Chapter 242: Battling the Valley Master of Ice River Valley
"Valley Master, kill him! If anything happens, my Tian Ming Sect will take responsibility!" Yi Chen, whose bones were almost shattered, looked at Yao Yan with an incredibly twisted expression. His eyes burned with intense hatred, as if he were a beast snarling. Clearly, the slap Yao Yan had given him had dealt a devastating blow, and his heart had suffered a tremendous shock, almost shattering his resolve.
He was the most talented disciple in Tian Ming Sect in a century, adored by countless people since he began cultivating. But now, a peer had slapped him away... no, it was his Hun that had been shattered. How could he accept such a difference?
So what if Yao Yan was an 8th-grade advanced alchemist? Tian Ming Sect would not fear the Dan Tower! Besides, the Dan Tower was not like other forces. It rarely engaged in combat, its existence was more like a group of alchemists that united against the Hun Palace.
Even if Yao Yan had someone behind him, it wouldn't matter!
Tian Ming Sect could handle it!
Bing He's gaze turned cold as he stared at Yao Yan. He did not respond to Yi Chen's words. Instead, he took a step forward. An invisible ripple spread from under his feet, and the terrifying aura of a Four-Star Dou Zun instantly swept toward Yao Yan.
"I've commanded the Middle State for nearly a hundred years, and no one has dared speak to me like this... Today, you will not leave!"
With those indifferent words, black snowflakes instantly surged from beneath his feet, forming a blizzard that raced toward Yao Yan, freezing the space as it passed.
"Well, today it shall happen," Yao Yan said with a light chuckle.
"Whoosh~"
With his thoughts, endless flames erupted from within Yao Yan's body. They quickly coalesced into a nearly 100-foot-long Qing Luan bird. As its wings spread, the firewaves surged, accompanied by a phoenix's cry, charging straight into the black blizzard sweeping toward him.
"Boom!"
When the two forces collided, a dull explosion reverberated throughout the heavens and earth, and the sound of intertwining energy could be heard.
"Heavenly flame?" Bing He's gaze darkened. He had cultivated the Accursed Poison Body through later-stage training, and a large portion of his power was tied to cold toxins. Enemies with heavenly flames like this were undoubtedly the most despised.
Thankfully, his opponent had not grown to full strength yet. If Yao Yan had the strength of a Dou Zun now, Bing He was not confident he could defeat him.
But even with a Nine-Star Dou Zong, what good would a heavenly flame do?
The vast disparity in power between them could not be made up by a single flame.
Bing He's gaze remained cold. He raised his hand and conjured a massive, pitch-black palm imprint several dozen feet in size, sending it crashing down toward Yao Yan from mid-air. The terrifying power of the attack caused the surrounding space to crack apart. To a normal person, the space would be almost indestructible, but to a Dou Zun, it was nothing.
Yao Yan watched the black palm imprint descending from the sky. His expression remained unchanged as he formed seals with his hands. The four heavenly flames within him immediately manifested, and then, in front of everyone, the four flames began merging into pairs, eventually giving birth to five different-colored fused heavenly flames.
"Five-Ring Flame Method, activate!"
With a soft utterance, the five newly formed fused heavenly flames transformed into five fire spirits that rushed toward the black palm imprint in the sky. At the same time, their forms expanded at an astonishing speed, rapidly growing to nearly a hundred feet in size. The energy intertwined, creating a massive formation.
In that instant, the temperature of the world soared, and even the coldness from Bing He's aura was swept away. Many of the Ice River Valley disciples even began to feel dry in their mouths.
"Four kinds of heavenly flames?!" Bing He's gaze finally changed, filled with disbelief. How could anyone control four kinds of heavenly flames at once and even fuse them so easily?
"Boom!"
The palm imprint he conjured collided with the Five-Ring Flame Method, and the world seemed to lose its color. A terrifying energy storm erupted from the point of contact.
Bing He's eyes were filled with anger. As the Valley Master of Ice River Valley, a Four-Star Dou Zun at the peak of his power, how could he not be able to handle a Nine-Star Dou Zong? Thinking about the word of this incident spreading, an inexplicable surge of anger rose within him. He immediately increased his Dou Qi output, no longer holding back.
The once several dozen feet wide black palm imprint suddenly expanded and soon turned into a massive palm that could cover the sky, pressing down on Yao Yan's Five-Ring Flame Method.
