Chapter 423: A Close Match!

"Xue Zaihe, don't hold back!" Huang Wenqiu said.

"Don't worry, I know where my interests lie. Let's deal with this kid first, then we'll talk about other matters!" Xue Zaihe replied.

"Good, let's go!"

As Huang Wenqiu's voice fell, the two figures vanished from their spots with incredible speed.

Compared to them, Wang Jie's earlier speed was as slow as a snail!

At the same moment, Ye Yuan's figure also disappeared from where he stood!

"Clang, clang, clang..."

A series of metallic clashes rang out, and the martial artists below the stage could barely catch the movements of the three. Only from the occasional afterimages could they tell that the three were locked in fierce combat.

That Huang Wenqiu and Xue Zaihe were so fast was within everyone's expectations.

But no one expected that Ye Yuan could keep up with their speed!

Fighting one against two, he was actually holding his own!

Since when did a Crystal Formation realm martial artist have such speed...

"Too fast, I can't see their moves at all! Who's winning?"

"I don't know, I can't see clearly either! Is Ji Qing really a Crystal Formation realm martial artist? Is he hiding his strength?"

"Impossible! From start to finish, his Yuan power fluctuation has been at the seventh level of Crystal Formation, no mistake!"

"If I were on that stage, I'd have died dozens of times already! Huang Wenqiu and Xue Zaihe truly deserve to be the second-strongest; their comprehension of artistic conception is far beyond what rookies like us can match!"

In truth, both Huang Wenqiu and Xue Zaihe were extremely wary of Ye Yuan's Thousand Flowing Petals.

The scene earlier had left them deeply shaken.

So the two had tacitly chosen to attack directly, engaging in close combat to deny Ye Yuan the chance to use Thousand Flowing Petals.

Both were at the fifth level of Sea of Transformation, far above Ye Yuan in cultivation level, and they decided to crush him with their superior realm!

But things didn't go as they had imagined. The more they fought, the more alarmed Huang Wenqiu and Xue Zaihe became.

Ye Yuan wielded his Canghua Sword so tightly that not a drop of water could get through. After over a hundred exchanges, the two hadn't gained the slightest upper hand!

How... was this possible?

How could they know that Ye Yuan had comprehended the artistic conceptions of transmission and flow? In terms of movement and attack power, he surpassed them by far.

Except for being slightly disadvantaged in Yuan power, Ye Yuan was leagues ahead of them in every other aspect!

It was precisely because of this that Ye Yuan could barely fight them to a draw. Otherwise, their fate would have been no better than that of the earlier martial artists.

Moreover, during the battle, Ye Yuan continuously condensed small clusters of Thousand Flowing Petals to neutralize their various attacks.

With Ye Yuan's current strength, condensing such a small cluster of petals took only an instant, requiring no large-scale mobilization of heaven and earth Yuan power.

"Ji Qing's application of techniques has reached the level of effortless control. And his technique, like petals dancing along with his entire body, is truly a delight to watch!" Shangguan Lingxue praised.

Of course, not everyone was unable to keep up with the three's speed. There were many experts present, some even stronger than them, so naturally some could see clearly.

But precisely because they could see, they had a clearer understanding of Ye Yuan's prowess.

After much exploration and insight, Ye Yuan's use of Thousand Flowing Petals had reached a very proficient level.

In other words, Ye Yuan had taken another big step forward in his comprehension of this supreme true meaning.

Shangguan Lingyun also nodded: "To apply techniques with such mastery, this Ji Qing's strength is truly astonishing!"

Shangguan Lingxue said with some surprise: "Brother rarely praises anyone. You're not thinking of fighting him, are you?"

Shangguan Lingyun smiled: "As expected of my sister. Yes, such an opponent is truly rare!"

Shangguan Lingxue teased: "So, brother, are you eyeing Ji Qing as an opponent, or are you interested in Sister Ruyan?"

"Haha, Ruyan and you are known as the Twin Beauties of the Royal City. If I could marry her, wouldn't that be wonderful?" Shangguan Lingyun laughed heartily.

"If that's the case, then brother will have to kill Ji Qing on the stage today, or else you'll be setting a fearsome opponent for yourself." Shangguan Lingxue smiled.

Shangguan Lingyun's smile froze. Clearly, he hadn't considered that issue.

And this issue was indeed a life-and-death matter.

If he really killed Ye Yuan, the Shangguan family would completely offend the Alchemist Guild.

As long as Xing Yuan held his position, the Shangguan family could forget about having the Alchemist Guild refine a single pill.

Such a loss was not something the Shangguan family could bear.

But if he didn't kill Ye Yuan, the enmity over taking one's wife was irreconcilable. How could Ji Qing let him off easily?

Although Shangguan Lingyun was extremely confident, he really didn't want to provoke a monster like Ye Yuan.

"Alright... pretend I didn't say anything." Shangguan Lingyun said helplessly.

"Hehe, I've never seen my brother like this. I'm becoming more and more interested in this Ji Qing." Shangguan Lingxue said with a charming smile.

Zhao Chengqian, standing nearby, turned green again.

By now, Ye Yuan had entered a state of complete calm, with every move of the two opponents under his control.

Coupled with his fine manipulation of Thousand Flowing Petals, Huang Wenqiu and Xue Zaihe grew increasingly frustrated as they fought.

After several hundred exchanges, the two still hadn't gained any advantage!

Two second-strongest among the younger generation of the Royal City, joining forces, yet unable to do anything to a seventh-level Crystal Formation martial artist—this was simply a joke.

What frustrated them even more was that after fighting this long, Ye Yuan's Yuan power showed no signs of depletion, as if it were inexhaustible!

Where did this guy get so much Yuan power?

After all, Ye Yuan had already fought against twenty or thirty Sea of Transformation martial artists. Hadn't he consumed any Yuan power at all?

A technique like Thousand Flowing Petals, with such a large area of effect, should be extremely Yuan-power-intensive. Why was Ye Yuan's Yuan power so abundant?

The two lamented the discovery that this fighting style gave them no advantage at all!

"Xue Zaihe!" Huang Wenqiu suddenly called out loudly.

"Mm!" Xue Zaihe understood, and the two simultaneously withdrew their moves, putting distance between themselves and Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan did not press the attack but watched them calmly.

With his dense Yuan power and extremely precise control, he was not afraid of a war of attrition with the two.

"Ji Qing, I admit you're strong! But this is where it ends!" Huang Wenqiu snorted coldly.

Clearly, he was very dissatisfied with this outcome.

Ye Yuan, however, smiled: "Bring it on. I'll take whatever you've got!"

Huang Wenqiu sneered: "As you wish! Xue Zaihe, stop holding back. Show your true skills!"

Xue Zaihe nodded: "Alright!"