The longsword wielded by Shi Qianjie was noticeably longer and broader than one usually carried. Its blade bore variegated, five-colored patterns, unlike the pure snow-white of ordinary swords.

As the longsword was drawn, an intensely sharp sword aura soared heavenward. The energy was condensed yet refused to dissipate, rippling outward in bizarre and wondrous waves. These ripples seemed almost alive, actively sweeping toward Ji Changkong’s head, intending to swallow him in their ocean of undulations.

Within those ripples lay an extremely peculiar and marvelous power, one that seemed to encapsulate the entirety of the world’s bitter, sweet, sour, spicy, and salty experiences—a power embodying some essence of life's truth.

Shi Qianjie chose his moment with exquisite precision. In the brief instant Ji Changkong lost focus, his ferocious sword intent struck without warning.

The look of surprise had barely faded from Ji Changkong’s face when the soaring sword energy slammed into his vision—swift, fierce, and overwhelming, blanketing the entire space.

Buzz!

The Dragon Glory Saber suddenly vibrated violently. A dense miasma of sanguinary malevolence erupted from it. This aura coalesced at the blade’s tip, and blood dragons, each as thick as an arm, began to emerge, teeth bared and claws extended, surging toward the encircling ripples above.

Blood Dragon Great Nine Forms, Thousand Dragons Raging Torrent!

In an instant, wave after wave of blood dragons rushed forth from the Dragon Glory Saber. Though individually small, each dragon was startlingly lifelike, possessing an ethereal vitality, and plunged silently into the sweeping, circular ripples.

There was no earth-shattering explosion. The moment the blood dragons pierced the ripple circles, they vanished soundlessly, like water absorbed by the sea.

Shi Qianjie walked forward slowly, barefoot, his face stern. The longsword in his hand continuously twisted and shifted, releasing layer upon layer of shockwaves.

Ji Changkong was already fully focused, his spirit and vital energy anchored to the saber, devoting his entire being to countering Shi Qianjie’s assault.

Suddenly, he realized that Shi Qianjie might be the most formidable opponent he had ever encountered. The Shi Qianjie of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm possessed strange and wondrous secret arts, far more difficult to deal with than seasoned masters like Zhuang Bufou.

Dedicating himself completely, Ji Changkong abruptly closed his eyes. The vast reserves of power within him seemed to be forcibly drawn out by the Dragon Glory Saber. For some unknown reason, the saber felt more proactive than ever, possessing a faint undercurrent of excitement.

Though the blood dragons vanished without a sound after entering the small ripples, Ji Changkong, as the saber’s master, clearly sensed their desperate activity. Though intangible, he could perceive the power they contained and the blood-fiend energy constantly intensifying.

The Blood Dragon Great Nine Forms was a potent secret technique unique to the Ji family’s Xuanyuan lineage. Under the ferocious power of this technique, every successive Ji family Xuanyuan master wielded it with flawless proficiency, capable of unleashing the vital blood power stored within their bodies.

The blood dragons, hidden within the circular ripples, writhed, struggled, and ravaged the energy…

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom-boom-boom!

From the sky came a continuous barrage of dull explosions. The constantly undulating ripples began to rapidly disappear overhead, shattering like bursting blossoms.

Both Ji Changkong and Shi Qianjie recoiled violently. The space between the two men, separated by perhaps ten meters, seemed to unleash a terrifying, concussive force that propelled them backward, forcing them both to retreat fifty meters in an instant.

As the ripples vanished from the air, Shi Qianjie stood holding his sword, his eyes blazing with unstoppable excitement. He shouted repeatedly, “Exhilarating! Truly exhilarating!”

Ji Changkong, whose stance had already stabilized, remained perfectly calm, devoid of sorrow or joy, like an old monk in meditation. He watched Shi Qianjie quietly, his voice flat as still water: “Brother Shi is indeed formidable.”

Shi Qianjie strode forward, each footfall causing the surrounding stone forest to tremble faintly, as if a colossal beast were stomping the earth. With his advance, the sharpness of Shi Qianjie’s aura grew stronger, and the energies of heaven and earth stirred in response, surging madly from all directions to converge upon the longsword in his hand.

On that sword, the dense primal energy of heaven and earth began to manifest in crystalline form, rivaling the concentration of the highest-grade essence stones. The already broad blade appeared even larger, and Shi Qianjie’s imposing presence escalated.

