On the surface of the Cloud River, Chen Yuan had already landed on the small boat from before, now positioning himself in the center of the river, his eyes deep as he sensed the movements around him.

About thirty breaths had passed since Yanagi Shin'ichi had submerged into the water, yet he hadn't made any move.

But the more it was like this, the less Chen Yuan relaxed his vigilance. Instead, he condensed an aura of killing intent around his body, his eyes slightly red, accumulating his momentum.

The Inter-Dimensional Killing Path was activated directly, mobilizing both killing intent and baleful aura to coalesce.

He was just waiting for Yanagi Shin'ichi to appear, and then he would end the battle as quickly as possible.

This little Japanese bastard was indeed difficult to deal with, but he, Chen Yuan, was no pushover either.

Time passed second by second, and Chen Yuan slowly closed his eyes, his five senses becoming even sharper.

He had tried opening his Heavenly Eye earlier, but it was clear that the opponent was outside its range, so Chen Yuan simply closed his eyes and waited for him to emerge.

At the bottom of the Cloud River, a layer of faint blue Gang Qi enveloped Yanagi Shin'ichi, isolating the river water. He sat cross-legged, his katana planted in front of him, similarly brewing his own decisive strike.

The fierce collision earlier had already proven that Chen Yuan's strength was not much less than his. He also possessed a strength that ranked above the Hidden Dragon List, obviously hiding his true abilities.

That scorching Yang Gang Qi just happened to restrain him, making him a formidable enemy. No wonder he dared to make the bold statement that challenging him would be a battle to the death.

Finally, as if sensing that Chen Yuan had relaxed his vigilance, Yanagi Shin'ichi raised his aura to its peak. The next moment, he shot upwards like a knife fish from the seabed.

On the river's surface, Chen Yuan opened his eyes, a flash of cyan light revealing Yanagi Shin'ichi rushing upwards at an extremely fast speed.

"Bang!"

The river surface exploded, and a half-meter-long fish leaped high into the air, as if it had been thrown up. It tumbled and writhed in the void, but Chen Yuan ignored it, instead turning his body to look behind him.

Sure enough, Yanagi Shin'ichi suddenly leaped up, holding his katana with both hands, his eyes sharply fixed on Chen Yuan. He uttered a low shout:

"Killing God - One Sword Strike!" (Satsujin Ichimonji)

This was the Yanagi family's clan-guarding swordsmanship, similar to the Inter-Dimensional Killing Path, both converging all Gang Qi and killing intent into a single point, then unleashing it instantly!

It could unleash power far beyond normal levels.

The pale blue blade aura instantly surged, reaching over ten zhang, nearly forty meters, with a terrifying blade aura carrying a chilling killing intent crashing down.

It seemed as if it would cleave the entire Cloud River in two!

At the same time, as Yanagi Shin'ichi leaped from the river surface, the killing intent that Chen Yuan had been accumulating was finally about to be unleashed, his eyes turning red as his killing intent reached its peak.

'Inter-Dimensional Killing Path!'

Violent Profound Yang Gang Qi instantly adhered to the Wild Goose Blade, also reaching over ten zhang, not at all inferior to Yanagi Shin'ichi's blade aura, and even surpassing it.

The only difference between the two was that one was a pale blue, icy cold Gang Qi, and the other was a pale red, Profound Yang Gang Qi.

The two men's outbursts instantly attracted the attention of the onlookers on both sides of the river. Tang Qian couldn't sit still, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth slightly as he watched the powerful Gang Qi that Chen Yuan had unleashed.

One had to know that an ordinary Heavenly Gang Peak martial artist could only unleash a blade aura of at most ten zhang, but Chen Yuan easily unleashed over ten zhang. Just how strong was this Gang Qi?

Ye Chenbai took a deep breath and steadied his mind. He had seen such scenes before, but it was still shocking to see it coming from Chen Yuan's hands.

His previous guess was correct: both Chen Yuan and Yanagi Shin'ichi were hiding their strength.

