When a person is in a high-ranking position, their words carry the law.

Chapter 129 A Foreseeable Result

fail--

Yun Yan's pupils contracted slightly.

Having paid such a high price, if we fail, it won't just be a failure to stop Bai Ze's rise; we might even become Bai Ze's stepping stone.

It's like losing both your wife and your army; you've suffered a huge loss.

More importantly, this means that Bai Ze is fully capable of rising rapidly in a short period of time, posing an unprecedented threat to Yun Shu, the eldest son of the Yun family.

"I will not lose," Yun Yan said in a deep voice.

Bai Ze was indeed exceptionally talented. As a mere two-star martial artist, he was able to threaten three-star martial artists, even leading Yun Jingming to believe that none of his three-star martial artists could rival him.

But Yun Yan had regressed from the fourth-star realm.

Although his spirit was sealed and some of his power was lost, and he no longer had the ability to absorb vital energy, his own energy had long been tempered by vital energy and condensed into true energy, which was in no way inferior to Bai Ze's "Eating Wind and Drinking Dew Skill".

So, will they win?
will win.

Yun Yan strengthened his confidence while also trying to win people over, saying, "As for Junior Brother Bai, you'd better be careful. You're responsible for the Yunlai Group's overseas trade, as well as a unique martial arts technique."

If Bai Ze is defeated, not only will Yunlai Group be able to be successfully sold to Daxing Temple, but Mu Yaoguang will also lose the incomplete chapter of "Buddha Kingdom in the Palm".

Even the cooperation with Sanqing Group is facing problems.

The weight that Bai Ze carried was also quite heavy.

But Bai Ze seemed completely unconcerned, and chuckled, "It's alright, I will win everything."

Despite being the weaker party, he possessed immense confidence, even appearing to be more confident than Yun Yan.

At least Yun Yan wavered, but Bai Ze did not waver at all.

The commitment letter had already been signed by the time the words were spoken.

After Xiao Zangfeng reviewed the two men's pledges, a light screen projection appeared in front of him as well.

He placed his palm on the projection, and his palm print and fingerprints were read and recorded. At the same time, he said, "I, Xiao Zangfeng, will witness this duel, and I will also handle all disputes arising from this matter."

As he spoke, dark black marks spread from beneath his palm, his aura merging into the light screen and leaving an imprint.

The projection of their pledge, along with the palm prints of the two individuals, moved and overlapped with the light screen, permeated by the dark black markings.

At this point, all the preliminaries have been completed.

"In this duel, no one shall be held accountable for any injuries or disabilities. The duel shall not be terminated until anyone concedes defeat or loses the ability to fight."

Xiao Zangfeng delivered these words in a formulaic manner, then instructed the two to step back and stand ten meters apart, just like in a boxing match.

The onlookers also kept their distance, retreating to the rocky area and leaving the beach to the two.

Xi Yuheng and the other two followed Lü Xuanfeng to a large rock. Xi Yuheng finally couldn't help but ask, "Uncle-Master, who do you think will win?"

"Based solely on strength, Yun Yan certainly has a higher chance of winning. However—"

Lu Xuanfeng stroked his smooth chin, staring at Bai Ze and looking him up and down. "This young man is extraordinary. His internal energy is so pure that he has already touched the threshold of true qi. Moreover, although he is clearly following the path of internal cultivation, his strength cultivation far surpasses that of external cultivation, and may even surpass yours. Hmm, he has a bit of a Buddhist flavor, like a Buddhist celestial being. He must have practiced Buddhist divine skills."

"That's not right. Isn't Bai Ze's fundamental cultivation technique our Taoist sect's 'Eating Wind and Drinking Dew Technique'?" Xi Yuheng then asked.

"To be precise, it has the same origin as Taoist martial arts," Lu Xuanfeng shook his head and said, "He and Mu Yaoguang both follow the path of Qi cultivators, which is different from the mainstream of Taoism today. Our martial arts are the same as those bald thieves and even evil sects, starting from refining essence into Qi. These two start directly from absorbing the primordial energy of heaven and earth, which is much more difficult than the mainstream techniques."

At this point, Lü Xuanfeng also revealed a sorrowful expression, "Immortal Venerable, I almost succeeded in cultivating the 'Wind and Dew Drinking Technique' back then. If that had happened, Mu Yaoguang and this kid wouldn't have had the chance to show off."

