Chapter 1617 - Too Superficial

“Oh… You’re only in the middle phase of Shang Qing, yet you could tell my cultivation base. It seems like you’re not inferior to me in terms of advancement of the cultivation realm,” the man remarked, beaming at Yang Chen.

After receiving some “unintentional” pointer from Yu Xuening and through his incredible comprehension skills, Yang Chen had indeed undergone a rapid advancement in the cultivation realm. However, it took time to accumulate True Yuan, so he was still in the middle phase of Shang Qing.

It puzzled him that the man would praise him and seemed delighted by his achievements.

“Who exactly are you? Why are you looking for me?” Yang Chen asked while frowning.

The man stood up and walked toward him. He did not bother to be courteous, staring Yang Chen in the eye and declaring, “Nothing much. I just want to test out your prowess.”

Before he finished his sentence, he had taken a big stride forward and gripped the latter’s collar.

Yang Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief when he realized he had failed to dodge.

The step the man took might seem like nothing to the others, but Yang Chen could sense an unprecedented “Dao” from it!

It was as though the man never moved from the original spot, yet he did grab Yang Chen’s collar.

Indeed, most of the women who had cultivation were confused because the man had walked toward Yang Chen at a very slow speed, yet the latter did not dodge or counter

“This isn’t a suitable place for a fight. I’ll give you a ride.”

Yang Chen was still puzzled about the situation when the man lifted him and threw him out of the castle.

He was propelled into the air above the sea at a couple of hundred kilometers per hour, like a human shell.

Just as he stabilized himself, the man flew out of the castle and stood before him with a grin on his face.

At that moment, Yang Chen was certain that the man did not harbor malice and truly intended to spar with him. Otherwise, the latter could have attacked when he was caught off guard earlier.

“This place is spacious enough. We wouldn’t hurt the islanders if we’re careful.” The mysterious man spread his arm and gestured for Yang Chen to begin.

Although Yang Chen had calmed down, he was still baffled by the man’s “Dao” and intention.

However, he could not stand still when the man struck first. I should just take him down and talk later. 

The Heaven and Earth energy in the vicinity started twirling at a crazy speed according to his control.

Very quickly, large groups of dark colors conjured in the sky.

Like black horses, they galloped across the sky.

Everyone on the island could see the majestic sight. The commotion that roared across the sky had the women widen their eyes in astonishment.

Even though they knew Yang Chen’s cultivation was powerful for being in Shang Qing, they did not expect it to be so destructive. It seemed as though he could destroy the world.

However, the mysterious man, who stood a dozen feet away from Yang Chen, shook his head in pity.

“Do you think you can frighten me with the commotion?”

Yang Chen snorted. “Don’t be so overconfident.”

As soon as he said those words, he summoned two bolts of purple-blue Tai Qing Heavenly Lightning from the dark clouds above.

Rumble!

The lightning bolts intertwined with each other like dragons, blazing brightly above the sea in blue and purple.

The mysterious man did not seem to dodge, letting the Tai Qing Heavenly Lightning bolts strike him.

Yang Chen frowned. Is he so slow that he can’t dodge even one Heavenly Lightning bolt? That doesn’t make sense. I can still feel his True Yuan, and it’s not weakening… Could it be… No!

His heart sank. Just as he had an ominous feeling, someone had kicked him on his back.

Thud!

Despite the dull sound, the force he felt on his back was about thousands of kilograms, sending him downward.

As though he was a beam of laser, Yang Chen flew hundreds of meters forward into the sea.

That heavy strike caused him to feel like his organs were crushed, and he almost coughed out a mouthful of blood.

Yang Chen’s body was technically invincible, but the kick from the mysterious man contained his True Yuan of the pinnacle of Shang Qing, not to mention that his power was all focused on his leg, so the force carried by the kick was greater than Shang Qing Heavenly Lightning.

Yang Chen’s mind went blank. As the Heaven and Earth energy dispersed, the dark clouds naturally dissipated.

He panted as he flew back to the sky from the deep sea. He was clearly enraged, as evidenced by his inflamed eyes.

“You’re seeking death…” he snarled.

The man shook his head and sighed. “It’s useless. Even if you have a greater ‘Dao’ than me, you can’t win against me since you don’t know how to use it… I suppose finding you to spar is a boring thing. Kid, you’re still too young, and it seems like it’s not suitable for you to shoulder heavy responsibilities.”

“Stop talking nonsense with me! Get straight to the point! Who are you!?” Yang Chen did not use Shang Qing Heavenly Lightning as he was afraid of killing the man directly, but in hindsight, he regretted being merciful.

The mysterious man guffawed. “Why are you acting like a kid who refuses to admit defeat after losing a fight? Don’t you understand? No matter if it’s Tai Qing, Shang Qing, or even Yu Qing Heavenly Lightning, you won’t be able to defeat me because you can’t land a strike on me! When one reaches a certain realm, the sharpness of the knife no longer matters but rather the technique. Your knife is a hundred times sharper than mine, but your skills are subpar. Your heavenly lightning might work against the mediocre cultivators in the illusionary dimension because their realms are inferior to you, but you’re lacking when compared to me.”

Yang Chen’s face turned pale as he thought the man’s words made sense. That was because Yu Xuening had told him in private that his techniques were too coarse. At that time, he paid no heed to her reminder as he reckoned it would be fine as long as he could kill people. However, at present, he realized that, in battles of a certain level, he might not be able to gain the upper hand through absolute strength.

Still, he refused to give up without a fight.

Silver-blue electric current started crackling around him like a lightning shield. It was the Shang Qing Heavenly Lightning!

As the range grew, two silver-blue spears about the length of tens of meters appeared in his hands.

The Shang Qing Heavenly Lightning bolts danced like silver snakes, flicking their forked tongues that threatened to blast everything in the sky.

The mysterious man narrowed his eyes. “Oh… you’re someone who refuses to admit defeat. I like it, but unfortunately, you still can’t win against me.”

Yang Chen made no attempt to respond. He sprinted forward, transforming into a lightning bolt, in an attempt to strike the man down. He had not considered keeping the man alive.

The silver-blue Shang Qing Heavenly Lightning were like tentacles, sweeping every corner under his demand. The two heavenly lightning spears were like his arms, tearing the spaces occasionally as he brandished them around.

Although the power of the conjured heavenly lightning was not as powerful as those that fell from the sky, he could control and manipulate them as he pleased.

However, no matter how he assaulted the strange man, he would always be one step ahead of him, disappearing from the previous area and reappearing in a safer location.

Yang Chen would be deceived by him each time. Every time he missed, he became further frustrated.

After about fifteen minutes, the number of Yang Chen’s attacks had reached five digits. The women could only see the silver-blue electric current dancing everywhere, yet all his strikes would miss the target.

It was the umpteenth time Yang Chen realized all his attacks landed on an apparition did he stop. At that instant, he was overwhelmed with helplessness.

The mysterious man suddenly appeared behind Yang Chen. Smiling, he said, “Do you understand now? If I wanted to leave, I would’ve done so. If I wanted to attack you by catching you off guard, you would’ve been defenseless. If I were your enemy, I might not be able to kill you, but I guarantee you wouldn’t be able to do anything to me.”

Yang Chen turned around and demanded, “Your ‘Dao,’ does it cause people to have hallucinations?”

The man was stunned for a while before he laughed and replied, “It looks like you’ve regained your composure. Unfortunately, you’ve made the wrong guess… My ‘Dao’ is similar to hallucinations, but it’d be too superficial if that’s all to it.”