Chapter 82: Victory

## Chapter 82: Victory Secured

Tear!

Tear!

Yet, despite his efforts, each onslaught of wind flower and snow leaf, though singular, still managed to tear at his Daoist robe.

"Wind Flower Snow Leaf. I didn't expect Yue'er to have mastered this secret art to such a degree." Standing on the stone steps, Xu Fu watched the unfolding battle, his beard stroking his chin in satisfaction, seemingly pleased with the disciple he had nurtured.

Withdrawing his gaze from Qi Yue, he turned his attention to Ye Chen.

Qi Yue's Wind Flower Snow Leaf, a technique of profound mystery, had already forced Ye Chen into a precarious position, leaving him visibly flustered.

"Young and spirited, it is good to temper their edges against each other," Xu Fu mused with a smile.

"This secret art is truly peculiar!" Ye Chen dodged at times, defended at others, yet remained ensnared by the ceaseless assault of wind flower and snow leaf. As soon as one dissipated, another followed, as if without end.

"However, to think you can defeat me, Ye Chen, with just this secret art, is a grave underestimation." A cold chuckle escaped him. Ye Chen executed a graceful spin, swinging his sword to scatter the attacking wind flowers and snow leaves. Then, with a decisive step, he surged forward, directly towards Qi Yue.

Seeing this, Qi Yue immediately swung her jade arm, scattering more wind flower and snow leaf, intending to trap Ye Chen once more.

Alas, she had indeed underestimated Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's movements instantly became ethereal. His feet traced the enigmatic steps of the Shadow Illusions, leaving behind a trail of afterimages. The surrounding wind flower and snow leaf, though swift, were clearly unable to keep pace with his rhythm.

"Such a profound movement technique," not only Qi Yue but even Xu Fu revealed a look of surprise.

"Senior Sister, now it's my turn to attack!" Having closed the distance to Qi Yue with all his might, Ye Chen unleashed the Thunder Surge Palm, a technique he had long held in reserve.

Facing the domineering palm wind, Qi Yue's delicate brows furrowed once more. From this palm wind, she clearly sensed a formidable offensive power, one that a cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm should not possess.

Despite her surprise, Qi Yue still swung her jade arm. Spiritual light flashed from her jade hand, and she pushed out a palm, clashing head-on with Ye Chen.

Boom!

The two palms met with a resounding crash.

Observing the outcome, Ye Chen was forced back a single step, while Qi Yue was also shaken back one step.

A direct palm clash, and neither had gained the upper hand.

"What kind of monster is he?" Qi Yue's beautiful eyes were filled with astonishment. Only now did she truly understand that Xu Fu's words were not without basis.

Amidst her surprise, Ye Chen had already swung his sword, aiming directly for her brow.

Seeing this, Qi Yue retreated, her toes lightly touching the ground, her footwork also extraordinarily mysterious. With just a two-inch difference, Ye Chen unexpectedly failed to catch up to her.

"Heavenly Peak Finger!" In retreat, Qi Yue suddenly widened the distance between them, then extended her jade finger and pointed.

In an instant, Ye Chen hurled the Scarlet Sky Sword.

Pound!

A metallic clang echoed. Facing the flying Scarlet Sky Sword, Qi Yue sent it soaring with a single finger.

Seeing Ye Chen pounce, Qi Yue swung her hand and pointed again.

However, to her utter disbelief, Ye Chen showed no defense, taking Qi Yue's finger strike head-on. A bloody hole was gouged into his shoulder, yet he still pressed forward, closing the distance to Qi Yue with forceful determination.

Evidently, Qi Yue had not anticipated Ye Chen fighting in such a manner.

Amidst her surprise, Ye Chen had already swung his palm down in a chopping motion, accompanied by the roar of a beast.

Qi Yue's expression was cold, and she responded calmly, raising her hand to block. But below, Ye Chen's knee simultaneously rose in resistance.

"Close-quarters combat?" Qi Yue's eyes narrowed, and she used one hand to block Ye Chen's knee strike.

"Precisely!" Ye Chen grinned strangely, and his fighting style instantly became fierce, domineering, and exceptionally unusual.

Roar!

Roar!

Roar!

Within the Spirit Pill Pavilion, inexplicable roars resounded, accompanying each of Ye Chen's moves.

He was like a fierce beast descending from the mountain, sometimes resembling a fierce tiger, sometimes a ferocious ape, at times a male lion, and at others a azure wolf. He grabbed, he struck, he tore. His hands, feet, knees, and shoulders were all utilized. Every joint on his body transformed into a ferocious weapon.

"To possess such a dominant close-quarters combat secret technique," Qi Yue, in her flurry, couldn't help but feel startled.

"Good boy, I underestimated you," Xu Fu also displayed a surprised expression. "Aside from that boy on Heavenly Sun Peak, this is the first time I've seen Yue'er in such a predicament. It seems there's a reason you were able to cripple more than half of the true disciples of Ren Yang and Earth Yang Peaks."

Boom!

Boom!

