Gold light blazed around his body as Yuan Taiyi made his move, punching directly at Jun Luoyu’s chest with a speed akin to cannon fire.
"Flying Crane Marks the Snow!"
Jun Luoyu had been on guard against Yuan Taiyi. Seeing the incoming punch, he reacted with equal swiftness, his right fist meeting the attack head-on.
As fist met fist, a massive explosion ensued, shredding the air in the secret chamber as if myriad bombs had detonated together. Near the edges of their fists, space fractured and twisted like silk and snakes.
"Second Rank War Emperor Fist!"
Yuan Taiyi unleashed another punch, instantly dimming the light in the chamber. This time, the imprint of his fist expanded, sealing off Jun Luoyu’s position.
"Frozen for Three Feet!"
Jun Luoyu crossed his arms in defense, a wall seemingly cast from ice blocks enveloping him, shielding him upfront.
The power of the Second Rank War Emperor Fist was vast and unrivaled. If Yuan Taiyi were at his peak strength, this single punch could have exploded a combatant of the same realm. Even though Jun Luoyu had employed a defensive technique, he was still blown away, his blood boiling and face flush with exertion.
"I can’t let him lead me by the nose."
Jun Luoyu’s expression darkened slightly; he knew he was at a disadvantage in strength. If he continued to defend without attacking, it would be even more disadvantageous for him.
"Snow Enveloping the Heavens!"
This time, Jun Luoyu took a deep breath. With lightning speed, he swung his sword, stirring up spatial ripples. Instantly, a circle of transparent light patterns emanated from him, clearing all the airflows around.
Yuan Taiyi’s advance was momentarily halted, preventing him from pressing his attack.
"Snow Sword Formation, Bind!"
Finally switching from defense to attack, Jun Luoyu unleashed his proudest swordsmanship. A sword formation spread from around him, rapidly expanding. The icily breathy Sword Qi swarmed towards Yuan Taiyi, forming an icy bloom around him.
Yuan Taiyi was trapped within this ice flower, like a figure in amber.
A gleam of joy flashed in Jun Luoyu’s eyes as he clenched his hand suddenly. The ice flower shattered, bursting into countless ice crystals scattering outward.
The explosive wave from the burst was also astonishing. Even a Martial Saint might be pulverized, leaving no bones behind.
"As expected of the genius Sword Saint."
Someone swallowed their saliva; was this a counterattack in the making?
"It’s not that simple."
Sikong Wuji shook his head. Though the move was powerful, it might not achieve a great effect on Yuan Taiyi.
The next moment, he narrowed his eyes. In the center of the ice crystal explosion, a figure emerged conspicuously—it was indeed Yuan Taiyi.
Sikong Wuji’s expression was grave. At this moment, Yuan Taiyi, after surviving that explosion, seemed as if nothing had happened, completely unharmed.
Space twisted suddenly, and Yuan Taiyi appeared in front of Jun Luoyu, throwing a punch.
"Taiyi Holy Emperor Fist!"
Golden Qi Power coalesced into a sacred beam of light that surged forward violently. The punch was so fierce and powerful that it easily shattered Jun Luoyu’s Snow Sword Formation and circled around him.
Jun Luoyu turned directly into a mist of blood.
"So domineering, he’s truly the Emperor of the younger generation, unrivaled."
Yuan Taiyi’s brutality left everyone speechless. Although it was true that Yuan Taiyi was ranked first on the Holy List, the gap between him and Jun Luoyu shouldn’t have been this vast. Yet now, it seemed to be different than what everyone had imagined.
This Yuan Taiyi was so tyrannical.
"Entering the seventh floor is indeed fraught with difficulty."
Ye Xuan shook his head. That punch just now would have turned even him into a mist of blood under those circumstances. Here in the Martial God Tower, being annihilated wouldn’t result in death. In this place, the Martial Arts Primordial Spirit wouldn’t activate. Losing meant just that, with no variations.
"The gap isn’t actually as wide as it seems. Jun Luoyu is the newly ranked fourth on the Holy List, and he had never crossed hands with Yuan Taiyi before. He didn’t know the other’s tyranny, and facing him head-on was undoubtedly a foolish move."
Sikong Wuji seemed to see through the subtleties. He was aware of Yuan Taiyi’s strength and had come here with the intention of defeating him.
Even without the competitions in the Martial God Tower, he was determined to challenge Yuan Taiyi to take the top position on the Holy List. Second place held no interest for him; he knew there was little difference between being second and third.
"They say Yuan Taiyi possesses the physique of an Ancient Saint Emperor. This kind of physique, not only naturally cultivates faster, but also possesses an innate dominance. Once such a constitution appears, it is bound to lead the era, never settling for second place." Ling Qianxue, standing beside Ye Xuan, spoke lightly as she watched Yuan Taiyi.
"A Saint Emperor’s physique?"
Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. He had heard of such physique; once it appeared, its bearer was destined to be the overlord of the era, unbeatable by others.
Of course, Ye Xuan didn’t believe in such superstitions. What did the Ancient Saint Emperor’s physique matter? In his view, even if a great emperor reincarnated before him, it would amount to the same.
What Ye Xuan lacked now was merely time. Compared to the other young giants here, his cultivation time was trivial—barely five or six years in total, whereas even the least among them, like Jun Luoyu, had probably been cultivating for at least twenty years.
After the battle between Yuan Taiyi and Jun Luoyu ended, the second round of the competition concluded as well.
In the minds of the crowd, the remaining four were almost as expected, except Ye Xuan, who was an anomaly. However, he also seemed the weakest of them. Still, reaching this stage had already far exceeded their expectations, a member of the younger generation who wasn’t even on the Holy List defeating young giants on the List one after another, especially after defeating Marquis Long Jian, also positioned him as a new giant on the Holy List.
These four could well be called the four young giants of the time.
"Although there’s no chance to break into the seventh layer, witnessing the battles between these four will be worth it."
"Yes, Yuan Taiyi, Gu Hanxiang, Sikong Wuji, three giants of the Holy List, and the dark horse Ye Xuan, this will be a legendary battle of the younger generation."
"Such a showdown, one might not see it even once in a decade. We must make the most of it."
Everyone chattered excitedly, the anticipation bringing a flush to their faces. Watching a battle of this level was enough to make one’s blood boil, and who knew, a high-level contest might provide them with new insights, broadening their horizons and even benefiting their cultivation. Why not revel in it?