"Is this the Dou Di bloodline of the Flame Clan?"
Yao Yan felt the connection with the five fire spirits. The burden on his soul, which had existed in the past, was completely absent now. The fire spirits felt just like his Dou Qi, easy to control and light. He had realized this when he had previously used the Four-Color Fire Lotus to deal with the Xuan Ice Toad King.
Now, using the Five-Ring Flame Method with fused heavenly flames was based on this realization. Otherwise, the fusion and control of the flames alone would have drained his Hun force.
Using a single type of heavenly flame was simple.
However, for Yao Yan, the Five-Ring Flame Method was a powerful combat technique that could rival the fusion of fire lotuses, and it could increase its power infinitely.
"Concentrate!"
Yao Yan uttered a low command, controlling the five fire spirits to begin merging their energy. In just a few breaths, the two types of fused fire spirits combined to form four fire spirits, instantly boosting the power of the Five-Ring Flame Method. The brilliance they emitted was like the sun, and the terrifying energy shattered the black palm imprint Bing He had summoned.
The dazzling light shot through the cracks, and Bing He's face changed. He couldn't comprehend how his opponent had performed such a high-level combat technique. Even though he had given Yao Yan the chance to display it, why could a Nine-Star Dou Zong do this?
"Boom!"
A thunderous roar filled the air as the massive fire pillar smashed through Bing He's energy palm imprint, nearly grazing him as it shot toward the sky.
The terrifying energy wave made the Ice River Valley elders present hold their breath, and the Grand Elder Tian Shuangzi was left dumbfounded, his eyes filled with disbelief. If this attack had hit him, he would have likely perished.
"Did I miss?" Yao Yan muttered to himself as he watched Bing He, still "unscathed." In truth, the Five-Ring Flame Method, when performed with fused heavenly flames, was hard to control. Although its power had skyrocketed, the finesse of the formation was lacking, turning it into a brute-force attack using the power of heavenly flames.
Lack of strength meant it was better not to try such complicated moves.
As the energy dissipated, Bing He's appearance became quite ragged. He was slightly scorched, but nothing serious. However, his face was completely flushed with embarrassment.
At this moment, his expression was similar to Yi Chen's, but his demeanor prevented him from showing a grotesque expression. His eyes, however, were filled with even more hatred. He didn't speak a word and vanished from his position, reappearing right in front of Yao Yan. His hand, infused with black Dou Qi, was aimed at Yao Yan's neck.
He had originally intended to easily subdue Yao Yan, but after seeing the combat technique Yao Yan had unleashed, which surpassed his expectations, his demeanor changed. Now, he wouldn't hold back!
He would let Yao Yan understand the vast gap between a Dou Zun and a Dou Zong!
"Boom~"
A black-golden hand gripped the claws that Bing He had unleashed, and the terrifying force caused a shockwave.
Under Bing He's astonished gaze, Yao Yan's body began to undergo a transformation. Starting from his arm, black-golden scales covered his entire body, and two massive bone wings with the power of wind and thunder manifested from his back. In an instant, Yao Yan's aura surged, resembling a raging dragon.
"Close combat, I actually prefer it!" Yao Yan grinned, showing his white teeth. He grabbed Bing He's wrist and forcefully pulled him in, then threw a punch at his face.
Bing He was caught off guard, and the punch hit him directly. The terrifying force disfigured his face. But before he could be sent flying, Yao Yan's grip on his wrist tightened, pulling him back. Another punch followed.
At this moment, Bing He couldn't react. Yao Yan had cultivated a powerful body-refining combat technique. With a roar, he raised his hand to meet Yao Yan's strike.
With his Four-Star Dou Zun physique, he should have no fear of a Nine-Star Dou Zong!
He intended to finish this quickly.
Then.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two figures engaged in a brutal close-quarters battle. Their bodies became weapons, each strike more ferocious than the last. The terrifying force even caused the space around them to distort, creating a spatial storm. Anyone who wasn't strong enough would have been crushed in an instant.
Yi Chen, who had been boasting earlier, fell silent, staring at the scene in front of him with disbelief. How could a Nine-Star Dou Zong fight against a Four-Star Dou Zun like this, especially in a direct confrontation?
This was unheard of.
