Chapter 333: Broken Source Hand

Six stone platforms stood opposite each other, each holding a figure. As their gazes met, sparks seemed to fly.

The murmuring across the mountains quieted, and all eyes turned to the arena.

Tong Long, the top golden-belt disciple under Shen Taiyuan, was an outstanding practitioner at the fifth layer of the Alpha Origin stage, even stronger than Cao Shi, whom Zhou Yuan had previously fought.

As the leader of this cave trial, he pondered for a moment before turning to Pan Song. "Junior Brother Pan Song," he said, "you go first for this round."

Pan Song's strength was second only to his own, so he believed Pan Song would be able to contend with either Feng Yu or Cheng Ying.

Pan Song nodded, his expression grim. He understood that today's cave trial would be incredibly intense. He immediately stepped forward and declared, "I'll take the first round. Who's challenging?"

Watching Pan Song, Feng Yu and Cheng Ying exchanged subtle, knowing smiles.

They remained still, but Wei Youxuan, looking somewhat lethargic, took a step forward.

As Wei Youxuan emerged, murmurs rippled through the surrounding disciples.

"It's Wei Youxuan! He's supposedly the strongest golden-belt disciple under Elder Lu Hong. Why is he fighting first? Is he planning to give the other three no chance at all?"

"Starting with their strongest right off the bat. Interesting."

Tong Long's expression tightened. If there was one golden-belt disciple from Lu Hong's lineage he most dreaded, it was undoubtedly Wei Youxuan. He had expected Wei Youxuan to uphold his status and enter last, so it was surprising to see him step forward first.

"What is Wei Youxuan thinking? Even if he wins by going first, he'll expend energy. If I challenge him afterward, he'll be at a definite disadvantage," Tong Long wondered, knowing that typically, the most powerful combatants entered later to preserve their full strength.

"Hmph, Wei Youxuan is being far too arrogant!"

Tong Long snorted inwardly. He conceded that Wei Youxuan was strong, but perhaps only slightly stronger than himself. If Wei Youxuan wasn't at his peak, Tong Long wouldn't necessarily fear him.

Furthermore, Pan Song was no weakling. Even if Wei Youxuan managed to win, it wouldn't be an easy victory.

With that thought, Tong Long nodded to Pan Song.

Pan Song took a deep breath, then moved to an empty stone platform situated between the two sides. His expression serious, he looked at Wei Youxuan and said, "Please begin!"

Wei Youxuan offered a faint smile, then took a step, his feet shimmering with Genesis Qi, and instantly appeared on the stone platform.

Pan Song fixed his gaze on Wei Youxuan, his eyes grave and wary. Without hesitation, the Genesis Qi coiled within his Qi Mansion surged forth from the crown of his head, unrestrained.

Genesis Qi swirled above Pan Song's head, flowing like ethereal clouds but emanating a deep hum. As it circulated, its power seemed capable of rending mountains.

Against an opponent like Wei Youxuan, Pan Song dared not hold back in the slightest, fearing that even a momentary lapse would lead to immediate defeat.

While Pan Song channeled his Genesis Qi with all his might, Wei Youxuan remained perfectly still, his expression calm and his eyes indifferent.

Pan Song frowned at Wei Youxuan's apparent disregard. With a cold snort and no further politeness, he stomped his foot, and the formidable Genesis Qi swirling above his head plummeted downwards.

The Genesis Qi, like a bolt of pure energy, contained terrifying power. It shot towards Wei Youxuan with lightning speed, producing a sharp whistling sound that left a deep gouge on the stone platform.

Pan Song's opening move was a full-force assault. Such an attack would typically force ordinary disciples at the fifth layer of the Alpha Origin stage to retreat in disarray.

The Genesis Qi bolt whistled, appearing before Wei Youxuan in a flash. Yet, just as impact seemed imminent, Wei Youxuan calmly raised his palm and casually struck downwards.

*Whish!*

His palm directly struck the fierce Genesis Qi bolt. As his palm descended, everyone watched in astonishment as the energy construct shattered into fragments in mid-air.

Wei Youxuan had shattered the Genesis Qi with a single palm strike.

Gasps erupted from the onlookers. Everyone knew that a pure Genesis Qi attack was incredibly potent, capable of inflicting astonishing damage upon contact. No one had expected Wei Youxuan to shatter it so effortlessly with his bare hand.

"What?" Pan Song was equally shocked. His eyes hardened, and he clasped his hands together. The Genesis Qi swirling above his head rapidly condensed, transforming into a colossal Genesis Qi hand, hundreds of feet long, which then slammed down powerfully towards Wei Youxuan.

This attack was simple yet brutal. As the colossal Genesis Qi hand descended, it left a deep indentation on the hard stone platform.

"Try shattering this one!"

