The Eternal Heart - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Ascending To The Peak

The entire Cloud Sky Summit fell deathly silent in an instance.

The scene was frozen in the act where Chen Yu rammed his head into Nangong Li and sent him flying.

Violent, aggressive, and barbaric.

Various words weren’t enough to describe the shock from the scene before their eyes.

Chen Yu’s opponent was Nangong Li, the number one genius of the outer sect. He was an ineffable existence who had assimilated with the Mythical Jade Pupil Blood and even mastered the secret Eerie Pupil technique.

After the deathly stillness, there was an intense commotion and uproar.

“Nangong Li actually lost!”

“Could this Chen Yu be a vicious beast with the skin of a human draped over him? He’s too savage!”

Many disciples sucked in a cold breath of air.

Many gazes fell on Chen Yu with a kind of dread and restraining fear as though he wasn’t human.

“Li’er!”

Elder Nangong let out a low cry.

Whoosh!

A figure flashed as the elder with the white beard immediately drifted across the air. His feet didn’t touch the ground in the process as he landed on the tournament stage in a few steps.

“Lofty Crossing Void!”

All of the disciples present admired and looked up at this move that almost seemed to be on the level of flying by breaking through the air.

“Grandfather.”

Nangong Li looked ashamed as the elder with the white beard brought him off the stage and applied precious Bone Connecting Spirit Ointment on him.

Chen Yu walked off the tournament stage with the attitude of a victor.

There was a hint of recollection and pondering on his face.

During that urgent juncture a moment ago, he stimulated some kind of power from the secret heart once more, which caused a sudden increase in various aspects such as the strength of his body and speed.

Chen Yu called this kind of state, the Explosive Key.

He had experienced this Explosive Key over a total of three times.

The first time was when he hacked off the Bald Bloody Hand’s arm with his sword from high up in the air. His speed broke through its shackles.

The second time was when he unleashed the Mighty Congealed Fiend Fist and almost killed the Bandit King in an instant.

If he went all out when he used the [Fiendish Cloud Fist] just now, he might not have been able to unleash the “might of a fiend congealed in a fist”, but there was a possibility he would’ve killed Nangong Li in an instant. Chen Yu only relied on the Bronze Statue Technique to defeat his enemy.

The third time was also what happened a moment ago.

Chen Yu gradually grasped a hint of the trick behind it. He might be able to spontaneously master this kind of method in the future.

Naturally, after unleashing the Explosive Key, he would sink into a certain weakened state based on the duration he used the Explosive Key.

Chen Yu similarly used the Explosive Key briefly this time, so the feeling of weakness wasn’t that intense.

However, his next opponent was Duan Xiaolong, the one with the highest combat power in the outer sect. As such, he had to be a little more cautious and only fight after he recovered.

“Elder Brother Yu.”

There was a happy and beautiful look that could move people’s hearts on Mu Xueqing’s charming face.

Chen Yu actually won!

When Nangong Li used the secret “Eerie Pupils” technique, she felt discouraged. She never thought that Chen Yu could reverse the situation in the end and conquer the universe in one move.

At this moment, she was wild with joy. She felt a sense of happiness and excitement she never had before.

“Elder Brother Yu, I still have another Qi Returning Pill here.”

Mu Xueqing handed over another pill.

“Yes, I’ll return them all together to you.”

Chen Yu nodded. He didn’t want to owe Mu Xueqing a favor.

“There’s no need to do that. If you can triumph and win, that’s more important than anything…” Mu Xueqing’s tender face reddened and she appeared to be pleased.

The Seventh Prince felt a faint aching in his heart when he saw this scene from the back.

In the pavilion, Fairy Xia Yu slightly knitted her lofty eyebrows as she took note of this scene.

“Younger Martial Sister Xia, this female disciple of yours is actually a sweetheart. The value of a top-grade Qi Returning Pill isn’t low,” an Elder teasingly said.

“Humph! This Chen Yu is only a mere Half Soul Physique. Even if he temporarily has pretty good strength, how is he worthy of Xueqing?” Fairy Xia Yu snorted softly.

“Half Soul Physique?”

“This boy simultaneously cultivated the [Bronze Statue Technique] and [Fiendish Cloud Fist] to such a level, yet he only has a Half Soul Physique?”

This came as an immense surprise to a few Sect Elders who didn’t know such inside information.

After that, sighs could be heard.

“I originally intended to give the boy a place and take him in as my disciple.”

“What a pity. What a pity.”

…

Chen Yu temporarily rested after defeating Nangong Li.

Under the impetus of his powerful heart, his body absorbed the medicinal power of the second “Qi Returning Pill” in an instant.

At the same time, another fight began on stage.

A boy and a girl were having a confrontation on the tournament stage and were fighting intensely beyond compare.

“Hu Yiba and Tong Yuling.”

Chen Yu had a slightly surprised expression as he looked at this matchup. He never thought that these two people would cross swords with each other.

