A silver needle, Chen Jiuyang directly shattered Xu Changtian's protective qi shield.
Xu Changtian's clothes were also torn to shreds. His previously dignified and elegant demeanor was gone, replaced by a hint of disarray.
Many people were shocked to their feet, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Pure Yang True Qi, how is this possible!"
Everyone present was stunned. How could a cultivator in the Profound Realm possess True Qi with the Pure Yang attribute? It was truly astonishing.
At this moment, the gazes of other Shu Mountain factions towards Chen Jiuyang changed completely.
A Profound Realm cultivator with eleven acupoints, possessing elemental True Qi, and moreover, the supreme Pure Yang True Qi, all at the young age of twenty-three!
With these layers of identity stacked upon Chen Jiuyang, it brought both joy and concern. Once Chen Jiuyang broke through to the Earth Realm, all the disciples of the younger generation from the Shu Mountain factions would be severely suppressed by him.
However, the various factions of Shu Mountain had always been united, and despite their internal rivalries, they maintained amity. In critical moments, they always presented a united front against external threats.
The old man from Qingcheng Mountain in the Daoist tradition looked at the Chen family patriarch. After a moment of silence, he spoke with a wry smile, "Brother Chen, you did this intentionally, didn't you?"
The Chen family patriarch smiled and replied, "Master Abbot, please don't slander me. Am I that kind of person?"
Chen Jiuyang's sudden emergence, such a prodigy, his abrupt appointment as the young master of the Chen family, the Chen family's sudden widespread invitation to witness his inauguration ceremony, and Chen Jiuyang's effortless defeat of both Mount Emei and the Zhao family at such a young age – who wouldn't believe that the Chen family patriarch harbored intentions of finally holding his head high?
The old man from Qingcheng Mountain sighed and said, "Changtian, retreat. You are no match for the young master of the Chen family."
Xu Changtian was also taken aback. Chen Jiuyang's casual silver needle had almost blown him away. Hearing his master's words, he cupped his fists and said with a wry smile, "Young Master Chen has superior skills, and I am defeated. I willingly concede."
With that, Xu Changtian made a hasty retreat to change his clothes.
The old man from Qingcheng Mountain looked towards the location of the Shu Mountain factions and said, "Brother Gu, I'm afraid your beloved disciple will have to step forward to gauge the depth of the young master of the Chen family's strength."
"Indeed," the senior master from Mount Emei chimed in. "Brother Gu, your beloved disciple is the champion of the Shu Mountain Martial Rankings this year. A match between the Shu Mountain Martial Rankings champion and the Feng Province Martial Rankings champion would be quite a spectacle."
The Chen family patriarch put away his smile and said seriously, "Brother Gu, since everyone wishes to see my family's young master compete with your beloved disciple, then let them exchange a few moves."
Brother Gu, an elder with white hair and dressed in ancient attire, stroked his white beard and pondered for a moment. "In that case, let's have a three-move contest."
"Go and summon Tiannan."
A middle-aged man stood up and went to call for him.
The Chen family patriarch looked at Chen Jiuyang and said solemnly, "Jiuyang, Brother Gu's beloved disciple is the senior disciple of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect and the champion of the Shu Mountain Martial Rankings. This will be a three-move contest; do not hold back and give it your all."
"I understand," Chen Jiuyang narrowed his eyes. It seemed the previous bouts were merely appetizers. He surmised that this senior disciple of Shu Mountain must possess extraordinary strength.
Knowing that he was at the eleventh acupoint of the Profound Realm and possessed Pure Yang attribute True Qi, and yet the people from Qingcheng Mountain and Mount Emei claimed that the senior disciple of Shu Mountain could contend with him, Chen Jiuyang couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
Before long, a figure rushed over. This figure exuded a potent aura of blood and qi, appearing like a drawn sword, exuding a dangerous and terrifying presence.
This person was in his early twenties, at the Half-step Earth Realm, capable of stepping into the Earth Realm at any moment. He was Ye Tiannan, the senior disciple of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect.
