Chapter 1695: The Decision of the Tongyuan Sect Leader

Such terrifying destructive power completely intimidated the current leader of the Pupil Yuan Clan. He genuinely hadn't expected Xu Yang to unleash such frightening combat strength when he went berserk.

Initially, he had believed that by leading the elders and collectively employing forbidden-level spiritual techniques with all their might, they could stop Xu Yang. However, it now seemed they didn't even have time to chant before Xu Yang had utterly devastated them.

Knowing his methods were too potent, Xu Yang consciously reduced some of his combat strength and slowed down his unilateral engagement. Only when he stood before the Pupil Yuan Clan leader did he slowly sheathe his Cold Spring Divine Sword, gazing into the leader's eyes with a smile.

“I’ve heard that when cultivators of your Pupil Yuan Clan master spiritual techniques to their highest level, merely looking into your eyes can immediately draw someone into the soul illusion you weave,” Xu Yang stated. “I genuinely want to test how powerful an illusion you can create.”

Xu Yang’s actions were a blatant provocation and mockery. Here stood the esteemed leader of the Human Spirit Six Meridian Pupil Yuan Clan, who had spent his entire life cultivating powerful spiritual techniques. Yet, Xu Yang openly challenged him at the very core of his greatest strength.

Xu Yang’s strategy was simple: if the leader accepted such a blatant provocation, the Pupil Yuan Clan leader would be utterly humiliated. Conversely, if he accepted the challenge and Xu Yang personally broke his spiritual technique, it would tarnish the Pupil Yuan Clan’s heritage. Regardless of his choice, a predetermined failure awaited him.

At this moment, Xu Yang and the Pupil Yuan Clan leader stood about a fist’s distance apart. However, the oppressive aura and presence emanating from them were worlds apart. This dignified leader-level expert was like a child before Xu Yang, unable to lift his head, lacking even the courage to meet Xu Yang’s gaze directly.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Yang pressed. “If you stand this close to me and don’t even have the courage to use your techniques, don’t you think the Pupil Yuan Clan is a joke?”

These words deeply stung the Pupil Yuan Clan leader and enraged the remaining nearly half of the elder-level experts.

“Xu Yang, we know you are powerful,” one elder declared, “but this blatant insult to our Pupil Yuan Clan leader is something we old ones absolutely will not tolerate!”

Xu Yang burst into laughter. “Who cares if you tolerate it or not? Do you really think you good-for-nothings have the right to bargain with me? I can crush all of you with just a flick of my finger. So, in my presence, you’d best shut your filthy mouths, or I’ll take your pathetic lives at any moment.”

As expected, Xu Yang’s intimidation immediately silenced the surrounding elder-level experts. He then fixed his gaze back on the Pupil Yuan Clan leader.

“Is it really so hard for you, as a leader, to make a decision?” Xu Yang scoffed. “I’m giving you two choices. First, take me to your clan’s forbidden immortal dwelling, just as I went to the Misty Rain Royal Clan’s forbidden dwelling. Those people were far more sensible than you stubborn old fools. They understood a simple truth: if they couldn't fight me, then they shouldn't. Yet you, knowing full well you lack the strength, insist on jumping out to waste my time and get in my way. How could I possibly treat you kindly? Make your choice quickly, leader! This is your last chance. If you remain indecisive, perhaps by the time you hesitate again, all the elder-level experts of your Pupil Yuan Clan will have turned to dust in my hands.”

“I accept your challenge,” the leader finally said. “If you have the courage, then willingly enter the soul dream I weave. If you can truly break free from it unharmed, I will lead you to our Pupil Yuan Clan’s forbidden land and no longer interfere with you in any way. You may do as you please with everything within our Pupil Yuan Immortal Dwelling. Of course, if you lack the ability, you will perish within the soul dream I weave. This dream space is the proudest masterpiece of my life, the strongest illusion I can currently create, representing the totality of my power.”

Xu Yang nodded, satisfied. “Very good. If you had been this sensible earlier, why would I have needed to personally cripple so many of your elder-level experts? Wouldn't it have been better to preserve some strength for your Pupil Yuan Clan instead of insisting on a direct confrontation with me?”

Xu Yang’s aura was overwhelmingly powerful, especially his oppressive demeanor at that moment, making the Pupil Yuan Clan leader feel utterly uncomfortable and helpless to resist. He didn’t even want to spend another second communicating with Xu Yang and immediately unleashed his most powerful soul dream.

In an instant, he pressed a single finger to the pupil between his brows, releasing several brilliant rays of light that perfectly enveloped Xu Yang’s form. Xu Yang, who had been completely relaxed, quickly grew serious again. When he reopened his eyes, the surrounding space had undergone a stark transformation.

The internal scenery of this dream space held nothing particularly unusual; it was, in fact, more like a projection of the Pupil Yuan Clan’s immortal dwelling itself. Often, it is precisely such outwardly unremarkable spaces that prove to be the most dangerous.

True to form, even before Xu Yang could discern the patterns of spiritual energy flow within the dream space, countless soul crystals began to converge frantically at the zenith of the void. One after another, powerful soul entities emerged within this dream space, swiftly locking onto Xu Yang’s presence and launching a variety of high-intensity spiritual attacks to suppress his true form.

Xu Yang sneered. He didn’t need to employ any substantial power within this soul dream. He merely unleashed the immensely powerful murderous aura from his body, and his pupils once again turned blood-red. At that moment, a blood-red halo spread out from beneath Xu Yang’s feet, rapidly expanding to cover the surrounding space in a very short time. This caused the soul entities, which had originally intended to attack him, to voluntarily abandon their offensive intentions. Such was the terrifying aura of slaughter!

It should be noted that when Xu Yang willingly entered the soul dream woven by the Pupil Yuan Clan leader, the surrounding Pupil Yuan Clan elders could also share their spiritual perception, witnessing everything happening within this illusory dream space as external observers. Upon seeing Xu Yang’s full murderous intent at that moment, everyone was trembling with fear.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t completely enrage this guy,” one whispered, “otherwise, the Pupil Yuan Clan experts who perished earlier would probably be considered lucky.”