Chapter 426: Means Frequently Used

Rumble!

As Yang Xuan stepped into the range of the barrier, Genesis Qi in the world surged violently, and lightning and crimson flames appeared simultaneously. Beneath their dazzling splendor, extreme danger lay hidden.

When this scene unfolded before the eyes of countless observers, it naturally drew gasps of surprise.

Only then did they realize that Zhou Yuan had not been fleeing earlier, but rather feigning weakness, while simultaneously luring Yang Xuan into this barrier he had prepared long ago.

"What a cunning brat!" everyone couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. No one had expected Zhou Yuan to have made such preparations, which forced them to acknowledge his extensive combat experience.

Bai Li and the other disciples of the Cangxuan Sect were also momentarily stunned, then felt a slight flush of embarrassment. Earlier, they had truly believed Zhou Yuan intended to escape and had harbored some reservations, but now it seemed their thinking had been too narrow-minded, and they immediately felt a bit ashamed.

"A barrier, is it?" Yang Xuan stood amidst the lightning and crimson flames that filled the sky, his expression unperturbed. Grayish-white Genesis Qi swirled around his body, flowing slowly and releasing an astonishing sense of pressure.

"You've truly made me look at you in a new light," he said indifferently, looking up at Zhou Yuan. He had originally not taken Zhou Yuan seriously; a mere fourth-layer Initial Heaven Stage practitioner whom he could easily swat away. But he hadn't expected this person to be able to contend with him to this point. He had even been forced to completely unleash his seals, which had cost him dearly. After all, this was originally his trump card prepared for the competition among the twelve chief disciples of the Sacred Palace. Now, with the seals not perfectly released, his efforts were naturally ruined.

"You've also surprised me greatly." Zhou Yuan's eyes reflected the lightning and crimson flames that filled the sky, and he shrugged helplessly. He admitted he hadn't taken Yang Xuan too seriously at first either. After all, he had fought against seventh-layer Initial Heaven Stage practitioners before. He thought he could easily win with the power of the Heavenly Yuan Brush, but he hadn't expected Yang Xuan to have so many trump cards... to the point where he now subtly possessed the power of an eighth-layer practitioner.

Yang Xuan raised his hand, and grayish-white Genesis Qi condensed in his palm. He toyed with the Genesis Qi and said, "Stop your futile resistance. Your tricks won't change anything." Although the lightning and crimson flames continuously surged, bringing extremely violent fluctuations, his expression showed little apprehension.

Facing Yang Xuan's indifferent demeanor, Zhou Yuan, however, smiled and said, "It took a lot of effort to set this up, so I should at least give it a try, shouldn't I?" His smile vanished the next instant, replaced by a sharp expression. Zhou Yuan's hands suddenly clasped together, no longer wasting words with him.

"Heavenly Lightning Profound Fire Barrier!"

Rumble! At this moment, the lightning and crimson flames reached their peak intensity. Then, under the shocked gazes of countless onlookers, they swept down like an overwhelming torrent, like streaking meteors across the sky, bombarding the spot where Yang Xuan stood.

Yang Xuan's eyes gleamed coldly as he watched the roaring lightning and crimson flames approach. He stomped his foot, and surging grayish-white Genesis Qi rose from his body like a chilling mist, enveloping him. "Corpse Bone Mist!" Frost gradually spread across the ground beneath his feet at this moment.

Puff! Puff! The lightning and crimson flames that filled the sky descended, plunging into the grayish-white mist. However, the instant they made contact, the lightning was extinguished, and the crimson flames died out. The chilling cold contained within the grayish-white mist was clearly exceptionally potent. Despite the massive scale of the continuous lightning and crimson flames, their momentum was not weak. However, Yang Xuan's Genesis Qi was currently at its peak, and the grayish-white mist was equally surging. Consequently, the lightning and crimson flames were continuously neutralized by the chilling cold, while the surrounding ground was blasted into a desolate, pockmarked mess.

Many eyes anxiously watched this fierce clash. Although there were no resounding booms, everyone knew the danger of such an exchange. At this point, neither Zhou Yuan nor Yang Xuan was holding back.

In the distance, Li Qingchan watched this scene. A hint of worry appeared on her exquisite face. Zhou Yuan's barrier was indeed powerful, but it seemed highly unlikely that it alone could defeat Yang Xuan.

Wang Li and Cao Jinzhu clearly also saw this. Their expressions gradually returned to normal, and their gazes held a hint of subtle mockery.

"Zhou Yuan, keep fighting!" Zuoqiu Qingyu, Bai Li, and the others secretly cheered Zhou Yuan on.

However, no matter how much they cheered him on, the grayish-white mist around Yang Xuan remained thick, clearly not being depleted by the continuous lightning and crimson flames. Conversely, the lightning and crimson flames filling the sky began to show signs of thinning out.

Countless people sighed with regret. Indeed, even if Zhou Yuan had painstakingly lured Yang Xuan into a prepared barrier, he still couldn't pose a significant threat to him. An eighth-layer practitioner was simply too powerful.

As the mist rippled, Yang Xuan's face was revealed. He stared coldly at Zhou Yuan, his gaze filled with mockery, as if a lion watching its prey make its final struggles. However, Zhou Yuan ignored Yang Xuan's mocking gaze. He took a deep breath, and his hands rapidly formed seals. Immediately, the Genesis Qi within his body began to surge violently. An extremely scorching fluctuation emanated from his body.

The next instant, his mouth suddenly puffed out, his face rapidly turning crimson, and a wisp of green smoke rose from his head. The temperature throughout the world rapidly rose at this moment. Yang Xuan also sensed this, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Heavenly Sun God Record, Heavenly Sun Flame!"

As a low roar echoed from within Zhou Yuan's mind, a torrent of flames formed from surging Genesis Qi suddenly erupted from his mouth, like a dragon's breath of fire, blasting towards Yang Xuan. This flame was different from the usual pale white flames; it was cerulean! Clearly, after absorbing the Flame Marrow, Zhou Yuan's Heavenly Sun Flame had also advanced, reaching the second level, cerulean, and its power was even greater than before.

As the cerulean flame roared past, the rocks on the ground instantly melted. The cerulean flame roared, and the world's temperature soared. Many gazes watched this scene, once again exclaiming in surprise. Only then did they realize that Zhou Yuan's true killing blow was not the previous barrier, but this incredibly potent cerulean flame! The earlier barrier had merely been for attrition.

Blaze! The cerulean flame swept forth like a dragon's breath. Yang Xuan's expression also grew more solemn. Even he detected a hint of danger within the cerulean flame.

"So this is your final trump card!" Yang Xuan's eyes darkened, but he no longer dared to be complacent. His hands clasped together, and immediately, grayish-white Genesis Qi erupted from within him, rapidly solidifying on his body's surface, and finally, swiftly forming a set of ghastly white bone armor.

"Heavenly Origin Art, Demonic Bone Armor!" The bone armor spread, enveloping Yang Xuan's entire body. The stark white bones exuded a chilling aura that could freeze one's blood.

"As long as I block your final move," a pair of chilling pupils beneath the bone armor stared fixedly at Zhou Yuan, "today, I will deal with you however I please!"

Numerous gazes were also tightly fixed upon them. Anyone could tell that the two were now locked in their final struggle. Victory or defeat would likely be decided in an instant.

However, could Zhou Yuan's long-prepared cerulean flame truly contend with Yang Xuan's Demonic Bone Armor, which clearly possessed astonishing defensive power at first glance?!

Blaze! Under such intense scrutiny, the cerulean flame swept forth, and finally, amidst countless gasps of surprise, enveloped and swallowed Yang Xuan's body...