446: Chapter 446 Hiding His Strength?

Morning light fell upon the arena at Huangji Square; the plaza, usually bustling with noise, was shrouded in an unusual silence today.

There were more spectators than in previous days, but whispers were kept very low.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the two figures standing opposite each other in the center of the arena.

On one side was Ye Tian, still wearing a green shirt and holding sword.

He looked much more spirited than he had two days ago; although he was still at the Fourth Stage Peak of the Sea Transformation Realm, he gave people an unshakable feeling.

However, an inconspicuous tear in the clothing under his ribs was spotted by sharp-eyed observers, who secretly speculated that something must have happened.

On the other side was Yin Wujiang, shrouded in a black robe.

He stood silently, the aura he exuded still as cold and grim as ever.

On the high platform, Prince Rong, the Elders of the various Sects, the Imperial Court attendants, and that brocade-robed messenger who had appeared in the corner at some unknown time, were all in place.

In the Liuli Xuan Sect area, Elder Qinglan and Elder Xing Tiexin had faces as gloomy as water, and Shui Qingdie clenched her hands tightly.

At the Heavenly Sword Sect side, Li Xuanxiao stood with his sword in his arms, his gaze cold and stern.

Xiahou Ba had a cloth wrapped around his head to cover the patch of green grass that hadn't fully faded yet, and he was grimacing while rubbing his chest. Qin Pojun, Han Xiao, and others also had unhealed injuries, but they insisted on being present.

"The final showdown: Ye Tian challenges the temporarily ranked first, Yin Wujiang!"

The Imperial Court attendant's voice rang out, carrying a hint of tension: "The rules remain the same: the match ends when one side concedes, loses combat ability, or falls off the arena. Begin!"

The moment the words fell, Yin Wujiang unexpectedly launched the attack first.

He did not emit that uncomfortable Death Qi as he had before, but instead transformed directly into an afterimage, darting towards Ye Tian with speed so fast it tore a sharp whistling sound through the air.

In mid-air, he extended his palm, his five fingers forming a claw, wreathed in dark green Death Qi, aiming straight for Ye Tian's heart!

Before the claw wind arrived, the life force around Ye Tian's body began to churn, threatening to be forcibly extracted.

So fast!

A chorus of exclamations erupted from below the stage.

Ye Tian's eyes narrowed; he instantly executed the Thunder Gang Dream Walk footwork, his body turning into lightning as he retreated rapidly. At the same time, sword traced an arc, slashing towards his opponent.

"Chi!"

As the sword and claw collided, Ye Tian felt a huge suction force coming from the sword; his Chaos True Essence was uncontrollably leaking outwards, while a strand of Death Qi traveled up the sword, attempting to erode the Meridians of his arm.

He let out a muffled grunt, used the force to retreat further, his face turning slightly pale.

In just one exchange, he had suffered a small disadvantage.

The gap in cultivation and the suppression of Cultivation Techniques were clearly revealed.

"Can you dodge it?"

Yin Wujiang smiled hoarsely, sticking to him like a shadow, his claws flying as strands of Death Qi devoured towards Ye Tian from all sides.

His attacks were not particularly exquisite, but they excelled in extreme speed!

What was even more terrifying was that the omnipresent devouring force field made Ye Tian feel like he was trapped in a quagmire; every movement and every sword swing consumed far more than usual, and his True Essence was constantly being plundered.

Ye Tian used the Thunder Gang Dream Walk to leave trails of afterimages on the arena, his Sword Qi crisscrossing as he tried his best to defend.

But the disadvantage was obvious; he was almost completely suppressed, barely able to hold on, and constantly in danger.

Several times, the claw wind grazed his body, leaving black marks, with his life force draining away along with them.

"Junior Brother Ye!" Shui Qingdie couldn't help but exclaim.

"Too fast! I can't see anything at all!" someone gasped.

"He's completely suppressed; he won't be able to hold on for long like this..."

Xiahou Ba was so anxious below the stage that he was scratching his ears and cheeks. With a head of green grass, he roared: "Brother Ye! Don't go head-to-head with him! Move around! Find a chance to gouge his kidneys! Yes! The kidneys! He doesn't have protection there!"

