CHAPTER 242: ONLY ONE REMAINS [5]

Yu Xuan simply raised one hand.

The air trembled.

The threads attacking him stopped midair, writhing — then shattered one by one, dissolving into motes of useless light.

Luo Xianyin gritted her teeth until her lips bled.

"It’s weak," Yu Xuan said softly, his tone filled not with contempt, but disappointment, as if their efforts bored him.

"How can you kill me like this?"

Luo Xianyin’s breath came ragged. Her Qi trembled. Still, she did not stop.

"Even if I die... I’ll drag you down with me!" she screamed.

Her blood essence ignited — a crimson lotus mark appearing on her forehead. Energy surged around her like a storm, her aura skyrocketing in an instant.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Kong Xuanyi materializing behind Yu Xuan again, his expression grim, sweat running down his temples.

"Now!" she shouted, her voice hoarse.

Kong Xuanyi’s spatial blade twisted the air into spirals of distortion, aiming for Yu Xuan’s neck.

For a moment,Yu Xuan’s gaze flicked toward her. His smile returned.

"You truly don’t understand," he said gently.

"I am death for you."

The next instant, darkness erupted.

A wave of black energy swept across the sky, swallowing the light.

Kong Xuanyi vanished, not teleported, but dead.

Luo Xianyin froze mid-attack, her expression collapsing into horror as her own power was ripped apart by the tide.

Then, as the void calmed, Yu Xuan stood alone.

Behind him, the shadow of a vast, devouring abyss flickered once — then vanished.

His cold gaze drifted across the plains, his tone flat.

"Now... shall we continue, we even have guests?"

As if answering him, three forms flickered into being nearby.

It was Wu Tianjian, Jun Zha, and Li Shen.

Wu Tianjian went straight to his brother, Wu Jianxiao. The younger swordsman met his gaze — angry, humiliated and wounded, then bowed his head.

Jun Zha’s eyes drifted to the pale figure of Luo Xianyin.

"I didn’t expect to meet Fairy Luo," he said lightly, studying her as if she were a rare flower beautiful, fragile, and dangerous.

Luo Xianyin looked drained; the toll of igniting her blood essence had left her skin oddly paled, but she remained undeniably beautiful.

"Fairy Luo," Jun Zha continued, producing a small information jade and tossing it toward her,

"how about we join hands?"

He inferred she might not fully understand the trial’s true purpose, her reckless use of blood essence suggested ignorance.

The jade contained data about it.

’An opportunity to make connections,’ Jun Zha thought, his expression polite.

Luo Xianyin was suspicious.

Now that she is alone and weakened, making more enemies was definitely a bad idea.

She took the jade and read.

Relief flashed across her face at first, then it changed.

Color drained away, replaced by shame, then hot, white-hot anger. She knew she had been toyed with, humiliated by someone younger and far stronger than she had thought.

Rage ignited into a single, burning thought.

’To remove this disgrace, I must be the one to kill him.’

Her gaze hardened on Yu Xuan.

Yu Xuan watched without moving.

To him, strategies were meaningless, useless in the face of absolute power.

He only noted the shift in her expression, the way hatred had hardened into undiluted anger.

’So they know,’ he thought, mildly surprised.

’At least they’re capable. It will make things interesting, afterall I am unrivaled in this world.’

A small, embarrassed cough escaped him, reminding the small defeats of Young Yu, insignificant defeats.

But small losses, after all, were trivial next to his grand design.

He gave a faint nod of reassurance to himself.

"Shall we finish this?"

***

This time, Yu Xuan was the first to move.

He lifted his hand, fingers tracing lazily through the air, yet everyone present felt their heart seize.

The sky responded.

From above, crimson spears descended one after another, blazing with domineering red light and carrying an intent that seemed to pierce through body, soul, and mind alike.

He could have ended it in an instant. He knew he could.

But then... where was the fun in that?

"What terrifying intent!" Wu Tianjian roared, swinging his sword upward. Golden arcs clashed against the falling spears, explosions shaking the plain.

The others followed suit, each defending desperately.

Luo Xianyin gritted her teeth, her pale fingers weaving a net of shimmering threads to block the attack. The shockwaves tore through her defensive formation, shaking her to the very core.

’Just why isn’t he exhausted yet?! How much Qi does he have?!’

Even when they’d fought him in the first trial, he had fought endlessly, without stopping once.