Like the deep pool of a secluded mountain, utterly unperturbed, Ji Changkong watched Shi Qianjie, his expression cold to the extreme, his spirit and energy merged with heaven and earth.

Clang!

Shi Qianjie swept his longsword through the void, and the friction against the air produced a sound like clashing metal.

The essence and blood within Ji Changkong’s body suddenly boiled up. The blood from the Four Divine Beasts seemed to be completely roused at once, and an immense aura of slaughter erupted from him.

The White Tiger of the Four Divine Beasts—the God of Slaughter, unmatched in killing intent during combat.

Ji Changkong surged forward.

He unleashed the Blood Dragon Great Nine Forms continuously with the Dragon Glory Saber, instantly becoming entangled with Shi Qianjie. A terrifying field of energy radiated from both of them, spreading outward in all directions from their center.

Clang-clang! Boom-boom-boom! Bang-bang-bang!

Violent impact sounds erupted from the collision of their fists, feet, divine weapons, and energy.

Centering on these two, the entire stone forest seemed to be ravaged by an ancient fierce beast. Dust and pebbles flew; stones the size of small mountains were shattered by the crisscrossing sword lights and saber flashes, flying off in all directions.

Stone shards scattered, and the earth churned with dust. The entire area became shrouded in chaos, rendering sight useless.

The earth shook violently, and huge ravines tore open amidst the flashes of light. Several massive, ancient trees were ripped from the ground, and before they could even fall, their roots were pulverized into dust.

The battle between the two most powerful young men in the realm did not escape the notice of certain watchful eyes. Those who should have been waiting peacefully in the Xuanyuan Valley arrived, drawn by the sound, standing solemnly in the air or observing from distant vantage points, silently witnessing the details of this great fight.

The duels between Hu Hao and Li Hentian, however, drew no attention. This was partly because the area where they fought could not be located, and another reason… everyone feared collateral damage!

The power wielded by the Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholars was strong enough to shock heaven and move ghosts. Clashes between them generated terrifying aftershocks. Everyone understood the devastating might of the Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholars; even an inadvertent flick of sword light or saber gleam could kill an observer. Thus, concerning Hu Hao and Li Hentian’s fight, the onlookers were powerless to intervene and paid it no mind. Boom-boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom! At the stone forest, the deafening roar seemed endless, making it impossible to discern the details of the duel far away.

The experts from the Xuanyuan Valley and the Guiyuan Sect, standing at a distance, could only judge the intensity of the techniques being used based on the fluctuations of their auras, finding it difficult to track their every movement.

However, whether it was the experts from the Xuanyuan Valley or the powerhouses from the Guiyuan Sect, their expressions were relaxed, exuding confidence that their side was certain to win.

The Gui Wuzong faction trusted in Shi Qianjie’s strength. Since learning they had such a junior martial brother, they had been intensely curious about his origins and power. Shi Qianjie had not disappointed them. Everyone who knew him understood that although he didn't return often, his combat experience was vast. They knew this lesser-known junior brother had truly grasped the profound essence of the Guiyuan Sect, and his true cultivation level had long surpassed most of them.

Several years prior, Shi Qianjie had defeated Lan Xisha. Given his astonishing rate of growth, no one could guess the terrifying strength he possessed after years of wandering the overseas regions. Therefore, all Guiyuan Sect experts familiar with his deeds were implicitly certain of his victory; even the Xuanyuan forces didn't believe they could win against him.

The Xuanyuan Valley faction was even more assured. Over the years, Ji Changkong had never let them down, constantly bringing them pleasant surprises with his rapidly advancing strength, often displaying power beyond his expected cultivation level. Now that he had returned from the Benhai Sea, his realm had broken through to the Eight Trigrams Heaven. Combined with his Xuanyuan heritage and potent bloodline, these observers believed no other youth in the world could defeat him at the same level.

Within the stone forest.

The pervasive mist gradually dispersed, revealing a dazzling sword beam, like a silken sash, condensing the immense energy of heaven and earth, carrying a world-destroying force, showering down violently from the highest heavens.

This was Shi Qianjie’s power.

Lan Xisha and the others from the Guiyuan Sect smiled faintly, knowing Shi Qianjie had unleashed his true might, believing the fight would soon conclude.

On the Xuanyuan Valley side, Xiao Poshang, Xiao Xing, Gui Rong, and the others suddenly became grave.

