Qin Yi pulled back the nameless flame in his palm, stepped forward to grasp the long spear, and fixed his gaze on Murong Bai. His eyes were like a boulder in a fierce gale; no matter how violent the wind and waves, he remained as steady as Mount Tai. The spear in his hand also seemed to come alive, leaping with his fingers and tracing fierce arcs in the air.
A flash of surprise crossed Murong Bai's eyes. It seemed he had not expected Qin Yi to appear under such circumstances.
"I didn't expect you to come after all." Murong Bai reclaimed his former majesty, though the emotion in his eyes grew somewhat more complex. "Still, I am rather surprised that the person matched against me in the first round turns out to be you!"
"Surprised?" Qin Yi said with a cold laugh. "Besides, the Grand Tournament isn't over yet. How could I not come!"
Hearing this, Murong Bai scoffed. "Hahaha, if you didn't come to act as a stepping stone, it really would lack a bit of meaning. It's just a pity you won't have that chance..."
Laughing, he condensed the unique Soul Essence technique of the Foundation Establishment Realm and continued to taunt him, "Do you see this? The Immortal County Grand Tournament requires opponents to be matched by realm and strength. You are a good-for-nothing who can't even step foot into the Foundation Establishment Realm—what do you have to compete with me?"
"Heh..." Qin Yi gave a faint chuckle. Then, his spear suddenly froze in mid-air, and the information on the arena's display instantly refreshed.
Qin Yi, Second Layer of Foundation Establishment Realm!
Leaping half a major realm all the way from the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering left everyone in the audience dumbfounded. Even Murong Bai was startled.
"Borrowing the spear's 'intent' to bind with your own spiritual Qi and exchange for realm strength?" Murong Bai quickly saw through Qin Yi's method, then laughed mockingly, "Hahaha, is this your trick?"
A youth once known as the "genius" of the Immortal County had now fallen to using an extreme "Spirit Gathering Technique" as a matching card. It truly was somewhat baffling.
Pitiful! Lamentable! Ridiculous!
Facing Murong Bai's cold mockery, Qin Yi paid it no mind whatsoever.
"Against you, it's enough!"
"Good! Then let Senior Brother shatter your naive and innocent notions!"
Bang—
In an instant, a violent vortex of Qi swept across the arena. Murong Bai gripped the hilt of his sword, every swing carrying a biting sword wind, as if gathering all the power of heaven and earth into this single stroke.
The two crossed paths under the blazing sun, sword Qi crisscrossing, completely obscuring everything outside the arena for a moment. In their fierce clash, their figures moved like poetry and painting, resembling an impassioned battle hymn.
"Junior Brother Qin Yi, after all these years, is that still the only two moves you know?"
"Senior Brother Murong jests. Being able to push two moves to their absolute peak is the greatest pride of my martial path!"
"Heh, then let's see who is truly the strongest!" Murong Bai sneered, gathering his sword in mid-air and releasing more than a dozen faint red rays that converged into his body.
Thud—thud—thud!
Moving like the wind, he closed in on Qin Yi's side in an instant. His speed was simply too fast—too fast for anyone to react in time.
Before Qin Yi could react, Murong Bai struck out with a fist directly at his abdomen.
This punch concentrated nearly half the power of Murong Bai's Soul Essence technique, as if trying to blast the very air apart.
"Bang!"
Qin Yi was sent flying by the punch, crashing into the wall as a mouthful of fresh blood gushed out.
Everyone in the audience stared in utter shock. No one had expected that Murong Bai, who had always kept his true strength hidden, was actually this formidable.
***
Meanwhile, on the fairy terrace of the Holy Book Pavilion, the three county lords, along with Shangguan Li and Gu Lin, were quietly watching this splendid Immortal County Grand Tournament.
Together, they gazed upon the contest of the younger generation, which, in a sense, also witnessed the future of the fifteen immortal counties and even the entire Puyuan World.
"This Qin Yi is indeed quite outstanding among this generation of disciples. At such a young age, he is able to train two major supreme intents to such a level..." The white-haired old woman's voice grew increasingly desolate. "What a pity... such a genius was born with severed meridians..."
Hearing this, Gu Lin beside her continuously prayed in her heart for the person she loved, her hands clenched so tightly that her fingernails were nearly digging into her flesh.
"Brother Qin Yi, you must be well. No matter the outcome this time, I will find a way to make Mother agree to our marriage!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
At some unknown point, pure white snowflakes began to drift from the sky. The snow was fine and light, falling quietly like a sigh from the heavens.
At first, it appeared only as tiny specks of decoration, but it gradually grew dense, dyeing the entire Holy Book Pavilion in a sheet of immaculate white.
In the wind, the snowflakes fluttered like dancers, gleaming with crystal radiance as if stardust were being scattered upon the mortal world. Pedestrians hurried along the veranda, their bodies dusted with traces of fine snow.
For a moment, except for the two in the arena, everyone else noticed the man standing proudly with his hands behind his back in the vast sky. His posture was as straight as a pine, as though he had merged with heaven and earth.
The newcomer was the Lord of the Fifth Immortal County—Fuchen Zi! Also known to the world as the "Daoist of Sealing Wheels," who mastered the rules of snow "intent."
"Hahaha, you old man actually came out of seclusion."
"As expected, it still takes your disciple to shake your foundation..."
Seeing the two county lords step forward with welcoming smiles, Gu Lin, standing beside Shangguan Li, hurriedly bowed and called out, "Uncle Fu!"
"Mm."
Fuchen Zi smiled faintly, his figure shifting like a dancing snowflake as he drifted down gracefully. With a wave of his hand, an invisible current of air swept past, blowing away the dust near the three county lords.