You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Xue Kainan grinned maliciously and pointed to a relatively open area near the edge of the ruins and close to the array's light barrier.

"Let's go over there!"
Let everyone see the consequences of offending me, Xue Kainan!

Chen Yang nodded indifferently.

"lead the way."

Liu Piaopiao wanted to persuade him further, but Chen Yang had already taken a step and followed.

She gritted her teeth and had no choice but to follow closely. She made up her mind that if things went wrong, she would do her best to help Chen Yang escape, even if it meant violating the trial rules and using her life-saving trump card.

Liu Cheng followed behind with his arms crossed, looking on with a smug expression, as if he could already foresee Chen Yang being severely humiliated by Xue Kainan, or even seriously injured and dying.

Some of the monks who had noticed the conflict were also drawn in and followed from a distance, clearly interested in this kind of "entertainment."

Soon, the group arrived at an open space at the edge of the ruins.

This is already the edge of the protective array; outside lies the gradually thickening darkness, and the unsettling howling wind can be faintly heard from afar.

The open space was fairly flat, enough for the two to fight.

Chen Yang and Xue Kainan stood several feet apart.

Liu Piaopiao stood nervously on one side of the open space, her hands unconsciously twisting together.

Liu Cheng and the other onlookers gathered on the other side, their faces beaming with anticipation for a good show.

Xue Kainan twisted his neck, making a cracking sound, and moved his wrists, the metal wrist guards gleaming slightly.

He no longer concealed his murderous intent. An even more violent aura, mixed with the smell of water and blood, suddenly erupted, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey!
"Boy, remember my name, Xue Kainan! When you get to the underworld, you'll know who sent you on your way!"

Xue Kainan let out a low roar, said no more, and stomped his foot hard, causing the ground to tremble slightly. He charged towards Chen Yang like a cannonball, with an unstoppable momentum!
His right fist was clenched, and a layer of dark water light covered the knuckles, with faint swirling currents, carrying a tearing and corrosive wave, aimed straight at Chen Yang's vital chest!

This punch was none other than one of Blackwater Pool's signature killing moves—the "Blackwater Armor-Piercing Fist"! Combined with his pseudo-core realm cultivation and the amplification from his wrist guards, its power was enough to shatter stone tablets and even shake the protective spiritual light of cultivators of the same level!

The force of the punch was fierce, and the stench of blood was overwhelming!
Liu Piaopiao's heart almost stopped beating. She instinctively closed her eyes, unable to bear looking.

However, faced with this powerful and incredibly fast punch, Chen Yang simply stood still, without even moving a step.

His eyes were calm and unwavering, as if what was approaching was not a deadly attack, but a trivial breeze.

Just as Xue Kainan's fist, enveloped in a dark, watery light, was about to strike his chest—

Chen Yang's figure, like a ghost, swayed slightly to the side and back by the smallest of margins!
The movements were minimal, yet the speed was beyond everyone's visual perception!
It even left an extremely brief afterimage in the spot!

"call!"

Xue Kainian's determined punch, carrying a fierce gust of wind, struck empty air!
The dark, watery fist exploded, blasting a shallow crater in the ground and sending debris flying, but it didn't even touch the hem of Chen Yang's clothes!
"what?!"

Xue Kainian's pupils contracted sharply, and the smug grin on his face froze instantly, replaced by incredulous astonishment.

His punch was a combination of speed and power, and the angle was extremely tricky. How could his opponent have dodged it so easily and with such precision?!
Moreover, that movement technique... was so fast that it was simply not something a pseudo-core cultivator should have!

Not only him, but also Liu Cheng, who was watching from the sidelines, and the other onlookers, their smiles froze instantly, and their eyes revealed surprise and doubt.

The astonishment on Xue Kainan's face was fleeting, quickly replaced by an even more violent rage!

He absolutely refused to believe that he would fail, and he couldn't believe that this seemingly ordinary guy in front of him could be that strong!
"I only managed to dodge it once by luck!"

Let's see how long you can hide!

Xue Kainan roared, steadied himself, and threw out both fists at once. The wind from his punches howled, and the dark water light was like two venomous pythons, intertwining and devouring Chen Yang's vital points.

At the same time, he used his footwork to block Chen Yang's possible evasive space in conjunction with his punches.

However, Chen Yang's figure remained ghostly, or like a willow catkin that could not be lifted by any force.

