Chapter 172: A Battle for Supremacy and Life!
“Lin Qi’an, you didn’t expect this, did you?” Ye Yun roared with wild laughter, his face twisting into a malevolent and venomous expression.
Resentment, humiliation, and hatred—every emotion in his heart erupted at this moment without restraint.
He yanked his pendant off and, along with Lin Qi’an’s pendant, hurled them away. A burst of flame erupted from his palm, burning them to ashes, severing both their escape routes.
“Today, I, Ye Yun, will face you, Lin Qi’an,” he declared, his voice dripping with malice. “We shall not only determine a victor but also settle life and death!”
The crowd was furious.
Ye Yun possessed the terrifying power of a tenth-level spiritual source; what was the point of this so-called “fair fight”? If he truly wanted a just battle, why not leave the secret realm to settle it? Such shamelessness and cruelty!
However, no matter how angry the spectators were, they could do nothing to intervene. They could not help Lin Qi’an. For Lin Qi’an to survive, he had only two options: defeat Ye Yun or flee all the way back to the secret realm’s entrance.
It was obvious that Ye Yun would not let him escape easily. The second option seemed hopeless.
“Then let’s begin. What are you waiting for?” Lin Qi’an spoke calmly.
His composed demeanor fanned the flames of Ye Yun’s rage. Nothing infuriated Ye Yun more than being treated as insignificant, as if everything was under Lin Qi’an’s control. It was unbearable.
“Good! I’ll first beat you until you beg for mercy, then slowly torture you to death. Only then will I be satisfied!” Ye Yun spat venomously.
He turned to the sky and shouted, “Zhao Yunji! Watch closely from outside. Witness how I kill him today! I’ll make sure you live your life drowning in regret!”
Zhao Yunji: …
She hadn’t anticipated Ye Yun’s heart demon to be so severe. It all began during their trip to Beiyang. Unexpectedly, it was her actions that had brought harm to Lin Qi’an.
Zhao Yunji’s heart filled with regret—not for her decision to stay behind but for not remaining in the secret realm to personally punish this monster.
“Look… What’s Ye Yun doing?” someone muttered in shock.
Ye Yun stretched out his right hand, driving all five fingers deep into his chest. Blood spurted violently as he tore his heart out.
The sight left countless people horrified, a chilling dread crawling up their spines as goosebumps covered their bodies.
Even as Ye Yun’s heart continued to beat, pulsing and contracting, it floated into the air, transforming into a black sun that dyed the sky crimson. The entire scene became eerie and foreboding.
Forbidden Technique: “Black Yang”!
This was a technique sealed within the *Great Yang Heavenly Emperor Art*, where one’s heart is sacrificed to create a black yang. It allowed the user to draw infinite power from the black yang and remain in their strongest state, akin to high noon, indefinitely.
—
“He’s… reached the Dao Transformation Realm!” someone exclaimed in despair.
“With the secret realm’s augmentation, this is terrifying! How can anyone stand against this?”
“Even if the Crown Prince is powerful, it’s impossible to face such a suicidal monster!”
No one believed Lin Qi’an could win. No matter how strong he was, surpassing an entire major realm and fighting someone with the secret realm’s enhancement using a forbidden technique was unimaginable.
Even Zhao Qingmeng and Su Xueni couldn’t help but feel worried.
Fortunately, they took solace in one hope—if Lin Qi’an couldn’t defeat Ye Yun, he could still escape into the Lotus Realm.
“Ye Yun is as good as dead. The Crown Prince doesn’t need to risk his life fighting him,” Su Xueni stated gravely.
“Exactly. If the Crown Prince hides in the Lotus Realm, Ye Yun will eventually be executed once he exits,” someone agreed.
Meanwhile, Lin Liuli hurried to the VIP seating area to plead with Lin Weixuan.
“Father, can’t you do something?” she implored.
“It’s impossible,” Lin Weixuan replied with a heavy heart. “The secret realm has special rules that prevent us from intervening.”
“Useless!” Lin Liuli bit her lip, muttering her frustration, though she could do nothing but stew in anxiety.
—
Elsewhere, a Saintess of the Kui Dragon Clan inwardly rejoiced.
“How delightful! I never imagined the Canglan Dao Domain would descend into such infighting, with their dogs tearing each other apart. Even though I can’t personally take revenge, watching him die is just as satisfying.”
In contrast, many powerful figures from the Tianhai Dao Domain felt relief.
“This brat had limitless potential. It’s a blessing someone dealt with him today, or he would have become a monumental threat in the future!”
Several divine sons shared in the schadenfreude.
Nothing brought them more satisfaction than watching this battle of tigers from the mountain. If Lin Qi’an perished, the Canglan Dao Domain would surely weep in agony.
Within the Secret Realm.
