Chapter 61: Chapter 57: Demonstrating Great Divine Power

At this moment, in the square in front of the sect gate, amidst countless gazes, Ye Chen and Jin Xuanlie stood facing each other, separated by over ten meters.

Jin Xuanlie, at the age of around twenty-three or four, was not much of a talker, but his eyes, fixated on Ye Chen like a predator stalking its prey, emanated a chilling ferocity.

Just from his gaze, one could tell that he had taken many lives with his hands!

"Jin Xuanlie, at the ninth layer of the True Qi Realm, is said to not be innately talented, but he is extremely ruthless with himself! Rumor has it that he once ventured into Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain alone to hunt demon beasts and hone his True Qi, spending a full three years before emerging!

He slaughtered thousands of demon beasts in the mountains and also killed numerous disciples from other sects!"

"His hands are already bloodstained! This kind of person, with terrifying real combat experience—Elder Zhou Yuntian chose to send him out first. It looks like his aim isn't just to kill Ye Chen but also to probe all of Ye Chen's techniques!"

Sect disciples who knew of Jin Xuanlie were quietly discussing his background.

"I heard that not long ago, Ye Chen, with only the fifth layer of True Qi Realm, managed to counter-kill someone at the seventh layer. But no matter how powerful he is, it can't be possible for him to fight against a ninth layer True Qi Realm expert so soon!"

"If he no longer has that Spirit Talisman that can withstand the attack from a Spirit Sea Realm expert, I'm afraid Jin Xuanlie could directly kill him!"

After Ye Chen returned to the Qingyun Sect, he had only made two moves: once to save his maid Tao'er by cutting off the hand of a seventh layer True Qi disciple and the other time was to use a Spirit Talisman to directly withstand a killing strike from Zhou Yuntian.

As for Ye Chen's true strength, not to mention the sect disciples, even Zhou Yuntian and Luo Kun didn't know the full extent.

The battle that was about to begin between Ye Chen and Jin Xuanlie was the best opportunity for them to gauge Ye Chen's strength!

Boom!

Just as Ye Chen had stood firm, a sudden flash of cold light burst from Jin Xuanlie's eyes, and the enormous True Qi in his body erupted violently. He stomped the ground so hard that a large chunk of bluestone shattered beneath his feet, and like a humanoid beast, he lunged at Ye Chen with explosive force.

Jin Xuanlie's eyes were fiercely brutal, and without uttering a single word, he launched his attack!

Almost before many of the sect disciples had time to react, he had already charged to Ye Chen's side.

"Can he block it?"

Jin Xuanlie's horrifying charge tightened the chests of many sect disciples; they felt that if this charge were aimed at them, apart from those who were above the tenth layer of True Qi, not many could withstand it!

These sect disciples all turned toward Ye Chen, eager to see how he would defend against Jin Xuanlie's ferocious onslaught.

Clang!

Before they could get a clear view, they heard an extremely faint sound of a sword's cry. Then, almost at the moment Jin Xuanlie, who was charging explosively toward Ye Chen, neared him, he swiftly retreated backward at high speed.

Their advance and retreat seemed almost without interval!

"What happened?"

No one saw clearly whether Ye Chen and Jin Xuanlie had actually clashed, but when Jin Xuanlie leapt back to his original position like a cheetah, everyone noticed a faint trail of blood suddenly appeared on his forehead.

And in Jin Xuanlie's eyes, which previously brimmed with ferocity, fear surfaced when he looked back at Ye Chen!

Jin Xuanlie was afraid; it was clear from his eyes that Jin Xuanlie was afraid!

Could Jin Xuanlie, known as the Blood-handed Butcher, who had fought in Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain for more than three years, and whose combat experience at the ninth layer of the True Qi Realm was incredibly vast, actually fear Ye Chen?

The onlooking sect disciples couldn't believe it.

"Did you see it clearly?"

"No, I couldn't see anything at all. I just saw Jin Xuanlie charge and then retreat explosively! Did Ye Chen and Jin Xuanlie already exchange blows just now?"