"The Yanagi family's Killing God - One Sword Strike!"

The old servant narrowed his eyes, then sighed and said:

"It's a pity that this Yanagi Shin'ichi's cultivation is not yet complete. His killing intent is not pure enough to be called the name of a Killing God."

When he was in the Eastern Sea Martial Emperor City, he had seen a Yanagi family powerhouse use this move, with a hundred-zhang Gang Qi merging with the world's essence energy, obliterating a small mountain with one strike.

"Hmm... this blade technique that Chen Yuan is using..." When he saw Chen Yuan unleash the Inter-Dimensional Killing Path, he suddenly frowned, feeling a little familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

He exchanged a glance with Ye Chenbai and said:

"Lord, can you tell what blade technique Chen Yuan is using? Its aura is not at all weaker than the Killing God - One Sword Strike."

Ye Chenbai shook his head: "There are countless martial arts and techniques in the world; how could I possibly recognize them all? However, this must be a top-tier blade technique without a doubt. Chen Yuan indeed has secrets."

The Sky Patrol Division might have profound martial arts and mystical secrets, but the Southern Ridge Sky Patrol Division could not possibly have them. Chen Yuan definitely held secrets within him, and his cultivation had also improved extremely strangely.

Apart from him, the others were also quite surprised when they saw the blade technique that Chen Yuan unleashed. Lü Yuan couldn't help but ask Tao Qingyuan if Chen Yuan had any other background,

but Tao Qingyuan vaguely glossed over it, though his expression was also very serious.

Unleashing such a huge amount of Gang Qi also consumed a lot of energy within Chen Yuan's dantian, depleting half of it in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, there was still the Blood Fiend Saber constantly replenishing the Profound Yin Gang Qi.

And the Profound Yin Gang Qi, after being transformed, merged with the Profound Yang Gang Qi.

The Gang Qi that Chen Yuan and Yanagi Shin'ichi unleashed both reached nearly forty meters, adding up to occupy most of the Cloud River surface. Truly, a forty-meter blade!

'Boom!!!'

The powerful and terrifying forces of both sides collided head-on, causing a slight sonic boom. Immediately afterward, the Cloud River was directly split in two.

It was as if explosives had been buried deep in the water. Under the violent force, the river surface was constantly being blasted upwards.

Giant waves rose up by more than ten meters, and the small wooden boat under Chen Yuan's feet shattered into splinters with a 'bang'.

Those who were watching on the banks of the river who had not had time to retreat were all affected, getting drenched in river water and becoming drowned rats.

The confrontation continued, and the blade auras of different colors almost simultaneously dissipated. The two men retreated, both with looks of shock in their eyes.

Yanagi Shin'ichi was shocked because he had unleashed the Killing God - One Sword Strike, yet he had not defeated this person. He had a new understanding of Chen Yuan's strength.

And Chen Yuan raised his eyebrows. The Inter-Dimensional Killing Path had almost gathered his strongest power, but it had only resulted in both sides being destroyed. It was truly astonishing.

It wasn't just him who was hiding his strength. The little Japanese bastard in front of him was also concealing his abilities.

"Lord Chen's strength is extraordinary; I admire you!"

Yanagi Shin'ichi's expression was solemn as he showed respect for a strong opponent like Chen Yuan who was evenly matched.

"Is this all the strength you have, sir..."

Chen Yuan slightly twisted his neck, as if he had not yet exerted his full strength.

No...

He had indeed not yet exerted his full strength. The Profound Yang Gang Qi was only a part of his own Gang Qi. He still had the Profound Yin Gang Qi and the even stronger Yin-Yang combined Profound Origin Gang Qi that he had not yet unleashed.

He truly hadn't exerted his full strength.

"Lord Chen, Central Plains people have always liked to bluff. With your cultivation having only recently entered the Heavenly Gang realm, being able to unleash that strike should be your limit. That much is clear."

"Now, as long as Lord Chen is willing to stop, I will never take advantage of the situation."