Amidst the storm of punches, he merely shifted his body slightly, spun around, and leaned back. Every movement was perfectly timed and exquisitely executed. With minimal effort and the most economical movements, he effortlessly evaded Xue Kainian's seemingly inevitable attacks!

The fierce wind from the punches and the chilling force of the water always grazed past the hem of his clothes and the tips of his hair, but they couldn't even hurt a single hair on his body.

"Damn it! Don't hide if you've got the guts!"

Xue Kainan grew increasingly alarmed and frustrated as the fight progressed.

He felt like he was punching the air, all his strength hitting nothing. His opponent's relaxed and carefree attitude was a blatant insult to him!

His magical power surged wildly, his wrist guards shone brightly, and he even used his life essence to push the power of the "Black Water Armor-Piercing Fist" to its limit. The shadow of his fist almost formed a black curtain, completely enveloping Chen Yang!
But the result remained the same.

Chen Yang's figure appeared and disappeared in the darkness, his steps unpredictable. Each time, he precisely passed through the gaps between the fist shadows, or slid away at an incredible angle at the last second.

The crowd of onlookers went from initial surprise to silence, and then to solemnity.

They could see clearly that it wasn't that Xue Kainian wasn't strong enough; his attacks were fierce and deadly, each move potentially fatal. If most of them had gone up against him, they probably wouldn't have lasted more than ten moves.

But it was that young man who hadn't made a move yet... his movement technique was terrifying!
That composure, that precision, is by no means ordinary!

Liu Piaopiao's eyes widened at this moment, she covered her mouth with her small hand, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

She realized that she had underestimated Chen Yang!

"You cowardly rat who only knows how to hide! Die!"

Unable to break through after a prolonged attack, Xue Kainan grew impatient and his blood rushed to his head. He gritted his teeth and abandoned all defense and subsequent maneuvers, pouring all the remaining magical power in his body, along with the mouthful of blood essence, into his right fist!

In an instant, his entire right arm swelled up, the veins on his skin bulged, and the dark, watery light compressed and condensed, almost becoming tangible, emitting a terrifying wave of destruction!
"Blackwater - Mountain Collapse!"

He roared, like a raging bull, abandoning all fancy moves, and with the purest power and speed, punched Chen Yang in the face!
This punch was the strongest attack he could deliver at this moment, as powerful as thunder, intended to force Chen Yang to take it head-on!
He didn't believe the other party could dodge!

Faced with this punch that embodied all of Xue Kainian's power and whose momentum had reached its peak, a barely perceptible glint finally flashed in Chen Yang's eyes.

Just as the fist, radiating terrifying black light, was only three feet away from his face—

Chen Yang made his move!

Instead of dodging, he faced the terrifying force of the punch head-on, advancing instead of retreating. His right hand, fingers pointing out like a sword, moved with lightning speed! At his fingertip, a point of pure light, condensed to its extreme, suddenly shone brightly, faint yet seemingly capable of piercing through all illusions and obstacles!

This single gesture, though delayed, arrived first!

In that tiny "gap" before Xue Kainian's fist was fully extended and his power had not yet been fully unleashed, Chen Yang's fingertips, as if he had foreseen the future, precisely touched the point above Xue Kainian's right wrist, a point that was slightly sluggish due to the surge of magical power, and which was also the most crucial "node" for the flow of his fist's power!
"Boom!"

A soft yet clear sound, like a bubble bursting.

Xue Kainan's powerful punch, seemingly capable of shattering mountains and splitting rocks, suddenly froze! The dark, watery light on his fist dissipated instantly, like a punctured balloon! Immediately afterward, a sharp, condensed power, carrying the intent to purify and dispel evil, surged through that point like an electric current into Xue Kainan's entire arm, brutally tearing apart his wildly circulating magic power and impacting his meridians and acupoints!

"Ugh—!"

Xue Kainan let out a painful groan as his entire right arm went numb and out of control. The violent backlash made his internal organs feel like they were being churned up, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat as he could no longer suppress a mouthful of blood.

It sprayed out with a "pfft"!

His forward-moving body lost its balance due to the sudden attack, and like a kite with a broken string, he was sent flying backward by the gentle force brought by Chen Yang's subsequent flick of his sleeve!

"boom!"

A dull thud resounded.