Whether the Cantongqi is the best among all martial arts is still inconclusive.

It is indeed profound and extensive, but it cannot be said to be the best in the world. After all, in the later stages of martial arts, what truly determines strength is the martial artist, not the technique.

But it's difficult.

When it comes to practicing martial arts, there is a sense of pride in talking about the more difficult techniques. Moreover, the "Wind and Dew Dining Technique" is quite special, starting with the gathering of Qi, and the first three stages have an almost overwhelming advantage.

Lu Xuanfeng was a renowned genius of the Chunyang Sect back then, and of course he also tried this skill. Unfortunately, because he spent too much time on this skill, he was eventually forced by his master to switch to another skill.

According to him, he almost succeeded.

"He cultivates the Cantong Qi internally and has achieved the appearance of a celestial being in Buddhism externally. This kid is indeed extraordinary."

As Lü Xuanfeng spoke, his gaze swept over the figure standing on a rock in the distance, "The outcome is still uncertain."

Seeing that Mu Yaoguang's expression was unchanged and she seemed completely unconcerned about the situation, he knew that she was also confident.

Lu Xuanfeng may not believe in Bai Ze's strength, but he trusts Mu Yaoguang's judgment.

Even next to Mu Yaoguang, Luo Shui was recording a video in real time on her phone.

To determine the exact odds of victory, both sides need to take action to see any clues.

On the beach, only Bai Ze and Yun Yan remained.

The crashing seawater brought a roaring sound, and a powerful energy had already risen.

Yun Yan's body revealed a jade-colored aura that was visible to the naked eye. His whole body was as crystal clear as jade, and even the blue veins under his skin could be faintly seen.

He was wearing a light blue training uniform and was also holding a long sword in his hand.

It seems they are both skilled in swordsmanship.

Bai Ze, wielding the Xiaolian Sword, showed no outward aura; only invisible fluctuations indicated that he had already unleashed his aura.

"start."

With a soft shout from Xiao Zangfeng, his aura exploded instantly.

Like a surging tide, the jade-colored aura suddenly burst forth. Yun Yan leaped forward, his figure like light and shadow, instantly covering a distance of ten meters. His jade-like hands formed a palm print, unleashing a solid palm strike.

"Azure Sky Nine Heavens Palm".

The overwhelming aura struck head-on, instantly forcing the invisible aura to reveal its traces.

A massive aura swirled around Bai Ze, instantly coalescing into illusory bones, which he then clenched into a fist and thrust out.

"Oh!"

The two gases mingled, their sound echoing across the beach.

The sand and pebbles on the beach shattered and splashed, plowing a long groove in the force of the energy. The palm print collided with the fist of the Dharma image, and the two, which were obviously unequal in size, produced a scene of evenly matched strength.

The force of the energy shattered the ground, sending countless tiny grains of sand flying towards Yun Yan, only to be blocked by his protective aura.

Yun Yan's gaze sharpened, and he appeared before anyone else. With a flick of his right hand, the sword swept across, unleashing a torrent of sword energy that surged forth like a raging river, hurtling towards Bai Ze.

He countered the Dharma Aspect Fist with a single palm strike, yet still had the strength to unleash a sword aura. Even with a decline in his cultivation level, his skill was still far superior to that of a three-star martial artist.

More importantly, after reaching the three-star level, one's physical abilities are already considered an achievement, making one's physical constitution even more perfect than Bai Ze, who is still at the two-star level.

Yun Yan also played to his strengths, unleashing a thunderous attack from the outset, aiming to suppress Bai Ze within a few moves, and even—

The winner must be decided!

"Congeal!"

Seeing Yun Yan's sword energy surging towards him, Bai Ze immediately let out a low shout, and his illusory Dharma form enveloped his entire body, blocking the sword energy.

"Bam—"

The clash of energies caused dust to rise, while the sharp sword blade tore through the wind.

After unleashing a sword strike, Yun Yan's figure flashed, leaving behind a series of afterimages as he dodged the Dharma Image's arm. His sword aura was chilling, like a constellation of stars.

"The Heavenly Dipper Sword, I almost forgot that its mother also came from a prestigious family."

Lu Xuanfeng, who was far away, took on the role of narrator, explaining things to the younger generation.