Hu Yiba brandished the Overlord Halberd in a grand, ferocious, and overbearing manner. It possessed extraordinary strength and was unconditionally violent.

If Chen Yu didn’t command his [Bronze Statue Technique] to the Bronze Muscle level, it might be difficult for him to deal with it forcibly.

On the other hand, astonishing Inner Breath that resembled raging waves erupted from the flexible sword in Tong Yuling’s hand as she brandished it. A hint of a bloody awn appeared on the blade of the sword from time to time.

Tong Yuling actually suppressed Hu Yiba in terms of the strength and depth in Inner Breath.

Moreover, Tong Yuling also originally possessed impressive fundamentals in martial arts. The tip of the flexible sword in her hands clashed with Hu Yiba in a swift and crafty manner.

The duo exchanged no less than one to two hundred attacks.

Unfortunately for Hu Yiba, Tong Yuling still emerged victorious in the end. The flexible sword on the offense in her hands was increasingly wild and ferocious. It even seemed as though there was no end to the expenditure of her Inner Breath.

“You won.”

Hu Yiba took a deep glance at Tong Yuling as he suffered a destructive defeat.

Aside from Chen Yu, this woman was the most abnormal one in this year’s Great Tournament.

After determining the winner and the loser between the two of them.

A peak battle that caught everyone’s attention finally began.

Chen Yu and Duan Xiaolong set foot on the tournament stage with a great deal of tacit understanding. The eyes of the two locked with one another as strong winds whipped around them.

“This is the match of ascending to the top.”

A group of disciples appeared to be looking forward to this match very much.

After Chen Yu defeated Nangong Li, this was the final half a step remaining for him to ascend to first place.

“It’s very unexpected that I can encounter an opponent like you before entering the inner sect.”

Duan Xiaolong revealed a hint of an expectant look on his face that seemed to have gone through vicissitudes.

There was a calm and collected sense of self-confidence in his deep eyes even though he saw Chen Yu’s preceding victory.

This was the willpower of a powerhouse!

Chen Yu firmly believed that he encountered an opponent with an incomparably powerful conviction.

This Duan Xiaolong might even be more terrifying than Nangong Li.

Fiendish Cloud Fist! Bronze Statue Technique!

Chen Yu brazenly brandished his Bronze Fist. A ball of fiendish qi and dark clouds appeared amidst the explosive sound from the might of his fist. A violent stream of dark wind whistled as the might from its meteorological feature could almost flog a martial artist at the Visceral Tempering stage.

Rolling Thunder Blade!

This was the second time Duan Xiaolong used his sword since the start of the competition. That broadsword that was simple and unadorned dragged out a sheet of sword light afterimages while the sound of thunder rolling could faintly be heard near his ears.

Puchi!

A brilliant blade awn flashed in the afterimages of the sword light, giving rise to a supernatural scene of rolling thunder and gale. It struck Chen Yu’s body in an instant.

In a split second, the punch covered in fiendish qi and dark clouds intertwined with the sword with rolling thunder and gale.

Hoo, bang!

Wind spiraled as clouds cracked on the spot while the sound of rolling thunder rumbled one’s eardrums. The airwaves and dust formed a small grey tornado that enveloped both of their figures.

“This is practically a fight at the Visceral Tempering stage.”

“I’m afraid the duo exceeds ordinary martial artists at the Visceral Tempering stage.”

The disciples below the stage were dumbstruck as they watched the battle.

Two silhouettes, a fist, and a sword crossed blows in that small tornado of whirling dust and airwaves. Their fight shook one to their core.

The two crossing blows looked grave.

Amongst them, there were many places where Chen Yu’s clothes were torn apart. He was a complete mess. After a few consecutive punches, he exhibited the limit of his [Fiendish Cloud Fist].

What’s more, he pressed the [Bronze Statue Technique] from the basic Bronze Muscle form to its initial form.

Even then, he still didn’t manage to benefit from it in the slightest. One had to know that if this was a frontal confrontation, even Nangong Li from before was slightly inferior to him.

“Good, good, good! Regardless of the outcome of the battle today, let us fight to our heart’s content!”

Duan Xiaolong let out a long whistle as his battle intent soared.

There was a powerful surge of conviction that pressed forward transparently in that voice.

“Then, we’ll fight until we’re satisfied!”

A hint of a frenzied look appeared on Chen Yu’s face. He exuded a surge of berserk fiendish qi from his body while the fiendish qi shadows arising from his punches gradually become more ominous the more he fought.

On the other hand, the sound of rolling thunder from Duan Xiaolong’s broadsword that was simple and unadorned became increasingly magnificent.

Rumble! Hula!

All of a sudden, heavy rain fell from the sky.

“It’s raining.”

Everyone below the tournament stage cried out in a low tone.

But the absolute majority didn’t care about the rain as they rigidly stared at the battle on stage.

