Chapter 234: Identity!

On the arena, as the shadow of fists pressed down relentlessly by the black fingers continued their assault, the crowd of onlookers erupted in gasps of astonishment, their faces etched with expressions of regret.

Though Yang Yan had shocked them time and again with his extraordinary skills, repeatedly shattering their preconceived notions, the chasm between the Spirit Communion Realm and the Spirit Sea Realm was simply too vast. No matter how many tricks Yang Yan employed, his defeat at this moment seemed inevitable.

Yet, even so, this battle would surely become legendary throughout Shang Prefecture—a lone youth standing his ground against the clan leader of the Liu Family. From now on, the name Yang Yan would echo not only throughout Shang Prefecture but also across neighboring regions.

Despite the dire situation, Yang Yan’s expression atop the stone platform remained utterly calm, marked by a profound detachment, as if this outcome was anything but unexpected.

This very demeanor was observed by Liu Zong, hovering in midair. His aged face grew grave, for he sensed something strange emanating from Yang Yan—a seemingly boundless reservoir of tactics that allowed him to shatter any plan laid against him with thunderous force at critical moments.

“Concentrate!”

Just as Liu Zong’s thought settled, Yang Yan’s voice rang out sharply from the platform. To Liu Zong’s shock, the disadvantaged shadowed fist in midair began to change.

A brilliant crimson gleam flickered across the fist, flowing like water from its tail towards its head, concentrating finally into a single point atop the knuckles. That point pulsed like a drop of deep red blood, positioned exactly where it met the opposing black finger.

As all the energy converged, the previously retreating shadowed fist ceased its withdrawal and locked in a stalemate with the black finger.

Boom!

After a tense moment, Yang Yan let out a fierce roar. The crowd watched in stunned silence as the fist shattered explosively, releasing waves of red energy that rippled like water, spreading throughout the arena. The terrifying spiritual power dyed the sky a purplish red, resembling a burning cloud, as the crimson energy twisted and roared overhead, a truly fearsome spectacle.

Yang Yan stood motionless atop the platform, his gaze fixed upon the epicenter of the explosion. About three minutes later, the overwhelming red energy finally dissipated, revealing a clear, serene sky.

Then, a hoarse, aged voice emerged, though its owner appeared somewhat disheveled now. His garments were torn, and his graying hair hung loose—no trace remained of the calm, dignified aura he once projected.

“How is this possible? It looks like Liu Zong suffered some losses in that clash. He is a bona fide Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse!”

“Could it be that this young man named Yang Yan has also reached the Spirit Sea Realm?”

Such thoughts sent chills through the onlookers. A seventeen-year-old Spirit Sea Realm cultivator seemed inconceivable. Without witnessing it firsthand, anyone who heard such a claim would dismiss it as folly. Even those who began training from the womb found it nearly impossible to reach such a level at that age.

But with incontrovertible evidence before them—Yang Yan even gaining the upper hand momentarily—their doubts were silenced.

Amidst the crowd’s murmurs, a faint smile curled at the corner of Yang Yan’s lips.

During his earlier use of the Backbreaker Demon Fist technique, he had gained a deeper understanding of its essence.

This martial art’s profound secret lay in its ability to extract the spirit within a magical weapon and use it as the primary force of attack, effectively making it a living technique—an extraordinary phenomenon.

Ordinary martial arts, once formed, had fixed shapes and energy distributions, rarely altered thereafter.

But the Backbreaker Demon Fist differed because it contained the spirit of a magical weapon.

High-grade magical weapons, over countless millennia, gradually absorb the energies of nature, eventually awakening their own consciousness. Some ancient weapons could even transform into humanoid forms, their combat prowess rivaling that of human cultivators, their physical strength surpassing peers due to their weapon-born bodies.

For example, the ancient relic “Old Yang” was rumored to be such a spirit.

Of course, common weapons such as spirit instruments or even mundane artifacts could, given enough resources, absorb ambient energies over tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years, eventually birthing their own intellect and cultivating independently.

Though their cultivation progressed more slowly due to physical constraints, spirit weapons of equivalent rank often outmatched human cultivators in sheer battle might.

