The burly man was named Yuan Tong. From the markings on his robes, it was clear that he was a disciple of the Origin Order Palace.

The Origin Order Palace was a major power within the Southern Martial Domain. Although it did not quite stand on the same level as the Four Great Sects, its strength and influence were only slightly inferior.

Within such a faction, Yuan Tong held a notable position. He was the second-ranked expert among its True Disciples and possessed cultivation at the fourth level of the Essence Qi Realm.

As for Zhou Xiong Ying, he was the chief True Disciple of the Origin Order Palace.

"Enough of this pointless talk. If you want to fight, then make your move."

Li Yun’s voice was calm and indifferent, as though he did not consider his opponent worth any attention.

His attitude instantly ignited Yuan Tong’s anger.

"You brat, since you are so eager to die, I will grant your wish!"

Yuan Tong roared, his copper bell-like eyes flashing with fierce light. He clenched his hands tightly, and a surge of crimson energy burst forth from his body. The energy gathered rapidly, condensing into a pair of massive weapons within his grasp. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

They were two red copper hammers.

As his qi poured into them, blazing red light erupted from their surfaces, resembling raging flames. A scorching heat spread outward, distorting the surrounding air and causing the space around them to grow unbearably hot.

"Die!"

Gripping the hammers firmly, Yuan Tong’s arms swelled with power. With a furious roar, he swung both weapons forward. They tore through the air like flaming meteors, crashing down toward Li Yun with overwhelming force.

Li Yun’s expression did not change.

A faint trace of disdain appeared at the corner of his lips. He did not draw his sword, nor did he circulate any cultivation technique. Instead, he simply stepped forward and raised his hand, striking out with a single palm as though it were a blade.

Yuan Tong’s grin turned savage when he saw this.

"You arrogant fool. You dare to block my attack with your bare hands. I will crush that hand into nothing."

The red copper hammers in his grasp were top-grade profound rank artifacts. Combined with his cultivation and natural strength, their power was formidable. Even an expert at the fifth level of the Essence Qi Realm would approach such an attack with caution.

Yet Li Yun, who appeared to be only at the seventh level of the Qi Sea Realm, dared to face it head-on with nothing but his palm.

To Yuan Tong, this was nothing short of suicidal arrogance.

A sharp, metallic clash rang out.

The moment Li Yun’s palm struck against the descending hammers, a deafening sound echoed across the arena. A visible ripple spread outward from the point of impact, shaking the air itself.

In that instant, the expression on Yuan Tong’s face froze.

The ferocity in his eyes vanished, replaced by pure shock.

He saw it clearly.

Not only had Li Yun’s bare palm remained unharmed, but his own red copper hammers had been struck with such force that a crack appeared across their surfaces. The top-grade profound rank weapons, which he had relied on with absolute confidence, had been damaged in a single exchange.

Before he could react, a terrifying force surged through the hammers and traveled into his hands. The impact tore through the flesh between his thumb and forefinger, causing blood to spray outward.

Unable to hold on any longer, Yuan Tong lost his grip.

The pair of hammers flew from his hands, spinning wildly through the air. At the same time, the force of the collision sent his entire body reeling backward. He was thrown off his feet, his figure tumbling through the air as he was blasted away from the center of the arena.

"It is over."

Li Yun glanced at Yuan Tong with complete indifference, as though the outcome had already been decided the moment they exchanged blows. Without any hesitation, he raised his hand once more and struck out again.

To others, it looked like nothing more than a simple motion.

Yet to Yuan Tong, that unremarkable palm carried a terrifying sense of danger. His pupils shrank sharply as a chill ran through his entire body. In that instant, he snapped out of his shock and let out a furious roar.

"You think you can defeat me so easily? It is not that simple!"

As his voice echoed, a surge of crimson light burst from his body. The energy gathered rapidly, forming a layer of red copper armor that covered him from head to toe. The armor clung tightly to his skin, giving off a metallic sheen that radiated power.

"Red Copper Battle Body!"

With the armor fully formed, Yuan Tong’s aura surged violently. His strength climbed rapidly, nearing the level of the fifth stage of the Essence Qi Realm. At the same time, he gathered every ounce of his power into a single point and threw out a punch with all his might. In his mind, there was no way he could lose in a direct clash of strength against someone whose cultivation was nearly an entire realm lower than his.

The two attacks collided.

A loud impact resounded across the arena, followed immediately by the sickening sound of bones cracking.

Yuan Tong’s expression twisted in disbelief as the force of Li Yun’s palm crushed through his defense. His entire body was sent flying backward, leaving the arena and crashing down far in the distance.

This overwhelming result was the power of the fourth stage of the ninth-tier secret art, the World Bearing Devil Suppressing Physique. With his body weight amplified ten thousand times, even the simplest motion carried unimaginable destructive force. What seemed like an ordinary palm strike was, in truth, a devastating blow that few could withstand.

Yuan Tong lay on the ground in a miserable state.

Blood spilled from his mouth, and his right arm hung uselessly at his side. Every bone within it had been shattered into fragments. The pain was unbearable, yet what truly filled him with fear was not the injury itself, but the realization of how it had happened.

Li Yun had not even exerted himself.

He had merely waved his hand, and the result was this.

A deep sense of terror rose within Yuan Tong as he imagined what would have happened if Li Yun had used even a fraction of his true strength.

At that moment, a strand of golden Dragon Qi emerged from between Yuan Tong’s brows. It drifted through the air like a streak of light before arriving in front of Li Yun. Without resistance, it entered his body through his forehead and flowed directly into his Sea of Consciousness, merging with the existing mass of golden energy within.