Chapter 172 - Unleashed

  Ren Qiu sank into a stance with his shoulders squared, and his feet planted like anchors against the stone floor of the plaza. His fiery Qi surged upward in a roaring column, bright and violent, so intense that the stone tiles beneath him softened and glowed red as hairline cracks formed in a spreading ring around him.

  Waves of heat rippled outward, forcing the nearby Outer Sect Disciples to take several hurried steps back in fear. The Elder, anticipating the need, formed a barrier of Qi around the duelling pair with a wave of his hand.

  Ren Qiu’s breathing steadied, and his eyes fixed on Jun De with unwavering determination. Every part of him radiated the fierce, unyielding pride of the Ren Clan.

  Jun De stepped forward into the plaza to stand across from Ren Qiu, his steps calm and unhurried. As he approached, the oppressive heat parted around him as though it simply refused to touch him.

  He gave Ren Qiu a warm, genuine smile.

  “You’ve made incredible progress, Ren Qiu. Reaching the 7th level of Qi Condensation already, and your aura is far hotter and denser than before. You should be proud of your accomplishments.”

  Ren Qiu’s jaw tightened as he struggled to maintain his fierce expression against Jun De’s praise, but his eyes gleamed.

  “Senior Brother, don’t praise me yet! And don’t think of holding back against me, I need to see just how far and wide the gap between us has become if I’m ever to truly reach your level!” Ren Qiu shouted as he clenched his hands into fists, and flames spiralled around his arms.

  “Show everyone the truth! Show the Outer Sect the strength you keep hidden. I know you’re always suppressing it, always pretending to be weaker than you really are in order to make those around you less envious of your talent!”

  “But today, I want to see it for myself. I want to compare my path honestly to yours; only then can I continue to rise.”

  Jun De’s eyes opened wide at the sincerity behind the words. He hadn’t thought Ren Qiu would be this fired up to spar with him. As for holding back, Jun De didn’t think he did at all! Just because he didn’t like to fight or leave the Sect didn’t mean he was hiding anything.

  After a moment, he nodded slowly.

  Bai Xuelian watched from behind Jun De, her eyes bright with curiosity and anticipation of the coming spar. She didn’t hold any hope for Ren Qiu holding out against Jun De, but she wanted to witness his true power as well.

  Despite her closeness with Jun De, she didn’t know how he had managed to reach Foundation Establishment before her, and if his foundation was truly as stable as he claimed. She was hoping to use this moment to gain some insight.

  She wasn’t the only one who was interested in the coming spar, as the entire crowd seemed to hold its breath, and even the Elder watched in curiosity. There was even the faint perception of others watching from afar, their spiritual senses brushing up against his as they spied from the Inner Sect and beyond.

  Jun De exhaled slowly and then let go of the strict restraint he held over his cultivation.

  In an instant, the entire plaza seemed to bend around him.

  A deep, thunderous boom echoed outward as Jun De’s cultivation surged free. The oppressive aura of an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator exploded from his body, rippling like a stormfront made of pure spiritual power.

  Wind spiralled outward in violent gusts, kicking up dust as it slammed against the barrier around the pair that protected the Outer Sect Disciples. Still, a number of people in the crowd stumbled backwards in shock at the display.

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  Brilliant and warm golden radiance burst from Jun De’s body in an overwhelming display of Qi, all traced with strands of deep, ethereal purple that flickered like lightning within a storm cloud. The light didn’t just shine from him so much as erupt through him, as if his entire being were just a container for divine spiritual energy.

  Ren Qiu staggered immediately.

  The spiritual pressure weighed down on him like a mountain, forcing his feet to sink slightly into the softened stone. His fiery Qi trembled as it strained against the vast, regal presence before him. Sweat beaded instantly onto his face as the world around him distorted from the pressure Jun De exuded.

  As for Jun De, he stood in the center of that golden maelstrom like an immortal who had descended to the mortal world.