She didn’t know the truth — that Yu Xuan’s cultivation technique was not a mere method, but a very unique one.

The Primordial Breathing Method allowed one to draw in and refine the world’s Qi with every breath.

As long as the heavens contained spiritual energy, Yu Xuan would never run dry.

And with his unique [Origin] Spiritual Roots, the process was effortless — his body drank Qi like air, refined it like fire.

It was as simple as drinking a bottleofwater.

He was a self-sustaining storm of spiritual power.

Yu Xuan descended lightly to the ground, his expression unchanged, eyes detached — almost bored.

Among the ones on the ground, Jun Zha looked the most unsettled. His lips twitched, his breathing uneven.

He had performed a simple divination just before this battle, just to be safe.

And what he saw...

Zero. Zero chance of victory.

Not even one in fourteen million six hundred five.

Absolute zero.

"How... how is that possible?"

Jun Zha muttered under his breath.

’Even sealed, he should have limits right?’

Desperation crept in. He flung his hand forward, opening his gourd.

The stored attack shot out, a streak of condensed terrifying golden light.

It was Wu Tianjian’s attack, roaring toward Yu Xuan.

Yu Xuan’s sword shimmered faintly.

A single red arc carved through the air and split the attack apart, dispersing it.

"Oh?" Yu Xuan remarked, voice calm, almost amused.

"That’s quite a treasure."

Then, the Wu brothers struck together, from front.

"Combined Attack — Twofold Devastation!"

Wu Tianjian’s blade blazed with golden sword intent, while Wu Jianxiao’s pulsed with bloodthirsty crimson.

The two energies spiraled, merging into a radiant storm that crashed toward Yu Xuan like judgment.

Yu Xuan lifted his left hand.

Darkness gathered upon it, swirling and then forming a black glove.

Then, he caught their combined attack with his bare hand.

The collision shattered the ground, creating shockwaves that threw everyone backward. Yet Yu Xuan stood still, unmoving, his grip firm.

Everyone was silent, while the Wu brothers were in disbelief, their attack was stopped with with just his hand.

Luo Xianyin seized the opening, weaving her Qi threads again. She lashed them forward, binding Yu Xuan’s leg in a net.

Her lips curved into a smile.

’Finally!’

She pulled with all her might and promptly slipped forward, face first into the dirt.

Yu Xuan blinked. His expression turned oddly blank, as if wondering whether to laugh or pity her.

He didn’t even feel threatened, perhaps he’d bullied her too much already, to feel any threat.

Jun Zha forced out a strained laugh, trying to mask the creeping unease in his heart.

"Haha, fellow Daoist, you are playing with her! I just wonder, before the seal, were you perhaps in the Void Traversing Realm? Or maybe even... the Supre—"

Yu Xuan interrupted flatly, "What are you talking about? I’m merely a Foundation Establishment disciple."

Jun Zha froze.

Even his gourd trembled slightly in disbelief, forgetting it was not a conscious treasure.

’A Foundation Establishment...?’

He refused to believe it. No mere Foundation cultivator could make them look like ants before a dragon.

Before he could speak again, Yu Xuan’s sword flashed.

A crimson arc tore through the air, colliding with something unseen — and then, a shadow flickered into view.

Li Shen stumbled backward, spectral essence leaking from his form.

From his chest, the specter of Piao Ling was violently expelled, wailing before it disintegrated into motes of blue.

Yu Xuan’s gaze flicked toward him.

"A sneak attack? Great effort. But really, when are you all going to use your killer moves? I am quite excited to face them."

His tone was calm, unbothered — as though this battle had no importance.

Jun Zha’s lips twitched. He forced a laugh and said, "Then why don’t you start, fellow Daoist? Let’s see your killer move first."

’Go on, burn your energy. The moment you exhaust yourself even slightly, the rest of us will strike,’ he thought.

But the moment Yu Xuan’s black and white eyes turned toward him.

Jun Zha’s smile vanished.

Because in that instant, Yu Xuan smiled as if someone gave him a treasure.

It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t amused.

It was the kind of smile that made someone have a bad premonition.

And Jun Zha suddenly understood.

He had just made the worst mistake of this trial.

"Haha, brother you understand me somewhat, I will just try one move, just one..."

Everyone looked at Jun Zha with unbelievable gaze.