Besides natural awakening, some spirits were forged directly by master artisans endowed with innate intelligence. Yet, such elite weapon-smiths were exceedingly rare on the continent. Yang Yan’s current skills in artifact crafting were still far from that level.

Meanwhile, Yang Yan realized the immense potential of the Backbreaker Demon Fist. Its power grew in proportion to the grade of the weapon driving it—when powered by imperial-grade artifacts, it could unleash earth-shattering might.

Though the crimson greatsword he wielded previously was not yet at that level, its spirit already possessed some intelligence, allowing Yang Yan to remotely control the Backbreaker Demon Fist through their connection.

This explained the deepening shock on Liu Zong’s face upon seeing the technique’s unfolding.

Ordinarily, once a martial technique was unleashed, its energy pattern was fixed—no one had heard of issuing further commands mid-attack.

Yet this bizarre phenomenon appeared in a mere youth barely sixteen or seventeen years old.

When the black finger and shadowed fist clashed earlier, sensing his disadvantage, Yang Yan concentrated all the frenzied energy into a single point on the fist, boosting his confidence against the black finger.

In their standoff, he communicated mentally with the weapon spirit, commanding all the energy to detonate explosively, dispersing Liu Zong’s attack and even causing some backlash against him.

Although Liu Zong appeared somewhat disheveled, Yang Yan knew he had sustained no real injury.

At that moment, Yang Yan felt anew the vast gap between Spirit Sea and Spirit Communion realms—they simply could not be compared.

If his opponent had been a peak Spirit Communion cultivator, Yang Yan’s relentless assault might have cost him ten lives, yet Liu Zong withstood everything unscathed.

This realization stirred a sense of urgency within Yang Yan.

Within the Flying Cloud Empire, he had already offended the two great powers, the Profound Heaven Hall and the Storm Pavilion. Despite the protection of the Martial Dao Sect, facing two enemies at once was daunting. Rumors whispered of an alliance between Profound Heaven Hall and Storm Pavilion, poised to besiege the Martial Dao Sect soon.

Having benefited from the Martial Dao Sect, whether directly or indirectly, and given his entanglement in the brewing conflicts among the three great sects, Yang Yan could not ignore these developments.

Now, after a direct confrontation with a Spirit Sea Realm master, Yang Yan recognized his own shortcomings.

To influence the war among the three super sects, his current strength was woefully insufficient.

These sects dwarfed the likes of the Liu Family, being the three titans of the empire, each boasting immortal elders at the Forsaken Life Realm and numerous Spirit Sea masters.

Yang Yan, even against a single Spirit Sea cultivator, struggled to hold his ground; his involvement alone would not sway the balance.

If the Martial Dao Sect’s restraint faltered, Profound Heaven Hall and Storm Pavilion would swiftly crush the Zhang Family with ease—a scenario Yang Yan dreaded.

To prevent this and protect his loved ones, the prerequisite was to amass sufficient power; otherwise, all his words would be empty.

“You force my hand, boy!”

Liu Zong’s face darkened completely as he realized that despite his full power, Yang Yan still evaded defeat and had even turned the tide against him.

Though unharmed physically, being publicly humiliated so thoroughly tarnished both the Liu Family’s and his own dignity.

Decades had passed without anyone putting him in such a predicament, and now, in front of a crowd, a mere novice had done so. If Yang Yan escaped unscathed today, the Liu Family’s future in Shang Prefecture would be bleak.

With this thought, Liu Zong finally moved, stamping the void. His beast-like feet propelled him forward like a flash, his eagle-like claws slashing fiercely toward Yang Yan’s chest.

Yang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. The terrifying speed of a Spirit Sea master far exceeded even the peak Spirit Communion cultivators.

Without hesitation, he surged his spiritual power, unleashing the Void Stride technique.

His body twisted bizarrely, and the claw grazed his chest.

Yang Yan staggered back slightly, but Liu Zong sneered, pressing the attack relentlessly, closing in and launching a storm of blows.

Forced to contend on the ground using the intricate footwork of Void Stride, Yang Yan avoided taking to the air, where he would have no footing and become an easy target.

Liu Zong, having mastered void walking and accelerated by boundless energy, moved swiftly in midair, a fact Yang Yan chose not to expose.

When weaker, one must leverage strengths and avoid weaknesses to narrow the gap.

