Chills ran down the onlookers' backs upon hearing the scream of agony.

Jiang Xiaofan's stomp on the young man was ruthless. Even Ying Tianyang, whose cultivation was at Phantom Saint, had sustained grave injuries from his attacks, let alone some young man who had just reached the Realm of Dust. His physical nature was incomparable to Jiang Xiaofan's.

w.a.n.g Ao's complexion instantly paled. Despite his s.h.i.+xiong, "the Young Spirit Channeler", having already reached the Realm of Dust and excelling in advanced cultivation methods and combat techniques, he could hold not Jiang Xiaofan at bay. w.a.n.g Ao's heart rapidly raced. He was extremely fearful of Jiang Xiaofan.

Jiang Xiaofan stood at the side and peered at the young man who had just been smashed to the ground. Without gesturing his hands, he jeered, "Get up. It's only a few broken ribs. That shouldn't be a big deal to a Realm of Dust cultivator, yeah?"

This was the truth after all. There was a vast difference between a cultivator and a mortal. Even if one was a Micro Realm cultivator, a couple of shattered ribs wasn't an issue worth concerning over. The ability to channel spiritual energy was what mattered more. As long as the cultivator did not suffer from continual ferocious attacks, he or she could resume fighting.

The onlookers wanted to vomit blood after hearing him speak and inwardly cried at the thought of a Micro Realm cultivator lecturing a Realm of Dust cultivator. What's wrong with this guy?! He's so savage!

He stopped and gave the young man ample time to recover. Jiang Xiaofan only had one purpose in doing this and that was to trigger his own fighting potential. He needed to battle this young man, "the Young Spirit Channeler" seriously.

Combat was the best and simplest way to advance one's cultivation.

The young man coughed out another mouthful of blood. He appeared disheveled with his green-robed smeared with wet dirt but stood up nonetheless and stared daggers at Jiang Xiaofan. Rage boiled in his eyes as if he couldn't wait to devour him.

Jiang Xiaofan shook his head and calmly stated, "You don't need to look at me like that. It won't do you any good. So those with cultivation at the Realm of Dust are called spirit channelers? Well then, just show me how spiritual you really are. I will a.s.sess for myself if a Realm of Dust cultivator is really that powerful."

Not long ago, he had already witnessed the so-called spirit channel during his duel with Ying Tianyang. At that time, all he could think about was beating Ying Tianyang until he couldn't get back up. He didn't have the time nor energy to contemplate spirit channeling.

This time, he needed to confront it. In other words, rather than relying on his speed to avoid the attack of a spirit channel, he needed to counter it. This was his opportunity for a breakthrough into the Realm of Dust.

Ye Yuanxue wanted to comment but could only angrily exclaim, "I knew that he would be going for a breakthrough! Argh, how annoying! He creates troubles wherever he goes! Next time when he comes to the Heavenly 'Maiden Peak, I'll ask the other sisters to sic Little Black on him!"

The spectators were quite startled because they couldn't understand why Jiang Xiaofan was so focused on spirit channeling. The Realm of Dust cultivators were strong because they could use the spirit channeling technique, and this was common knowledge among all cultivators. Especially in large sects, their mystical cultivation methods were even more distinguished. As a result, their spirit channels were more powerful. Almost no one was willing to challenge them.

However, they had no words to describe the man before them. He had shocked them all. He had twice knocked the Ziyang Sect's disciple to the ground but did not finish him to conclude the battle. Rather, he wanted to challenge his spirit channeling!

"Since you seek death, then death shall come to you!"

The young man roared at Jiang Xiaofan. Another blaze appeared on his body which radiated fluctuations of scorching spiritual energy, and a second circle of flames danced pa.s.sionately around him. He looked like a frightening sprite from Inferno[1].

"Sword of Incinerating Sun!"

His eyes lit up like flares. The fire surrounding him then transformed into dozens of three-inch-long curved knives of roaring flames.

"Such overwhelming energy!"

"That's a sword of fire!"

"It's Ziyang Sect's fire elemental spirit channel!"

Someone gasped in shock upon recognizing the young man's newly displayed technique. Many spectators began to retreat in fear of the spirit channel's might.

Only Jiang Xiaofan and the young man stood in their fighting area, fifteen meters apart and facing each other.

Looking at the flaming knives hovering in midair, Jiang Xiaofan furrowed his brows. He could feel their energy fluctuations. It was energy that came from Heaven and Earth and was indeed powerful enough to the point where he felt threatened. With dozens of flaming knives coming down on him, green-light radiated from his longsword and he welcomed each knife by parrying. However, the attack power of the knives suddenly increased. His blade was subsequently bent out of shape and rendered useless.

Jiang Xiaofan was dumbfounded by what had just happened. He then prepared himself again and grew more cautious. His opponent's flaming knives were much fearsome than the crescent-shaped sword qi released from Zhu Youwei's Qingyun Sword. The Sword of Incinerating Sun was on another level.

"Hahaha! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Do you think you have what it takes to challenge s.h.i.+xiong's fire elemental spirit channel? You're merely courting death!"

The young man's expression turned icier and more morose. He had been injured twice by Jiang Xiaofan. As a Realm of Dust cultivator, the fury within him reached to an unprecedented height. After conjuring a seal, more flames appeared in midair and the heat intensified.

Jiang Xiaofan was now trapped in a difficult situation. He finally understood just how powerful the spirit channeling was. It was indeed a mystical, combative technique, and its might was beyond what a Micro Realm cultivator could handle. He didn't dare to fend off the flaming knives with his body alone.

After noticing that Jiang Xiaofan was in a predicament, w.a.n.g Ao became spirited once more. He looked at Jiang Xiaofan with smug written on his face as if he was the one who pressured Jiang Xiaofan into this state.