Hearing Pan Song's sharp cry, Wei Youxuan's lips curved into what looked like a sneer. The next instant, he stomped his foot, cracking the ground beneath him, and shot upwards.

He positioned himself directly beneath the descending Genesis Qi hand, his figure minuscule in comparison to the massive construct.

Yet, Wei Youxuan showed no fear, still striking out with an indifferent expression.

The two vastly different-sized hands collided head-on in mid-air.

A violent Genesis Qi shockwave abruptly swept outwards, carving fissures into the nearby mountain walls.

Numerous eyes were fixed on the mid-air collision.

There, the massive, hundreds-of-feet-long Genesis Qi hand suddenly quivered, then hairline cracks appeared across its surface. With a sharp crack, the colossal hand disintegrated once more.

Pan Song's all-out Genesis Qi attack had, incredibly, been torn apart by Wei Youxuan's bare hand.

"Impossible!" Pan Song's face contorted in disbelief as he cried out.

While he knew his strength wasn't quite equal, he couldn't comprehend how his full-force assault had been so effortlessly shattered.

As he cried out, a blurred figure shot forward. A pale hand sliced through the air, aiming directly for Pan Song's chest.

What appeared to be an ordinary hand, to Pan Song, was a harbinger of death.

Pan Song's expression changed dramatically. He instantly puffed out his cheeks, exhaling a stream of pure Genesis Qi that formed a robust defensive armor, covering his body.

Wei Youxuan's speed was too great; there was no avoiding it. Pan Song could only brace himself.

The instant the Genesis Qi formed an armored shell around Pan Song, the pale hand descended like lightning, lightly striking Pan Song's chest.

The palm strike seemed to carry little force; it didn't even push Pan Song back.

However, Pan Song's pupils abruptly constricted, and a look of terror flashed in his eyes.

As Wei Youxuan's palm connected, he gracefully pulled back, simultaneously flicking his sleeve, as a gentle breeze swept through.

*Crack!*

The Genesis Qi armor covering Pan Song's body began to crumble like shattered glass, slowly peeling away before dissipating into wisps of blue smoke. On his chest, a gruesome bloody handprint emerged.

*Cough!*

A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from Pan Song's mouth, and his sturdy body toppled backward, hitting the ground with a thud.

Gasps of astonishment immediately swept through the crowd. Many disciples looked with disbelief at the seemingly effortless way Wei Youxuan had retreated after his victory. No one had expected him to win with such ease.

Pan Song's earlier attacks, though fierce, had failed to faze Wei Youxuan in the slightest; instead, they had been effortlessly neutralized.

In just a few exchanges, Wei Youxuan had demonstrated astonishing power.

Tong Long's face turned grim. Pan Song had lost too quickly, astonishing him and suggesting that his assessment of Wei Youxuan's true strength had been gravely mistaken.

This opponent had clearly concealed his true power.

On the cliff, disciples of the Lu Hong lineage chuckled, their eyes gleaming with amusement, while those of the Shen Taiyuan lineage stirred with unease.

Lu Hong's face held a faint smile as he turned to Shen Taiyuan. "Elder Shen," he remarked, "it seems your disciples still require more training."

Shen Taiyuan's expression was grim. He fixated on Wei Youxuan on the stone platform, specifically on his hand. Other disciples might not have noticed, but Shen Taiyuan sensed that Wei Youxuan's repeated tearing of Pan Song's attacks hadn't been with his bare palm. Instead, his hand had been covered by a unique layer of Genesis Qi.

It was clearly an application of a Genesis Art.

After a moment of thought, his expression turned even darker. "So it's 'Genesis Shatter Hand'..."

This was a high-grade Lesser Heaven Genesis Art, quite unique. It allowed one to coat their palm with Genesis Qi in a special form, granting the ability to tear apart other forms of Genesis Qi.

This art was remarkably potent but notoriously difficult to master. It was surprising that a disciple from Lu Hong's lineage had actually cultivated it, and seemingly to a considerable degree of proficiency.

With this art mastered, one could virtually tear apart incoming Genesis Art attacks, securing a significant advantage.

Around the cliff, the spectators murmured amongst themselves. From the looks of it, Zhou Yuan's lineage seemed to have very little chance of winning this cave trial.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Wei Youxuan, who had effortlessly defeated Pan Song, did not retreat. Instead, he flicked his sleeve, and his gaze, which held a hint of a smile, fell directly upon Tong Long.

"Next, it's your turn to step up."

His words immediately sparked a low uproar. Only then did the spectators grasp Wei Youxuan's true intention: he planned to single-handedly defeat every disciple from Zhou Yuan's lineage!

What an arrogant display!

If he truly succeeded, the reputation of Zhou Yuan's lineage would be utterly disgraced...

As this thought crossed their minds, glances cast towards Zhou Yuan became tinged with sympathy. After today, he would likely become a complete laughingstock within the Cangxuan Sect.