Nearby, as the sword's edge tore through the sand and dust, what appeared before Yun Yan was an equally chilling sword aura.

"Wandering clouds startle the dragon."

Bai Ze drew his sword, which soared like a dragon, cutting through the sand and dust from the other side. The cold and sharp sword shadows clashed, and sword energy and true energy erupted.

hiss-

The shattered sword energy tore through the air with a sound like tearing silk. The swords clashed, and with a clang, both sides simultaneously unleashed their power. Amidst the fierce collision, both were forced back.

Bai Ze's feet plowed long tracks in the beach, retreating straight to the sea, almost touching the water.

Yun Yan, however, only retreated three meters.

"Humph!"

Yun Yan let out a deep shout, forcibly stopping his momentum. Then, his sword moved with him, like a shooting star chasing the moon, as he thrust towards Bai Ze.

Yun Yan had, of course, received prior information about Bai Ze's Dharma form, knowing its formidable power. He had also been pointed out by Yun Jingming, who had spotted its weaknesses. While the Dharma form was powerful, its immense size made it less agile. The best approach was to relentlessly press Bai Ze with a relentless, storm-like offensive, preventing him from fully utilizing his Dharma form while simultaneously maximizing his own strengths.

The sword light flashed by in an instant, closing in once more in a moment. Its icy sharpness even caused the illusory appearance of the Dharma Image to fluctuate, as if its energy had been cut.

Upon seeing this, Bai Ze immediately attempted to retreat and stepped into the sea.

Once underwater, the opponent's sword strikes will be hindered by the water, while Bai Ze himself will be unaffected and can even make perfect use of the underwater environment.

“But I already knew about this escape route you had.”

Yun Yan let out a long howl, and his speed increased dramatically.

"The stars change."

He stepped on the Seven Stars, his sword moving with him, his body advancing with his sword, like a comet trailing its tail, drawing a magnificent trajectory, cutting through the surging aura, and piercing straight at Bai Ze's true form.

This sword strike pierced through the air, powerful enough to penetrate even a Dharma form.

however--

"Of course I know."

Bai Ze's teleportation suddenly stopped, and the enormous illusory Dharma form suddenly shrank in that instant. "Gather!"

Originally, it could cover the whole body and was three meters tall, but it became only slightly taller than the top. The manifested blue-green phantom overlapped with Bai Ze's figure and drew its sword in sync.

In an instant, the body transformed from cumbersome to light, and the original strength was transformed into an enhancement of speed.

"The Wandering Cloud Startled the Dragon·Gao Zhoubo."

The internal energy surged violently into the sword, and under the effect of the words becoming law, the internal energy violently vibrated the sword's edge like a raging dragon.

The scabbard of Xiaolian Sword cracked instantly, and Bai Ze didn't even dare to hold the scabbard with his left hand.

The sword's edge sliced ​​through the scorched marks, leaving a trail of heat in mid-air, before slashing forward.

This was a sword-drawing technique used simultaneously by the Dharma form and the main body, with double sword light, intersecting with the comet-like sword shadow that attacked.

In an instant, the sword shadows shattered.

The extremely high frequency vibrations cause the material being cut to be stripped away at the molecular level. Under the high-frequency sword, any defense will appear weak and powerless.

Qi Fangwei was cut in half at the waist because he didn't expect this sword strike.

The constantly vibrating sword blade was even disintegrating itself. After severing Yun Yan's longsword, the entire blade was stained with a dark red color.

Two figures passed each other, and Yun Yan rushed into the sea, suddenly flipping over and creating a large wave.

The water flowed over my chest, reducing the intense burning sensation, while the salt continued to stimulate the pain.

A shallow sword wound appeared on Yun Yan's chest, but not a drop of blood appeared.

Because all the bloodstains were instantly burned away, the entire sword mark appeared charred black.

He was so close, so very close, that sword would have ripped him open.

Below the three-star level, no one's body can withstand this sword strike; even a four-star person cannot.

Even a martial artist who has mastered physical training cannot withstand such destructive power.

Even though it was just a shallow sword mark, it made Yun Yan feel like his insides were burning, as if he was about to be burned to ashes by the sword.

What a terrifying sword technique!

Is this a sword technique that a two-star martial artist can use?!