  His skin was white and flawless, unblemished and luminous. His black hair streamed behind him gently despite the intense velocity of the wind, and his blue robes rippled only slightly. There was a quiet elegance to him, and effortless grace that made his presence feel unshakable.

  Jun De’s eyes were steady and clear as he looked at the effect his cultivation had on Ren Qiu with curiosity. He was impressed that his friend could remain standing under the oppressive weight of his spiritual pressure.

  Bai Xuelian’s breath caught as she stared at Jun De.

  Even though she had reached Foundation Establishment as well, her heart beat rapidly in her chest and she was unable to suppress the feeling of awe that came from seeing Jun De’s strength. She had no doubt that if she were to face him in that plaza instead of Ren Qiu, she would lose as well.

  ‘Just what is Jun De’s limit?’ Bai Xuelian thought.

  Lin Yue and Mei Lian stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the edge of the barrier, and they were both frozen in place as Jun De’s aura exploded outward.

  The wind whipped at their clothes and hair, but neither of them seemed to notice. Their eyes were fixed on Jun De and the impossible, overwhelming radiance of his Qi.

  Lin Yue’s mouth hung slightly open, while Mei Lian clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking.

  Lin Yue was shocked by the change she saw in Jun De. Not just his cultivation, but his entire attitude had shifted. He no longer appeared to be the calm and kind Jun De she knew, but a strange being that seemed to have descended from another world.

  As for Mei Lian, the only thought she had was how she had thought she could match Jun De’s talent.

  ‘I was stupid to think that even the Crimson Rebirth Sutra could match him!’ Mei Lian thought.

  Ren Qiu staggered, but refused to yield. He remained standing, and his bloodshot eyes stared at Jun De fiercely.

  “Jun De! I know you are still holding back! Show me the limits of your power!” Ren Qiu shouted hoarsely.

  Jun De’s gaze softened for a heartbeat as Ren Qiu roared at him, refusing to yield to the overwhelming power difference between them. Ren Qiu’s determination to see Jun De’s limits made him want to honour that request.

  “Very well. I will show you a technique that I have only just begun to comprehend, but haven’t obtained any of the necessary resources to progress in it yet.” Jun De said softly, and Ren Qiu braced himself.

  There was a pause, and the golden light around Jun De pulsed gently before he unleashed everything.

  Light erupted from his body, not merely spilling outward but ascending as though drawn upward by the heavens themselves. The radiance gathered above him in a swirling vortex, each rotation infused with threads of gold and streaks of deep, regal purple.

  The air above Jun De rippled violently as space distorted with the sudden influx of power.

  Suddenly, a fiery core ignited at the heart of the swirling light, before blossoming to form a miniature sun that flared into existence above Jun De’s head. The ethereal corona danced with the unmistakable hues of the Dawnheart Flame, while fire wreathed the sphere like a halo.

  While the golden light merged with the fire in the sky, the remaining purple coloured Qi around Jun De’s body intensified until he appeared carved from sacred jade and celestial light.

  The moment the initial stage of the Sovereign Morning-Star Metamorphosis took form, the world seemed to hold its breath in stunned awe at the transformation.

  Then the pressure hit. A tidal wave of oppressive spiritual might crashed outward from Jun De, crushing the plaza beneath the invisible weight of his cultivation. The very stone beneath them trembled as the earth groaned in response.

  Ren Qiu’s eyes widened in absolute disbelief as he staggered back a step, then another. He roared in defiance, and renewed flames burst from his body, but it was a futile gesture as the spiritual pressure from Jun De continued to rise.

  Ren Qiu fought with every ounce of strength he possessed, but just the mere presence of Jun De was enough to prevent him from resisting.

  With a groan torn from deep in his chest, Ren Qiu was forced onto one knee, then the other. He was pushed into the position of a man kneeling before a sovereign as the miniature sun blazed above Jun De, and his silhouette was framed by regal, purple Qi.

  An immortal had descended from the heavens, or a sovereign had been made manifest amongst them.

  Ren Qiu had demanded to see Jun De’s true limit, and Jun De had shown him a glimpse of a far higher sky than he had ever imagined.