Chapter 1691: Tuoba Yans Strength
Because the arena had suffered such severe damage, the intermission before the next match was extended considerably, giving the top ten contestants more time to recover and adjust their condition.
Behind the arena, the Sunset Gate shone brilliantly.
It seemed to have sensed that the overall power level of this year's Sunset Heaven Selection far surpassed that of the previous one. As a result, both the arena itself and the surrounding defensive barriers had been significantly reinforced.
About an hour later, the puppet referee announced the next matchup in his usual expressionless tone.
"Next match. Tuoba Yan versus Ao Jue."
"Ao Jue?"
A wry smile appeared on Tuoba Yan's face.
She had not expected to face such a formidable opponent in her very first top-ten match.
Ling Feng glanced at her and said calmly,
"Yan'er, just do your best."
Tuoba Yan nodded.
Although her strength had advanced by leaps and bounds after Saint Lady Hui Yue helped awaken the potential of her Profound Yin Physique, she still lacked experience fighting opponents on Ao Jue's level.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures shot onto the arena.
Ao Jue looked at Tuoba Yan deeply, a trace of caution visible in his eyes.
"Junior Sister Tuoba Yan, please."
His voice was serious.
"I'd like to see for myself whether you also possess the strength of a top-tier prodigy."
Dongling Immortal Pool had already produced monsters like Ling Feng and Yu Linglong.
Its overall strength had become so frightening that even Ao Jue could no longer see its limits.
Furthermore, Tuoba Yan was the direct disciple of Saint Lady Hui Yue and carried the Fortune Power of the Three-Phase Heavenly Dragon.
There was no way he would underestimate her.
After all, Gongsun Long had been defeated precisely because he had underestimated Yu Linglong and suffered a disastrous upset.
"Nine Heavens Dragon Roar Heaven-Shaking Transformation!"
From the very beginning, Ao Jue unleashed his strongest vitality.
He intended to finish the battle in a single move.
After all, his fight with Ling Feng had consumed an enormous amount of energy. Although he had rested for some time, he had not fully recovered to peak condition.
He had no intention of wasting precious stamina on Tuoba Yan.
The best solution was simple.
Defeat her instantly.
Otherwise, unforeseen complications might arise.
"Junior Sister Tuoba Yan, be careful!"
Ao Jue's expression hardened as he threw a punch.
The power contained within it was enough to shatter stars.
Whoosh!
To the spectators, Ao Jue appeared to remain standing motionless in the center of the arena.
But after witnessing his battle with Ling Feng, everyone understood the truth.
That was merely an afterimage left behind by extreme speed.
His physical body had already reached the point of shattering space itself.
Sure enough, in less than the blink of an eye, his true body had already appeared directly before Tuoba Yan.
His fist blasted toward her lower abdomen.
Saint Lady Hui Yue was renowned for her Soul Dao secret arts and her control over Cold Moon Power.
As her disciple, Tuoba Yan was naturally expected to fight in a similar manner.
Cultivators of that type feared close combat the most.
The audience could not help feeling a little regretful.
With Tuoba Yan's delicate frame, if she took a direct punch from Ao Jue, the match would probably end immediately.
Boom!
Terrifying force erupted forth.
Wrapped in power capable of crushing space itself, the punch descended mercilessly.
Ao Jue did not hold back.
With the puppet referee present, Tuoba Yan's life would never truly be in danger.
At worst, she would suffer serious injuries.
To avoid following in Gongsun Long's footsteps, Ao Jue could only abandon all thoughts of showing mercy.
After all, he had already lost once to Ling Feng.
Every additional defeat would push his ranking down another place.
Yunluo Sacred Land had no room left to retreat.
Nearby, even the puppet referee shifted slightly, seemingly preparing to intervene.
Yet for some reason, he stopped.
Crack!
The sound that rang out was not Tuoba Yan's pained cry.
Instead, it was the sound of ice shattering.
Everyone looked carefully.
Tuoba Yan had merely raised one slender hand.
Centered around her body, everything within a radius of three zhang had transformed into incomparably solid ice crystals.
Even she herself had become encased within the enormous block of ice.
Ao Jue's punch caused crack after crack to spread across the frozen mass.
Finally, the entire structure shattered.
However, the massive ice block had absorbed the overwhelming majority of the punch's force.
Only a tiny fraction reached Tuoba Yan herself.
A soft grunt escaped her lips.
Since she had never cultivated any Body Refinement Art, her physical body remained her greatest weakness.
Even the residual force from Ao Jue's punch still carried frightening destructive power.
Her beautiful face turned pale.
Yet a hint of joy appeared in her eyes.
It seemed the shield formed from her Cold Moon Power could barely withstand Ao Jue's attacks.
"The Profound Yin Physique truly lives up to its reputation."
The elders from Wulei Sacred Land and Yunluo Sacred Land exchanged glances.
A headache immediately formed.
As if Saint Lady Hui Yue herself was not terrifying enough, she now had a direct disciple who inherited her legacy.
If Tuoba Yan eventually grew to Saint Lady Hui Yue's level, the other two Sacred Lands would likely be suppressed even more thoroughly.
Ling Feng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Although Tuoba Yan's mastery over Cold Moon Power was still far inferior to Saint Lady Hui Yue's, it had already begun to display genuine power.
Having personally fought Ao Jue, Ling Feng knew exactly how terrifying his strength became after activating Nine Heavens Dragon Roar Heaven-Shaking Transformation.
If Tuoba Yan's ice shield could withstand Ao Jue's punch, then it could probably endure roughly eighty dragon-strength worth of destructive power from him when he was not using the Sacred Spirit Art.
In other words, even without cultivating a Body Refinement Art, her defensive capabilities alone were enough to protect herself.
Thinking of this, even Ling Feng felt a little envious.
After only a year under Saint Lady Hui Yue's guidance, Tuoba Yan's growth rate was not inferior to his own.
Of course, such circumstances were exceptionally rare.
Both Tuoba Yan and Saint Lady Hui Yue possessed the Profound Yin Physique, a constitution so rare that perhaps only one person among millions would possess it.
Being able to take a master with the exact same physique was truly a tremendous stroke of fortune.
On the arena, Ao Jue stared at Tuoba Yan in disbelief.
As expected.
This woman was not someone who could be underestimated.
Every disciple from Dongling Immortal Pool who had reached the top ten this year was a monster.
Shi Haoxuan's strength was already absurd enough.
Ling Feng had defeated him directly.
Yu Linglong had nearly fought Ye Ting to a draw.
And now Tuoba Yan was displaying strength of this level as well.
Compared to them, Gu Changfeng, who had once been known as Dongling Immortal Pool's second strongest disciple, suddenly seemed rather ordinary.
Tuoba Yan let out a sharp cry.
"Senior Brother, be careful!"
Ao Jue's pupils contracted.
A bad feeling instantly rose within him.
The next moment, a three-zhang ice spike erupted beneath his feet without warning.
His expression changed.
He immediately circulated vast amounts of vitality and directed it into his legs.
Crack!
Crack!
The sounds of ice breaking echoed continuously.
Ao Jue stomped heavily on the ground.
Terrifying force exploded outward, shattering every ice crystal around him.
Yet despite destroying them, he found himself repeatedly forced backward by wave after wave of emerging ice spikes.
Before long, the distance between him and Tuoba Yan had widened once again.
Although protected by her ice crystal shield, Tuoba Yan had no intention of allowing Ao Jue to close the gap.
Her preferred combat style remained unchanged.
She specialized in suppressing opponents from afar through Cold Moon Power and soul-based attacks.