Above the vast skies, two figures battled fiercely. Below, the crowd could only look on in stunned silence.
No one noticed a small figure sprouting purple cloud wings flying away at full speed, carrying Hai Bodong with him—without so much as a backward glance.
'That kid really…'
Xiao Yan's quiet escape naturally didn't escape the notice of the two battling in the sky.
Lin Ran frowned slightly, but now wasn't the time to get distracted. His offensive continued relentlessly.
"Forget Yao Chen and that so-called future Flame Emperor for now. One's just a soul body, and the other hasn't even grown up yet. Even if I missed the opportunity this time, there'll be others."
"But if I don't take down this stubborn old fossil in front of me now, things won't end well today."
The white-robed elder also noticed Xiao Yan's retreat. A helpless look flickered across his face.
He was risking his life fighting here, and that brat just fled without even turning his head.
Helpless.
The battle raged on. The longer it lasted, the more shaken the white-robed elder became.
Lin Ran's attacks grew fiercer, his strikes sharper and more unstoppable—like a savage beast unshackled. Each punch struck solid, each move broke through like a battering ram.
By all reason, forget a Dou Ancestor—even a typical One-Star Dou Venerate would have been overwhelmed by now if they had to fight him.
And yet, Lin Ran was growing stronger the longer the fight dragged on. His aura surged with increasing intensity.
'So this… is the Pure Yang Physique?'
The elder's heart trembled.
There were very few records of the Pure Yang Physique, but in ancient clans like theirs, rare texts existed that still documented such things.
This was a legendary body—born of pure Yang essence, brimming with qi and blood, unending energy, and unparalleled vitality. Its stamina far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.
Its foundation was firm like an abyss, its strength rooted as deep as mountains. With enough refinement, even without any body tempering techniques, the physique itself could reach its peak—rendering it impervious to toxins, unbreakable by force, indestructible by external attacks.
Going head-to-head in a prolonged brawl with someone like this was simply asking for trouble.
What made things worse was that Lin Ran's cultivation technique matched his physique perfectly. That mysterious secret art which had just boosted his power—its strength was frightening.
"I can't keep wasting time like this. If I let this kid drag it out until the end, I might actually lose."
"He's still young. His Pure Yang Physique hasn't matured. He's not truly indestructible or invulnerable yet. For now, all it gives him is infinite stamina, qi, and Dou Qi."
"I'll finish this in one blow—with a high-tier Dou Technique!"
The elder made his decision.
He clenched his palm. The space around him compressed violently. Lin Ran's punch abruptly froze in mid-air.
Although he shattered the distortion a moment later with raw force, the elder had already taken advantage of the moment to widen the gap between them.
Seeing his enemy try to disengage, Lin Ran's golden eyes flashed. He shot forward like a meteor.
But just as he approached, Dou Qi surged around the white-robed elder's body like boiling water. His hands moved at lightning speed, forming intricate seals. Vast energy began to flood toward him.
"Buzz!!"
Power condensed, brimming with crushing force.
But just as he was about to complete the buildup, a violent gale came out of nowhere and slammed toward him, forcing the elder's expression to change as he hastily retreated.
At the same time, Lin Ran's fierce strike veered unpredictably, bypassing the front and hammering directly into the elder's back.
'Ugh!'
The sudden impact sent the elder staggering backward, a muffled grunt escaping from his throat.
'What a monstrous punch… With the strength of your Pure Yang Physique, you really do carry the aura of invincibility within your realm. But now…'
'Take this! Let's see how you handle the combined force of four Imperial Seals!'
With a roar, dazzling emerald crystal light burst from the elder's shriveled palm. Mystical hand seals flowed forth one after another.
'Mountain-Crushing Seal!'
'Sea-Turning Seal!'
'Subduing Earth Seal!'
The three seals overlapped. The surging Dou Qi turned the elder's face red. Light gathered and flickered within his palm. Each seal carried such devastating energy that the space around him began to fracture into black fissures.
Three seals combined—already powerful enough to reduce mountains to dust.
But it still wasn't enough.
The Pure Yang Physique was unyielding, tireless, and constantly regenerating. Unless one could kill him in a single blow, Lin Ran was like an unkillable cockroach.
The elder took a deep breath. Another seal began to form in his palm.
'Heaven-Annihilating Seal!'
A palm-sized imprint of pure destructive light appeared quietly, then merged into the previous three seals.
The moment the fourth seal fused in, the energy imprint trembled violently. Then, blinding light exploded outward.
On its surface, a strange crystalline layer emerged, spreading rapidly and encasing the entire imprint.
Imperial Seal Art—Four Seals Combined!
Feeling the overwhelming pressure from the incoming energy, Lin Ran's gaze sank.
He was forced to abandon his next move.
Lifting his palm slightly, golden brilliance as bright as the midday sun began to gather.
But before the Great Sun Sacred Yang Palm could fully form, Lin Ran's face abruptly turned pale. The surge of aura halted instantly. His body slumped slightly, like a balloon deflating.
His aura began plummeting rapidly.
"Damn it!"
Lin Ran's expression changed. He gritted his teeth and pressed a palm to his chest. From his storage ring, he pulled out several pills and shoved them into his mouth. But the wave of weakness rolling through his body couldn't be suppressed.
The white-robed elder froze, then seemed to understand.
'So it's the backlash from that secret art…'
'That secret technique of yours must have let you temporarily gain Dou Venerate strength while still a Dou Ancestor. But the aftereffects must be significant. Your Dou Qi now is much weaker than before.'
'Hmph.'
Lin Ran snorted coldly, ignoring the elder's commentary.
His Sacred Origin—Blood Ignition was a secret technique developed by his three masters, specially tailored to his Pure Yang Physique and paired with the Ultimate Bliss Manual.
Only he could use it.
It tapped into the hidden reserves of his body, drawing on his Pure Yang energy to unleash short bursts of power, even allowing him to fight above his realm.
But like most forbidden arts, it came at a cost. Such techniques worked by compressing and overdrawing one's strength. While they could provide explosive gains temporarily, they also left the body drained afterward.
Sacred Origin—Blood Ignition was no exception.
Its cost? His qi and blood.
Granted, the blood it consumed wasn't his foundational essence—it could be replenished with time.
Still, Lin Ran hadn't expected it to only last for such a short burst. The duration didn't match the demands of this fight at all!
"It seems my blood vitality has dropped to a pretty concerning level…"
He muttered softly. The surging Dou Qi in front of him forced him to lift his gaze again and refocus on the white-robed elder.
Four seals combined—paired with the strength of a true Dou Venerate—this attack could only be described as monstrous.
If he were still boosted by Sacred Origin—Blood Ignition and unleashed his Great Sun Sacred Yang Palm, he might have stood a chance.
But now?
"What a damn headache. So this is the might of the Ancient Clan's Dou Venerate…"
"Why do all those protagonists get to defy the heavens and punch above their weight so easily? Dou Kings beating Dou Ancestors, Dou Ancestors beating Dou Venerates... Why is it that when it's my turn, even a single-star Dou Venerate is this hard to deal with?"
"Fine, I admit it. I can't beat you right now. Annoying as hell."
"I really didn't want to use this… but damn it, I've only got so many of these left."
Staring at the incoming Imperial Seal Art, Lin Ran clicked his tongue. A flash of light burst from his ring as he summoned a jade slip into his hand.
With a squeeze, the jade slip shattered instantly.
A suffocating energy exploded outward from Lin Ran's palm.
'This aura…'
The white-robed elder, still focusing his energy for the final strike, suddenly trembled. A look of disbelief spread across his aged face.
'This… this can't be possible!'
(End of Chapter)