Fortunately, the main hall of the Imperial Observatory was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate duels between Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
The participants took their positions, and Luo Wuzhou stepped forward first.
Earlier, Luo Yunzhou had informed Han Yi that he wouldn't be the first to fight. Han Yi would only enter the arena after all the Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Luo Clan had taken their turn and been defeated—a gesture of respect.
Han Yi had no objections. Using his Qi Observation Technique, he had already assessed the cultivation levels of all the cultivators present, except for the elderly Foundation Establishment expert. Among those with the strongest auras were Patriarch Liu Heng of the Liu Clan and Patriarch Tang Xiangyu of the Tang Clan, both seasoned Ninth Layer Qi Refining cultivators.
While he couldn't gauge their combat prowess, even if they were formidable, they couldn't possibly surpass the burly cultivator wielding a halberd he had encountered in the Myriad Demon Mountain Range.
Moreover, Han Yi's half-year of secluded cultivation had resulted in a significant leap in his cultivation realm, making him far stronger than before. He had nothing to fear.
Another young man also caught his attention. The youth's aura was ethereal and elusive, defying comprehension. Standing among the Liu Clan members, he exuded a cold, aloof demeanor, dressed in a pale azure robe. His calm, steady eyes betrayed an extraordinary air.
"A member of the Liu Clan, or perhaps someone they've recruited from another sect, just like me?" Han Yi speculated.
As Han Yi glanced over, the young man turned to meet his gaze. Their expressions remained calm as they passed each other, but Han Yi couldn't help but take extra notice of him.
On the arena, the Tang Clan made the first move, sending forth an elder from their ranks who had reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement.
The moment he stepped onto the platform, Luo Wuzhou launched his attack. He wielded a Mid-Grade Magic Artifact shaped like a long banner. Unlike the sinister Blood Soul Banner, this one was pale gray. When activated, dozens of long strips of cloth unfurled from the banner, drifting in the air before wrapping around the Tang Clan elder. Han Yi realized this banner was designed to ensnare opponents, and the cloth strips were integral parts of the artifact, not ordinary fabric.
As expected, the Tang Clan elder became completely immobilized. Luo Wuzhou seized the opportunity, delivering a decisive blow that sent him tumbling from the arena in defeat.
Next, a member of the Liu Clan at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement stepped forward. This time, Luo Wuzhou was defeated.
Han Yi observed from the sidelines, recognizing the Tang and Liu Clans' strategy: a deliberate series of challenges to wear down the Luo Clan before vying for dominance themselves.
Han Yi shook his head. If he hadn't intervened, the Luo Clan would undoubtedly have been crushed.
The battles raged on. After Luo Wuzhou's defeat, Luo Anyang, a Ninth Layer Qi Refinement expert from the Luo Clan, took to the arena, only to fall to a Liu Clan elder of the same cultivation level. Finally, Luo Zhiguang stepped up, wounded but determined. Summoning every ounce of strength, he managed to secure a hard-won victory.
Tang Xiangyu roared with laughter. Luo Zhiguang was exhausted and unable to continue the fight, and years ago, Tang Xiangyu had already easily overpowered Liu Heng of the Liu Clan. Victory was assured—it belonged to him, to the Tang Clan. He would easily defeat Luo Zhiguang again, then crush Liu Heng.
But then, he noticed a young man emerge from the Luo Clan ranks. The youth approached Luo Zhiguang, whispered a few words to him, and Luo Zhiguang's face turned respectful. Despite his injuries, Luo Zhiguang mustered the strength to bow before being helped off the arena by his clan members.
The young man was none other than Han Yi. To remain unmoved at this point would be unconscionable.
"A mere Seventh Layer Qi Refining cultivator dares to stand before me? You have more courage than sense," Tang Xiangyu sneered. "Today, I'll teach you a lesson for your family's sake—to show you that there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens."
Had Tang Xiangyu not mentioned Han Yi's family, Han Yi might have held back, restraining his strike. But the moment his family was invoked—even though they belonged to another world—Tang Xiangyu had crossed a line.
Han Yi's face turned icy. "Shut up," he snapped.
