Chương 1293: Chapter 84: Not Hesitating to Fight

Wei Qubing's eyebrows arched to an exaggerated degree, and once they crossed a certain threshold, a sinister, gloomy chill began to radiate from his very being, striking an instinctive dread into the hearts of all onlookers.

It is often said that when a mild-tempered man is driven to the precipice of retaliation, his eruption is truly terrifying; similarly, when the usually composed and serene future helmsman of the Three Thousand Dao Sect showed his true colors, the psychological weight he exerted was overwhelming. Opposite him, a flicker of profound, hidden delight danced within Yin Wuyu's frigid, pitiless eyes. Even if Reyn had submissively surrendered his storage bag, Yin Wuyu would have manufactured a pretext to strike him down.

This blatant refusal of cooperation, while insulting to their prestige, played perfectly into his sinister designs. The three men locked gazes in a silent deadlock. Though no words were exchanged, their bodies erupted with surges of formidable power. Their garments—the nature-embroidered Daoist robe, the somber black attire, and the simple azure shirt—snapped and billowed violently in the gale of their own making.

The surrounding space seemed to be instantly conquered by a colossal, crushing momentum, leaving the spectators gasping for air as if their chests were being constricted by invisible bands. Reyn, standing alone against two of the realm's greatest prodigies, did not yield an inch! His obsidian eyes shone with a brilliant, piercing light, radiating a supreme and indomitable will to do battle!

"How can this be? His cultivation has also reached the Late Foundation Establishment stage! He isn't trailing Wei Qubing or Yin Wuyu in the slightest!"

"To think such a man hails from the desolate barrens of North Yue State. He appears even younger than the two geniuses, yet he possesses power that rivals theirs! By that measure, isn't his innate talent significantly superior to theirs?"

"From this day forth, his name is destined to resonate throughout the cultivation world of the Zhao Kingdom."

"Only if he has the life to enjoy such fame. To dare antagonize both the Three Thousand Dao Sect and the Supreme Demon Sect simultaneously... even if he miraculously survives this encounter, he will be suppressed at every turn. He might even bring a cataclysmic disaster upon the sect standing behind him!"

"You speak the truth. This man is foolishly overconfident in his own strength. No matter how high his cultivation, such a reckless individual will never achieve true greatness!" The gathered cultivators whispered fervently, their gazes a complex tapestry of pity, admiration, and, most prominently, jealousy and mockery. Ge Yucheng, however, watched Reyn with a glimmer of intense expectation.

If Reyn truly was the mysterious black-robed cultivator from that day, his actual strength would undoubtedly far exceed everyone's wildest estimations. Observing the cold, haughty demeanors of Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu, Ge Yucheng muttered a low, venomous curse: "Arrogant bastards. If this man is indeed who I think he is, you're in for a rude awakening.

If the celebrated heirs of the Three Thousand Dao Sect and the Supreme Demon Sect are ground into the dirt by an unknown cultivator from North Yue State, their sects will never hold their heads high again. And then, the Beast Taming Sect's ranking after this trial... haha..." The burning greed in Yin Wuyu's heart made him itch to slay Reyn on the spot, but to avoid unnecessary complications or suspicion from the crowd, he forcibly quelled his lust for treasure.

He spoke in a heavy, ominous tone: "Daoist Reyn, I shall ask you one final time. Will you agree to hand over your storage bag? If not, do not blame us for being merciless." Reyn met the threat with a faint, nonchalant smile. His gaze suddenly transformed into two sharpened blades, plunging directly into Yin Wuyu's eyes as if peering into the darkest recesses of his soul.

"The killing intent in your heart has already reached its peak, Daoist. Why bother with such redundant theatrics?" he said calmly.

"This storage bag contains my very livelihood and essence; I cannot simply hand it over to another. If you two step aside, it would be for the best. Otherwise, today, Reyn shall not hesitate to fight!" As the word 'Fight' left his lips, Reyn's aura surged to a staggering new height. His black hair whipped about him despite the lack of wind, and he stood like a primordial God of War descended upon the mortal plane, his sheer presence beginning to suppress the two geniuses before him!

From his silent approach to the ruthless execution of the Huanming Sect disciple, followed by his sharp interrogations and this final declaration—every action had been calculated to stoke his fighting spirit and accumulate an unstoppable 'Great Momentum'! He understood perfectly that this clash was unavoidable. In this battle, he would unleash every hidden card in his arsenal.

He would instill such terror in the hearts of the opportunistic vermin watching from the shadows that they would never dare lift a finger against his sect or the Reyn Clan. He would make them realize that any provocation would result in an inescapable nightmare! He intended to win this fight with overwhelming force and absolute decisiveness, proving to the world that he, Reyn, was inferior to no 'Heaven-Chosen' prodigy! Not hesitating to fight! This was Reyn's final, uncompromising answer.

Wei Qubing's arched eyebrows suddenly snapped back to their original position, his face returning to its mask of gentle warmth. Yet, the chill emanating from his body did not dissipate; instead, it grew more bone-chilling and lethal. He offered a thin smile, but the depths of his eyes remained a frozen wasteland, devoid of even a spark of human warmth.

"It must have been you, then—the one who surreptitiously seized the Mu Jade Sword within the Trial Realm and possessed the uncanny ability to mask his very presence?" Yin Wuyu's eyes flickered with a sudden, sharp realization. In an instant, a savage, baleful light erupted from his pupils, his gaze turning increasingly somber and sinister.

"Only that would explain it," he hissed, his voice like the scraping of bone.

"Only such a secret would justify why a Daoist friend such as yourself would risk a life-and-death struggle rather than allow the two of us to inspect your storage bag." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Beyond the precipice of One-Line Gorge, the gathered throng of cultivators stood frozen in a collective daze. Then, as the weight of the accusation sank in, their eyes ignited with a feverish, burning heat.

