The clash continued high above the Gui Clan grounds, as fierce and unrelenting as the gathering storm clouds that rolled overhead. Shen Yuan, Feng Yanqing, and Bai Chen moved through the sky like unleashed titans, their Heaven Path Realm energies weaving together in an intricate dance of power and fury. The disciples below stared in awe, necks craned, caught between admiration and fear as each explosive strike painted the sky with a searing glow.
Hovering at a distance, Shen Yuan's eyes glinted with cold determination, sizing up his opponents. Though it was two against one, he refused to be at a disadvantage. Already he could sense Feng Yanqing and Bai Chen attempting to synchronize their attacks, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It would only take a little push to throw them off balance.
In a sudden burst of speed, he shot forward, flames of Void Fire trailing him in an eerie green blaze. With pinpoint precision, Shen Yuan flung a torrent of Void Fire directly at Feng Yanqing. She countered in time, her void flames colliding with his own in a spectacular eruption, sending waves of energy rippling through the air. But as Bai Chen charged in to assist her, manipulating gravity to pull Shen Yuan into their coordinated strike, Shen Yuan twisted sharply, deflecting their combined assault and sending it spiraling back toward them.
A low murmur of shock rippled through the disciples below. The sheer audacity and skill of Shen Yuan's movements defied reason. Even the Heaven Path Realm elders watching from afar couldn't help but raise their brows. For someone so young to maneuver so effortlessly in the midst of such overwhelming forces—it was nothing short of astonishing.
The oppressive aura that radiated from the battle pushed down on the audience with unrelenting intensity. Lower-ranked disciples began to tremble, their faces pale as their bodies struggled to withstand the overwhelming presence of the three Heaven Path cultivators. Recognizing the threat, several Heaven Path Realm elders moved swiftly, creating a protective barrier around the spectators.
"This is… absurd," muttered one elder, his voice tinged with awe as he observed Shen Yuan. "To think that the next generation could wield power like this."
Meanwhile, in the sky, Shen Yuan took a steadying breath, his mind racing. He had to be precise, ruthless. With two opponents, any lapse in concentration could shift the tide against him. He allowed himself a momentary feint, pulling his aura back just enough to make it appear as though he was on the defensive.
"Now!" Bai Chen yelled to Feng Yanqing, seeing the opening and diving forward.
But Shen Yuan's smirk deepened. In that split second, he surged upward, allowing their joint attacks to collide beneath him. The shockwave that erupted sent Bai Chen and Feng Yanqing reeling back, their attacks rendered useless as the energy dissipated into the atmosphere.
"You're going to have to do better than that," Shen Yuan taunted, his voice laced with dark amusement.
He allowed them no time to recover, immediately hurling himself back into the fray with an intensity that left even Feng Yanqing on edge. Her normally fierce expression faltered as she struggled to match his pace, her strikes becoming wild as Shen Yuan's relentless attacks drove her back. Bai Chen attempted to shield her, raising a barrier of condensed gravitational energy, but Shen Yuan's Void Fire pierced through it, crackling with an unearthly green glow.
Below, the disciples watched with wide eyes, their hearts pounding as the sheer scale of the battle unfolded before them. Each exchange of blows sent tremors rippling across the sky, thunderous clashes of power that defied comprehension. As Shen Yuan pressed his advantage, the murmurs in the crowd grew louder.
"Who… who is he?" a Qi Gathering disciple whispered, his face pale. "No one that young should be able to do this…"
Feng Yanqing and Bai Chen were both seasoned, strong Heaven Path cultivators, yet Shen Yuan's power seemed limitless, his tactics precise and cold. Even the elders, veteran cultivators who had long mastered the intricacies of battle, could not hide their astonishment.
In the sky, Shen Yuan kept up his relentless assault, skillfully using each of Feng Yanqing and Bai Chen's attacks against them. His calculated moves and manipulation of Void Fire turned their power into his advantage, breaking their rhythm with each strike. Feng Yanqing's face showed a flicker of frustration, her movements growing increasingly desperate as she struggled to keep up
And then, Shen Yuan made his final move. Gathering every ounce of Void Fire within him, he unleashed it in a sweeping arc that crackled through the sky with chilling intensity. The green flames spiraled around him, creating an imposing silhouette as he looked down on his opponents, his figure radiating an aura of pure dominance.
Both Feng Yanqing and Bai Chen faltered, their energy reserves waning. Struggling to withstand the pressure, they exchanged a brief glance, silent but resigned. In a last, desperate effort, they launched their strongest combined attack, a blazing fusion of her green void fire and gravity that tore through space itself and appeared from behind Shen Yuan.
But Shen Yuan was ready. He raised a hand, his green Void Fire surging with unprecedented strength. The combined attack collided with his flames, but instead of dissipating, it seemed to be absorbed into the void, swallowed by the all-consuming green flames.
In one swift motion, Shen Yuan redirected the energy back at them, forcing Feng Yanqing and Bai Chen to retreat. They descended, landing heavily on the ground, unable to continue.
The moment they touched down, a silence fell over the battlefield. Shen Yuan remained hovering above, his figure silhouetted against the darkened sky, the remnants of his Void Fire flickering around him like ghostly embers. He looked down at his fallen opponents, his expression one of calm triumph.
A ripple of awe swept through the crowd. The sight of him standing victorious in the sky left the disciples in stunned silence, their minds struggling to comprehend the magnitude of what they had just witnessed.
In the midst of the quiet, the elders exchanged uneasy glances. One elder, a seasoned Heaven Path cultivator, spoke up, his tone grim but filled with an undeniable respect. "That boy… he's not just strong. He's beyond what we expected. If he continues like this…"
"He'll be a force unlike any we've seen," another elder murmured, his eyes fixed on Shen Yuan.
Gui Zuwang, watching the scene from afar with his divine sense, let out a low chuckle, taking another sip of wine. "A monstrosity," he said, a strange satisfaction in his voice. "That's what he is. Shen Yuan is a monstrosity waiting to awaken."
As Shen Yuan descended, his figure bathed in the afterglow of the battle, he carried himself with a newfound sense of authority.
"Shen Yuan, you were amazing!", Feng Yanqing's voice rang out as she praised him.
Shen Yuan, caught off guard by her praise, smiled genuinely, which caused Fen Yanqing to grow a smug.
Bai Chen too came forward, "Brother Shen, your mind is really like the chaotic seas, unpredictable."
Shen Yuan patted Bai Chen's shoulder with a low chuckle.
The elders could only watch, their hearts heavy with both awe and apprehension, knowing that whatever path these three would choose next, it would leave a mark that none of them would soon forget.