Chen Tian and Huang Fenglong collided, neither gaining the upper hand. Chen Tian hadn't used his full strength, nor had Huang Fenglong. This initial clash saw neither unleash their utmost power. However, unlike Huang Fenglong, Chen Tian's current display represented only one percent of his total strength, with no intention of increasing it. Huang Fenglong, on the other hand, used thirty percent of his power to probe Chen Tian, only to discover that even this was insufficient to defeat him. Chen Tian's strength was far greater than he had anticipated.
Chen Tian and Huang Fenglong, transformed into streaks of light, clashed fiercely. Within the light, Chen Tian's fists struck out with terrifying force. Huang Fenglong's fists were wrapped in Emperor's Qi. This Emperor's Qi was intrinsically linked to the Emperor himself and thus to the nation. A strong nation meant a strong Emperor's Way, which in turn led to a more powerful Imperial Realm. Huang Fenglong's Emperor's Qi was not particularly robust, suggesting he was a cultivator who had only recently entered the Emperor's Way. Chen Tian's fist met Huang Fenglong's, sending shockwaves radiating outward.
These shockwaves had no impact on the onlookers surrounding them. In fact, their combined auras enveloped the vicinity, preventing any life form from approaching due to the immense pressure. The shockwaves spread outwards, strangely without a sound. The abilities of the Silent Forest were on full display. Chen Tian unleashed a flurry of punches. Huang Fenglong, anticipating Chen Tian's intent, shifted his own fists. His left fist lunged towards Chen Tian's left, while his right fist aimed for Chen Tian's face.
There was no way Chen Tian would allow Huang Fenglong to succeed. He crossed his arms, palms open, and a shield of light materialized, encasing him. Chen Tian retreated three steps. In the previous collision, Huang Fenglong had increased his power, putting Chen Tian at a disadvantage. Even at one percent of his strength, Chen Tian found it somewhat strenuous. He estimated that two percent of his power would be sufficient to match Huang Fenglong's full might. From Huang Fenglong's perspective, Chen Tian's full strength was only what he was currently displaying. He was unaware that Chen Tian had not, from the beginning, used more than three percent of his strength.
Chen Tian was currently employing six percent of his strength. Otherwise, with so many cultivators present, Chen Tian would have needed to be more cautious and conceal his true power. In a one-on-one situation, Huang Fenglong would have been eliminated long ago.
Would it really take so much effort?
Impossible!
Chen Tian was acutely aware of his own capabilities. If he were to unleash his full power, he would not fear even half of those present attacking him simultaneously. However, even an army of ants could overwhelm an elephant. Chen Tian wasn't capable of fighting against millions of cultivators ganging up on him. He needed to guard against them all attacking at once, forcing him to feign weakness. After all, as long as they weren't dead, they wouldn't initiate conflict among themselves, especially before the Yuan Scorpion Eggs had even surfaced.
That was out of the question. They would at least wait until Chen Tian and Qing Yun were dead before betraying each other.
Huang Fenglong stood before Chen Tian and spoke indifferently, "Is this all the strength you possess? You dare to snatch my Yuan Scorpion Egg. Prepare to die."
"The highest bidder wins. I offered a higher price, so it belongs to me. Surely you know the rules of an auction? You pauper, you think you can afford to bid on a Yuan Scorpion Egg with such meager funds."
Chen Tian deliberately rubbed salt into Huang Fenglong's wounds. Hearing this, Huang Fenglong's face contorted in rage. "Brat, you're seeking death."
Chen Tian's words successfully ignited Huang Fenglong's fury. Chen Tian remained unconcerned by his attitude. The group behind him watched the unfolding scene without intervening. In their eyes, Chen Tian's strength had been revealed, leaving only his trump cards. Once those were expended, they would make their move.
They dared not act now, fearing that if they pushed Chen Tian too hard, he might use his trump card, and who knew if they would be the ones to die.
Some powerful cultivators possessed potent trump cards, capable of destroying an entire region. Caution was paramount.
The first two combatants were merely used as probes to test the opponent's strength. If they could force out one or two of Chen Tian's trump cards, that would be ideal. Huang Fenglong knew the intentions of the onlookers; relying on their assistance was out of the question.
Huang Fenglong's entire aura began to shift to a yellow hue. Emperor's Qi coalesced into armor, attaching itself to his body. He resembled a general on the battlefield, his entire presence surging.
Chen Tian, unwilling to be outdone, understood from their previous exchanges that he needed to activate two percent of his strength to match Huang Fenglong. While he would conceal his power, his life was his top priority.
The aura Chen Tian unleashed was on par with Huang Fenglong's. Their eyes met, and their figures directly collided, resulting in a deafening explosion. The sound lasted for only a moment before fading into silence. The Silent Forest remained true to its name; there was only silence, no movement.
Not even the wind existed here; it was as if it were a soundless void. The explosions generated by the two combatants naturally produced no sound. The two figures chased and clashed, one following the other. Both Chen Tian and Huang Fenglong's speed had significantly increased compared to before. Huang Fenglong had clearly unleashed his full strength, driven by Chen Tian's taunts, desiring to tear him to shreds.
Chen Tian met Huang Fenglong's onslaught with ease. However, Chen Tian's increased power confirmed something for the onlookers: his true strength was capable of contending with cultivators of the sixth realm. Most of the cultivators present were in the sixth realm, indicating that defeating Chen Tian would require an exceptionally powerful or experienced cultivator.
Huang Fenglong was a recently promoted sixth-realm cultivator. As the battle progressed, ethereal outlines of energy armor began to manifest around Chen Tian, signifying a surge in his strength. Chen Tian was merely concealing his realm and energy; his martial arts and techniques, however, were still usable.
Through energy manipulation, Chen Tian could assemble energy from the air into armor, thus avoiding any expenditure of his internal energy. Of course, energy armor did not possess the same defensive capabilities as armor condensed from internal energy. However, for Chen Tian's current combat needs, it was sufficient, as the energy in the Dark Realm was far more potent than in ordinary worlds.
Chen Tian's body was now enveloped in black armor, with black and yellow lights flickering. When the two combatants appeared, Chen Tian and Huang Fenglong sustained no injuries. They had fought until this point without inflicting any significant damage on each other. It was undeniable that higher-level cultivators were more difficult to injure.
This was especially true for experienced cultivators. Chen Tian's combat experience was at a disadvantage; his predictive calculations were easily discerned by his opponent. After all, sufficient combat experience allowed one to anticipate Chen Tian's next move.
Chen Tian's calculations only predicted scenes a few minutes in advance, allowing him to react and respond. It was not true precognition. If the opponent instantly changed their reaction and deviated from the predicted course, Chen Tian's predictive ability became essentially useless.
Chen Tian opened his arms and spread his hands, two vortexes of energy swirling around his palms. Seeing this, Huang Fenglong knew Chen Tian was about to unleash a martial art. He dared not be complacent. The clash of martial arts depended on the mastery of the techniques and the control of energy.
Huang Fenglong's entire body's Emperor's Qi surged actively, like a roaring flame. Golden-hued power enveloped Huang Fenglong's figure like a fire. Emperor's Qi coiled around his arms before entering his fists. Behind Huang Fenglong, a phantom figure materialized.
It was a majestic phantom, its form indistinct, clad in imperial robes of golden hue, the robes appearing remarkably lifelike. On its arms, a golden book slowly opened.