"Boom!"

A deafening explosion rang out as sand and gravel shot into the heavens.

Two figures retreated rapidly. Between them, a deep crater appeared, causing the onlookers to draw in a sharp breath.

To withstand a head-on clash with a Black Rank ninth-grade expert without suffering defeat made everyone present silently warn themselves: in the future, even if their cultivation surpassed Tang Yan's, they must never rashly challenge him. This guy's combat power simply could not be measured by regular realms.

"Mountain-Shattering Wave-Treading Sword!"

Tang Yan did not pause for breath. His battle momentum shifted once more, and the Unblemished Sword let out a soft hum as it slashed fiercely toward Yun Zhonghe.

Sensing the intense threat of the strike, Yun Zhonghe felt deeply frustrated. Which clan did this brat come from? How could he throw out Earth Rank martial skills as if they cost nothing?

"Snow Peak Blade!"

Forced into a corner, Yun Zhonghe finally bared his weapon-a sinister, dark curved blade appeared in his grip.

The Unblemished Sword carried rolling white waves of Qi, while the blade in Yun Zhonghe's hand resembled an icy glacial peak, chilling to the bone.

"Clang!"

A crisp metallic ring echoed through the air as both figures were sent reeling backward again.

Yun Zhonghe's face turned incredibly ugly in that instant, his internal grievance beyond words.

He had no idea what kind of monster this youth was. It was shocking enough that the boy could unleash such high-tier martial skills, but even the broken sword he wielded was bizarre!

It looked thin and light, but when they actually clashed, Yun Zhonghe realized it possessed the crushing weight of a heavy sword!

Damn it, how could a heavy sword be forged so thin? What kind of spiritual material was it made of? Who was the master smith? And how could it be so sharp?

The Moon-Gazing Saber in his hand was a precious treasure bestowed by his family, capable of cleaving through ordinary iron like butter. Yet in this exchange with Tang Yan, his blade had actually been chipped!

His beloved treasure, ruined by this brat!

Yun Zhonghe felt like weeping, but he had no time to lament.

Tang Yan's next attack was already upon him.

Meanwhile, Bai Yu and Yu Juechen were both at the Black Rank ninth grade, making it difficult for either to gain the upper hand for the moment.

Tang Yan, however, was matching Yun Zhonghe stride for stride despite being only at the seventh grade. With such a stark disparity, the duel between Tang Yan and Yun Zhonghe naturally drew far more eyes.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Tang Yan struck with astonishing speed, his movements unpredictable and bizarre. Yun Zhonghe, possessing superior cultivation, relied on his immense combat experience to weather the storm.

Blade light and sword shadows intertwined in a dense weave. This brilliant display of martial skill even drew the attention of Yu Juechen and Bai Yu.

Both were utterly shaken by Tang Yan's martial prowess. Good heavens, this was no seventh-grade cultivator; it was as if a ninth-grade master had possessed his body.

After exchanging a few more blows, Yu Juechen forced Bai Yu back and suddenly suggested, "Brother, let's halt our fight. Why don't we wait for them to settle their outcome first?"

Knowing it would be difficult to defeat Yu Juechen anyway, Bai Yu had no objections. He nodded and said, "Very well, let us see how their battle concludes."

At this point, the only active conflict on the field was between Tang Yan and Yun Zhonghe.

The two had been fighting for nearly half an hour without a clear victor, and Yun Zhonghe grew increasingly irritable.

"You are only at the Black Rank seventh grade after all. Your True Qi reserves must be running low, aren't they? Let us see how long you can hold out!" With a cold laugh, Yun Zhonghe's aura shifted as he unleashed a high-grade Black Rank martial skill at Tang Yan.

"Mountain-Shattering Wave-Treading Sword!" Tang Yan shouted softly, his white sword light resembling a giant whale cleaving through wind and waves as it surged straight ahead.

"Boom!"

Another earth-shaking tremor rattled the clearing.

After the clash, Yun Zhonghe's body swayed. Forcing down the surging Qi and blood in his chest, he immediately followed up with yet another high-grade Black Rank technique.

After three consecutive exchanges, even the dullest onlooker could guess Yun Zhonghe's intent.

He was using his robust, ninth-grade physique to withstand Tang Yan's full-force attacks, sacrificing minor internal injuries to seize the initiative. Then, he would use relentless martial skills to ground Tang Yan down.

"Shameless!" Wan Fei couldn't help but curse.

Those who had initially thought Tang Yan stood a fighting chance now shook their heads.

Tang Yan was clearly executing resource-heavy Earth Rank martial skills, whereas Yun Zhonghe was using high-grade Black Rank skills, which consumed far less stamina.

Moreover, the capacity of a seventh-grade dantian was vastly inferior to that of a ninth grade.

Under such massive consumption, it would not be long before Tang Yan's lamp was dry and his oil exhausted.

"Boom!"

"Bang!"

"Boom!"

As time slipped away, the spiritual Qi within Tang Yan's body steadily waned, and the power of his sword techniques weakened with every strike.

Seeing Tang Yan finally faltering, Yun Zhonghe's eyes lit up with joy. His robes billowed violently as a vast, profound aura erupted from his body.

"An Earth Rank martial skill!" A cry of alarm rose from the crowd.

"Roaring Mountain Seal!"

As those words left Yun Zhonghe's lips, a mass of dark green light rapidly took shape before him.

Yu Juechen's expression changed instantly. He moved to intercept the strike, but a white figure flashed forward, blocking his path.

"Brother, your opponent is me," Bai Yu said proudly.

"Opponent my ass! Rakshasa Palm!" Yu Juechen was thoroughly enraged. Unleashing his clan's ultimate art, a sky-covering wave of palm shadows burst forth, resembling a soul-reaping specter, chilling all who saw it to the marrow.

"This is..." An elder with sharp vision noticed Yu Juechen's assault.

"The ultimate technique of the Rakshasa Sect, the Rakshasa Palm!" Xiao Cangshan's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. "This batch of new students is becoming more and more interesting. However, how did a disciple of the Rakshasa Sect manage to slip into our selection?"

"It seems he was recruited by the Seventh Elder," the Eleventh Elder reported after reviewing the records.

The Seventh Elder clearly had not expected to inadvertently recruit someone with such a prominent background. He smiled awkwardly and explained, "I did not investigate thoroughly at the time. This kid claimed to be from the Xiu City Yu Family. I never expected he was an infiltrator."

"The records listed his strength at the Black Rank sixth grade, so he must have concealed his cultivation. It is not your fault for missing it," Xiao Cangshan said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Though Yu Juechen is impressive, the battle on Tang Yan's side is drawing to a close." In the Azure Dragon Academy's meeting hall, the viewing elders saw through Yun Zhonghe's strategy and breathed sighs of relief.

Even Elder Huo and Elder Zhen nodded in agreement.

"For a Black Rank seventh-grade cultivator to display such combat prowess is truly remarkable. Cangshan, this child deserves focused cultivation when the time comes," Elder Huo instructed.

"Naturally," Xiao Cangshan nodded, showing no dissatisfaction with Elder Huo's authoritative tone.

Given Tang Yan's performance today, he was fully qualified to be treated as a core seed.

On the battlefield, Tang Yan was gasping heavily for breath. Although his Vortex Dantian stored far more True Qi than ordinary martial artists of his rank, it was still slightly inferior to a ninth-grade reservoir. Exhausted, a trace of fierce unwillingness flashed through his eyes.

Sensing the suffocating, oppressive pressure bearing down from Yun Zhonghe, madness gripped Tang Yan.

A tiny, faint blue flame suddenly flickered into existence in midair.