Yang Yan’s tactics paid off; though pressed to the brink, he evaded Liu Zong’s attacks in hairbreadth escapes. Their fierce battle endured for five or six minutes, with Yang Yan remaining on the defensive, yet Liu Zong unable to finish him quickly.

As the intensity grew, the crowd swelled, until nearly all of Shang Prefecture had gathered, their dark throng like ants, watching the flickering figures with awe.

Such a scene was staggering: a mere seventeen-year-old battling the renowned clan leader Liu Zong to such a degree was truly terrifying.

As the crowd thickened, Liu Zong’s attacks grew fiercer, desperate to end the fight and salvage what remained of his pride, driving Yang Yan into a precarious position.

Sweat began to bead on Yang Yan’s cheek, his expression growing more somber.

Having exhausted all his techniques, he found no opening for counterattack against Liu Zong’s rapid, relentless strikes, barely managing to parry. If this continued, defeat would come within three minutes.

“If you want to fight me, then so be it!”

A cold voice emerged amid a long sigh. Just as Yang Yan blocked an attack, a faint blue light suddenly burst from his sleeve. Moments later, the glow intensified, revealing a colossal dragon claw several meters wide, which struck fiercely at the stunned Liu Zong.

Boom!

The suddenness and proximity left Liu Zong no time to react, forcing him to hastily form a powerful spiritual shield over his chest.

The claw slammed into him with tremendous force. Compared to the massive claw, Liu Zong appeared frail. His defense shattered instantly, and his garment tore apart, revealing a long, jagged scar across his chest.

Yet as a peak Spirit Sea master seasoned in countless battles, Liu Zong’s reflexes were sharp. With a feint, he vanished into the high air hundreds of meters away, eyes wide with shock as he studied Yang Yan.

“Roar!”

A resonant dragon’s cry echoed as the claw ascended, its brilliant blue light flickering. A giant dragon, five or six meters long, emerged in the sky above the plaza. Its pale blue wings flapped, scattering crystalline snowflakes like delicate ice petals. The surrounding air chilled instantly, as if winter had arrived.

“That’s the Snowwing Ice Dragon!”

As Blue Snow fully materialized, the crowd recognized him and his identity.

“Have you heard? News came from Jin Prefecture recently. A young master named Zhang owns a Bloodwing Ice Dragon and wiped out all forces invading his family. Among those fallen were a Spirit Communion Realm level 8, a level 7, and a level 5 cultivator—all slain by him alone!”

“That confirms it. Though Yang Yan is a common name, the Snowwing Ice Dragon is rare. I’m certain this youth is the Zhang family’s heir from Jin Huan City. He also said he came from Qingxuan Sect, which lies in Jin Prefecture!”

“Could it be connected to that incident in Jing Prefecture? They say there was a massive battle on Mangdang Mountain. A teenage boy fought the Sword Saint Lu Qingshan of the Tianjian Sect and even severed his arm! That boy’s name was also Yang Yan!”

“That’s true. A relative of mine in the Sanwu Sect told me recently about a young prodigy who singlehandedly killed Tang Zhen, the Spirit Communion Realm peak master and head of the Yin Puppet Sect, along with four elders at level 5. His name was also Yang Yan!”

Blue Snow’s appearance stirred the crowd into a frenzy of awe and whispered breathless gasps. With so many sources and information, Yang Yan’s past deeds were uncovered.

His astonishing feats, coupled with today’s fearless battle against a Spirit Sea master, made this spectacle entirely believable—the youth had shattered countless impossibilities before.

Meanwhile, Liu Zong, suspended in midair, understood fully now. Their Liu Family had long monitored the cultivation powers across the empire’s prefectures. They were deeply curious about this boy who had beaten Lu Qingshan and slain the Yin Puppet Sect’s leader—a prodigy with such aberrant talent at so young an age.

Recent shocking news from Jin Prefecture now made it clear: this youth was the mastermind behind those events—a genius who had forged countless miracles in the empire’s cultivation world.

As Liu Zong’s heart stirred, he glanced down at the fierce wound on his chest. A surge of killing intent flared anew.

During the heated battle, he had not noticed his injury, but now, free from combat, the burning pain brought him back to grim clarity and hatred.

(End of chapter)