Dou Zun and Dou Zong were two entirely different levels. To be blunt, even a One-Star Dou Zun could easily crush several Nine-Star Dou Zong. The difference between the two was like the difference between heaven and earth.
It was common to hear about battles between people of different star levels, but who had ever heard of someone fighting above their level in a direct confrontation?
A single punch from a Dou Zun could seriously injure or even kill a Dou Zong.
But right now, Yao Yan was exchanging over a hundred punches with Bing He. The aura he released showed no signs of weakening; in fact, his blood energy was rising, like a volcano erupting, overwhelming in both energy and life force, so strong that even those standing at a distance could feel it clearly.
At this moment, Yi Chen finally understood why his secret technique had failed. The blood energy inside Yao Yan's body was too vast for him to manipulate with his power.
"This kid?!" Bing He became increasingly alarmed. Now, he finally realized what Yao Yan was doing. He was using him as a sharpening stone!
But the terrifying thing was that Yao Yan had truly done it. In the midst of fighting him, his energy was constantly evolving. The power accumulating within him kept bursting forth. Most importantly, Yao Yan's self-healing ability was simply terrifying. The wounds that should have taken time to heal were closing instantly without any need for medicinal pills.
His bones were incredibly tough. Bing He could feel his arms aching, but Yao Yan seemed unaffected, growing even stronger as the battle progressed.
What kind of physique was this?!
This was unheard of.
Battling above one's level was occasionally heard of, but it was usually because of techniques or secret arts. Never had anyone heard of someone fighting directly above their level!
Yao Yan was nearly going mad. Fighting against someone far stronger than himself was incredibly satisfying. Every cell in his body was alive, and his strength surged continuously. He could clearly feel his power improving. This improvement wasn't in Dou Qi alone but in his entire being, as his potential was being unlocked. The previously surging power was becoming more familiar in battle, and the bloodlines of several Dou Emperors began to merge, nourishing his body, making his punches fiercer!
At this point, Yao Yan no longer cared about his injuries. His battle intent was increasing, and his attacks were becoming more violent.
Meanwhile, Bing He felt humiliated, almost gritting his teeth: "Kid, are you done playing?"
Bing He couldn't accept the reality. His Dou Qi exploded violently, instantly pushing Yao Yan back. He didn't intend to continue fighting Yao Yan directly because he realized he could suppress him, but killing him was becoming difficult. Moreover, Yao Yan's bones were too tough to break, and his vitality was outrageous. The self-healing was absurd. He hadn't even been able to seriously injure him after so long. How could he accept this?
He didn't want to be used as a sharpening stone!
Bing He's eyes grew colder, and in a flash, he appeared high in the sky. His black Dou Qi surged wildly, and a substantial black ring appeared behind him. With a hand seal, a pitch-black cloud appeared in the sky. Terrifying energy began to gather within it, making the entire world feel oppressive.
In the next moment, pitch-black snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
"This is the Valley Master's killing move, 'Demon Snow Devouring Heaven.' Retreat!!" One of the Ice River Valley elders, seeing this scene, shouted in alarm and immediately retreated.
The others followed suit. This move was incredibly destructive. Even the falling black snowflakes contained potent poison. Anyone who touched them, even a Dou Zun, might not be able to withstand it. Moreover, it could corrode Hun force and Dou Qi, making it nearly impossible to block. Once this technique fell, it could easily obliterate everything in its path!
Decades ago, Bing He had wiped out an entire sect using this technique, including a Dou Zun inside, whose body was completely corroded to nothing.
"Whoosh!"
Yao Yan's body flared with heavenly flames, instantly incinerating the falling black snowflakes. However, the domineering toxicity within them struggled for a moment before vanishing into nothingness. As the snowflakes fell, Yao Yan's battle intent withdrew, and he watched Bing He, who was preparing his ultimate move, with a serious expression. Even if he tried to dodge, it seemed impossible now.
And Bing He wouldn't give him the chance.
"Five-Ring Flame Method, converge!" Yao Yan summoned the four heavenly flames once again. As they fused, five fusion flames were created, and they formed a fire spirit formation.
"You're just a Nine-Star Dou Zong. Let's see how much Dou Qi you have left!" Bing He sneered, watching the familiar formation. He pointed a finger toward Yao Yan. He didn't believe Yao Yan could keep using such powerful techniques. Once he ran out of Dou Qi, he would be easy to trample.
(END CHAPTER)
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