Jiang Xiaofan glanced at w.a.n.g Ao with cold eyes.

Ye Yuanxue knitted her brows and scowled at w.a.n.g Ao. "Hey sc.u.mbag! If you talk nonsense again, I'll roast you!"

Little One also angrily chirped at w.a.n.g Ao as if Ye Yuanxue and it had a tacit agreement. They were both highly vexed by w.a.n.g Ao's taunt.

Meanwhile, everyone else trembled in fear and their hearts skipped a beat after they had heard Ye Yuanxue's declaration. They had previously witnessed Ye Yuanxue's might during their search for the Sea of Heart. Those who used their spiritual energy to fly in the sky without any mode of transportation, undoubtedly, had cultivation at the Realm of Dust or higher.

w.a.n.g Ao's face became gloomy. He shot an angry look at Ye Yuanxue and replied, "I only showed you slight affection because you possessed some charm, and I wanted to introduce you to a core disciple of Ziyang Sect. However, you're nothing but ungrateful, and you dared to challenge me. You're just a flower vase[2]! What are you so c.o.c.ky about? Hmph! You and that b.a.s.t.a.r.d can go take a dive in the sea afterward!"

*Hiss*

Everyone sucked in a breath and subconsciously took a step back. Is a disciple of Ziyang Sect really so imperious? Imperious to the extent of reaching the cosmos? How could he say something like that?!

Jiang Xiaofan instantly grew irate, and his eyes fogged up with killing intent. He was by no means a narrow-minded person. When w.a.n.g Ao had first ridiculed him, Jiang Xiaofan dismissed his words as a fart in the wind and did not seek vengeance. Even when w.a.n.g Ao had ridiculed him again, all Jiang Xiaofan had done was merely give him a beating. However, the moment that w.a.n.g Ao had insulted Ye Yuanxue, he had not only crossed the line but far exceeded Jiang Xiaofan's threshold.

He would never forget how after he had arrived on this planet, Ye Yuanxue was the one who had taught him many things about the way of this world and had bought him his first set of clothes. Because she was afraid that he would feel lonely, Ye Yuanxue did not immediately seek her out sister to reunite with her. Even the clean set of clothes currently lying in his spatial ring was specially prepared for him by Ye Yuanxue.

In today's world, she was the most important person to him and the one whom he desired most to protect. n.o.body was allowed to harm her, not even vocally.

Right now, he was like a dragon who had just been prodded in his inverted scale[3]!

Jiang Xiaofan suddenly vanished from the battlefield like a ghost. Green rays of light exploded from his fist which violently shook the air. His agility stunned everyone who watched. Before w.a.n.g Ao could even react, a fist had already landed on his face.

*Bang*

Jiang Xiaofan channeled all his anger and strength into this attack. Even a Phantom Saint cultivator, such as Ying Tianyang, had difficulty in enduring his punch. A small fry like w.a.n.g Ao had no chance of withstanding the full brunt of his force.

w.a.n.g Ao's face was instantly deformed. Blood profusely streamed down his nose and mouth. A mouthful of teeth fell out, and his nasal bones were smashed into bits. He immediately fell to the ground, writhed in excruciating pain, and released a m.u.f.fled cry of torment.

*Bang*

Without any change in expression, Jiang Xiaofan unhesitatingly and forcefully stomped his foot on w.a.n.g Ao. The force of this stomp was even more unrestrained than the one exerted on w.a.n.g Ao's s.h.i.+xiong. The ground beneath him split open. Jiang Xiaofan's strength was unimaginably terrifying.

"Ahhhh!"

w.a.n.g Ao screamed even louder this time. Three of his ribs broke. They were all fragmented, and some of his bones punctured his organs. Blood bubbled from his mouth as he stared at Jiang Xiaofan with unspeakable horror in his eyes.

"Stop!"

w.a.n.g Ao's s.h.i.+xiong barked at him. His flames burned even brighter and lit up bigger in size, nearly covering half of the sky. Intimidating energy fluctuations emanated far and wide. As the flames flickered intensely, the sky appeared distorted like an illusion. This was the mighty power of spirit channeling.

To everyone's surprise, a flame that aimed for Jiang Xiaofan suddenly changed course, headed towards another direction, smashed into a giant boulder, and melted everything on impact.

Ye Yuanxe flew over to Jiang Xiaofan's side. She then blushed, tugged him on his sleeve, and whispered, "Perverted Wolf, don't fight anymore. He's going to die."

Jiang Xiaofan coming to her defense made Ye Yuanxue very happy; however, she was nevertheless a kindhearted girl and did not wish for his hands to be stained with blood.

Jiang Xiaofan looked back to eye her. He eventually complied with her wish but not before giving w.a.n.g Ao one last kick into the air. He then turned around, caressed Ye Yuanxue's delicate face, and smiled. "My darling Xiao Xue'er is so compa.s.sionate. Very cute."

Ye Yuanxue quickly slapped his hand and chided, "Pft! You big pervert! Who's your darling?!"

Jiang Xiaofan shamelessly chuckled, "Sooner or later, you will be."

The young man's complexion turned ashen, but he was more so confounded by what had just happened. I'm certain that my flame was aimed at him, so why did it veer off course? Can it be that I haven't fully mastered my spirit channeling?

The spectators were astounded as well. Of course, what astounded them was Jiang Xiaofan's speed and body strength. If he were to make a move against the Ziyang Sect's disciple with the same insane speed, that so-called "Young Spirit Channeler" would have little success in defending himself against Jiang Xiaofan's attack unless he condensed all his flames as a body s.h.i.+eld. Even then, he would still be at the mercy of Jiang Xiaofan's pummeling.

Editor: Vis

Footnotes