A sense of dread raged within him, but Yun Yan's actions did not falter in the slightest.

Because Bai Ze's sword strike consumed too much energy.

Instead of retreating, Yun Yan advanced, preparing to launch another attack.

At the same time, the illusory image of the Dharma expanded again, transforming into a four-meter-tall figure that stood upright.

Within that illusory phantom, meridians rapidly formed, devouring the surrounding vital energy.

Bai Ze turned around and struck out with his palm, while his Dharma Image also attacked simultaneously, unleashing a massive phantom palm print.

"Shotgun marks".

Bang!
The sound of exploding artillery shells is insufficient to describe the sheer force of the attack; hundreds of bursts of energy erupted forth like a hail of bullets, covering the area below.

Yun Yan quickly stopped his advance, and the broken sword in his hand danced around his body, forming a large ball of sword light that was impenetrable.

The sword wind stirred up the seawater, creating a continuous splashing sound, and the energy continued to expand.

In an instant, the waves surged like a thousand snowflakes, splashing water everywhere.

Yun Yan's initial momentum was forced to retreat, and he even had to retreat into the sea. Before long, the seawater had already swallowed up to his knees.

Ahead, the illusory Dharma form devoured the primordial energy, and streams of wind enveloped the Dharma form as it surged forward.

"Although you cultivate using the military method of body refinement, you have already achieved great strength and your hidden injuries have been eliminated. However, you have crippled your own power and regressed in your realm, so you cannot guarantee the perfection of your true energy and body."

Bai Ze's voice entered Yun Yan's ears along with the Dharma Image's advance, and in a daze, it seemed as if an invisible magic was fluctuating.

"Now that you are injured, you can no longer control your true energy, which has aggravated your hidden injuries."

They countered with an offensive, forcefully injuring Yun Yan and causing his hidden injuries to resurface.

This shouldn't have happened to a three-star martial artist. Even if one cultivates using the principles of military body refinement, they should be able to suppress internal injuries by the time they reach three stars.

Yun Yan comes from an extraordinary family and is able to receive help from her elders to heal her hidden injuries.

However, he crippled himself, could not fully control his true energy, and suffered severe injuries... Most importantly, Bai Ze is currently applying negative status effects to Yun Yan.

Every word he uttered seemed like a prophecy, causing the hidden injury that was already difficult to manifest to resurface.

At the same time, Faxiang reached out and grasped, and a long sword was taking shape, with countless sharp teeth moving across it.

"cut!"

The wind is howling.

The long sword slashed down from the sky, splitting the water's surface.

Yun Yan suppressed his injuries, leaped swiftly, and walked on water, forcibly narrowly avoiding the sword strike.

Bang!
The waves crashed against Yun Yan's body, and the biting cold seemed to further aggravate his injuries.

"You're getting weaker."

Bai Ze spoke again, his sword sweeping across, creating a semi-circular arc of light.

"The balance of power has been reversed."

The blade spun and collided with the broken sword. The force was like a tidal wave, knocking the broken sword out of Yun Yan's hand. It grazed his body, leaving a trail of blood.

Yun Yan retreated frantically, falling into the water, while simultaneously opening his mouth to call for help.

At this point, there was no way to continue fighting; the outcome was about to be decided.

At this moment, Bai Ze recalled what Mu Yaoguang had said earlier.

—Bai Ze, do your best to cripple your opponent.

That was exactly what should have been said at that time.

Mu Yaoguang had long anticipated that the other party would use tricks to get Yun Yan, a four-star martial artist, to take action.

Therefore, she wanted Bai Ze to cripple her opponent—Yun Yan.

The energy shifted in an instant, and the enormous Dharma form shrank once again.

Meanwhile, Yun Jingming, who was watching the battle from the rocky outcrop, had a cold and stern expression, and his jade-like aura reappeared.

With him around, there's no room for the second son to make a mistake.

but--

At this critical moment, the strange energy within Yun Jingming's body suddenly surged, causing his blood and qi to churn, delaying him by a fraction of a second.

In that instant, Bai Ze merged with the illusory image of the Dharma, and shot out a sword.

"Hundred Steps Flying Sword."

The sword pierced through the air, striking Yun Yan's abdomen with lightning speed and penetrating his dantian.

(End of this chapter)