Kong Shangyi was utterly exhilarated. This time, he had not only slapped Taishikong across the face but had also earned significant merit in front of Jianxuzhongzu and the Son of the Sword. Accomplishing a task is one thing; ensuring your superiors witness it is the greater achievement.

No matter how great your deed, if your superiors don't see it, it's as if it never happened. He undoubtedly had two superiors: Jianxuzhongzu and the Son of the Sword. Kong Shangyi turned his gaze toward his opponent, Taishikong.

But at that moment, things shifted unexpectedly, and a voice challenged him. Kong Shangyi couldn't help but look toward the speaker, and he wasn't the only one; most others also turned to see who had spoken. The speaker turned out to be him.

A figure in green robes, carrying a long sword, holding a wine gourd. He was simply standing there. Lu Yuan!

Undoubtedly, this man was Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan stood there, offering a faint smile, "As the saying goes, when a senior master has matters, a disciple should carry the burden. Senior Martial Uncle Kong, there shouldn't be an issue with me taking this fight, right?" Lu Yuan daring to challenge Kong Shangyi was truly audacious.

The crowd gasped in utter astonishment. Kong Shangyi was a renowned master of the World Realm. Although Lu Yuan had a massive reputation before, known as invincible beneath the World Realm, that was only beneath the World Realm.

If he truly encountered someone in the World Realm, he could only lose. The gap between such major realms as World Realm and Profound Chaos Realm was simply immense, unimaginably vast. Was he seeking death?

Few present knew that Lu Yuan had already reached the World Realm—only four people: Taishikong, Zhuge Zhishang, Jianxiong, and Dongye Zhizun. The others were unaware, leading everyone to believe Lu Yuan was courting death. Kong Shangyi looked at Lu Yuan, "So it is Martial Nephew Lu.

As a martial uncle, I have indeed heard of your reputation. However, Martial Nephew Lu, challenging me is still far too green. Forget it.

Let me engage your master instead." He let out a cold sneer of disdain. Tch. Trying to deflect attention by sacrificing Lu Yuan's failure—how ridiculous.

Taishikong, your face is mine today. Lu Yuan smiled slightly, "Oh? Could it be that Senior Martial Uncle Kong fears defeat at my hands?

That would be strange, though. If even I, the disciple, cannot be defeated, and he still wants to challenge my master? That seems rather laughable." This was a checkmate move!

It forced Kong Shangyi to accept the challenge. There was no way out. Since he challenged Taishikong, and Lu Yuan was Taishikong's disciple, if Kong Shangyi couldn't even defeat the disciple, he truly lacked the standing to demand the master step in.

That was the reality! Kong Shangyi let out a cold chuckle, "Oh? That works too.

Let me, as your senior martial uncle, properly discipline my junior nephew and show you how shallow your strength is. You must understand that a gap is a gap. After I teach the junior a lesson, I will then challenge your master." Kong Shangyi said with a chilling laugh.

Lu Yuan took a step, instantly arriving in the arena. What swift movement! But relying solely on speed cannot defeat a World Realm expert.

The current situation was Kong Shangyi versus Lu Yuan. Kong Shangyi drew his immortal sword and struck directly. Only then did people realize that Kong Shangyi, this Supreme Elder, was also frighteningly fast—basically moving at an absurd velocity.

This strike was as swift as lightning, carrying immense pressure, seeming intent on cleaving the heavens apart. In the next instant, Lu Yuan was split in two. Lu Yuan struck down in one move!

Everyone had expected Lu Yuan to hold out a bit longer, but they never anticipated he would be killed instantly. The strength of the World Realm was truly terrifying, far beyond what non-World Realm practitioners could compare to. Wait—how did another Lu Yuan appear?

A second Lu Yuan materialized not far away, completely unharmed, not a trace of blood. Looking again at the spot where he was supposedly cleaved in two, that figure had already vanished. Kong Shangyi examined his immortal sword in hand, "Oh?

This must be your Fleeting Life, Dream of Floating Existence." Lu Yuan’s Fleeting Life, Dream of Floating Existence was an extremely famous technique. Lu Yuan nodded, "Correct." "Very good, a marvelous use of Fleeting Life, Dream of Floating Existence. However, I am a figure of the World Realm.

To think you can resist me with just this move is laughable. Your Fleeting Life, Dream of Floating Existence is only useful below the World Realm; it has no bearing above it." He thrust his sword again swiftly toward Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan's Nourishing Myriad Immortal Sword moved abruptly.

"Clang!" The two swords clashed! Kong Shangyi smirked viciously in his heart. This Lu Yuan was truly ridiculous to dare cross swords with him.

What an ignorant young man, thinking his title of "invincible beneath the World Realm" made him so mighty, failing to grasp the immense gulf between the World Realm and the Profound Chaos Realm. Ridiculous! This strike would send him flying.

Boom! Where the two swords met, Kong Shangyi retreated thirty zhang, while Lu Yuan retreated forty zhang. The disparity in magical power was nearly equal.

Huh! How was this possible? Kong Shangyi was at the second layer of the World Realm.

Lu Yuan’s magical power was not significantly weaker than Kong Shangyi’s. This meant only one thing: Lu Yuan had already reached the World Realm. Lu Yuan was actually in the World Realm!

