Dreams and fists shatter the sky

Chapter 246: Stop at the Point

In the blink of an eye, the previously dark expanse was engulfed in a fiery golden-red blaze! Ye An's fist shot towards the sky, striking the boundary of the Second Realm.

"Crack, crack, crack!"

In an instant, countless cracks appeared in the invisible boundary, but they only momentarily halted Ye An's momentum. The Second Realm shattered!

Undeterred, Ye An's fiery momentum surged as flames exploded around him.

"Boom!"

A thunderous explosion resounded as he accelerated once more in mid-air, transforming into a blazing streak of red and gold that streaked diagonally through the chaotic void, rising from the deepest reaches of the Second Realm's ground and hurtling towards the surface where Xu Zhiye stood.

Beneath him, the raging flames continued to propel him forward, shattering the silence with their roar of battle.

Xu Zhiye looked at Ye An's wild grin and the bomb-like right fist approaching. His pupils dilated, and his heart skipped a beat.

The next moment, the fist descended!

A pillar of fire shot into the sky, engulfing Xu Zhiye completely. The flames roared for more than ten seconds before Ye An finally exhausted the martial intent within him.

Time ticked away.

After an indeterminate period, the intense flames gradually subsided. Xu Zhiye's domain had also vanished without a trace.

Exhausted, Ye An sat within the Vermilion Bird's domain, nursing the wounds that crisscrossed his body, slowly healing with faint elemental magic.

Before him, Xu Zhiye still stood, his body badly burned, his golden-rimmed glasses and ornate clothes now in tatters.

At the critical moment, he hadn't directly withstood the blow with his flesh but had instead employed his domain's core to resist. He managed to block seventy percent of the force, with the remaining thirty percent crashing into his frail body.

The internal injuries from the shattered domain, coupled with the external trauma of the thirty percent martial intent, assailed Xu Zhiye. His brain nearly shut down, yet miraculously, he remained standing.

Suddenly, his knees buckled, and like a person with shattered kneecaps, he stumbled sideways, legs contorted and in disarray. He struggled to raise his hand, seeking support, but within the Vermilion Bird's domain, there was nothing but flames—no walls to lean against.

Then, Ye An glanced up, his brow furrowing slightly.

Xu Zhiye hadn't collapsed or even sat down. Though his body trembled, he still stood.

Ye An was momentarily taken aback by Xu Zhiye's expression. His dilated pupils and confused mind usually caused most beings in such a state to collapse, frothing at the mouth. Yet Xu Zhiye still stood.

After another dozen seconds, Xu Zhiye's eyes gradually regained focus.

"Hoo..."

He exhaled a plume of black smoke, clutching his chest and gasping for air, his face a mix of relief and fear.

The Vermilion Bird's voice echoed in their ears.

"Stop at the point."

With that, the voice vanished, and the Vermilion Bird's domain dissolved.

Once again, they found themselves on the lush green lawn. Xu Zhiye quickly turned towards the pavilion, leaning on its pillar for support, visibly eased.

He looked down at Ye An, sitting on the ground. There was no longer any disdain in his gaze, only profound disbelief.

"Unconscious power accumulation skill rune?"

"Is it real?"

Ye An subconsciously clenched his hand, where the rune was hidden beneath his skin. He remembered its faint outline when he practiced thirty thousand punches. Now, at one hundred fifty thousand punches, the rune's outline had solidified, signifying his ability to accumulate power unconsciously.

This rune seemed like Ye An's second will.

While his own will controlled his body to combat enemies fiercely, this second will silently accumulated power on the side.

In response to Xu Zhiye's inquiry, Ye An replied, "It feels... strange."

Xu Zhiye remained incredulous.

Indeed, Ye An had already advanced in his response. He possessed the rune for unconscious power accumulation, a power that gave him a strange sensation.

Xu Zhiye asked, "What kind of feeling?"

Suddenly, Ye An raised his palm, blocking the sun in the sky. Then, he clenched his fist, as if holding the sun within it. He loosened his grip slightly, creating a gap through which sunlight filtered, turning his fist into a makeshift telescope.

He whispered, "The feeling is like having the sun in my fist."

Hearing this, Xu Zhiye's expression turned complex.

As the sun rises, all living things thrive. As it sets, darkness falls, and life withers.

Ye An's statement was clear.

The rise and fall of all things were within his fists!

It was arrogant, even audacious!

If these words came from anyone else, Xu Zhiye would mock endlessly. However, Ye An was different.

There was a significant difference between Ye An and Zhao Huaiyi.

Zhao Huaiyi had been conceived as a divine fetus by celestial beings for three thousand years, so his strength was expected.

Ye An, strictly speaking, was just an ordinary person.

Despite his extraordinary background bringing him numerous troubles instead of benefits, Ye An's growth path was entirely different.

Zhao Huaiyi would never acknowledge this, even if he didn't mock Ye An openly.

Yet Xu Zhiye knew better.

This guy came here every day. Lord Vermilion Bird acknowledged his efforts, granting him a Vermilion Bird Order for training. He was even a martial idiot who could practice evasion ten thousand times over the basic ability.

Xu Zhiye gradually saw Ye An's true face, his eyes no longer filled with pride, but rather with a calm gaze.

"In fact, I still have several powerful cards up my sleeve."

"But so do you, so let's not talk about those."

He smiled and continued, "I'm glad to have someone like you as an opponent in my era."

"I look forward to our next encounter. Perhaps next time, 'stop at the point' won't be enough."

Ye An glanced at him and retorted, "Are you crazy? Are you starting to talk nonsense?"

"This is my era."

"Tsk." Xu Zhiye waved dismissively. "If I go all out, I'm confident I can win the Bright Sword Tournament."

"So take the Bright Sword Tournament first."

"I won't stop you anymore."

"In the future, in the Hall of Human Kings, we'll have plenty of time to compete."

Xu Zhiye recovered quickly. A few minutes later, he could walk normally again.

Turning back, he retrieved his spaceship.

Ye An sat quietly amidst the knee-high green grass, watching Xu Zhiye's departing figure. In his mind replayed the scene from earlier.

Xu Zhiye had been beaten unconscious, his legs weak and stumbling, but he hadn't fallen.

He was standing.

Facing such an opponent made things interesting.