On another battlefield, the fight between Qingyun and Yunfeng had escalated from probing to genuine engagement. Qingyun's fists attacked fiercely, each punch like a ferocious beast's strike, employing various styles and offensive maneuvers against Yunfeng. Yunfeng, in response, weaved back and forth, his legs moving alternately. For a time, the two fought to a standstill, neither giving way. After witnessing Chen Tian's battle, everyone turned their attention to Qingyun and Yunfeng, as their fight was no less intense than Chen Tian's.
"Who is that guy? How can he fight our Senior Brother Yunfeng to a draw?"
"I don't know, but I believe Senior Brother Yunfeng will surely win."
A group of youths from a certain faction began to discuss animatedly. They were members of Yunfeng's faction. Yunfeng hailed from the Wind Leg World, a world where leg techniques were paramount. In that world, cultivation primarily focused on leg techniques; the longer one practiced them, the stronger they became. It could be said that the entire cultivation system in that world revolved around one thing: legs.
There was no other system to speak of; legs were their most potent weapons. Yunfeng came from the Feng Yuan Sect, one of the top powers in the Wind Leg World. As the representative attending the auction, Yunfeng's strength was naturally considerable, standing just a hair's breadth away from the seventh realm, bridging the gap between the sixth and seventh realms.
Qingyun's strength was not to be underestimated. None of the onlookers knew Qingyun's true identity. The information they possessed was merely superficial. Qingyun hailed from the Hundred Beasts World, a world where humans did not exist, and only fierce beasts roamed. Qingyun was a human cultivator raised by a pack of beasts.
Leveraging the strengths of the beasts, Qingyun developed his unique offensive ultimate skill: Hundred Beasts Fist, imbued with the might of a hundred beasts, such as the speed of a cheetah, the ferocity of a tiger, and the swiftness of eagle talons.
With each punch of the Hundred Beasts Fist, phantom beasts could be released. The phantom beasts and their power could be stacked. Of course, Qingyun's greatest asset was not the Hundred Beasts Fist, but the memories of a reincarnated deity. Qingyun was a deity reincarnated, his divine consciousness now awakened, possessing his memories from before. He could wield the power of a deity. Qingyun did not wish to reveal himself, for after all, he was a deity!
A deity was a treasure from head to toe. Chen Tian was certain that if Qingyun exposed his identity, the observing cultivators would immediately attack without hesitation. Becoming a deity was more important than anything else, especially a deity who had just awakened. If they could obtain the deity's origin to help themselves ascend, that would be paramount.
Ascension was the goal of all cultivators. Chen Tian understood perfectly why Qingyun had been engaging Yunfeng with the Hundred Beasts Fist. With Qingyun's strength, ending the fight would be easy. Huang Fenglong, watching from the side, sensed something peculiar and asked, "Chen Tian, could he be one of...?"
"No, he's not one of us, but he is someone at our next tier."
"You mean he is...?"
Huang Fenglong suddenly fell silent. He dared not utter that name now; it was a taboo. He could only murmur it in his heart. To speak it aloud would invite the Heavenly Dao to unleash world-ending lightning, directly annihilating his physical form.
Such existences were beyond his contemplation. However, he was slightly astonished. Indeed, those who stayed by Chen Tian's side were never ordinary.
Huang Fenglong had intended to intervene and help Qingyun if he couldn't hold on. Now, it seemed unnecessary. In the center of the battlefield, Yunfeng's legs moved alternately, his fists striking powerfully, his legs agile. Four beams of light continuously collided, above, below, left, and right. Yunfeng could not have imagined that Qingyun could fight him to a draw.
However, Yunfeng had not used his full strength, nor had Qingyun. Both knew this. Simultaneously, they accelerated their power enhancement, their speed skyrocketing. Their figures seemed to freeze in place. In that instant of stillness, their fists and legs collided countless times.
When Qingyun and Yunfeng's figures began to move again, their limbs intertwined in a clash of fists and legs. They looked at each other with recognition in their eyes. This person was worthy of being his opponent. Yunfeng shifted his legs, and Qingyun sensed his intention, his arms rotating and moving beneath Yunfeng's legs. Seeing this, how could Yunfeng let Qingyun succeed? He raised his left leg high and brought it down, energy condensing into a blade on his leg. His left leg descended like a scythe.
Qingyun's fists converged, forming the phantom of a tortoise shell over his arms. His left leg kicked against his fists, causing no damage.
Hundred Beasts Fist: Mystic Tortoise Fist. Primarily defensive, this technique was derived from the Mystic Tortoise. It could form a Mystic Tortoise shield for defense. The Mystic Tortoise was ranked third among tortoise-type beasts for its defensive capabilities.
It was more than enough to withstand Yunfeng's attack. Qingyun defended against Yunfeng's assault, then clenched his right fist. The phantom of a cyan spiritual snake coiled around Qingyun's arm and entered his fist. He threw a punch. This punch was entirely different from his previous fierce aura. It was like a winding spiritual snake, swaying left and right, giving off a soft, yielding sensation.
Hundred Beasts Fist: Soft Snake Fist. This technique was developed based on the characteristics of venomous vipers. Its fighting style appeared soft and yielding, but if it struck, it would shatter the opponent's body from within, gradually breaking them down. The power of this punch lay entirely in its 'inch-force,' not in its outward appearance.
Yunfeng's legs crisscrossed, emitting two swift streaks of light. His legs moved like scissors, directly severing Qingyun's spiritual snake phantom, splitting it in two.
His legs continued to crisscross, attacking Qingyun. Qingyun, facing Yunfeng's onslaught, showed no fear. His arms crossed, mirroring Yunfeng's movement. The scissor legs clashed with the scissor arms.
Hundred Beasts Fist: Demonic Pincer Fist. Inspired by the pincers of the demonic pincer scorpion, this technique involved crossing and opening/closing the arms, resembling the movement of pincers. The phantom entwined, and the two collided.
The sound was fleeting. Qingyun and Yunfeng both retreated. Yunfeng spoke, "Not bad. You can actually fight me to this extent."
"You're not bad either, to be able to fight me in this state to a draw. It's a pity that we are, after all, enemies."
Qingyun's words were praise, not mockery. After all, he hadn't yet used his past life's memories and abilities, otherwise, defeating him would be easy. Yunfeng and Qingyun both understood their predicament. Unless Yunfeng revealed his trump cards, he couldn't defeat Qingyun.
Qingyun also did not want to reveal too much of his strength, at most his divine armor and the Hundred Beasts Fist. Concealing his strength was paramount, as despite Chen Tian and Huang Fenglong scaring away many of the million cultivators, a considerable number still remained.
Their numbers totaled three million, and some had even reached the ninth realm. However, Chen Tian and Qingyun could only sense their aura and general location, unable to investigate further. If these individuals were to attack, Chen Tian and Qingyun would be in grave danger.
Therefore, the more strength they could hide, the better. If they revealed overwhelming power, these cultivators, knowing they couldn't win a one-on-one fight, would swarm them. Faced with the assault of millions, Chen Tian couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be injured, let alone the powerful cultivators who all possessed formidable trump cards.
Chen Tian and Qingyun did not wish to take such a risk. While they might eventually defeat these cultivators, they would sustain significant injuries.
Qingyun and Yunfeng looked at each other. Neither initiated combat, both contemplating what lay ahead.