290: Yan Di's approval

Deep within the City Lord's Manor, inside a martial arts field specifically for high-level Martial Artists to spar.

Yan Di stood with his hands behind his back, his dark red City Lord robe fluttering without any wind. His Early Stage Martial Emperor aura was as deep as an abyss and as heavy as a mountain; just standing there, he gave off an overwhelming sense of pressure, like looking up at a towering peak.

Yan Di had specifically summoned the four of them: Qin Feng, Xiao Chun, and the others.

His gaze swept across the four people standing opposite him, his expression serious:

"Qin Feng, you have offended the Yin Demon Sect, and Yan Chis nickname has offended the Hehuan Sect. This journey to the Imperial Capital will surely be fraught with danger. Although I know you have resisted the Yin Demon Sect before, seeing is believing. If you want me to feel at ease entrusting my daughter to you, you must prove that you have the strength to protect yourselves or even contend against a Martial Emperor level powerhouse."

He paused and said in a deep voice, "I will suppress my cultivation to the Early Stage Martial Emperor level. If the four of you can defeat me within a hundred moves, I will agree to let Yan Chis nickname accompany you to the Imperial Capital."

Qin Feng exchanged glances with Xia Ya, Ji Ruxue, and Xiao Chun, then nodded heavily: "Alright!"

Yan Chi stood at the edge of the arena, her eyes full of expectation. She really wanted to see to what extent this team, which had earned her complete respect, could actually achieve.

"Form the array!" Qin Feng barked.

The four quickly took their positions.

Xia Ya held the great shield 'black tortoise carrying mountain armor' and stood at the northern xuanwu position. Earth-yellow Protective Aura rose around her, thick as a mountain.

Ji Ruxue held the purple moon dagger and stood at the eastern Azure Dragon position, her figure fluttering like the wind and her aura sharp.

Xiao Chun stood at the southern Vermilion Bird position, the mystic yellow mountain-suppressing mirror floating in front of her. The mirror's surface glowed with a gentle green light, and Wood Spirit Qi permeated the air.

Qin Feng stood at the White Tiger position, ink plum sword in hand. As his Sword Heart operated, there was a faint circulation of Thunder-Fire True Intent.

Four Symbols Battle Array—Activate!

The auras of the four instantly merged into one. As the Formation operated, four-colored light flowed, forming a stable defensive force field that actually neutralized more than half of Yan Di's Martial Emperor pressure!

A hint of surprise flashed in Yan Di's eyes: "What a fine Formation! It seems the Legacy of the Medicine King Valley is indeed extraordinary. Watch out!"

He took a step forward, his figure like lightning, instantly crossing a distance of ten zhang, and struck a palm toward Qin Feng, the center of the array.

This palm strike seemed ordinary, but it contained Martial Emperor-level True Yuan. The air distorted where the palm wind passed, emitting low-pitched explosions.

"Xuanwu Guard!" Xia Ya roared, slamming her great shield into the ground. Her earth-yellow Protective Aura surged, forming a thick rock wall in front of Qin Feng.

"Boom!"

The palm force struck the rock wall, causing it to vibrate violently and develop countless cracks, but it ultimately did not collapse. Xia Ya groaned, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, but she did not retreat a single step!

"Azure Dragon Assault!" Ji Ruxue's figure emerged from the flank like a ghost, the purple moon dagger turning into a cold light that pierced toward Yan Di's ribs.

Yan Di neither dodged nor avoided it; his protective Protective Aura was naturally triggered.

"Clang!"

The dagger struck the Protective Aura, only piercing in three-tenths of the way before being bounced back. But Ji Ruxue retreated immediately after one strike, not lingering at all. Her speed made Yan Di secretly nod in approval.

"Vermilion Bird Rejuvenation!" The mystic yellow mountain-suppressing mirror in Xiao Chun's hand glowed brightly, and a gentle green light enveloped Xia Ya, rapidly restoring her damaged Meridians. At the same time, the mirror turned, and a green light beam shot toward Yan Di—this was not an attack, but an auxiliary skill to disrupt the flow of True Yuan.

