Just like him, the opponent was at the Peak of the Eternal Dao Lord Realm, only one step away from stepping into the Eternal True Lord Realm.
He did not let his guard down and secretly used his System to investigate, quickly obtaining the other party's detailed information.
Lu Zhiyi, a Prodigy nurtured by the Cangyue City Lord's Estate, whose Master was a powerhouse at the Eternal True God level.
This person cultivated the Way of the Five Elements, but instead of merging the Five Elements into one like Han Xuanji did, he had forged a different path.
He had simultaneously comprehended powerful Dao laws such as "Balance" and "Order," dismantling the power of the Five Elements into countless variations.
Outside.
Hun Qianxue also saw Han Xuanji's opponent clearly, and his heart stirred slightly.
Just a moment ago, Deputy City Lord Jiang Boyuan had been mocking him, and in the blink of an eye, the other's Disciple had run into Han Xuanji.
What a coincidence.
Was this yingtian mirror also trying to join in on the drama?
Meanwhile, Deputy City Lord Jiang Boyuan also quickly saw Lu Zhiyi's opponent. Seeing that it was Han Xuanji, he felt a strange sense of worry in his heart. After all, Han Xuanji was also an Earth-Grade seed, not a pushover.
However, he naturally did not think his Disciple would lose, and muttered to himself:
"With Zhiyi's strength, he isn't much weaker than a Heaven-Grade seed. He shouldn't disappoint me."
"Oh."
Hun Qianxue paid little attention to him, instead focusing intently on the light screen.
...
Seeing Han Xuanji dodge his attack, a flash of surprise crossed Lu Zhiyi's eyes.
Although he hadn't used his full strength in that strike, it was by no means something that could be easily dodged.
Being able to avoid it so calmly showed that his opponent was no simple figure.
He focused his gaze, and as his eyes fell upon Han Xuanji's robes and face, his brow suddenly twitched.
"Qianhun City's Han Xuanji?"
He recognized the other man.
There were only two Earth-Grade seeds from Qianhun City, and Han Xuanji was one of them. The feat of him defeating Centurion Zhou Lie had spread far and wide.
Although Lu Zhiyi came from Cangyue City, he had heard this name mentioned quite a few times during his days in Qianhun City.
Han Xuanji did not speak, merely watching him quietly.
Lu Zhiyi crossed his arms, sizing Han Xuanji up from head to toe, a slight curl appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Cangyue City, Lu Zhiyi."
He announced his name, his voice reaching Han Xuanji's ears with an unmistakable, undisguised arrogance.
"Good reflexes. It seems you didn't get in through the back door."
These words carried a condescending tone.
In his eyes, Han Xuanji already seemed to be in the palm of his hand.
In an Earth-Grade seed versus Earth-Grade seed match, he had absolute confidence.
Because although he was also Earth-Grade, he believed he ranked near the top among all Earth-Grade seeds, only a hair's breadth away from Heaven-Grade.
As for Han Xuanji, he was merely an Earth-Grade who came from a frontier place like Qianhun City. How much real weight could he possibly carry?
Han Xuanji did not answer, his gaze cold.
Cangyue City bordered Qianhun City, but its territory possessed better resources and a deeper Foundation.
The two cities often compared themselves to each other and had some grievances, though Qianhun City was usually the one on the losing end.
Han Xuanji did not give him a good look either. After all, the other party had made a lethal move right off the bat, so there was nothing to talk about. Seeing Han Xuanji's dark expression, the smile on Lu Zhiyi's face became even more rampant, as if he thought Han Xuanji was easy to bully.
"Since you dodged the first move, I'll get a bit more serious."
Before his voice even faded, his figure vanished from the spot. It wasn't teleportation, but sheer, extreme speed.
His figure pulled a residual image through the gray sky, like a slithering snake winding its way across the wasteland.
For Cultivators of the Way of Laws, Dao laws were one aspect, but the secret techniques and Divine Abilities they mastered were also a manifestation of their combat power.
Clearly, the opponent had mastered an extremely profound movement technique.