Under the darkened sky, the black yang hung ominously, surrounded by a faint golden ring like a solar eclipse. Ye Yun finally made his move.
With a casual wave of his hand, the black sun unleashed countless rays of dark light. These beams descended from the heavens like a torrential rainstorm, each one carrying the destructive power capable of annihilating a Transcendent Realm cultivator.
It was as if thousands of such cultivators were launching a synchronized attack on Lin Qi’an.
Simultaneously, the ground erupted with countless spiritual light swords, a manifestation of Lin Qi’an’s divine ability: “Thousand Swords to Court.”
The heavens clashed against the earth as the swords shot upwards while the dark beams rained downward. In midair, they collided, resulting in a series of deafening explosions.
The sound merged into a continuous roar, and the violent spiritual energy storm swept across the area, obliterating everything in its path. Nothing could survive the devastation.
From outside the secret realm, the crowd stared unblinkingly at the surface of the lake, not daring to even blink.
The Crown Prince had chosen to clash head-on with Ye Yun in the most brutal way possible, an approach that seemed completely irrational. The vast gap between their realms naturally extended to their divine abilities.
As expected, Lin Qi’an’s “Thousand Swords to Court” was overwhelmed and ultimately shattered by the black beams. The devastating dark rays then bombarded the ground, engulfing the area in a massive cloud of smoke and dust. The violent winds swept the dust like a primordial beast devouring Lin Qi’an.
Ye Yun’s laughter echoed, filled with twisted satisfaction.
“Finally, I can suppress Lin Qi’an,” he sneered, reveling in his perceived victory. “This feels incredible—like a king standing above the world, trampling everything beneath him!”
“Lin Qi’an, it seems you’re nothing special after all. I hope you don’t die too quickly; I’m far from done with you.”
From within the smoke, a calm voice responded, cutting through the chaos, “As you wish.”
“What?!” Ye Yun’s pupils contracted sharply. He had anticipated Lin Qi’an would survive but never expected such a composed reply.
Why? As the dust gradually cleared, the sight before Ye Yun—and everyone else—left them stunned.
Lin Qi’an stood there, unscathed, his white robes pristine. Behind him loomed the translucent figure of a pale blue dragon. The dragon’s enormous wings were folded protectively around him, shielding him from all harm.
The dragon’s back bore the brunt of the devastating attack. Within its massive form, four Sacred Weapons radiated power, enhancing its might.
– The Divine Frost Sword exuded icy energy, forming an indestructible armor around the dragon.
– The Nine Yang Divine Sword, wreathed in golden divine flames, transformed into the dragon’s right claw, radiating boundless destructive power.
– The Thunderclap Sword, crackling with lightning, became the dragon’s left claw, brimming with unparalleled destructive force.
– The Seven Stars Dragon Spring Sword, sharp beyond compare, served as the dragon’s fangs, capable of tearing through any material.
This was Lin Qi’an’s ultimate form, a technique born from his own comprehension: “Dragon Sword Bones.”
Inspired by a certain anime’s “Susanoo,” Lin Qi’an combined four Sacred Weapons through the technique described in *Heavenly Flying Immortal*, creating an unstoppable force of destruction.
The drawback was its immense consumption of spiritual energy, making it impractical outside the secret realm. Here, with access to infinite energy, there were no such limitations.
The spectators were left utterly speechless. Even those who had once competed with Lin Qi’an were now frozen in disbelief.
“The Crown Prince… What kind of monster is he?”
“I once competed against him. How ridiculous was I to think I stood a chance?”
A fangirl named Ling Zhi giggled nervously. “The best part of attending this event was having some alone time with the Crown Prince. I can brag about it for the rest of my life!”
Lin Liuli muttered in shock, “What kind of monstrosity is this? Just looking at it sends chills down my spine. I can’t even comprehend my little brother’s strength anymore!”
Zhao Qingmeng’s eyes narrowed as she thought to herself, “This technique… He didn’t use it in our previous life. Did he comprehend it recently?”
Tong Xiang sighed in despair. “I was so naive to think I could ever catch up to Brother Lin. It was nothing but a fool’s dream.”
“Master, can Brother Lin’s technique counter Ye Yun’s?” he asked his mentor, Lu Weishuang.
Lu Weishuang replied gravely, “Whether it can block Ye Yun, I don’t know. But this technique can easily kill a Dao Transformation cultivator.”
Easily kill a Dao Transformation cultivator!
For an opponent in the Celestial Realm to achieve this was almost unfathomable.
Lin Weixuan, Lin Qi’an’s father, had long thought that no one in the younger generation could compare to his son. The only rival might have been his younger self from three thousand years ago.
Now, seeing Lin Qi’an in his ultimate form, Lin Weixuan had to admit his wife had been right. Compared to his son, his younger self wasn’t even worth mentioning.