightning, launching thrust after thrust toward Xiao Yan's weak spots. However, the Heavy Ruler's wide surface provided excellent defense, allowing Xiao Yan to parry each attack with minimal movement.
"You're nimble," Xiao Yan said as he shifted his stance, "but I'm not used to defending."
His tone was casual, but a dangerous light flashed in his crimson eyes.
With a sharp step forward, Xiao Yan shifted from defense to offense. The black ruler suddenly became weightless in his hand, moving like a ghost as it swept in a wide arc. Qing Yanjing's eyes narrowed as she leapt back to avoid the swing, but Xiao Yan was already pressing forward, launching a barrage of blows.
Their battle intensified.
One fought with elegant speed and precision, wielding divine flames and ancient arrays. The other unleashed brute power and overwhelming momentum, each strike of his ruler shaking the earth. In just a few exchanges, the surrounding terrain was ripped apart by their clash.
This was a true duel of Perfected Earth Sovereigns, and it shook the very heart of the Ancient Sacred Abyss.
(End of Chapter)
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