Yanagi Shin'ichi had a look as if he had seen through Chen Yuan, as if he had seen through Chen Yuan's true nature.

The corner of Chen Yuan's mouth twisted into a smirk, resembling the arrival of a Dragon King, as he looked at Yanagi Shin'ichi and said:

"Bluffing... you think too highly of yourself."

"You still have strength to spare?"

Yanagi Shin'ichi looked at the smirk on Chen Yuan's face, and for some reason, he had a bad feeling in his heart. It was as if the opponent had only been playing with him before.

His true strength had not yet been unleashed.

Looking at the person in front of him, there was one thing that Chen Yuan didn't say. Even if he didn't have any strength to spare, he couldn't let this luck slip away. Once it had caught his eye, he had to keep it.

Opportunities could not be missed!

"Hehe..."

Chen Yuan let out a faint laugh, and a powerful aura instantly covered up the somewhat weakened feeling from before, as if he had been revived with full health. Within his dantian, Profound Origin Gang Qi filled the space.

The color of Chen Yuan's protective Gang Qi gradually began to mix with a profound black color from the pale red. Profound Yin Gang Qi!

The next moment, Chen Yuan leaped up from the river surface with a 'bang', and the violent Profound Origin Gang Qi exuded an even greater power than before, directly cleaving towards Yanagi Shin'ichi's head.

'Snow Drifts in the World!' (Setsu Hyōryū Ningen)

Seeing Chen Yuan unhesitatingly attack, Yanagi Shin'ichi also gripped his katana and charged towards Chen Yuan.

But he could no longer use explosive secret techniques like the Killing God - One Sword Strike. If he used it and still couldn't kill Chen Yuan, he would basically be left at the mercy of others.

And the Snow Drifts in the World katana technique consumed less energy, and its power was also extraordinary. It was just a pity that he had not comprehended the essence of the technique and could not unleash its true power.

Chen Yuan's Gang Qi leaked out, giving him the upper hand. His blade stance was incomparably fierce, and the powerful blade aura several zhang long forced Yanagi Shin'ichi to retreat repeatedly. His swordsmanship was sharp, but not enough to resist Chen Yuan.

"Lord Chen, I am willing to concede this battle."

At this point, Yanagi Shin'ichi no longer maintained the demeanor of an expert. After nearly thirty breaths of confrontation, he suddenly realized that Chen Yuan's endurance was much stronger than his.

To resist him head-on seemed to only lead to his death.

But Chen Yuan remained unmoved, only saying:

"The life and death contract has already been signed. What's the use of saying this now, Lord Yanagi? Don't worry, I will feed you to the fish in the Cloud River. Perhaps this place can also lead to the sea."

The next moment, Chen Yuan exploded again. Before Yanagi Shin'ichi could speak, he took a step, and a muffled sound came from the void. He raised the Wild Goose Blade high and crashed down.

"Bang!"

Water splashed on the river surface, and waves rolled. Yanagi Shin'ichi, who had resisted this strike head-on, turned crimson, and a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He was sent flying for more than ten meters.

A ripple was drawn on the river surface.

Victory and defeat had been decided!

This was the common thought of all the onlookers. The next step was to see how Chen Yuan would torture and kill this Japanese dwarf.

"Lord Chen, have you ever heard of the Yanagi family!"

Yanagi Shin'ichi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said in a low voice.

"I've heard of the Aoi family..."

Chen Yuan snorted coldly and seized the opportunity to close in. Almost at the moment Yanagi Shin'ichi opened his mouth, he arrived in front of him and knocked away the katana in his hand with his blade.

The two men's palms collided, and Yanagi Shin'ichi couldn't resist and retreated again. The dantian within his body was almost dried up, and his Gang Qi was almost completely exhausted. He couldn't even support his protective Gang Qi.

Chen Yuan's speed soared, disappearing from his sight in the blink of an eye.

Just as Yanagi Shin'ichi was concentrating his mind to search for him, he heard a whisper:

"Yanagi-san, the cherry blossoms in your hometown are in bloom!"