By the time the final word was spat out from Yang Xuan’s mouth, his previously smiling face had already transformed into an eerily chilling expression. Even the temperature seemed to abruptly plummet at this moment.

Anyone could sense the piercingly cold killing intent spreading from Yang Xuan’s eyes.

He was clearly both embarrassed and angered by his earlier error in judgement. From start to end, he had never paid much attention to Zhou Yuan, merely viewing the latter as an ant that could be easily squashed whenever he wanted to.

However, the fact that Zhou Yuan had defeated that Sacred Palace disciple in a single exchange was already enough proof that was not as weak as Yang Xuan had imagined.

The feeling of something leaving his control made murder surge in Yang Xuan’s heart.

Others in the vicinity were likewise able to sense the murder in Yang Xuan’s eyes, causing them to immediately cast gloating gazes at Zhou Yuan. It seems that this guy had managed to completely enrage Yang Xuan.

Zhou Yuan’s expression was unexpectedly calm. As his gaze clashed with Yang Xuan’s, even the air itself seemed to solidify.

Extremely powerful Genesis Qi began to rise from Yang Xuan’s body. His Genesis Qi had an ash-like luster, and gave off a strangely ominous aura.

Yang Xuan’s Genesis Qi undulations rose steadily, bringing with it a tremendous pressure.

In a short few breaths, the Genesis Qi undulations around Yang Xuan reached the peak of the perfect seventh layer as the ground below his feet gradually began to crack...

Boom!

In the next instant, Yang Xuan made his move. Ash-white Genesis Qi swept forth like a raging flood. The Genesis Qi was akin to a roaring white python, snaking and coiling in the air around Zhou Yuan with a swoosh.

An ominously icy aura spread.

Countless long Genesis Qi needles slowly began to form from within the ash-white Genesis Qi. These needles were half a foot long, an ominously icy aura swirling around their thin, pale white bodies.

"Bone Needle Storm!"

A cold and cruel look filled Yang Xuan’s face as he slapped his hands together. One could only watch as the countless bone needles abruptly descended like a storm, covering every inch of visible space in a certain area at which Zhou Yuan stood at the center.

Yang Xuan clearly had no intentions of engaging in any form of probing, giving Zhou Yuan no chance to evade from the get go.

These bone needles were not only made from his Genesis Qi, but also infused with remnant bone marrow from numerous Genesis Beasts. Hence, they possessed a kind of death Qi that was extremely corrosive in nature. Once struck by the needles, the death Qi would quickly spread throughout the body while causing widespread destruction, making it an extremely vicious and domineering attack.

As such, when the onlookers saw Yang Xuan unleash such a deadly move at the very start, they secretly wet their lips, pitying Zhou Yuan a little more in their hearts.

Zhou Yuan raised his head and looked at the ash-white shadows that practically filled his entire vision. His eyes narrowed slightly as he felt the ominously cold aura swirling around them, before his hands abruptly slapped together.

Resplendent golden Genesis Qi exploded from his body.

It looked as if a golden python was dashing into the air, before swooping down to coil around Zhou Yuan’s body like a giant golden bell.

"Mystical Python’s Great Golden Bell!"

In the wake of Zhou Yuan’s shout, a giant golden bell enveloped his body.

Swish!

Countless ash-white needles fell like rain, bombarding the golden bell, creating an unending stream of clear ’cling clang’ noises.

The ground within a fifty feet radius was riddled with pitch-black holes, each hole so deep that its bottom could not be seen. Meanwhile, the smell of decay spread as wisps of black smoke rose from the land that was previously brimming with vitality.

The rising black smoke partially obstructed everyone’s view.

The ash-white needles continued their assault for quite some time, before the last needle finally fell.

Countless gazes were immediately cast over.

"Zhou Yuan has likely been pierced by ten thousand needles..."

"Only a handful of individuals amongst the seventh layer will be able to survive this attack. That fourth layer Zhou Yuan must surely have met a pitiful end."

"......"

Numerous whispers spread. Everyone was clearly in awe of Yang Xuan’s overwhelming attack.

Zuoqiu Qingyu’s hands were tighly clenched, her clear peach blossom like eyes filled with worry.

Excitement was revealed in Su Duan’s eyes as he gnashed his teeth and said, "Let’s see how you’ll survive this!"

Under the innumerable watching gazes of the crowd, the black smoke was gradually blown away as glimmers of faint golden light appeared. A golden bell silently towered within the fading smoke, covered in ash-white bone needles like a porcupine. These needles only managed to penetrate half way through, unable to completely pierce through the defenses of golden bell...

Numerous pupils shrank slightly at this moment as many individuals involuntarily blurted out, "Such a strong defense?!"

The golden bell’s defense had clearly surpassed their expectations.

Bai Li, who had been closely watching from start to end, breathed a sigh of relief. Zhou Yuan’s turtle shell was thankfully as sturdy and solid as before.

Yang Xuan was also a little taken aback, seemingly unable to comprehend why his attack had failed. In the end, he shook his head and said, "No wonder you had the balls to come here. So it’s because of this defense Genesis technique?"

Zhou Yuan’s defense technique was admittedly rather extraordinary to have blocked Yang Xuan’s strike. However, though it had managed to withstand the barrage once, would it be able to hold up a second time?

Rumble!

However, the moment his voice rang out, the golden bell abruptly dissipated as a faint dragon roar echoed. Nine Genesis Beasts made from Genesis Qi dashed into the sky, rippling with savage auras.

"Nine Dragons Canon, ninth dragon!"

Nine Genesis Qi Beasts swiftly fused into one. The giant behemoth roared as it dived downwards, charging towards Yang Xuan with unmatched ferocity.

