Chapter 233: The Collision!

High in the air, following Liu Zong’s movements, the natural energy within a radius of several dozen miles began to surge toward his body like a relentless tide. This display of power caused a chorus of gasps to erupt from the spectators nearby.

The primary difference between a powerhouse who has reached the Spirit Sea Realm and a practitioner of the Psychic Realm lies in their connection to the world. A Spirit Sea Realm expert possesses a dantian as vast and turbulent as the ocean, and with every gesture, they can command the surrounding natural energy to serve their own ends. This makes their internal spiritual power virtually inexhaustible, ensuring they rarely face the risk of losing combat effectiveness due to depletion.

The violent energy of the world converged toward Liu Zong’s palm like a thousand rivers flowing into the sea. Within a few blinks of an eye, a massive energy handprint, spanning several dozen feet, manifested before him. With a cold snort, he thrust his withered palm downward. The titanic handprint descended from the sky, carrying an irresistible momentum and a crushing, mountain-like weight, aiming to suppress Yang Yan, who appeared no larger than an ant beneath it.

Before that sky-obscuring palm, the black and white light attack launched by Yang Yan seemed as minuscule as a speck of dust.

Liu Zong’s attack was not a standard martial art technique. Once one reaches the Spirit Sea Realm, they can effortlessly fuse their own massive spiritual power with natural energy into any shape they desire. At this level, an offhand strike is no weaker than the martial techniques of lesser practitioners. For them, most Profound-tier techniques lose their appeal; only Earth-tier or Heaven-tier arts can truly enhance their combat prowess.

Rumble!

Wherever the massive energy handprint passed, the very air was compressed and detonated, creating a series of deep, muffled roars. Though Yang Yan was still some distance away, he felt an incredibly terrifying pressure weighing down on his entire body. It was only when he mobilized the vast water-attribute spiritual power within his own Qi Sea that the sensation of being crushed began to fade.

"A Spirit Sea Realm expert is truly formidable," Yang Yan murmured to himself.

Despite the intensity of the situation, his face remained devoid of panic, his burning gaze fixed firmly on the black and white light seal. Like an elegant butterfly, the light seal flitted through the air without causing the slightest spatial ripple or energy storm. Facing the oppressive weight of the giant palm, the seal remained composed and unfazed.

The next moment, under the gaze of countless eyes, the black and white light seal collided violently with the giant handprint!

The scene that followed left the crowd stunned. The moment the massive handprint made contact with the light seal, its unstoppable downward momentum was brought to a dead halt. As time seemed to suspend, the handprint remained frozen in mid-air, creating a bizarre and incredible visual impact, as if an ant had managed to lift an elephant.

"He actually... blocked it?!"

After a brief, eerie silence, a wave of disbelief and sharp intakes of breath broke out among the spectators. The spectacle was too shocking; the energy handprint, which would have meant certain death for even a peak Psychic Realm expert, had been parried by Yang Yan with such apparent ease. No wonder he had dared to challenge the head of the Liu Clan—he truly possessed hidden cards.

Liu Zong, hovering in the air, saw his expression darken further. While it had looked like a casual strike, only he knew that he had not only channeled external natural energy but also a portion of his own internal spiritual power—at least eighty percent of his full strength. He had expected this to wipe out any ordinary peak Psychic Realm practitioner, yet this youth had blocked it.

"Explode!"

Facing the sour-faced Liu Zong, the corner of Yang Yan’s mouth curved into a smirk, and a sharp shout echoed from his lips.

Boom!

As his command fell, a heaven-shaking explosion erupted in the sky. The black and white light seal shattered, sending ripples of mixed energy surging outward like a tidal wave, slamming fiercely into the giant handprint!

Boom, boom, boom!

Under the repeated impact, the energy handprint grew dimmer and dimmer until it finally shattered with a deafening roar, dissolving into countless motes of light!

"How is this possible?! He actually crushed Liu Zong's attack! Could it be that he has also reached the Spirit Sea Realm?!"

As the giant handprint disintegrated, cries of shock filled the air. Many stared in disbelief at the thin, immovable figure standing on the stone platform, unable to process what they had just witnessed.