Upon seeing Chen Jiuyang, Ye Tiannan's fighting spirit immediately ignited. The long sword in his hand vibrated, emitting a resonant hum. Ye Tiannan said in a deep voice, "You are very strong!"
Sect Leader Gu of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect spoke, "Tiannan, this is the young master of the Chen family. You may compete with him for three moves, stopping at a touch."
Ye Tiannan leaped lightly onto the martial stage.
After carefully observing Ye Tiannan, Chen Jiuyang said, "You are also quite impressive. Chen family, Chen Jiuyang, requesting guidance from the senior brother of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect."
Ye Tiannan cupped his fists and replied, "Shu Mountain, Ye Tiannan!"
As their voices faded, the two met each other's gaze, a fierce battle intent rising in their eyes.
"Now this will be interesting," Zhang Qingran watched the two on the martial stage with rapt attention.
"Sword Overturns the Sea!" Ye Tiannan drew his long sword and unleashed a strike towards Chen Jiuyang. This strike was a dense, uncountable barrage of sword qi, carrying an aura as if it could darken the sky and overturn the heavens.
"Well met!" Chen Jiuyang shouted, "Tidal Radiance!"
Chen Jiuyang unleashed his True Qi, the Pure Yang True Qi vibrating continuously, like an unending tide, surging forward with a scorching heat to meet Ye Tiannan's sword qi.
"Rumble!"
As their True Qi collided, a terrifying explosion of air erupted.
With the first move, neither side had gained a clear advantage; they seemed evenly matched.
Ye Tiannan, his first attack having failed, charged towards Chen Jiuyang. In an instant, he had split through Chen Jiuyang's protective qi shield. Chen Jiuyang, holding a silver needle in one hand, blocked Ye Tiannan's sword strike.
"Good!" Ye Tiannan's eyes lit up. "You cultivate both qi and physical body. A small silver needle can withstand my sword strike, Ye Tiannan. You are the first person under heaven!"
The second move also ended without a decisive victor.
Chen Jiuyang smiled and said, "Below the Earth Realm, you are the first person to truly break through my protective qi shield."
Ye Tiannan's sword carried a chilling intent that Chen Jiuyang had never encountered before, perfectly neutralizing and suppressing Chen Jiuyang's Pure Yang True Qi. No, it wasn't just Chen Jiuyang's Pure Yang True Qi that was being neutralized and suppressed; it was as if any attribute True Qi would be worn away by this divine soul intent's chilling nature.
As expected, he was not to be underestimated. Ye Tiannan had already stepped into the Earth Realm in terms of cultivation base, though his actual cultivation had not yet broken through. A true celestial prodigy.
Ye Tiannan's battle intent burned, his True Qi condensing, an awe-inspiring True Qi gathering. "I wonder if you can withstand this move."
The expressions of everyone present changed drastically. Ye Tiannan seemed to live and breathe for the way of the sword. Despite his Profound Realm cultivation, he could condense a nascent form of sword intent across realms.
"Easily done, easily done," Chen Jiuyang said with a smile, slowly extending two fingers. His True Qi was madly converging at his fingertips. "My move is called Instant Radiance. I wonder if you can withstand it."
Seeing the faint glow emanating from Chen Jiuyang's fingers, everyone present turned pale with shock. "Nascent Divine Intent Skill!"
"Stop, stop!" The white-haired elder from Shu Mountain's skin crawled with goosebumps. He rushed down from the high platform, shouting urgently, "Tiannan, stop! I asked you to stop at a touch, not to fight to the death on the third move."
The Chen family patriarch, filled with both joy and alarm, also hurried down from the high platform and intercepted Chen Jiuyang's move. "Jiuyang, stop!"
Both individuals rushed to restrain their respective disciples. Using nascent sword intent across realms was incredibly powerful, but it came at the cost of harming one's own foundation.
The nascent Divine Intent Skill used by Chen Jiuyang also consumed his divine soul and vital energy to an extreme. The Chen family patriarch did not wish for his family's peerless young genius to meet an untimely end, his future path and foundation ruined by an insignificant grand ceremony match.