Chapter 438: Mystic sect

"Don't be careless. Both of you, stay here and protect yourselves. This guy is far more difficult to deal with than you might imagine."

Xu Yang seemed considerably more serious than usual. When he had previously eliminated Ji Wufeng and his companions, the three old masters from the Northern Jin Sword Alliance were significantly higher in cultivation than this big, seemingly simple-minded individual, and they possessed tens of thousands of years of sword dao heritage. Yet, at that time, Xu Yang had faced three opponents, seemingly toying with them as he effortlessly eradicated the old masters. Now, however, facing this tall figure, Xu Yang was exceptionally cautious.

Ling Yao and Long Kun couldn't grasp the deeper meaning, but Xu Yang dared not show the slightest negligence. In the very instant their confrontation began, Xu Yang seemed to inadvertently sense an incredibly terrifying, supreme-level aura! Although this aura vanished into nothingness in just a fleeting moment and didn't amplify the big man's exerted strength or even affect Xu Yang, such a god-like energy fluctuation forced Xu Yang to be cautious. He also vaguely felt that Jingyun Valley, notorious for its immense danger, might not refer to the Xuanmen lineage guarding it, but rather to that fleeting, truly suffocating, supreme-level entity that had just appeared.

Xu Yang didn't dwell too much on this thought. He clearly understood that his only task at hand was to first subdue the large man before him. Even though his opponent had the advantage of time and terrain, with the battlefield's elemental energy in Jingyun Valley being incredibly dense, this didn't grant him the right to act recklessly in front of Xu Yang.

"Big man, you are exceptional, but unfortunately, you still have a long way to go in your growth."

Whoosh! The moment Xu Yang finished speaking, his figure, which had been floating in mid-air, quietly dissipated. When he reappeared, the large man was startled to find a razor-sharp dagger pressed against his neck.

"Your speed... it completely ignored my earth elemental power. This proves that you weren't using your full strength against me before. Are you toying with me?"

The big man's thinking was intriguing. His first thought wasn't how to escape or his own safety, but rather Xu Yang's motives and intentions.

"No, I merely wanted to see the limits of someone with such masterful control over earth elements. It appears your combat experience is still lacking, and you need further refinement in personal defense. If I were my usual self, you'd be dead by now."

Huo Da snorted, "Then I'm equally curious what made you suddenly change your mind?"

"Brother Huo Da, I'm here!"

As Xu Yang and the other man conversed, a clamor of hoofbeats, accompanied by a loud, penetrating voice, reached them. Immediately after, a child-like figure suddenly soared into the air, hurtling towards Xu Yang. What was shocking was that the youth had a pair of black wings on his back, and his facial features were exceptionally strange. Yet, none of this affected his unparalleled advantage: incredible speed in flight! Born with wings, the boy's control over wind elements was almost at its limit. In the blink of an eye, he was already beside Xu Yang, his eyes filled with a cold desire for slaughter.

"Little Leizhen, don't be reckless, he's very strong!"

Xu Yang chuckled, seeming to decide to act precisely because Huo Da had spoken, intent on teaching this overconfident boy a lesson. "Ho ho, another exceptionally talented young genius. In the realm of wind element masters, few can rival your affinity for wind. You've astonished me yet again, young man."

"Hmph, less talk, more action! Take this!"

His black wings flapped in the wind, and empowered by the wind elemental energy, countless wind blades, as sharp as swords, materialized out of thin air! These wind blades were precisely the powerful offensive force the boy wove together, combining his winged movements with his unique control over wind elements! Countless arcs of wind blades descended from all directions above. Xu Yang smiled calmly, not even bothering to move. He simply stood peacefully in place, allowing the countless wind blades to strike him.

A continuous wave of exceptionally crisp sounds emanated as the countless wind blades, as if striking an unyielding, resilient rock, were quickly shattered into nothingness by a powerful rebound force. The boy attacked for quite some time, growing utterly exhausted, yet he still couldn't even slightly breach the protective barrier around Xu Yang.

"Heh heh, little kid, if you're interested, I could let you hit me for a day and a night, and you still wouldn't be able to break through my defenses."

The youth, called Leizhen, furrowed his brows and stared at Xu Yang with an angry expression, eventually just shaking his head and sighing helplessly. "Is this guy made of iron? Why is his body so tough! An ordinary person couldn't possibly withstand my layered wind blade attacks; no matter how strong their defense, it would be extremely difficult to endure such exponentially accumulating pressure!" Leizhen landed beside Huo Da, expressing his bewilderment.

"That's because this guy isn't just personally powerful; the divine weapons and artifacts he possesses are also incredibly formidable. Just now, he didn't even need to gather his aura to effortlessly shatter your wind blade combo, which indicates he has at least one guardian-level divine artifact on him!"

Xu Yang nodded in satisfaction, smiling as he looked at the two brothers in front of him: "Good, you two are finally catching on. As you said, you two alone cannot possibly defeat me. If you don't want to die, clear a path."

"Hmph, an outsider challenging the rules of our Xuanmen, and you dare speak with such arrogance? I think you're tired of living!"

This time, the voice belonged to a woman. Without even glancing into the dark depths, Xu Yang simply extended his right hand into the air, releasing an invisible pressure that completely pinned the approaching woman in mid-air. Even the warhorse beneath her involuntarily separated from her.

"You, you..."

The woman's face paled in shock. Her fiery red attire made her look stunning, but her current expression of terror made her appear utterly helpless and frightened.

"Don't be nervous. If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn't even have a chance to speak. I just want you to understand that my name is Xu Yang, and I am an opponent you cannot face. If you wish to defend the honor of your Xuanmen, send someone stronger."