The sword technique Ye Chen used against Jin Xuanlie was the Xuan-rank lower-grade technique, Wind Sword Skills, which he had painstakingly studied after emerging from the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode.

"Shi Tian, go deal with Ye Chen!"

"His martial skills are very powerful. Remember to use True Qi to suppress him; his True Qi is only at the sixth layer, and can't compare with your ten layers of True Qi!"

"After you exhaust his True Qi, then strike and kill him directly!"

After Ye Chen repelled Jin Xuanlie with one move, Zhou Yuntian once again called upon a disciple from the Heavenly Net Sect.

Boom!

This disciple from the Heavenly Net Sect, with long hair scattered and a slender figure at the age of nineteen, vibrated with True Qi upon hearing Zhou Yuntian's words and swiftly leapt from the crowd, taking a stance opposite Ye Chen.

Just from his flying technique alone, one could tell that this person's True Qi was much stronger than Jin Xuanlie's!

Shi Tian, a disciple of the Heavenly Net Sect at the tenth layer of True Qi Realm, another summoned by Zhou Yuntian to deal with Ye Chen!

"Ye Chen, your sword technique really surprised me!"

"However, a fight doesn't rely solely on martial skills; True Qi is equally important! Without sufficient True Qi, even the strongest martial skill won't have a chance to be used! The gap between the sixth and tenth layers of True Qi is substantial. Today, I will let you see just how vast the gap in True Qi can be!"

Shi Tian wasn't as subdued as Jin Xuanlie before. From the moment he arrived, he tried to shake Ye Chen's foundation with his words, making him a far more fearsome opponent than someone like Jin Xuanlie, who wore his killing intent on his face.

Ye Chen glanced at Shi Tian and said indifferently, "No need for words, make your move!"

This was Ye Chen's first time facing an opponent at the tenth layer of the True Qi Realm, and he was more focused than before; yet, part of his mind was still alert to Zhou Yuntian's actions.

Ye Chen always felt that Zhou Yuntian would not simply send a few True Qi Realm disciples to deal with him.

Shortly after the brief conversation between Ye Chen and Shi Tian, seeing that his words couldn't stir any agitation in Ye Chen, Shi Tian made his move.

Boom!

He spread his hands and a vast amount of True Qi burst forth from his body, shooting ten or so meters high, enveloping him. Then, with a fierce bend at the waist, he punched down on the ground.

"True Qi Piercing, Explosive Kill!"

As Shi Tian's fist struck out, the formidable True Qi around him poured into the ground, and in an instant, the land where Ye Chen stood collapsed, while more than thirty huge Spire of True Qi erupted from beneath Ye Chen, piercing towards him.

The astonishing True Qi and the eerie martial skill left many of the watching sect disciples in shock.

True Qi burst into the ground, passing through more than ten meters of earth, and suddenly launching Spire of True Qi; if caught off guard, one would likely be instantly pierced through by these spines.

And the person who made the move was more than ten meters away, making it very difficult to counterattack.

While many watching sect disciples were startled, Ye Chen, who was being targeted by the more than thirty huge Spire of True Qi, suddenly soared into the air, floating in the sky in an instant.

At the same time, he reached out his hand towards the void, and instantly, more than fifty Swords of True Qi formed and hovered around him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With a terrifying violet light erupting from the more than fifty Swords of True Qi that had formed instantly, they smashed towards the more than thirty Spire of True Qi.

These Swords of True Qi, in the blink of an eye, annihilated all the Spire of True Qi into smoke!

And Ye Chen, who hung suspended in mid-air for a moment, reached out again, and after having shredded the Spire of True Qi, the more than fifty Swords of True Qi strangely changed direction, reflecting back towards Shi Tian, who was more than ten meters away.

Afterward, Ye Chen landed back on the ground.

Watching Ye Chen hang in the air for a moment, summoning more than fifty Swords of True Qi instantly, and then witnessing the swords emit the glow of sword techniques, Zhou Yuntian and Luo Kun, along with the seven great elders of the Qingyun Sect, all exclaimed in unison, "Sword Intent! This is Sword Intent!"