Han Xuanji did not move.
Although Lu Zhiyi's speed was fast, in his perception, every single movement was broken down with absolute clarity.
He saw that Lu Zhiyi's right hand had already condensed a Five-Colored Light Blade. It was the power of the Five Elements compressed to the extreme, incomparably sharp, enough to easily slice through the defenses of any Cultivator of the same level.
The target of this strike was his neck.
If it hit him, even he... might be left with a wound.
But Han Xuanji had no intention of letting himself get hurt.
Since he had come to compete, why bother pretending to be weak?
Han Xuanji looked at his opponent with a calm expression. He raised his right hand and spread his fingers.
Great Five Elements Grappling Hand.
Five-colored light condensed in his palm, turning into a translucent giant hand that met the Five-Colored Light Blade.
Boom
Another loud explosion rang out.
The Five-Colored Light Blade slashed against the Great Five Elements Grappling Hand, bursting with a dazzling light.
Two powers of the Five Elements, sharing the same origin but following different paths, clashed violently, eroding and wearing each other down.
The airflow in the Void Realm was squeezed by this force and surged in all directions. The already sparse withered grass on the wasteland was instantly pulverized, and chunks of soil were sent flying.
Lu Zhiyi's pupils shrank suddenly.
His Five-Colored Light Blade actually couldn't cut down any further.
That translucent giant hand was like cast iron, completely motionless.
Not only that, but he could also feel his own Five Elements power being slowly devoured, decomposed, and digested by that giant hand.
Was he the same type of Cultivator as him?
"Is this... the Great Five Elements Grappling Hand?"
Lu Zhiyi frowned.
He suddenly remembered that Han Xuanji seemed to have achieved the feat of ascending the Five Elements Altar of the Five Elements Tower, which he himself had actually ascended as well.
Was this Cultivation Technique really this powerful?
His Five-Colored Light Blade was also a top-tier ultimate technique of an Eternal True God.
Han Xuanji did not answer.
He clenched his fingers. The Great Five Elements Grappling Hand suddenly tightened, gripping the Five-Colored Light Blade in its palm.
The power of Profound Heaven Power manifested.
Crack—
The light blade shattered, turning into specks of spiritual light that dissipated into the air.
"How is this possible?"
Using the rebound force, Lu Zhiyi retreated ten miles back, instantly pulling away from Han Xuanji.
He looked at Han Xuanji, the contempt in his eyes mostly gone, replaced by a serious, scrutinizing look. He couldn't see through the cultivation of the person before him, but it should be similar to his.
The Five-Colored Light Blade was also his signature offensive method, yet in a direct clash, a single hand had shattered it. This level of strength had already exceeded his perception of the Prodigies produced by Qianhun City.
He was different from the Qianhun City Cultivators he had encountered in the past!
This Dao law power was absolutely superior to his. Han Xuanji remained completely still, though in his heart, he now had an understanding of Earth-Grade seeds.
They were indeed stronger than Centurion Zhou Lie, whom he had fought before.
Although the Five-Colored Light Blade had been easily shattered by him, its Dao law was so condensed that if it had been the him who fought Centurion Zhou Lie previously, he really might not have been able to shatter it so easily.
However, unfortunately, after entering the Creation Platform, his Foundation was so robust that it was beyond what ordinary people could compare to, crushing Cultivators of the same Realm by more than just a little.
"I underestimated you."
Lu Zhiyi flexed his right hand, which had been shaken to the point of numbness. After all, he was a Prodigy carefully selected by Cangyue City.
As an Earth-Grade seed, it was naturally impossible for his confidence to be shattered by a single blow.
Although he wasn't the strongest in Cangyue City, he was still among the top three. If he lost in the first round, how could he have the face to face his teachers when he returned?
Furthermore, it was either win or lose.
Directly surrendering would be truly laughable.
He had to admit that the pressure Han Xuanji gave him was immense, inexplicably reminding him of when he first met the number one person of Cangyue City.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiyi's gaze froze, and his hands quickly formed hand seals.
He had to go all out.