Chapter 160: Tianshuo Defense System

The staff member was forcibly lifted into the air by Chang Yin.

His cold, sinister gaze locked directly onto the staff member’s eyes, like a hellish demon climbing into the mortal realm to claim lives.

A terrifying aura pressed down on the surroundings. The ferocious Crimson Nether Mark on his chest swelled with blood, and a torrent of rage poured forth, filling the entire dueling arena with a savage, rampant killing intent.

Chang Yin gripped the staff member’s neck, his knuckles tightening relentlessly. The latter kicked his legs wildly, his hands clawing at Chang Yin’s grip in a desperate attempt to break free.

“Worthless trash. This is the price for daring to mock me.”

Chang Yin’s lips curled into a twisted, perverse smile.

With a mere thought, his fingers would tighten and crush the staff member’s neck.

“Does it hurt? Are you in despair?”

Chang Yin taunted mockingly, watching the staff member’s pale face.

But at that moment, a black shadow shot forward at incredible speed.

Boom!

A saber descended with blinding speed, striking Chang Yin squarely in the back.

A dull, heavy sound echoed from where the blade met flesh. The Crimson Nether Mark on Chang Yin’s chest flickered faintly before fading back into stillness.

Chang Yin’s expression turned icy. He released his grip, and the staff member’s body crashed to the ground, coughing violently and clutching his neck in agony.

Ignoring him, Chang Yin coldly turned to face the black figure that had ambushed him.

It had no face.

“Heh, an interesting ability.”

Chang Yin sneered, and the Crimson Nether Mark on his chest suddenly shot out, transforming into a ferocious net that lunged toward the shadow.

Blood-colored energy spread, and killing intent surged like a tide. Most of the weaker onlookers had long since fled, leaving only those Martial Artists who considered themselves capable enough to watch the chaos unfold.

Someone actually dared to cause trouble in Jiang Yan’s territory?

How amusing.

The shadow dodged the Crimson Nether net and slashed diagonally at Chang Yin.

When the blade struck Chang Yin’s body, there was no sound of it sinking into flesh—it couldn’t penetrate even half an inch.

“Heh, is this all the strength you have?”

Chang Yin raised his hand, and in an instant, a colossal palm hundreds of meters in size materialized in the sky.

The massive palm descended with heavenly might, like a judgment from the heavens upon all mortal beings, as if Jiang Yan were being punished and annihilated!

Fierce pressure stirred up a hurricane, and the surrounding air was rapidly sucked away by the immense force.

If this palm struck, the entire dueling arena would be reduced to ruins.

But at that moment, the shadow suddenly halted its movements, its form gradually dissipating into nothingness.

Chang Yin frowned, clearly unable to discern what had happened.

But it didn’t matter. The colossal palm in the sky was about to slam down, and the entire duel would become his personal performance art.

However, four dazzling red beams of light shot from the distance, piercing through layers of space to strike the descending palm.

Boom!

The moment the four red beams made contact with the ferocious palm, a violent explosion erupted. A giant mushroom cloud bloomed in the sky, and the shockwave of the blast stirred up a scorching gale.

Just then, Jiang Yan descended from the heavens, transforming into a blur of light as he charged straight at Chang Yin.

Four engravings floated around him, countless saber gleams coalescing. Shadows enveloped the sky, plunging everything into an eerie silence. A voice colder than any hellish demon struck Chang Yin’s soul.

“You dare to destroy my dueling arena?”

“What!”

Chang Yin’s pupils contracted, only to see several long sabers thrusting toward him. Jiang Yan pierced through his body, hot blood splattering on the spot, painting specks of crimson plum blossoms across the pitch-black Chaotic Void Domain before silence reclaimed the scene.

Thump—

Chang Yin stared wide-eyed at the gaping hole in his abdomen, now hollowed through front to back, from which scarlet blood flowed in a steady stream.

Half of his long hair had been severed, leaving the remaining strands looking awkward and disheveled.

Ignoring the bloody cavity in his abdomen, Chang Yin trembled as he cupped the hair that had fallen to the ground in his hands.

His expression instantly darkened, cold enough to drip water.

“You… shouldn’t have done this.”

“I don’t give a damn what I should or shouldn’t do! You dare destroy my dueling arena? Prepare to die!”

Jiang Yan raised his saber, his aura surging to its peak. The space around him twisted violently, on the verge of collapse.

Chang Yin roared as well, the crimson tattoos on his body igniting completely, transforming into a torrent of raging flames that erupted outward. Amidst the intertwining of blood and fire, Chang Yin’s pupils turned bewitching and blazing.

The aura of the Peak of True Intent surged explosively, far surpassing the strength this realm should possess.

Neither figure backed down, transforming into two blazing energy masses that collided head-on.

Boom!

The expected stalemate never occurred.

Chang Yin felt as though he had been struck by countless meteors. The terrifying shockwave instantly shattered his internal organs, and his body was sent flying uncontrollably out of the dueling arena.

A long trail of blood streaked through the air.

Thud!

Chang Yin’s body slammed heavily into the ground, causing the earth to cave in under the impact and burying him instantly.

Outside the dueling arena, Jiang Yan no longer held back his strength. Four War Ruins Engravings instantly flew before him, glowing brightly as four terrifying crimson lights gathered and shot forth.

The crimson lights pierced precisely into the rubble ahead, causing a burst of blood mist that dyed the entire ground red.

Uncertain whether his opponent was alive or dead, Jiang Yan struck again with his saber.

“Yan Thunder Destruction Slash!”

“Slash!”

Countless Saber Qi rained down.

A sea of thunder raged and rampaged, scorching the entire ruins into charred fragments.

No aura emerged from Chang Yin.

Jiang Yan continued to slash with his saber, pushing his techniques to the limit.

At that moment, a light screen rose, having already blocked the subsequent attacks.

The light screen was as solid as bedrock, far exceeding what a Martial Artist of this level should possess.

Crack, crack…

Vitality gradually returned, followed by an even more terrifying energy.

Jiang Yan narrowed his eyes, allowing the violent wind pressure from beneath the rubble to sweep past him. He stood firm, completely unaffected.

The rubble shifted, stones grinding and colliding, as if something monstrous was about to emerge.

The spectators from the dueling arena had all rushed out, staring in shock and awe at the scene.

“Jiang Yan won!”

Uninformed observers thought so, but only those from Myriad Pottery Academy watched with trembling pupils.

“It’s the Celestial Trace Defense System! Senior Chang Yin activated the Celestial Trace Defense System!”

The Celestial Trace Defense System was a unique defensive mechanism of Tianyuan Star. By implanting an energy chip into the body, the chip would automatically assess the Martial Artist’s physical condition and deploy a defensive barrier upon detecting fatal damage.

This was a method commonly used by major Families to protect their Prodigies, and it was extremely costly.

The Celestial Trace Defense System lasted a full minute.

During this minute, those outside could not attack those inside, and those inside could not attack those outside.

The chip implanted in Chang Yin was among the most precious of its kind, capable of withstanding attacks from Martial Artists at the Source Domain Realm Perfection at the very least.

If the chip had not been implanted and the Tianshuo Defense System activated, Chang Yin would have died…

the moment he exchanged his first blow with Jiang Yan.