The fierce battle raged on. Ye Chen grew braver with each exchange. Relying on the profound essence of Beast Heart Fury and the mysterious footwork of Speed Shadow Thousand Illusions, he managed to push Qi Yue back continuously for a time.

Observing Qi Yue, her clothes were disheveled, and she was in a state of embarrassment. Although she possessed multiple profound arts, each time she attempted to form a hand seal, Ye Chen would interrupt her preemptively. Consequently, in this close-quarters combat, she was suppressed, unable to even raise her head.

Boom!

With a loud bang, Qi Yue endured a punch from Ye Chen, and her retreating body slammed into a stone tablet behind her, causing it to collapse.

Only then did she have a moment to react, flipping her palm and sending the charging Ye Chen flying.

"Azure Sea Spiritual Spring!" Having repelled Ye Chen, Qi Yue quickly formed a hand seal.

Suddenly, waves surged, and the sound of crashing waves echoed. Behind Qi Yue, rolling waves surged forth, even swallowing the massive pill refining furnace. The momentum was extraordinarily grand.

This secret technique was extraordinary. It seemed she was unwilling to lose to a cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm and had unleashed a renowned ultimate skill.

Across from her, facing the rolling waves, Ye Chen suddenly retreated a step. The surging momentum of this Azure Sea Spiritual Spring was immense; likely few outer disciples could withstand its attack.

"True Fire, manifest!" With a thought, he summoned his true fire.

The true fire radiated dazzling golden light and burned fiercely. With him as the center, it formed a vortex of flames, protecting him within.

Facing it, the surging waves immediately submerged him.

Huff!

Only then did Qi Yue exhale a turbulent breath. Quite confident in her own secret art, she was certain that Ye Chen would be unable to block this move. Her beautiful eyes still held a look of surprise; it was the first time she had been so embarrassed at the hands of a cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm.

"To be able to force me to use this secret technique, Ye Chen, you have sufficient reason to be proud."

However, as her words fell, her displayed Azure Sea Spiritual Spring was forcibly breached by Ye Chen, and a rolling heatwave vented forth.

Zheng!

Immediately following, the crisp sound of a spiritual sword echoed.

In her shock and disbelief, the tip of the Scarlet Sky Sword was already three inches from her throat.

"Senior Sister, you've lost," Ye Chen said with a smile, looking at Qi Yue.

"This..." Qi Yue stared blankly at Ye Chen in front of her, her jade mouth open, unable to close it for a long time.

Although it was only three moves, she knew that the secret techniques she displayed in those three moves were all extraordinary. To be defeated by a cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm, despite her cultivation level, was something she had never expected.

Putting away the Scarlet Sky Sword, Ye Chen staggered, almost falling.

Qi Yue's Azure Sea Spiritual Spring was indeed powerful. If not for his true fire's restraint, he would undoubtedly have been defeated.

"The disciple Xu Fu has trained is truly not simple." His heart was filled with sighs. Ye Chen knew that if there were no three-move limit, the outcome of a prolonged battle, who would win and who would lose, was uncertain.

"Good boy, you've truly surprised me!" Xu Fu, standing on the stone steps, slowly walked down, his face filled with sighs.

"Just luck," Ye Chen chuckled, pouring spiritual liquid into his mouth one after another.

Xu Fu's gaze had already turned towards the silent Qi Yue. His face stern, he said, "Yue'er, you must understand, there are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. This defeat today, you should go back and reflect upon it well."

Qi Yue pursed her lips but still nodded.

She knew that if Ye Chen's cultivation was at the same level as hers, she would undoubtedly have been defeated. On this point alone, she was not as good as Ye Chen.

Slowly moving her feet, Qi Yue silently walked towards the side hall. As she stepped into the side hall, she didn't forget to turn her head and glance at Ye Chen. A cultivator at the Qi Condensation Realm, a pill master who shouldn't be skilled in combat, had given her far too many surprises.

"I was too arrogant," Qi Yue suddenly murmured to herself, a strange emotion stirring in her heart.

Ye Chen evidently did not notice Qi Yue's unusual departure. At this moment, he was rubbing his hands and chuckling as he looked at Xu Fu. "Elder, your words must count, right?"

"You won't be shorted," Xu Fu said testily. His disciple had been defeated, and he himself felt a loss of face.

However, he still kept his promise.

Under the moonlit night, he conjured the earth fire and threw the spirit herbs Ye Chen had prepared beforehand into the furnace one by one.

Compared to Ye Chen, this half-baked pill master, his attainment in pill refining was much higher. Refining soul pills was effortless for him. And as he refined, he simultaneously explained the profound mysteries within to Ye Chen.

Pills formed!

Soon, with a soft command from Xu Fu, a crystal-clear cyan pill flew out from within the pill refining furnace and was caught in his hand with a wave of his arm.

"Got it? See clearly?" Xu Fu, quite consciously, tucked the freshly refined soul pill into his sleeve.

"Indeed, it's a bit more difficult than the Essence Return Pill, but there should be no problem," Ye Chen stroked his chin.

"Then you can refine it slowly," Xu Fu, on the contrary, was leisurely, humming a little tune as he walked into the back hall.

(End of this chapter)