He lightly flicked his finger into the air before him. A faint wisp of spirit qi shot from his fingertip, as if a single drop of spirit liquid had fallen onto an invisible plane. Ripples spread outward from the point of contact, seemingly slow but in reality covering seven or eight meters in an instant, reaching Tang Xiangyu's chest.
"What's that?" Tang Xiangyu exclaimed in alarm. Though the Spirit Light appeared weak, its incredible speed was impossible to ignore. He swiftly retrieved a black shield from his Storage Pouch—a Mid-Grade Magic Artifact.
The shield had barely been raised when the Spirit Light struck it.
Boom! A deafening explosion shook the arena, startling nearby cultivators, some of whom paled in fear.
An elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, abruptly opened them and turned his gaze toward the commotion, a flicker of shock in his eyes.
Across the arena, the ruthless young man among the Liu Clan members also reacted sharply. His face remained impassive, but his mind churned with turbulent thoughts as he stared intently at Han Yi.
Back in the arena, Tang Xiangyu's face twisted in horror. The Mid-Grade Magic Artifact in his hand cracked audibly under the Spirit Light's impact. The force of the explosion propelled him backward three meters.
He snapped his head up to protest, only to see a second Spirit Light hurtling toward him. No, not just one—behind it trailed six or seven more, forming a radiant line like a constellation of stars.
"Fellow Daoist, spare him..."
Before the words could finish, the first Spirit Light struck the shield in his hand. The second shattered it instantly. The third hit his shoulder as he opened his mouth to speak and began to sidestep the attack. The fourth pierced his chest, and the fifth shot straight into the center of his forehead, embedding itself in his Yintang acupoint.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In that instant, the concentrated Spirit Lights detonated, unleashing a terrifying surge of spiritual energy. Everyone present paled in horror, staring in shock at the scene.
Luo Yunzhou, standing beside Luo Zhiguang, was stunned. This was the first time he had witnessed Han Yi's terrifying power firsthand.
Their previous battle in Heavenfall City had taken place at night, obscuring the details. Moreover, Luo Yunzhou had always believed Han Yi's greatest strength lay in his Sword Control Technique.
Wait!
Luo Yunzhou knew this spell himself!
"S-Spirit Void Finger?"
As the violent surge of Spirit Qi dissipated, only a mangled corpse remained.
Han Yi's expression remained cold and stern. After more than a decade of transmigrating, he was no longer bound by the laws of his former world. Through his experiences in Mengshan City, Heavenfall City, and the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, he had become a true cultivator of the Cultivation World: decisive in his killings, unflinching in his actions.
Han Yi turned slightly to face the remaining members of the Tang Clan. Those who had witnessed their Patriarch's death, their faces contorted with rage as they glared at him, met his gaze and paled, staggering back in terror.
"Let's go," said a Tang Clan elder, newly advanced to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement. He bowed respectfully to the elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator seated at the head of the gathering, avoiding Han Yi's gaze. Without lifting his head, he gathered the shattered remains of Patriarch Tang Xiangyu from the ground, then turned and fled—more accurately, bolted—from the scene.
The remaining members of the Tang Clan, their faces pale with fear, hurried after him.
In the blink of an eye, they had plummeted from paradise to hell.
Only the Luo Clan and Liu Clan remained.
Han Yi stood in the center of the clearing. Though his aura still suggested the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement, no one except Luo Yunzhou believed it. They were now convinced he was using a secret art to suppress his true cultivation, masking his Ninth Layer strength beneath a facade of the Seventh.
The Luo Clan members' faces lit up with excitement.
Liu Heng, who had initially intended to challenge Han Yi, paled slightly.
His strength had grown significantly in recent years, and he was confident that, with some effort, he could defeat Tang Xiangyu in a rematch. However, Han Yi's effortless annihilation of the Patriarch had shaken him to his core. He might be stronger than Tang Xiangyu, but only marginally. In this situation, stepping into the arena would be suicide.
His expression darkened, but he refused to abandon his ambition. He had sacrificed too much to let it end in vain. Turning to the cold-faced cultivator among the Liu Clan members, he pleaded, "Young Master Zhao, I implore you to act."