“…Th-this power, it’s stronger than mine! Damn it, how is that possible? How old is that kid? Has he already surpassed the peak of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm?” Xiao Poshang exclaimed in shock and disbelief.

Han Feng was equally stunned, subconsciously shaking his head. “So, there’s more than one little monster in this world besides that kid Ji Changkong. This guy named Shi Qianjie is incredibly strong. Even if I faced him, I’d only have the path of defeat ahead!”

Xiao Poshang, who possessed the cultivation of the Eight Trigrams Heaven peak, admitted that Shi Qianjie’s power surpassed his own, indicating the sheer magnitude of Shi Qianjie’s strength. The Xuanyuan Valley group, who had been completely confident in Ji Changkong, began to worry upon sensing Shi Qianjie’s terrifying force.

Just then!

From the stone forest, rings of variegated colors slowly materialized and floated there. Within these halos, the powers of the Five Elements of heaven and earth erupted violently. As the Five Element forces flowed through the circles, they imbued the light with a profoundly peculiar energy.

Suddenly, the surrounding crowd could no longer sense Ji Changkong’s location. In that instant, Ji Changkong seemed to vanish without a trace, his presence undetectable even through energy fluctuations.

Six pillars, purely condensed from primal energy, abruptly manifested in the void, projecting another strange power from the stone forest.

Though miles apart, the high-level experts surrounding them all felt their souls jolt, a profound tremor rising from the depths of their spirits. Each one perceived that the energy released by these six energy pillars possessed the power to extinguish all living souls.

Shi Qianjie’s world-shattering sword strike erupted within the stone forest, yet the immense power of his blow was systematically disassembled by the two anomalous energies within the area. The terrifying momentum suddenly vanished in a wondrous dissipation, gone within moments.

The surrounding onlookers were baffled, unsure what had occurred within the stone forest. Each person concentrated, trying to use the power of their spirit to discern the truth. However, any soul sense that probed that area immediately became blind, detecting nothing, achieving zero results.

Both the Xuanyuan Valley group and the Guiyuan Sect members were slightly stunned, finding the situation utterly baffling. Those two surges of power had arrived with startling suddenness, interwoven with Ji Changkong’s soul aura. They knew the power originated from him, yet they couldn't perceive his physical presence, a fact that deeply frustrated them.

Shi Qianjie felt the same way. His meticulously brewed attack landed, only to find its target gone. The power contained within his peerless sword qi was decomposed by unknown forces, and even his spirit felt disordered, gradually losing control over the power in his treasured sword. Shi Qianjie had never experienced such a thing; he had no idea what had happened.

Shi Qianjie, a cultivator of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm, had dedicated far more years to diligently practicing the peerless secret arts of the Guiyuan Sect than Ji Changkong, and he had reached the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm earlier. Under these circumstances, to be unable to track Ji Changkong’s movements or sense his aura during combat was truly inconceivable.

Enveloped by the Tai Xu Secret Record’s Illusory Realm, which wrapped his body and spirit, Ji Changkong, within this self-contained world, could clearly observe Shi Qianjie’s actions and discern his surprise and confusion.

The Tai Xu Secret Record was profoundly esoteric, using the Five Element energy of heaven and earth as its foundation to spontaneously construct a new world. This world already contained mountains, rivers, flora, and starlight; now, a high-hanging moon had been added…

Gradually, the Tai Xu Illusion was filled with most of the material things existing in the Five Element Continent, save for the sun and living beings. In this Tai Xu Illusion, Ji Changkong was the sole true god. Here, with a single thought, he could cause mountains to collapse, rivers to flow backward, and extinguish the light of stars and the moon!

While inside the Tai Xu Illusion, the soul sense of the Five Element Continent struggled to perceive him, Ji Changkong could sense the external disturbances through the record.

Ji Changkong suddenly manifested bizarrely behind Shi Qianjie, his Dragon Glory Saber blazing with iridescent light, cleaving straight down toward him.

Shi Qianjie recoiled in alarm, quickly focusing all his attention to meet the blow, raising his sword in defense. Boom!

Caught completely off guard, the power in Shi Qianjie’s greatsword had not accumulated to its peak. Having to take Ji Changkong’s full-force strike head-on, he was naturally overwhelmed, his body forced into a series of retreats.

When his power finally accumulated to its apex and he prepared a counterattack, he discovered Ji Changkong’s figure had vanished into thin air, leaving behind not even a trace of his aura.

Shi Qianjie froze, a flicker of confusion finally entering his eyes.