In the curtain of rain, Chen Yu and Duan Xiaolong were entirely soaked, but they fought in a manner that was more violent and unrestrained.

Boom, boom! Boom, boom!

Chen Yu’s heart throbbed rapidly and forcefully. The power and Inner Breath he launched with the Bronze Fist became increasingly astonishing and berserk.

In this fight to their heart’s content, the Fiendish Cloud Inner Breath in his body surged up violently. It faintly swelled and advanced, surpassing the normal levels of painstaking cultivation over half a month.

If not for the fact that he faced limitations in his cultivation, he would have displayed great achievements in the terror and might of his [Fiendish Cloud Fist] a long time ago.

Under the downpour, a berserk image of a fist formed of fiendish qi and dark clouds intertwined with the light in the image of a blade that twinkled with rolling thunder.

Hoo, whoosh, whoosh!

A powerful and formless strength immediately repelled the surrounding wind.

The area where the duo crossed blows seemed to turn into a vacuum.

It was difficult for water droplets to enter this area!

“They’re too powerful!”

All of the disciples below the stage felt their blood racing as they watched the battle.

Every single Sect Elder in the pavilion looked emotionally moved.

“The [Rolling Thunder Blade] is the Duan Clan’s independent martial arts technique that famously moved the state of Chu. It is already in the category of a top-ranked martial arts technique with formidable might beyond compare.”

“That swordplay has extremely harsh comprehension requirements. That Duan Xiaolong can actually cultivate it close to the stage of perfection.”

“Even though Chen Yu’s [Fiendish Cloud Fist] is only the introductory edition of the ‘Divine Fiendish Yuan Technique’, its might doesn’t lose to that of top-ranked martial arts techniques. It seems like he’s about to achieve perfection as well.”

A few higher-ups exclaimed in admiration as they praised the duo.

Such geniuses in martial arts were extremely rare even in the inner sect.

Thump! Thump!

Two figures abruptly broke apart in the rain.

“Watch out, Younger Martial Brother Chen. I’m going to launch my most powerful sword. This is also my final sword.”

Duan Xiaolong sucked in a deep breath and slowly raised the broadsword that was simple and unadorned.

Buzz, bzzt!

In the instant that broadsword was lifted, the sound of thunder erupted. Wind and thunder faintly crisscrossed in the wind and rain. It set off Duan Xiaolong’s clothes, making him resemble a God of War.

He merely raised that broadsword, yet it gave rise to a surge of unprecedented pressure on Chen Yu.

His breathing became stagnant.

It was as though he was about to face nature’s punishment in the form of lightning in the next moment. Formless operations of qi locked down on him, which made it even more impossible for him to escape.

Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!

The throbbing in Chen Yu’s heart reached a peak.

His heart activated the Explosive Key under immense pressure once more. A surge of brilliant and overflowing power was dispatched out after being stimulated from within his body.

Hoo, whoosh!

In a split second, black qi lines appeared on the skin across Chen Yu’s entire body. A surge of violent fiendish qi beyond compare soared and repelled the surrounding rain.

“That’s…”

The Elders present became speechless as though they seemed to have made something out.

Fiendish Cloud Fist!

Fiendish qi and dark clouds rushed forth when Chen Yu punched out. It turned into a gray image of a fist that could be seen with the naked eye. It was as large as a bucket and was like a vicious beast baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. His attack pounced right at Duan Xiaolong before he could make a move.

It was the Mighty Congealed Fiend Fist!

Rolling Thunder Blade!

Once Duan Xiaolong hacked out his most powerful blade, a massive sword awn could be seen in the swirling gale. Traces of lightning appeared bearing supernatural strength as it hacked over from a distance.

Rumble!

The entire tournament stage shook as waves of powerful strength beyond compare firmly vibrated together.

In an instant, rain radiated all-around within a radius of several meters. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled as it interweaved with the roaring of the fiendish winds.

The rupturing of the fiendish qi in the image of a fist and the dimming of the lightning blade awn could faintly be seen. Everything gradually returned to its ordinary state.

In the middle of the downpour, two figures explosively retreated a few steps at the same time.

Chen Yu took a few consecutive steps back in doing so. His clothes were disheveled and there was even a startled look on his face that was slightly pale.

His gaze was fixated on his shoulder. There was not only a bloody scar there, but there were also signs of charring.

“I’m injured?”

Chen Yu was stumped. This was the first time he was injured in the true sense of the word since major improvements to his Bronze Skin Technique before the start of the Great Outer Sect Tournament.

That sword from Duan Xiaolong was truly terrifying. Ordinary martial artists at the Visceral Tempering stage would find it difficult to escape unscathed.

“You…won.”

Duan Xiaolong stood in the curtain of rain for a long time. His voice was strained as he forced a smile on his face.

Wah!

His body abruptly swayed. He looked pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood.