Wang Fuchen ascended slowly into the air, casting a gaze down at Chen Fan.
Yuanfu realm powerhouses could traverse the skies, navigating the heavens effortlessly.
“Since you’re physically strong, I won’t engage you in close combat," Wang Fuchen declared coldly. "Instead, I'll stand here, attacking you from a distance. Your strikes won't reach me, and victory will be mine regardless."
Chen Fan's robust physical prowess compensated for the disparity in their cultivation levels.
“Now... what’s your move, Chen Fan?” Wang Fuchen's indifferent voice echoed through the surroundings.
With a sneer, Chen Fan responded nonchalantly, "You're afraid."
“Afraid?” Wang Fuchen raised his eyebrows, feeling a tinge of annoyance.
Chen Fan said, “Why else would you keep your distance? You know you can't match my strength, so you have to stay out of reach. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you with my punches?”
Chen Fan's words cut through the air like a sharp blade, striking at the core of Wang Fuchen's confidence. His handsome face twisted slightly, becoming hideous.
“Why would I be scared of a Qi Grandmaster ant?” Wang Fuchen said stubbornly.
Chen Fan taunted, “Come down and fight me if you’re not afraid. You seek my demise, and I seek yours!!”
“I can kill you all the same from here!” Wang Fuchen said matter-of-factly.
“What a joke, coward,” Chen Fan ridiculed directly.
Wang Fuchen took a deep breath to calm himself. He smiled and said, “No matter how clever your tongue, it won't sway my determination.”
“Crazed Demon Sword Energy, die!” Wang Fuchen shouted coldly.
Killing intent emanated from his eyes as his sword blurred into action, delivering thirteen consecutive slashes. They all fused into one, forming a massive sword energy wielding absolute power. It cleaved a distant dune in two as it moved toward its target.
Chen Fan didn’t use Wings of Rain Dragon immediately and assumed a stern expression.
With a forceful push from his feet, he ascended into the sky.
His fists, akin to bowls in size, burst forth fiercely like a meteor to counter the oncoming sword energy.
Qi Grandmasters, restrained by gravity, couldn’t step on the void. Consequently, Chen Fan plummeted from the heavens.
Seizing the moment, Wang Fuchen executed another sword strike while Chen Fan was still in mid-air.
Primeval force streaked downward with the sword lights, creating a sweeping net of slashes.
Swift and agile, Chen Fan used the residual forces in the void, leaving multiple afterimages as he maneuvered between the sword lights.
Chen Fan unleashed an aerial assault from the ground. The force from his fist transformed into a dragon, hurtling toward its target from a distance.
Being a Qi Grandmaster, Chen Fan’s primeval qi was vigorous and abundant. The force of his punch could span three thousand paces, striking with formidable impact.
Wang Fuchen was no fool, so he wasn’t about to wait for Chen Fan’s attack to hit him. He dodged it easily and simultaneously executed a backhanded swing with his sword, sending a sharp blade of light slicing through the air.
On the Dragon Mountain Peak, the entirety of the Black Sea Demon Cave scene unfolded.
“Hoho, witnessing the prowess of the Floating Cloud Sword Sect's genius disciple is truly enlightening," Zhuo Bufan remarked with a smirk. "First, he resorts to capturing the weak to intimidate others, and now he relies on his ability to step on the void to evade direct combat. Impressive, indeed."
His words were laced with mockery, directed not only at Wang Fuchen but also at the Floating Cloud Sword Sect as a whole. Leng Feng and the other elders wore uncomfortable expressions.
Contempt for Wang Fuchen had already surfaced when he had taken Qin Yao hostage to threaten Chen Fan. Chen Fan survived and went looking for him to seek revenge, and yet Wang Fuchen relied on his higher cultivation to avoid battle, refusing head-on confrontation and relying on long-range strikes instead. It was a true disgrace to the Floating Cloud Sword Sect.