The World Realm was no trivial matter! It was incredibly difficult to break through. Look at how many people were stuck at the bottleneck of the World Volcano, unable to advance.

Of course, once the breakthrough succeeded, the success rate was quite high; reaching the World Realm meant one could establish oneself as a regional overlord and found a sect—though such a sect would naturally rank lower than a Supreme Grand Sect. For a figure like Lu Yuan to actually be in the World Realm—it was terrifying. How old was he?

He looked barely a few decades old, yet in the Central Heavenly Dynasty, countless beings thousands, tens of thousands, or even longer in age had not reached the World Realm. No wonder he dared to fight on behalf of his master, Taishikong. This battle did not seem to be a one-sided slaughter; it appeared there would be a proper contest.

Kong Shangyi laughed coldly, "Lu Yuan, so you have also reached the World Realm. No wonder you are so full of confidence. Unfortunately, no matter how confident you are, you are fated to lose to me." Indeed, Kong Shangyi hadn't exerted his true power before.

Now that Lu Yuan had revealed World Realm strength, he naturally had to fight seriously. He examined his sword, "Sword named Eight Trigrams Immortal Sword. First Form, Heaven Qian Star." He suddenly struck out in the Qian position, blasting toward Lu Yuan as if a star were exploding.

Lu Yuan countered with his sword guard, while Kong Shangyi wasn't rushing. In the second position, he unleashed another strike, named Thunder Shock Star, crushing down on Lu Yuan like rolling thunder and lightning originating from a star. Kong Shangyi struck again, this time with Li Fire Star!

The Fourth Form, Dui Marsh Star! This Dui Marsh Star enveloped the sword-star like infinite water marshes, exploding outward like a colossal water planet in one direction. The Fifth Form, Kun Earth Star!

The Sixth Form, Ken Mountain Star! The Seventh Form, Kan Water Star! The Eighth Form, Yi Wind Star!

This eighth form seemed to use wind to tear the stars apart, causing them to explode. Eight strikes in succession, each direction mimicking a stellar explosion. As mentioned before, sword arts progress from the first to the ninth tier, then to the Stellar Level, the Star-Shattering Level, followed by the World Level, and finally the World-Extinguishing Level.

The so-called Star-Shattering Level, at its ultimate power, could cause a star to explode with a single strike—a terrifying, wild force. However, upon reaching the World Realm, this level of force was no longer so daunting. Because, after reaching the World Realm, World Realm sword arts are far more terrifying.

A single World Realm technique can encompass the explosive power of multiple stars simultaneously. Of course, what is even more dreadful is the pinnacle of the World-Extinguishing Level; true World-Extinguishing Level sword arts can genuinely annihilate worlds. Putting aside the Central Heavenly Dynasty, destroying one plane within the Lost Land realm would be no issue at all.

What Kong Shangyi was currently executing was a World Level sword art: the Eight Trigrams World Sword Art. This set consisted of sixty-four moves. Each execution held the power of several star explosions, and the move he was using now caused a star to explode in each of the eight cardinal directions.

These eight directions were continuously closing in. If the opponent dodged even slightly too slowly, the power of eight stellar explosions would converge, resulting in a final, eight-star simultaneous detonation that the opponent simply could not withstand. If the eight stars detonated together, Lu Yuan would lose.

A look of extreme cruelty crossed Kong Shangyi’s lips. Lu Yuan, did you really think you were that formidable? Your so-called Fleeting Life, Dream of Floating Existence is just a supreme move below the World Realm.

To think you could be so imposing above the World Realm—that’s far from achievable. You think reaching the World Realm while so young is impressive? It is impressive, yes, but your foundation is equally unstable.

You have no concept of World Realm combat. Let me give you a lesson, let you lose clearly, and understand the vast gap between us. A figure like you dares to challenge the Son of the Sword?

Let me defeat you first. First defeat you, then defeat Taishikong. Today calls for a streak of consecutive victories!

Such a powerful Kong Shangyi! He truly lived up to the reputation of being ninety percent certain to defeat Taishikong; he was overwhelmingly strong. Even Xuanyuan Wang’s strength fell somewhat short of his.

The power of this Eight-Star Consecutive Blast sword technique was immense, almost unimaginable. It seemed Lu Yuan would be gravely injured and lose in the next instant. The Son of the Sword, Jian Wenchang, sat observing the battle.

He held some interest in this fight, as Lu Yuan was the opponent he was scheduled to face four years later. What would be the outcome of this battle? Just as the Eight-Star Consecutive Blast was about to materialize, Lu Yuan drew his Nourishing Myriad Immortal Sword and began to parry.

He had faced very few World Level sword arts; how could he break this World Level technique? Lu Yuan’s Nourishing Myriad Immortal Sword blocked strike after strike, wave after wave of offense. Temporarily, he was at a disadvantage in the field.

Kong Shangyi was indeed strong, but clearly not strong enough to defeat Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan had not counter-attacked at all so far; what was he planning? Boom!

The Eight-Star Consecutive Blast exploded. Although the resulting detonation did not injure Lu Yuan, it forced him further onto the defensive. It seemed Lu Yuan only had the ability to sweep aside attacks but lacked the power to strike back.

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