Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
Ye Xuan was not without resistance.
The flames of True Qi continuously surging from his body indicated that he was ceaselessly trying to release his inner essence, attempting to forcibly activate the Dragonflame Armor to withstand Xu Taiping's Charging Bull Formation.
But each time the Dragonflame Armor materialized, it would be shattered by Xu Taiping's fists.
Just like before, once the Charging Bull Formation gained momentum, it was difficult to suppress.
At this moment, Ye Xuan felt an immense humiliation.
He had never imagined that he, himself, would be so thoroughly suppressed by this lowly youth before him, left without any power to fight back.
Even so, he could only keep trying, because if he stopped, he would have to withstand Xu Taiping's punches with his flesh.
He wasn't a martial warrior; his physique wasn't that formidable, unable to withstand many punches.
"Boom!"
Finally, on Xu Taiping's one hundred and seventh punch, Ye Xuan, enduring the severe pain, managed to elevate his energy fluctuations to the Gazing Abyss Realm.
The flames transformed from his essence soared into the sky, pushing Xu Taiping's body backward.
He wanted to use his realm to break through Xu Taiping's punching momentum.
Yet even so, Xu Taiping's fists did not stop.
"Boom!"
In the heart of the flames, Xu Taiping, having regained his stance, gathered the momentum of one hundred and seven punches into one, and then hurled that punch at Ye Xuan with a thousand layers of force.
"Get lost!"
Seeing this, Ye Xuan snorted coldly and thrust his palm forward with force.
"Boom"
Accompanied by an explosive sound, the flames from his True Qi suddenly converged into a massive dragon-patterned shield above his head.
Dragonflame Shield.
An ability automatically mastered by a cultivator after reaching the third level of the Dragonflame Technique.
"Bang!"
Almost simultaneously, Xu Taiping's final punch of the Charging Bull Formation heavily smashed onto the Dragonflame Shield.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous sound, cracks appeared on the Dragonflame Shield, but it did not shatter.
Seeing this, Ye Xuan's bloodied mouth corners fiercely lifted.
But the next moment, his smile froze.
He felt an even more immense force transmitting from the Dragonflame Shield.
"Bang, bang, bang!!!…"
With nine consecutive violent tremors coming from his shield, nine layers of mountainous pressure hit him one after another.
"Boom!!"
Eventually, the Dragonflame Shield shattered.
Xu Taiping's fist, passing through the fragments of the shield, heavily struck Ye Xuan's body.
"Bang!—"
With a fierce collision, the entire arena trembled.
From the high platform, all could see on the misty arena, the youth bathed in fire, his punch shattering the Dragonflame Shield, sending Ye Xuan, with his Gold Spirit Bone talent, crashing to the ground.
The entire arena was cracked by that punch.
Dead silence filled the venue.
No one had ever thought that the official disciple of the First Peak, the number one of the true character generation in the Qingxuan Sect, Ye Xuan with his Fire Spirit Bone, would be defeated in the Sword Inquiry.
Not just them, even Qingxiao and Zhao Linglong were incredulous.
"To hide the mastery of Borrowing Mist Technique and the Opening Realm until now, was it all to prepare for this strike?"
Recalling how Xu Taiping had not revealed his mastery of the Borrowing Mist Technique and Opening Realm even in the perilous situation against Ji Wuyou, Qingxiao felt a chill run down his spine.
He had never expected that this cheerful youth could be so forbearing.
After all, that was the pain of flesh being cut and bones being carved tenfold.
Zhao Linglong and Zi Yan were also stunned at this moment, equally shocked by Xu Taiping's forbearance.
"Boom!"
Just then, on the arena, the spot where Ye Xuan had fallen suddenly exploded into a burst of flames.
The flames instantly dispersed the mist that filled the venue.
Then, everyone saw Ye Xuan, also a youth, climbing out of the central pit of the arena, standing up straight, and then roaring:
"The Sword Inquiry is not over yet!"
Within this roar, not only did people faintly hear the sound of a dragon's chant, but they also truly felt the energy fluctuations around Ye Xuan's body crazily rising.
"Gazing Abyss Realm, minor accomplishment?!"
Sensing the aura now emanating from Ye Xuan, the usually calm Qingxiao suddenly exclaimed with a moved expression.
About half a year ago, he had learned that Ye Xuan had broken through to the Gazing Abyss Realm. Now, only half a year had passed, and Ye Xuan had already achieved minor accomplishment in the Gazing Abyss Realm. Such a speed of cultivation, how could it not shock people?
"Just now was merely a warm-up."
Jin Hezhi, who had a serious expression before, now had his mouth corners lifted again.
"Senior Brother, it's against the rules to let a disciple with minor accomplishment in the Gazing Abyss Realm test the sword."
At this moment, Zhao Linglong looked at Qingxiao with a serious face.
As she spoke, the voice of the First Peak's Peak Master suddenly echoed from the opposite cloud pavilion: "Ye Xuan, that's enough, it's already enough."
Hearing this, Zhao Linglong and Qingxiao both breathed a sigh of relief.
With the First Peak's Peak Master speaking up, there was no need for them to forcibly interrupt the Sword Inquiry.
"You all still don't quite understand my junior brother."
Jin Hezhi laughed upon hearing this voice.
"What do you mean?"
Qingxiao asked coldly.
"Just watch."
Jin Hezhi gestured towards the arena with his chin.
"Master! If I cannot defeat him in this contest today, my Dao heart will not be at peace!"
Just then, Ye Xuan, wrapped in flames of True Qi, suddenly shouted without looking back.
This shout was like thunder exploding over the Sword Control Platform.
Upon hearing this, Qingxiao immediately frowned.
The words "Dao heart will not be at peace," if spoken by an ordinary disciple, would naturally be insignificant.
But Ye Xuan was different; Gold Spirit Bones were already rare, and he was even more so, a Fire Spirit Bone seen once in a hundred years.
Now, Ye Xuan had achieved minor accomplishment in the Gazing Abyss Realm in just three years of entry, sufficient to prove the uniqueness of his Spirit Bone.
If his Dao heart were to collapse, it would be the biggest loss for the Qingxuan Sect in a hundred, or even a thousand years.
"This Ye Xuan, he's using his Dao heart to threaten the Seventh Peak's Peak Master and the Sect Leader!"
Zhao Linglong also grasped the meaning behind Ye Xuan's words, immediately gritting her teeth in anger.
But whether it was Qingxiao or Zhao Linglong, they both knew very well that at this time, both the Sect Leader and the First Peak's Peak Master would definitely stand on Ye Xuan's side.
How could they possibly watch a genius's Dao heart collapse?
Xu Taiping, merely a White Spirit Bone, even if he had an impressive performance in martial arts, could not be compared with Ye Xuan who possessed the Fire Spirit Bone.
The importance of each was clear at a glance.
For a moment, the Sword Control Platform was once again enveloped in dead silence.
The First Peak's Peak Master did not tell Ye Xuan to stop.
The Sect Leader did not speak against it either.
Even the Black Dragon Elder remained silent.
Clearly, at this moment, Xu Taiping was being treated as a sacrificial piece.