“Very impressive indeed. What more could one expect from their sect’s number one? No ordinary person can compare to him.” Mountain River Sect’s Cai Chixia immediately chimed in, not even trying to veil his mockery.
Leng Feng and the other elders’ faces were as dark as the bottom of a pot.
“For martial artists, strength is everything. Who cares about the method as long as goals are achieved? Moreover, Wang Fuchen is leveraging his cultivation advantage and avoiding unfavorable situations. Is it his fault that Chen Fan is only a Qi Grandmaster?” Leng Feng said coldly.
“Haha. Fighting to his advantage and avoiding disadvantageous situations. Making use of his cultivation level advantage. Well said.”
Zhuo Bufan laughed out loud, laying on his mockery even thicker.
“Oh, what could make the Sect Master laugh so hard?”
Suddenly, a voice echoed, and a figure appeared on the Dragon Mountain Peak.
Cloaked in blue attire, the newcomer exuded an air of refinement, boasting striking facial features and a fair complexion. His handsome appearance and refined demeanor left a positive impression on those present.
Zhuo Bufan’s eyebrow twitched at the sight of this youth. “What brings you here?”
“I completed my mission and happened to pass by Dragon Mountain Peak when I heard Sect Master laughing, so I came to take a look.” The youth in blue smiled.
The eyes of Leng Feng and all the elders from the other three great sects shrunk violently when they saw this youth.
Duan Jingtian saluted Leng Feng and the others with cupped fists and said, “Duan Jingtian greets the elders of the three great sects.”
“No need for that. We aren’t worthy.” Leng Feng, ordinarily cold, adopted a gentler demeanor, dismissing the formalities with a wave.
Duan Jingtian was a living legend renowned throughout the Great Chu Empire.
He started practicing martial arts at age ten, became a Qi Grandmaster at thirteen, advanced to the Yuanfu realm at fourteen, and stepped into Core Formation at eighteen. Currently, at twenty-two years of age, rumors had it that he wasn’t far from the Divine Nascent realm.
Such a promising talent, aiming to enter the Divine Nascent realm before twenty-five, was exceptionally rare in the Great Chu Empire's history.
Duan Jingtian held the tenth spot on the empire's list of top geniuses.
Although Leng Feng and the others were esteemed elders, they recognized the prevailing truth—strength dictated respect.
Duan Jingtian's cultivation at such a young age surpassed theirs, leaving them unqualified to assert superiority in his presence.
The status of elders was indeed very high in others’ eyes, but to Duan Jingtian, they were only like ants.
Even Zhuo Bufan spoke to Duan Jingtian on equal terms.
Duan Jingtian chuckled, and his gaze fell onto the primeval mirror. “That’s Wang Fuchen? Not bad. I've heard of his extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, mastering numerous techniques and showing the potential to become the second Jian Chen in the future.”
Jian Chen, the foremost disciple of the Floating Cloud Sword Inner Sect, held a stature in the Floating Cloud Sword Sect comparable to Duan Jingtian's in the Spring Autumn Sect. He was the face of the sect.
“Hmm? Sect Master, who is he?”
Duan Jingtian's gaze shifted to Chen Fan, a hint of interest glinting in his eyes. “He can actually fight with Wang Fuchen with only Qi Grandmaster cultivation. Interesting.”
Zhuo Bufan stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Duan Jingtian, and said, “This boy is Chen Fan, a disciple of our Spring Autumn Sect.”
Duan Jingtian repeated as a light flashed in his eyes, and he said, “I have heard of his name before.”
Zhuo Bufan shot a glance at Duan Jingtian.
Duan Jingtian was the Alliance Leader of Heaven’s Alliance, and Chen Fan had a grudge against the outer sect branch of the Heaven’s Alliance. Moreover, he had killed Fei Kuang and a few other alliance members during the Outer Sect Grand Competition; these incidents were relatively inconsequential in Duan Jingtian's eyes.
However, being part of Heaven's Alliance, some news inevitably reached the inner sect and Duan Jingtian's ears.