Zhou Yuan had evidently begun his counter attack.

Not a single ripple could be seen in Yang Xuan’s eyes as watched the enormous Genesis Qi Beast rapidly approach. Instead, a small mocking smile began to rise from the corners of his mouth.

He extended a hand, ash-white Genesis Qi swirling on his palm as he sent a thrust towards the roaring Genesis Qi Beast.

Boom!

A devastating shockwave unfurled as cracks rapidly grew from under his feet like a spiderweb...

Yang Xuan’s figure was unmoved from the spot.

In contrast, the Genesis Qi Beast that had been forced to a stop by his palm released a miserable howl, before exploding into a million specks of light.

The watching onlookers sucked in a breath of cold air, nearly unable to believe how overwhelming Yang Xuan was...

Zhou Yuan’s counter attack had been nothing but praise worthy. Even so, it had failed to even shake Yuan Xuan’s body. Instead, it had ended up being scattered with a single thrust of his palm.

The Genesis Qi of both parties were on completely different levels.

Yang Xuan raised his eyelids slightly, the contempt in his smile growing as his chilling gaze locked onto Zhou Yuan.

"Is this all you have?"

Zhou Yuan’s eyes widened a little. This was the first time his opponent had so easily neutralized the ninth dragon. Yang Xuan was indeed an overwhelmingly powerful foe.

No wonder even Bai Li and Qin Hai’s combined might had been crushed at Yang Xuan’s hands.

"If that is all you have, your fate today... will be rather gruesome." Only indifference was visible in Yang Xuan’s gaze as he stared at Zhou Yuan.

Swish!

Before his words could fade, Zhou Yuan’s figure had already etherealized as he shot forward like a wisp of smoke.

Disdain flashed in Yang Xuan’s eyes at the sight of Zhou Yuan stubborn persistence.

"Fine, if you insist on seeking death, I shall gladly fulfil your wish..."

Ash-white Genesis Qi surged between his palms, pulsing with alarming undulations.

All it took was a few breaths for Zhou Yuan to appear in front of his opponent, his expression frighteningly calm as his hand tightened around the rapidly growing Heavenly Yuan Brush.

The snow-white brush tip curved at a sharp angle, tricky and ruthless as it thrust towards Yang Xuan’s throat.

As the snow-white tip cut through the air, a soft voice sounded in Zhou Yuan’s heart.

"Heavenly Yuan Brush, Genesis Breaker!"

An ancient rune on the brush’s mottled body slowly began to light up. Glowing black runes rapidly emerged and extended on the snow-white tip, turning it pitch-black in the blink of an eye.

Black light streaked past, along with a cryptic, unreadable light.

The Heavenly Yuan Brush had withdrawn all of its sharpness, seemingly returning to a state of ordinariness. However, Yang Xuan’s eyes suddenly widened at this instant, his instinct whispering that something was off.

The reflection of a pitch-black brush tip rapidly grew in his pupils.

He suddenly twirled his hands a split second later, ash-white Genesis Qi erupting out to form a glowing circle.

"Sacred Disk Technique!"

Chla!

A flash of black arrived the moment the disk was formed, the brush tip stabbing the glowing disk.

Black light seemed to surge at the point of contact.

Next, Yang Xuan’s pupils violently shrank as he watched the black tip of the brush tear through the glowing disk as if it was thin paper.

"How?!"

He involuntarily cried out in his heart. Even the Bai Li duo had been unable to break the Sacred Disk Technique earlier. Why had it been so easily pierced by the fourth layer Zhou Yuan?

The flash of black went directly for Yang Xuan’s throat. At this juncture of life and death, Yang Xuan violently jerked his hands as the Sacred Disk Technique abruptly began spinning in reverse. An even stronger surge of power blasted out, ultimately managing to nudge the black flash at the final moment.

A wave of Genesis Qi unfurled, devastating the surroundings.

Two figures crossed each other, exchanging places.

Not a single one of the countless gazes blinked as they watched.

Next, grasp after gasp was heard. They had seen fresh blood dripping from the tip of the black brush in Zhou Yuan’s hands.

A sinister looking wound had appeared on Yang Xuan’s shoulder, the blood instantly soaking into his clothes.

An uproar exploded, sweeping across the entire place.

No one had expected Yang Xuan... to be injured by Zhou Yuan!

Behind the two fighters, Bai Li and Qin Hai were also dumbstruck as they stared at this scene. Their bitter struggle against Yang Xuan earlier had not yielded even a single wound from him. On the other hand, Zhou Yuan had made Yang Xuan see blood in a short span of time!

"How can this be?!" They stared in shock at Zhou Yuan’s figure.

Zhou Yuan lowered his head to glance the blood on the tip of his brush, as a sliver of regret flashed in his eyes. He had originally planned on piercing Yang Xuan’s throat. Unfortunately, the latter was just too slippery, managing to deflect the trajectory of Zhou Yuan’s thrust at the very last moment.

Fresh blood splattered onto the ground with a light shake of the Heavenly Yuan Brush.

He did not look back at Yang Xuan as he said, "It seems that you’ll have to work a little harder if you want me to die here..."

Under the attention of the innumerable watching gazes, Yang Xuan slowly turned his head to look at the wound on his shoulder. His face seemed to twitch faintly as an extremely vicious and sinister look flooded out little by little.

"I’m going to..."

"cripple you today!"

Rumble!

The murderous rage felt almost solid as it charged into the sky, causing the hearts of countless individuals to shiver as dread rose in their eyes.

Yang Xuan seemed to have gone mad with anger.