Chương 93: Battle of the Sects, Reversing Heaven and Earth Alone (11)

"Hmph! Against a mere insect like you, half of my cultivation is more than sufficient!" Ming Diao Zhanchen let out a cold, derisive snort. As he spoke, the surging aura around his body began to recede like a retreating tide, deliberately suppressing itself until it stabilized at the Early Foundation Establishment stage. To him, using his full strength against a Qi Condensation disciple was an insult to his own status.

"Now, die!" With a thunderous roar, Ming Diao Zhanchen, whose patience had long since reached its breaking point, struck without a shred of mercy. He thrust his hand forward and made a crushing motion toward Reyn. In an instant, a spectral, gargantuan hand manifested from thin air, its fingers like iron pillars as it lunged toward Reyn with bone-shattering intent.

Judging by the sheer, oppressive momentum of this spectral hand, if Reyn were to be caught in its grasp, death would be the kindest outcome; at the very least, every bone in his body would be reduced to powder. A cruel, twisted grin spread across Ming Diao Zhanchen's face. In his mind's eye, he could already see Reyn collapsed on the ground, a mangled heap of flesh and bone, wailing in agonizing despair. Surrounding the Ascension Terrace, the gathered cultivators sighed and shook their heads in unison.

The looks they cast toward Reyn were no longer filled with anticipation, but with the cold pity one might reserve for a lamb led to the slaughter. However, in that very heartbeat, the atmosphere shifted. The eyes of every spectator widened in collective shock, their pupils dilating as if they were witnessing a miracle—or a nightmare. Ming Diao Zhanchen's sneer froze mid-expression, his features turning rigid as the world seemed to stall.

"Thousand Leaves Hand!" Reyn's voice was low, yet it carried a weight that vibrated through the air. He thrust his palm forward. Suddenly, a massive, azure hand, nearly ten feet in diameter, coalesced with startling speed. It radiated a vibrant, emerald luminescence, surging forward to intercept the Iron-Lock Across the River Hand with the force of a falling mountain. BOOM! The two colossal palms collided in mid-air, unleashing a violent shockwave of True Essence that rippled outward, buffeting the spectators.

Reyn's cultivation was at the 16th Level of Qi Condensation—a realm that defied the very laws of heaven—granting him a foundation of power comparable to the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage. When combined with a Divine Sense that rivaled the Late-Foundation Establishment stage, the Thousand Leaves Hand—a technique he had acquired from a looted storage bag—erupted with a terrifying, transcendent potency.

"Ugh!" Ming Diao Zhanchen let out a muffled groan. His face turned a shade paler as he was forced back several steps, his boots carving furrows into the stone. He stared at Reyn, his gaze no longer filled with disdain, but with a burgeoning, frantic disbelief. A deafening clamor erupted from the crowd. Jaws dropped, and the air was thick with the sound of sharp intakes of breath.

"This boy… he possesses such cultivation? Judging by that spiritual fluctuation, he is in no way inferior to a Mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"How is this possible? It is said he only joined the Xuanxiao Sect a year ago! In a mere twelve months, not only has his alchemy reached the peak of Grade 3, but his martial cultivation has soared to such heights?"

"Could this Reyn be the reincarnation of some Nascent Soul Sovereign? Perhaps he retained the memories of his past life. Otherwise, how could a youth of his age achieve such monstrous results?"

"Look at the power of that technique! Ming Diao Zhanchen used the Iron-Lock Across the River Hand, a signature move of a Mid-tier Earth-grade manual. For Reyn to match it blow-for-blow, the grade of his own technique must be staggering." The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"The tides have turned! Who would have thought the Xuanxiao Sect was hiding such a trump card? The final outcome of this battle is now anyone's guess!" Crack! A crisp sound echoed from the high platform. Qingxiaozi, in his overwhelming agitation, had inadvertently allowed a sliver of spiritual power to leak, instantly reducing the emerald jade teacup in his hand to fine powder. As the dust drifted through his fingers, he took a deep, shaky breath, his eyes burning with a wild, ecstatic joy.

"Junior Brother, this disciple of yours… he has given me far too many surprises today!"

"I, too, have only just realized how deeply he was hiding his strength," Dan Chenzi replied, the shock in his own eyes only now beginning to fade into a proud smile.