Though a lingering dread remained etched in their expressions, the shifting, avaricious glints in their eyes betrayed the chaotic swarm of schemes and ambitions now taking root in their hearts. Reyn met this revelation with a faint, inscrutable smile. He offered no defense, yet he uttered no denial. With a sudden burst of azure radiance, he invoked the Demon Flash Escape, his silhouette blurring as he ascended into the firmament. Hovering high above, he looked down upon the duo with a light, mocking laugh.

"Why exhaust your wits with mere speculation, Daoist friends? If you truly wish to know the truth, you need only strike. Should you manage to defeat me, my storage bag will naturally be yours to plunder and scrutinize as you please."

"Indeed. I must thank you for the reminder; we truly have no need to waste our breath on idle guesses." A sliver of icy resolve flashed in Wei Qubing's eyes. With a shimmer of his escape light, he vanished, reappearing ten zhang away, directly facing Reyn in the open sky.

"To seize you will take but a single breath!" Yin Wuyu barked. In a flash of obsidian light, he manifested beside Wei Qubing, his expression dark.

"Brother Wei, though this man is insufferably arrogant, if the two of us were to strike together, he would surely remain defiant in defeat. Moreover, the world would whisper that we triumphed only through numbers—a victory without honor. Why not let me handle this upstart alone?" Wei Qubing's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Knowing Yin Wuyu's character, he was well aware that the man was never one to be shackled by the opinions of others.

Had he truly cared for reputation, he would never have intervened against the Earth-Overturning Sect cultivator moments ago. Despite his suspicions, Wei Qubing hesitated for a heartbeat before nodding in agreement. He understood that Yin Wuyu's eagerness to strike first stemmed from some hidden agenda, yet after a brief calculation, Wei Qubing chose to acquiesce. Reyn's cultivation was clearly not inferior to their own, and his audacity in the face of their combined status suggested a powerful trump card.

By letting Yin Wuyu take the lead, Wei Qubing could observe and gauge the depth of Reyn's strength. If Yin Wuyu dispatched him easily, the spoils would still be subject to their final negotiation. However, if Reyn proved to be a formidable adversary or unleashed a devastating hidden technique, Wei Qubing would be fresh and ready to intervene, securing the capture with far less effort. Hearing the assent, Yin Wuyu felt a surge of predatory joy, the covetous fire in his eyes finally erupting.

Five years ago, I accompanied my father to the Western Province's Ultimate Fiend Hall for the Demonic Grand Ceremony, he mused inwardly. Though our Supreme Demon Sect held a lowly rank and was relegated to the periphery, I was fortunate enough to witness the Ultimate Fiend Hall's sect-protecting divine ability—the Ultimate Dao Fiend Finger!

Though this man triggers it with the Five Elements mana of the righteous path, the appearance, the aura, and the sheer destructive potency are identical to that legendary technique. I am seventy percent certain that the ability he wields is none other than the Ultimate Dao Fiend Finger! If I can obtain this supreme demonic art and cultivate it using my own demonic core, its power will be peerless!

While illicitly learning a sect-protecting art of the Ultimate Fiend Hall is a capital taboo, if I am careful enough to slaughter every witness who has seen it today, there should be no repercussions! Today, that secret manual shall be mine! In the span of a single breath, a thousand schemes crossed Yin Wuyu's mind. He had resolved to capture Reyn alive, intending to use the Soul-Searching Secret Art to forcibly extract the mnemonic for the Ultimate Dao Fiend Finger.

"Bone-Dissolving Palm!" A cold, cruel smirk played on his lips as he thrust his hand forward. A massive, pitch-black hand, one and a half zhang in size, coalesced in the air. Wisps of frigid, yin-fiend energy billowed from it as it shrieked through the sky toward Reyn. The palm was as dark as ink and far more solid than the one he had used against Hu Jianwei, its size increased by half a zhang. Clearly, Yin Wuyu dared not underestimate his opponent and was striking with his full, unbridled power!

Confronted by the howling Bone-Dissolving Palm, Reyn's eyes flickered with a wild, untamed arrogance. Today, regardless of the cost, he had to shatter his enemies' spirits and achieve an absolute, overwhelming victory to establish his dominance! As the black palm closed in, he extended his left hand, curling three fingers while pressing the remaining two together like a twin-pointed sword. Earth-Shaking Strike!

Two fingers, shimmering with a crystalline luster as if carved from the purest diamond, slowly manifested from his fingertips. Though separate, a thread-like white line of energy linked them at the base. A tyrannical, peerless suction erupted from the fingers, causing the surrounding spiritual essence to boil and surge into them frantically.

As the energy poured in, the fingers became so lifelike that even the intricate patterns of fingerprints appeared, their aura growing increasingly terrifying with every passing second. The Bone-Dissolving Palm and the Earth-Shaking Strike moved with blinding speed, colliding in a thunderous impact within a heartbeat. As a great art of the Supreme Demon Sect, the Bone-Dissolving Palm was naturally extraordinary. At the moment of impact, it suddenly dissolved into a stream of eerie black mist.

Rather than resisting the suction of the Earth-Shaking Strike, it actively burrowed into the crystalline fingers. However, it did not disperse aimlessly; instead, it formed a dense, intricate network of black lines that mimicked human meridians, weaving a dark, restrictive web within the fingers. Reyn's expression shifted slightly. As the Bone-Dissolving Palm integrated itself so insidiously, his Primordial Soul's connection to the Earth-Shaking Strike began to fray, as if forcibly severed by the black net.

Yet, a cold, mocking sneer soon returned to his face.

"Devour!" he roared. Against a Primordial Soul weaker than his own, all divine abilities and spells were nothing more than fuel to be consumed!