Xue Kainian's burly body slammed heavily against a half-collapsed earthen wall a dozen feet away, sending rubble flying. He was embedded in the wall, struggled for a moment, and then barely managed to slide to the ground. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper, his right arm hanging limply at his sides, clearly temporarily disabled, and his breath was extremely weak.

one move!
Only when the opponent goes all out can you accurately find the opening and defeat them in one strike!
The open space was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned by this lightning-fast reversal. Xue Kainian, who had been so arrogant and domineering just moments before, had actually... been defeated? Defeated so decisively, so thoroughly!
Chen Yang slowly withdrew his fingers, stood with his hands behind his back, and calmly swept his gaze over the dumbfounded Liu Cheng and the several equally horrified followers behind him. His voice remained indifferent.

"Anyone else disagree? Come at me."

The mockery and smugness on Liu Cheng's face had vanished without a trace, replaced by incredulous fear and a hint of barely perceptible panic.

He gave Chen Yang a deep look, then glanced at Xue Kainian, who was slumped against the wall, barely breathing. His lips twitched, and he forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace. He then clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Fellow Daoist...impressive skills! I was blind to your greatness and have offended you greatly! We...accept our defeat!"

When he said "I admit defeat," his voice was hoarse, filled with resentment and helplessness. The difference in strength was too obvious; if his opponent could defeat Xue Kainian so easily, dealing with them would probably not take much effort at all.

Chen Yang was too lazy to waste any more words with them and waved his hand.

"If you're going to give up, get out of here. Don't get in my way and disturb my rest."

"Yes...yes! We'll go right away!"

"Let's go!"

Liu Cheng felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He hurriedly called his men to lift the seriously injured Xue Kainan with a scramble of hands. Without daring to look back, he quickly disappeared into the depths of the ruined alley, fearing that Chen Yang might change his mind.

A low murmur and discussion arose from the crowd, their gazes towards Chen Yang filled with awe and curiosity, but no one dared to approach him or provoke him.

Only now did Liu Piaopiao finally breathe a sigh of relief. She quickly walked to Chen Yang's side, her beautiful eyes filled with amazement and admiration.

"Brother Chen! You...you're amazing!"

That's Xue Kainan!

The notorious thugs of Blackwater Pool were actually... so utterly defeated in your hands!

She felt that her understanding of the world had been completely refreshed.

Chen Yang smiled.

"It's just a trick."

His techniques were outdated, his breathing was unstable, and he revealed his weakness.

"You'd have to be capable of catching it first!"

Liu Piaopiao shook her head, then said seriously.

"Brother Chen, I've dragged you into this again. If it weren't for helping me..."

Chen Yang interrupted her.

That's wrong.

We came here and met them because you wanted to help me find my friends. In fact, I'm the one who dragged you into this mess.

"If it weren't for me, and you were with Liu Haoran and the others, at least you wouldn't have been openly provoked by those two guys."

Liu Piaopiao said it seriously.

"No, Brother Chen, you're wrong."

If he follows Liu Haoran, he would never dare to confront Liu Cheng and Xue Kainan head-on for my sake!

He... he's actually quite cowardly. When faced with a tough opponent, he only thinks about appeasement or abandoning his companions to save himself. I've seen it more than once.

Chen Yang was somewhat surprised.

"He seems like a pretty assertive person."

"All show and no substance."

Liu Piaopiao pouted.

"It's fine to bully the weak in the sect by relying on family background and cultivation, but when faced with a life-or-death situation or a powerful opponent, they run away faster than anyone else."

This is no secret within our outer sect of Lingxi Valley.

The two talked as they left the open space and headed deeper into the city ruins, intending to find a suitable place to rest.

at this time.

The sky had completely darkened, and the array light screen surrounding the ruins emitted a clearer pale golden light.

Outside the light barrier, dense darkness surged like a tide, and countless dark red "eyes" reappeared. Those terrifying "evil spirits" demons, like hyenas attracted by blood, gathered again and began to attack and scratch the array's light barrier.

The piercing scraping sounds, the low whimpers, and the occasional bursts of tiny electric sparks on the light screen that repelled approaching monsters intertwined, reminding everyone inside the ruins that the outside world was still dangerous.

Chen Yang stood on a high broken wall, looking at the dense, endless dark red ghostly figures outside and the scene of them frantically attacking the formation. He frowned slightly and sighed softly.

"These... are all refined from souls imprisoned here? Never to be reincarnated, and used as tools for trials... how cruel."

Liu Piaopiao also walked to his side, looking at the scene outside with a complicated expression.

"According to my elders, these are the souls of cultivators who were defeated in the great battles between various blessed lands and grotto-heavens in ancient times." (End of Chapter)