The people beside him: "..."

Yu Miaoqing's face turned red, and she couldn't help but pull on him: "Senior Brother Xiahou, keep your voice down..."

"I'm serious! A guy with such heavy Yin Qi must have weak kidneys!" Xiahou Ba said, full of confidence.

On the arena, Ye Tian turned a deaf ear to the shouting from below, focusing all his attention on dealing with Yin Wujiang's attacks.

His face grew paler and paler, his breathing became heavy, and sweat appeared on his forehead.

Yin Wujiang's devouring force field was too annoying; it was like a bottomless pit, constantly draining his power.

Even his Physical Body, which had become much stronger after the Five Elements Body Tempering, began to feel weak under this continuous plundering of life force.

This can't go on! I must break this passive situation!

A fierce look flashed in Ye Tian's eyes. After parrying another claw, he suddenly halted his figure, no longer just dodging.

He gripped his sword with both hands, held sword high above his head, and the Chaos True Essence within his body circulated frantically, erupting with full force!

"Chaos Thunder Domain, Open!"

"Boom crack!!!"

With Ye Tian as the center, the air within a radius of five zhang suddenly shook!

Countless gray, hazy thunderbolts mixed with tiny five-colored electrical sparks were born out of thin air, instantly weaving into a violent Thunder Domain!

Thunder exploded, lightning snakes danced wildly, and the ultimate Yang and rigid aura erupted and spread, colliding fiercely with Yin Wujiang's Death Qi field!

"Zzzzzz!"

The two forces of diametrically opposed natures collided violently, emitting a hair-raising sound.

The dark green Death Qi was clearly restrained significantly under the bombardment of the Chaos thunder, and that omnipresent devouring force field was also weakened!

It's effective! The thunder evolved from Chaos True Essence really can suppress Death Qi!

Ye Tian's spirits lifted. Taking this opportunity, sword carried the force of ten thousand jun of thunder, and with the move 'Thunder Breaks the Dawn', he launched a fierce counterattack!

The sword light, like a mad gray-purple thunder dragon, tore through the remaining Death Qi and pierced straight at Yin Wujiang!

Yin Wujiang seemed somewhat surprised.

But he reacted extremely quickly; he clapped his palms together, and the Death Qi condensed into a ghost-faced shield in front of him.

"Boom!"

The thunderous sword light crashed heavily onto the ghost-faced shield, erupting with dazzling light.

The shield vibrated violently, cracking with fissures, but in the end, it did not shatter.

And the power of this sword strike from Ye Tian was almost exhausted.

"I have underestimated you."

Yin Wujiang said hoarsely, casually dispersing the damaged shield: "To think you could evolve such thunder. However, with your level of cultivation, how long can you hold on?"

Before his words fell, his aura suddenly skyrocketed!

An aura far exceeding the Fourth Stage of Sea Transformation, and even several times stronger than when he defeated Li Xuanxiao, descended with a boom!

Dark green Death Qi shot into the sky, forming an afterimage of ten thousand ghosts wailing behind him!

The arena floor, with him as the center, quickly turned pitch black!

"Huahai... Sixth Stage of Sea Transformation?!" someone knowledgeable in the audience screamed.

"What?! He actually hid his strength before?!"

"Sixth Stage of Sea Transformation! How is this still fightable?!"

On the high platform, the Elders of the various Sects all changed color simultaneously.

The Sixth Stage of Sea Transformation, this was already the strength of Elders in many small and medium-sized Sects!

To appear in a young Prodigy, it was simply shocking!

Prince Rong's eyes narrowed slightly.

A trace of indifference flashed in the eyes of that brocade-robed messenger.

Yin Wujiang slowly raised his hand, and a pitch-black, tattered, eerie long banner, embroidered with countless twisted and painful faces in dark red silk thread, appeared in his hand.

The moment the long banner appeared, sinister winds howled, the sounds of ghosts crying and wolves howling erupted, the temperature of the entire arena plummeted, and the light dimmed by a few shades.