Yan Di felt the True Yuan in his body stall slightly. Although the impact was minor, in a duel between experts, this slight stagnation was enough to be fatal.

"White Tiger Slaughter—Thunder-Fire Sword Net!" Qin Feng seized the opportunity, swinging the ink plum sword. Thunder-Fire Sword Qi wove into a net, enveloping Yan Di.

The power of the Four Symbols Battle Array was fully displayed at this moment. The four cooperated with perfect chemistry, offense and defense integrated as one, actually managing to temporarily trap Yan Di at the Early Stage Martial Emperor level!

The shock in Yan Di's eyes grew. He originally thought that with his Martial Emperor cultivation, even with his Realm suppressed, he could win easily. He hadn't expected the four's Formation to be so exquisite, with offense, defense, and support seamlessly integrated, giving him the feeling of facing a solid iron plate.

"Good! Now this is more like it!" Yan Di's Battle Intent was ignited, and crimson flames surged around him. "Take my Yan Family's ultimate technique—Blazing Sun Heaven-Burning Palm!"

He pushed out both palms, and the crimson flames transformed into two Fire Dragons, roaring as they charged toward the battle array.

The power of this strike far exceeded the previous ones. The temperature of the entire martial arts field soared, and the stone slabs on the ground began to melt!

"Four Symbols Rotation · Xuanwu Primary Defense!" Qin Feng immediately changed the Formation.

Xia Ya roared, pouring all her Protective Aura into the great shield. A phantom of a Black Tortoise appeared on the shield's surface, bracing against the two Fire Dragons.

"BOOM—!!!"

Amidst the terrifying sound of the explosion, Xia Ya and her shield were blown back three zhang, slamming heavily onto the ground. Charred cracks appeared on the surface of the great shield, but she struggled to her feet, still blocking at the very front.

"Xia Ya!" Xiao Chun hurriedly activated the mystic yellow mountain-suppressing mirror, pouring a large amount of life force into Xia Ya's body.

"I'm fine!" Xia Ya spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and grinned. "A Martial Emperor's attack is nothing more than this!"

Yan Di was shocked in his heart. He had used seventy percent of his power in that palm strike; an ordinary Peak Martial King wouldn't have been able to withstand it, yet this big girl was only a Mid-stage Martial King and had actually endured it! Moreover, under that little girl's treatment, her injuries were rapidly recovering!

"I can't delay any longer." Yan Di's eyes narrowed, and he moved again.

This time, he no longer held back. His Martial Emperor-level movement technique was fully unleashed, and he turned into a crimson afterimage, launching attacks from every angle.

Palm shadows fell like rain, each palm carrying the scorching Protective Aura capable of melting gold and iron.

The Four Symbols Battle Array swayed precariously under the storm-like attacks.

More and more cracks appeared on Xia Ya's great shield, Ji Ruxue's speed began to fall behind Yan Di's rhythm, Xiao Chun's healing gradually couldn't keep up with the consumption, and even Qin Feng's sword net was torn open several times by the palm force.

"Thirty moves." Yan Chi silently counted at the edge of the arena, feeling very surprised. Her father was not someone an ordinary Martial Emperor could compare to.

Yan Di became more and more alarmed as the fight went on. Even though the highest cultivation among these four was only a Mid-stage Martial King (Xia Ya), with the enhancement of the Formation, they actually managed to fight him for thirty moves without being defeated! Furthermore, this Formation's resilience was extremely strong; every time it seemed about to collapse, it would stabilize at the critical moment.

"Forty moves!"

Sweat appeared on Qin Feng's forehead as his Sword Heart operated to its limit. He not only had to command the battle array but also fill in the gaps at any time; the pressure was immense.

But his eyes burned with the light of excitement—the potential of the Four Symbols Battle Array far exceeded his imagination!

"Fifty moves! I can't delay any longer!" Yan Di decided to use a killing move.

