Chapter Thirty-Seven: Unity in Oneness

Upon hearing Yun Yi accept the wager, a triumphant smile played on Quan Jinhu’s lips.

"That Yun Yi is finished! Losing such a magnificent bird just like that!" whispered those who recognized Quan Jinhu, looking at Yun Yi with pity.

"Senior brother, what is going on? Is this Quan Jinhu very powerful?" an outer-sect disciple asked, confused.

"This Quan Jinhu is ranked twentieth on the overall Heavenly Ranking! Although he is only at the fifth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, his primary focus is defense. He reached his current standing entirely through his absolute defense!"

"Then isn't Yun Yi doomed?"

"Of course! Even those of the same rank cannot break through Quan Jinhu’s defense. Yun Yi is only at the second level of the Foundation Establishment stage; he has absolutely no chance of winning!"

Quan Jinhu heard their conversation and flashed a smile. He pushed Ning Yinyang aside and shouted, "Absolute Defense!"

Instantly, a faint white glow enveloped Quan Jinhu. As he breathed, the white light shield pulsed in rhythm with him, as if it were an extension of his own body.

"Kid, come on!" Quan Jinhu taunted, beckoning to Yun Yi with a mocking smirk.

Yun Yi found this interesting. It was his first time encountering someone who had reached the top twenty of the Heavenly Ranking using purely defensive techniques. He circled around, observing the shield with a thoughtful expression.

Suddenly, Yun Yi moved. He decided to test the waters. He pulled his feet back, braced himself, surged with spiritual power, and charged at Quan Jinhu.

"Moo!" A phantom image let out a roar as it lunged toward his opponent.

"Savage Bull Charge!" The crowd gasped upon recognizing the technique. It was not an easy move to master.

Despite the formidable momentum of Yun Yi’s attack, Quan Jinhu remained unfazed, a faint smile still lingering on his face. In an instant, Yun Yi slammed into the Absolute Defense.

"Boom!" A thunderous roar shook the earth, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air.

The spectators were breathless, eager to see the result of such a rare collision.

"You really thought you could break Brother Quan’s defense with that? Dream on! Hahaha!"

Before Ning Yinyang could finish his sentence, the dust settled, and the entire crowd gasped.

"This... truly lives up to its name as Absolute Defense! An attack like that would surely have crippled anyone at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment!"

"Alas! How is this even a fight? Yun Yi has clearly been swindled!"

"If I were him, I’d just admit defeat now. Maybe he could still salvage some contribution points," the onlookers murmured, debating as they watched Quan Jinhu standing in the center, completely unscathed and smiling.

Yun Yi, who felt no significant harm, shook his arms, a flicker of light dancing in his eyes as he looked at Quan Jinhu.

"I have no choice but to use that move!"

A smile spread across Yun Yi’s face. He was certain that his next strike would shatter Quan Jinhu’s defense—perhaps even kill him.

Seeing Yun Yi smile again, Ning Yinyang grew furious. "What are you laughing at, you little brat? Soon that big bird won’t belong to you anymore, let’s see if you can keep smiling then!"

Yun Yi glanced coldly at the man who was ranting like a shrew. Quan Jinhu looked at Ning Yinyang in bewilderment; in his memory, Ning Yinyang rarely cursed like this.

Seeing Quan Jinhu’s questioning gaze, Ning Yinyang pointed a delicate, trembling finger at Yun Yi and shrieked, "Brother Hu! Don't let this little brat seduce you; take him down!"

Yun Yi chuckled; it seemed this half-man, half-demon fellow was jealous. Yun Yi was right—Ning Yinyang was indeed jealous. Because Yun Yi was genuinely more handsome than him, seeing the two of them chatting and smiling had stirred an unpleasant feeling within him.

Quan Jinhu, unaware of Ning Yinyang’s inner turmoil, turned his attention back to Yun Yi and held up two fingers. "Second strike!"

Yun Yi smiled calmly and slowly drew his pseudo-spirit sword. Seeing him produce a blade, the spectators sneered.

"Is Yun Yi out of his mind? Does he really think his sword can pierce Quan Jinhu’s shield?"

"He couldn't do it with his body, and now he’s using a sword? Does he even know what he’s doing?"

"I say Yun Yi is at his wit's end! He’s just trying to make his defeat look less embarrassing!"

The crowd nodded, clearly in agreement with this assessment.

"Kid, do you even know how to use a sword?" Quan Jinhu asked mockingly, not believing that a second-level Foundation Establishment cultivator could possess a sword technique strong enough to break his defense.

"Why don't we find out?" Yun Yi’s tone turned cold and serious, and his sword intent began to surge.

"This is...?"

"Sword intent!"

"A second-level Foundation Establishment cultivator who has mastered sword intent! This talent..."

Quan Jinhu was stunned. Yun Yi possessing sword intent was entirely outside his expectations. Nevertheless, he remained confident; the gap in their cultivation levels was too vast.

Suddenly, Yun Yi flicked his sword, leaving a trail of afterimages behind as he lunged forward.

"So fast!" Quan Jinhu’s pupils contracted. He felt a sudden jolt of nervousness, and his spiritual energy began to circulate frantically through his dantian.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yun Yi reached Quan Jinhu in an instant. To everyone’s shock, he unleashed two rapid sword strikes, perfectly overlapping them into one, and thrust the blade toward Quan Jinhu’s waist.

"Kid, you think..."

Before Quan Jinhu could finish his smile, his expression shifted to one of pure shock.

"This... this is impossible..."

Quan Jinhu’s eyes widened in terror. He could feel his Absolute Defense beginning to fracture.

"Break!" Yun Yi roared, his face flushed as he poured every ounce of his spiritual energy into the blade.

*Clang!*

*Boom!*

A crisp metallic sound followed by a deafening blast echoed through the air. To the astonishment of the crowd, Quan Jinhu was sent flying backward.

"Brother Quan!" Ning Yinyang cried out in panic, scurrying over to his side.

"This..."

"What sword technique is this?"

"This technique! It doesn't look like anything taught in the academy!"

The onlookers were left speechless. In the distance, Quan Jinhu clutched his waist, swaying as he stood up with Ning Yinyang’s support. He wiped the blood from his mouth, took a deep breath, tossed his identity token to Yun Yi, and said, "I lost. I am a man of my word. Can you tell me the name of that sword strike?"

Quan Jinhu stared at Yun Yi, his eyes filled with unwillingness; he did not want to lose to a nameless technique.

Yun Yi transferred 10,000 contribution points, looked at Quan Jinhu, and spoke slowly, "This sword... is called One-into-Unity."

"A fine name, One-into-Unity. Yun Yi, I will remember you. See you at the Grand Tournament!" Quan Jinhu chuckled and turned to leave.

"He’s a decent man," Yun Yi muttered, watching his retreating figure. Although his preferences were a bit unconventional, Yun Yi respected his character—he knew how to lose with dignity.

"Well... everyone, move along!" Yun Yi said, feeling a bit awkward under the gaze of the crowd. With a wave of his hand, he hopped onto the back of his Azure Rock Eagle and flew away.