"If it weren't for the dire straits we found ourselves in today, I suspect he would have continued to keep his light hidden from the world. It seems that once this ceremony concludes, you and I must have a very long conversation with him."

"Indeed," Qingxiaozi agreed, nodding slowly as he composed himself.

"You speak the truth, Junior Brother." Meanwhile, the Xuanxiao Sect disciples were in a state of absolute frenzy.

"Heavens! Senior Brother Reyn is actually this powerful!"

"As expected of Master Dan Chenzi's disciple! To reach such a level in both alchemy and cultivation within a single year… his talent is simply god-like!"

"Our Xuanxiao Sect is destined for greatness! In a hundred years, once Senior Brother Reyn and Senior Sister Ji both reach the Golden Core stage, who in this world will dare to oppose us?"

"No wonder Senior Sister Ji looks upon him with such favor. She must have seen through his extraordinary nature long ago."

"Only someone like Senior Brother Reyn is worthy of Senior Sister Ji. They are the twin geniuses of our sect. I offer them my sincerest blessings!"

"To think you've already reached that realization, Brother! Your heart is truly broad; I feel exactly the same!"

"Go, Senior Brother Reyn! Cripple that brat from the Qingyan Sect! Avenge our brothers who were injured by his hand!"

"Senior Brother Reyn is invincible! Crush him! Show him that the Xuanxiao Sect is the undisputed sovereign of the North Yue State!" The morale of the Xuanxiao Sect reached a fever pitch. By suppressing Ming Diao Zhanchen in their very first exchange, Reyn had single-handedly restored the sect's pride and dignity.

"Damnable brat… he actually practiced some form of high-level aura-concealing art. Even the two of us failed to detect his true depths." Tiandaozi's face was overcast, his eyes flickering with a dark, predatory light.

"Could this boy be a hidden card that old ghost Qingxiaozi planted? If so, today's plans might become… problematic." Ancestor Ming Diao was equally livid, his face turning a mottled purple. Reyn's cultivation was clearly on par with Ming Diao Zhanchen's. When he remembered how he had just arrogantly commanded his descendant to use only half his power, he felt as if he had been slapped in public. His gaze turned venomous, harboring a bone-deep hatred for the youth on the stage. Vile little hybrid!

You've made me a laughingstock! One day, I will grind your bones to dust and scatter your soul to the winds to appease my wrath! On the terrace, the two spectral hands locked in a stalemate for a few breaths before Ming Diao Zhanchen's expression shifted. Realizing the danger, he activated his movement technique, his body turning into a streak of light as he retreated rapidly. Simultaneously, he struck his forehead, summoning a shield half the height of a man.

The shield was a dull, earth-yellow color, forged from the thick, overlapping scales of a powerful demon beast. Just as he braced himself, a sharp CRACK rang out. His Iron-Lock Across the River Hand was forcibly shattered by the azure palm. Though the Thousand Leaves Hand had dimmed slightly, its momentum remained fierce as it descended toward him like a vengeful deity.

"Hah!" Ming Diao Zhanchen shouted, no longer daring to hold back a single drop of power. He unleashed his full cultivation, pouring a torrent of pure True Essence into the scale-shield. The earth-yellow scales erupted with a dense, golden-brown radiance, forming layer upon layer of thick, earthen barriers that enveloped him like a fortress of solid stone. BOOM! The azure hand slammed into the shield. The earth-yellow barrier groaned and splintered, several jagged cracks spider-webbing across its surface.

However, under the desperate infusion of Ming Diao Zhanchen's power, the yellow light surged, knitting the cracks back together in an instant until the barrier was whole once more. Ming Diao Zhanchen's face was a mask of cold fury, though a trace of lingering fear flickered in the depths of his pupils. The power of the Thousand Leaves Hand had far exceeded his expectations. Had his reactions been a fraction slower, he would have been severely wounded.

"Reyn… I admit, you hid yourself well. But do you truly believe that these petty tricks are enough to defeat me?" Ming Diao Zhanchen's voice was like a biting winter wind, laced with an unmistakable, murderous intent.

"Even if I cannot kill you today, I will make you pay a price you cannot afford. I will show you that the gap between us is a chasm wider than you could ever imagine!"