Mysterious mirror hanging high

"This is... the [Nine Tribulations Blood Pill]?!"

Jian Yunyuan lived up to his reputation as a disciple of the Sword Court, possessing extensive knowledge and experience, and recognized the origin of the pill almost instantly.

"Made primarily from the essence of nine kinds of demonic beasts' hearts and blood, supplemented with dozens of ferocious elixirs that stimulate potential and temper the body, it was only successfully refined after enduring nine tribulations of alchemical fire. Consuming it allows one to disregard the limits of physical endurance for a short period, forcibly stimulating deeper levels of power within the body, and it has an incredible boosting effect on various body-refining techniques..."

Jian Yunyuan suddenly remembered that when Yue Xingzhou came on stage earlier, his sister Yue Liusu patted him on the shoulder, so he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

Yue Xingzhou's blood and qi, which had been restrained and suppressed by the [Prison Suppression] intent, suddenly exploded!

"Roar--!!!"

It was no longer the roar of humans, but more like a mixture of the pain and fury of ancient, savage beasts.

Yue Xingzhou's skin turned crimson red, like a branding iron, and countless thicker, more ferocious blood vessels and tendons writhed and bulged wildly under his skin like living red dragons.

The muscles, which had been restrained and compressed, began to expand wildly once again!

This expansion was accompanied by a sense of uncontrolled ferocity. Muscle fibers tore and reorganized, bones made a teeth-grinding cracking sound, and the body grew taller and wider at a visible speed, surpassing the state of [Prison Suppression] in the blink of an eye, and even evolving into a non-human, terrifying form full of pure power.

Sky-Piercing!

Yuan Jiqing's expression changed drastically. If Yue Xingzhou were in the [Prison Suppression] state, he would still be confident that he could fight him to a draw. But after Yue Xingzhou entered the [Sky Support] state, even he would only have one way out: death!

“We’re both at the Cave Heaven Realm, but the difference is just too great.” Luo Zixuan’s face turned pale. “I suspect Yue Xingzhou could crush me with a single finger in his current state.”

Jing Yu raised an eyebrow at this moment: "Indeed, not bad."

He silently compared his own strength with that of Yue Xingzhou in his [Sky-Supporting] state.

It was discovered that relying solely on the [Bitter Crossing Treasure Body] and its inherent Bitter Crossing Profound Light, Five Visceral Spirits, and other body-refining supernatural abilities, one might be able to match this person.

However, if one were to use the [Myriad Beasts Diagram] to counter with various beast forms, one should be able to subdue this person within a hundred moves.

Of course, the reason why Yue Xingzhou is able to maintain the [Sky-Supporting] state is simply due to the temporary medicinal effect brought about by the [Nine Tribulations Blood Pill].

He might not even be able to wait a hundred moves before the medicinal effects of the pill wear off.

Yue Xingzhou was clearly aware that the effects of the Nine Tribulations Blood Pill had a time limit, so he dared not waste a single moment and threw a punch forward decisively.

The ferocious punches surged wave after wave, like a tsunami, sweeping towards Jian Yunyuan and the surrounding Five Elements Sword Formation and the space influenced by the [No Distance]!

Click...

The light wheel of the Five Elements Sword Formation flickered wildly, its operation becoming increasingly difficult, and it even emitted a faint sound as if it were about to shatter.

The eerie space maintained by 【无距】, a space that was both "close yet distant, yet infinitely close," began to fluctuate and distort violently, as if it could not withstand the force of the punch that was powerful enough to penetrate space.

Jian Yunyuan gazed at the terrifying figure that was constantly expanding, seemingly about to tear the heavens and earth apart, and sighed softly.

"Fellow Daoist Yue."

His voice remained steady, but with an unmistakable hint of regret and determination: "The Nine Tribulations Blood Pill is a forbidden drug for life-threatening situations. It forcibly opens the secrets of the physical body, seemingly granting immense power, but in reality, it's like cooking oil over a raging fire, severely damaging the foundation of the body... However, your physical body and spiritual foundation are too strong, so simply consuming this pill will not affect your foundation."

"But if I were to forcefully break through with my natal flying sword at this moment and injure you, that would be a different matter."

"We were just sparring, we have no life-or-death feud, why make things like this?"

"That's all."

Jian Yunyuan shook his head and raised one hand.

A long sword with an extremely simple and even somewhat dull appearance quietly slid out from his sleeve.

The sword lacked the dazzling brilliance of the Five Elements Sword and the ethereal fluctuations of the [Distanceless] Sword. Instead, it seemed to be shrouded in a thin, flowing twilight. Faint, flowing shadows of fine sand swirled around the hilt, silent yet capable of inexplicably causing a heart palpitation upon a single glance, as if something precious was irrevocably slipping away from one's fingertips.

"This sword is named [Time]."

The moment the words fell—

"Zheng!"

"Om..."

The sword emitted a clear and long tremor, and its light suddenly shone brightly.

The newly released [Time] sword simultaneously cast a pale golden, hazy, misty glow, which did not overlap with the silver radiance of [Distanceless], but rather intertwined and merged together in a strange way.

The two swords resonated, their laws intersected!

A transparent cage, visible to the naked eye but appearing somewhat illusory, suddenly appeared a few feet away from Yue Xingzhou.

The walls of the cage are not solid, but are composed of countless tiny silver spatial ripples and pale golden sands of time. They rotate silently, as if they have quietly "cut out" that area from the normal world.

However, what happened next left almost all the onlookers with expressions of disbelief.

Inside the cage, Yue Xingzhou's movements... quickened.

No, it's not just getting faster, it's a terrifying acceleration!

Each punch he threw created a blurry afterimage, the trajectory of the surging wind almost impossible to catch with the naked eye.

His blood and qi surged like thunder, circulating at a speed more than a hundred times faster, emitting a roar like ten thousand horses galloping or a river bursting its banks. However, the sound was confined within the cage, and when it reached the outside world, it became sharp and strange.

A few breaths.

It was just a few breaths that passed normally in the outside world.

Inside the cage, it felt as if an extremely long time had passed.

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, Yue Xingzhou's body, which had swelled up like an ancient giant, deflated at an incredible speed, like a punctured balloon.

The muscles that bulged like hills withered and contracted layer by layer, and the cracking sound of the bones became faint and weak.

The all-consuming, incomparably violent aura emanating from him rapidly receded like the tide.

"Pfft!"

In the end, that once imposing and powerful body seemed to have all its supporting strength drained away in an instant, its legs went weak, and it fell to the ground in a sorry state.

He knelt on one knee, supporting himself on the ground with both hands, panting heavily. Sweat poured down his forehead and temples like a waterfall, instantly soaking the area beneath him.

He struggled to lift his head and look at Jian Yunyuan, his lips moving but unable to utter a complete sentence.

The spatial cage that had enveloped him slowly receded and vanished as the brilliance of the two swords, [Time] and [Boundless], receded, as if it had never existed.