Liu Zong’s expression shifted violently. In front of such a crowd, for him—a Spirit Sea Realm master—to have his attack shattered by a boy of only sixteen or seventeen was a first in his life. Since entering the Spirit Sea Realm, let alone children like Yang Yan, even the old-timers of the cultivation world could no longer stand on equal footing with him, let alone challenge him directly.

Yet, after today, that record would be broken. His attack had been crushed by a mere youth!

"Chase the Shadow!"

Before Liu Zong could recover from his shock, Yang Yan’s voice rang out again. The black and white energy that had dispersed suddenly began to re-condense, gathering in mid-air into a profound black and white Taiji diagram!

The moment the Taiji diagram appeared, the world seemed to fall into an arcane and eerie atmosphere. A moment later, a thread-thin beam of black and white light shot out from the center of the diagram, aimed directly at Liu Zong!

No one had imagined that when facing a Spirit Sea Realm expert, Yang Yan could not only block the attack but also mount a counter-offensive. To the average onlooker, such a feat was impossible.

When they saw it happening before their eyes, a sense of unreality washed over them, as if they were dreaming. The youth had provided them with too many shocks, one after another, until they were almost numb. They would not have been surprised if the boy had suddenly ascended to the heavens to pluck stars or gather the moon.

Liu Zong was more shocked than anyone. Having climbed to the Spirit Sea Realm through step-by-step cultivation, he understood better than anyone the chasm between a peak Psychic Realm practitioner and a Spirit Sea Realm expert. It was a gap as wide as a natural moat. He was confident that he could defeat five peak Psychic Realm experts simultaneously—that was the confidence of a Spirit Sea Realm expert. But today, meeting Yang Yan, that confidence was shaken. When had Psychic Realm practitioners become this powerful?

Yet, while shocked, Liu Zong did not dare to underestimate the thin beam of light. Having witnessed Yang Yan’s various maneuvers, he realized this boy could not be judged by conventional standards.

With a solemn expression, Liu Zong flicked his sleeve and extended a withered finger. As he did, the surrounding natural energy became violent, swirling toward his fingertip like a gale. Simultaneously, the vast, ocean-like spiritual power within his body surged toward his finger. Clearly, he no longer intended to hold back.

Having had his previous attack blocked in front of so many people, the Liu Clan’s reputation had already suffered. If he didn't crush Yang Yan now, he would have no face left to walk in the cultivation circles of Shangzhou.

"Finger of Desolation!"

As Liu Zong’s shout echoed, the crowd’s pupils constricted. At the tip of his finger appeared a finger, seemingly tiny but as black as ink. It looked no different from an ordinary human finger, yet it possessed a terrifying, suppressed energy. Only those with keen soul perception could sense how monstrous the power hidden within it truly was. This attack was many times more powerful than the giant handprint.

"Go."

With a flick of his finger, the pure black projection shot toward the black and white energy thread at a speed invisible to the naked eye!

Standing on the stone platform, Yang Yan’s sharp soul perception naturally detected the terrifying energy fluctuation. He knew it was unrealistic to block this with the "Chase the Shadow" technique alone. Without hesitation, he swept his hand over his Qiankun bag, and a dark red broadsword of Treasure-rank appeared in his grasp—a trophy he had taken from Xu Tianglong.

"Demon Fist of the Spine!"

With the red blade in hand, Yang Yan shouted. The crimson light from the sword rapidly funneled into his arm. Within moments, the glowing Treasure-rank blade turned into a piece of scrap metal, which Yang Yan tossed aside carelessly.

"What is this guy's background? He treats a Treasure-rank artifact like garbage! Even the Liu Clan couldn't do that!"

"It’s over; the Liu Clan has offended someone they shouldn't have. Being able to burn through a Treasure-rank weapon like that isn't something a small faction can manage!"

The crowd gasped at Yang Yan’s lavish display. Many felt a pang of heartache at the sight of the discarded blade; for them, a Treasure-rank item was a lifetime dream.