He retreated rapidly, pressed his palms together, and the crimson flames around him condensed frantically, forming a crimson fireball three feet in diameter above his head. Golden runes circulated inside the fireball, emitting a heart-palpitating aura of destruction.

"Blazing Sun Falling Star!"

This was a move of immense power among the Yan Family's ultimate techniques. Once unleashed, everything within a ten-zhang radius would be turned to scorched earth!

"Four Symbols as One · Thunder-Fire Mountain-Suppressing!" Qin Feng knew the decisive moment had arrived and no longer held back.

The battle array glowed brilliantly as the four's True Yuan completely fused through the Formation.

Xia Ya injected all her defensive Protective Aura into the great shield, and the Black Tortoise phantom on the shield's surface solidified.

Ji Ruxue's figure transformed into nine afterimages, stabbing at Yan Di's vital points from nine directions, forcing him to divide his attention.

Xiao Chun bit her fingertip, and a drop of essence blood containing the Myriad Medicine Body Origin fell onto the mystic yellow mountain-suppressing mirror. The mirror's surface erupted with an unprecedented green light, forming a life-force barrier on the outer perimeter of the battle array.

Qin Feng pushed his Thunder-Fire True Intent to its limit. Thunder and fire merged on the ink plum sword, and a point of black-red sharp light condensed at the sword's tip—this was the manifestation of Thunder-Fire True Intent compressed to the extreme!

Jinglan · White Tiger Rend— "Slash!"

With one sword thrust, the thunder-fire sharp light was like a meteor piercing through the sky, stabbing directly into the core of the Blazing Sun fireball.

Simultaneously, nine cold glints from the daggers sealed off all of Yan Di's paths of retreat.

Xia Ya's great shield blocked at the very front, enduring the aftermath of the explosion.

Xiao Chun's life-force barriers were layered one after another, neutralizing the damage to the maximum extent.

"BOOM—!!!"

An unprecedented explosion swept through the entire martial arts field. The protective Formation vibrated violently, emitting an overburdened hum. Dust and smoke rose into the sky, obscuring the view.

Yan Chi, at the edge of the field, was pushed back several steps by the airwave and hurriedly activated her Protective Aura for protection.

When the dust slowly cleared and she saw the scene in the arena, her pupils shrank.

The four of them, Qin Feng and the others, were half-kneeling on the ground, everyone injured and their auras weakened, but the battle array had not dispersed; the four still maintained their Formation.

As for Yan Di... he had retreated three steps. The robe on his chest had been sliced open by Sword Qi. Although he wasn't injured, he had clearly been forced back!

More importantly, that Blazing Sun fireball above his head had already dissipated!

"We... blocked it?" Xia Ya panted heavily, unable to believe it.

Qin Feng stood up using his sword for support. Although the True Yuan in his body was almost exhausted, his eyes were full of excitement: "No, we won."

He looked at Yan Di: "City Lord, this move should be your strongest strike while suppressing your cultivation, right? We blocked it and even forced you back. According to our agreement, we might not have been able to defeat you within a hundred moves, but proving we have the strength to contend with a Martial Emperor should be enough."

Yan Di remained silent for a long time. Looking at these four young people before him, the shock in his eyes gradually turned into relief, and finally into a hearty laugh:

"Good! Good! Good!"

Three consecutive "good" words expressed his current mood.

"The Four Symbols Battle Array is truly well-deserved of its reputation! The four of you, with Martial King cultivation, withstood my full-strength strike at the Early Stage Martial Emperor level without being defeated. In fact, just now I had to use Mid-stage Martial Emperor strength to barely block it, yet you still forced me back three steps! Such combat power is indeed enough to qualify you to protect yourselves before a Martial Emperor!"

He walked up to Qin Feng and patted his shoulder: "Qin Feng, I am at ease entrusting Yan Chi to you."

Yan Chi ran over, her eyes sparkling: "That was incredible! That sword strike just now, and that Formation coordination... Qin Feng, just how many more trump cards are you hiding?"