Yang Yan ignored the clamor and shifted his hand seals once more.

"Ancient Emperor’s Treasure Mirror, Swallow the Heavens!"

As he shouted, the crowd watched in horror as the energy of the world began to rush toward Yang Yan’s right arm in a destructive torrent. They had only seen such a feat when Liu Zong launched his attack—a display reserved for Spirit Sea Realm experts. That Yang Yan, a mere Psychic Realm practitioner, could do the same left them beyond shocked.

Liu Zong, hovering above, noticed the violent shift in natural energy and his face turned grim.

"A martial technique! Another technique that can command natural energy! How many secrets does this brat have!?"

With his experienced eye, Liu Zong saw that the energy wasn't coming from Yang Yan himself, but was being drawn by his technique. First the soul-based light seal, then the energy containing a hint of death, and now this—the ability to command the world's energy. How could he not be shocked?

The secrets Yang Yan displayed were enough to make anyone greedy. Liu Zong decided that if he found out Yang Yan lacked powerful backing, he would personally ensure the boy was eliminated in secret, claiming all his techniques and secrets for himself.

Yang Yan, unaware of Liu Zong’s thoughts, felt his arm—which had swelled to twice its size—groan under the burden of the surging energy. Even with his cultivation of the Supreme Saint Profound Heaven Art, he felt the immense strain.

When the energy reached his limit, Yang Yan stopped absorbing it. He glared coldly at Liu Zong, who looked down from above, and thrust his right arm forward!

Boom!

The moment his arm moved, a crimson fist-shadow manifested before him, shooting toward the pitch-black finger like an unstoppable cannonball!

The "Demon Fist of the Spine" Yang Yan unleashed now was smaller in volume than before, but its power was far greater. Because his control over natural energy had become more refined, all the power was condensed. This was the strongest martial technique Yang Yan could currently muster, and since his opponent was a Spirit Sea Realm expert, he held nothing back.

Screech!

A piercing sound tore through the air. The black finger collided with the beam from the Taiji diagram. There was no heaven-shaking explosion; instead, a sharp, grating sound caused the spectators' eardrums to ache.

As they touched, sparks of spiritual fire erupted. The black and white beam was forced back by the black finger, shrinking from several meters to less than half a meter, and it continued to diminish under the pressure.

Yang Yan was shocked by the speed at which his technique was failing, but he remained calm—the fist-shadow following behind was his true trump card!

With a bang, the energy beam shattered into countless motes of light. The black finger, though slightly dimmed, remained intact and continued its charge toward the incoming fist-shadow.

Bang!

A low, dull explosion echoed. Cross-shaped waves of energy rippled outward like a storm, ravaging the plaza. Even spectators far away were knocked off their feet by the shockwaves, landing in a pathetic heap, their faces filled with utter terror.

If the mere aftermath of their clash had such power, it was hard to imagine the pressure faced by the two combatants at the center.

In the air, the pitch-black finger and the crimson fist-shadow locked in a stalemate, like the tips of two opposing needles. Ripples of terrifying energy emanated from their point of contact, distorting the very space around them like waves on water.

The stalemate held for a moment before the balance shifted. Under the pressure of the black finger, the massive fist-shadow began to buckle and sink.

"Look! That kid can't hold on!"

The crowd saw it instantly. But despite the apparent failure, no one dared to mock Yang Yan. They understood that if they were in his position, they would have been reduced to a pool of blood by a Spirit Sea Realm expert’s pressure long ago. They had no right to stand before such power, yet this youth, far younger than them, had already surpassed them all.

High above, Liu Zong saw his finger gaining the upper hand, and a look of relief washed over his aged face. The Liu Clan’s reputation was finally safe.

However, just as he relaxed, he caught sight of Yang Yan’s expression—still completely devoid of nervousness—and a sudden, inexplicable sense of dread rose in his heart.

"Could it be that this brat still has another card up his sleeve?"

The thought was incredible, even to him. He had assumed the "Demon Fist of the Spine" was the boy's absolute limit. But looking at Yang Yan now, he realized the situation was far from simple!