A group of people instantly surrounded Zhou Yan. The leader, a middle-aged man, stared coldly at Zhou Yan and said in a deep voice, "Kid, hand over the Divine Stone, and we'll spare your life!"
"Heh, why should I listen to you?" Zhou Yan sneered, glanced at the group indifferently, and then said, "I advise you to leave quickly, or once I completely refine this Azure Dragon Divine Stone, you won't be able to leave even if you want to."
"How dare you! Since you're stubborn, don't blame this old man for being impolite!"
The middle-aged leader snorted coldly and then shouted, "Elders, obey my command and kill this bastard!"
"As you command!"
Instantly, twelve peak Martial Master realm powerhouses simultaneously drew their swords and attacked Zhou Yan.
The twelve joined forces, unleashing twelve sets of sword techniques to form a sword formation. This formation, known as the Twelve Blade Di, was a secret move specifically used by this sect to hunt demon beasts. It was immensely powerful, having once annihilated over a hundred demon beasts and even preserved half their corpses, bringing immense profit to the sect.
"Kill!"
Twelve sharp blade glows sliced through the void, carrying a piercing, shrill whistle as they swept towards Zhou Yan. Even before the blade qi reached him, a powerful oppressive force washed over him, forcing Zhou Yan to take an involuntary step back.
"So powerful. When these twelve guys cooperate, they are indeed formidable," Zhou Yan's face showed apprehension. These twelve were all blade cultivators, their blade intent sharp, capable of cleaving the void with every move. The power of such blade techniques was incredibly terrifying.
"Hmph, mere trickery!"
However, at this moment, Zhou Yan no longer feared them. He took a deep breath, extended both palms, and his fists began to shine with golden light, as if cast in pure gold, emitting terrifying fluctuations.
Bang, bang, bang, bang…
Zhou Yan's two fists collided with the blade glows of the twelve blade cultivators, producing deafening sounds. The blade qi, in front of Zhou Yan's fist strength, was as fragile as tofu, shattering one after another. The twelve blade cultivators' wrists ached, their tiger's mouths cracked open, and blood flowed out. Zhou Yan, however, remained motionless, standing in place.
"This guy is so strong!"
"How is this possible? How can he be so powerful? What kind of cultivation technique is this?"
These blade cultivators were all astonished. This young man looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, yet possessed such heaven-defying strength, completely exceeding their understanding.
"Don't waste time with him, capture him directly!" the middle-aged leader commanded coldly.
This time, they were under orders from their Sect Master to search for the ruins of the Azure Dragon Divine Hall. They never expected to encounter a youth here, and that this youth was actually possessed by the divine soul of an Azure Dragon Ancient Emperor. This was the manifestation of an Azure Dragon Divine Emperor's will, and such a situation absolutely could not be leaked, otherwise, their sect would face utter destruction.
"Swish, swish, swish…"
The next second, these blade cultivators again swung their blades, attacking Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan finally got serious. He took a deep breath, and his figure suddenly accelerated, transforming into a blur of afterimages, instantly evading all attacks.
Zhou Yan's fist techniques also became unpredictable. These fist arts were all exchanged from the system. Each move and every strike contained extremely bizarre profound meanings, capable of changing the tide of battle once unleashed.
In a short while, Zhou Yan, leveraging his advantages, gained the upper hand.
What was most important was that Zhou Yan knew the Azure Dragon Divine Stone was here, and he did not want to miss such a precious opportunity.
"Whoosh!"
Zhou Yan stomped his foot fiercely, soaring into the air. Then, he punched towards the Azure Dragon Divine Stone. A dense black flame appeared on his fist.
Zhou Yan's fist landed on the Azure Dragon Divine Stone.
At this moment, everyone held their breath. They knew that if Zhou Yan obtained the Azure Dragon Divine Stone now, they would have no chance of winning, and even the twelve blade cultivators would likely be killed here.
Boom!
The next moment, a violent explosion resounded throughout the entire cave.
Instantly, endless runes emerged on the stone walls of this area. These runes, dense and numerous, shimmered with a strange luster. Then, these runes began to move like tadpoles, forming a massive formation.
"Bad, these are sealing runes! We're trapped!" one blade cultivator's eyes widened in terror.
"Indeed, the aura of these runes is too terrifying, far more frightening than the lightning restrictions before. They not only seal our movements but also suppress the circulation of our true essence," several other blade cultivators said with solemn expressions.
"Damn it, there were traps hidden here too. Could this be the Azure Dragon Divine Hall's trial?"
At this moment, even the face of the middle-aged blade cultivator leader became slightly grim. He scanned his surroundings and suddenly noticed a stone tablet not far away.
Above the stone tablet, a line of text was engraved.
"Azure Dragon Divine Hall Assessment. Only by obtaining the Divine Stone can one proceed to the next stage. Otherwise, all intruders will be killed without mercy!"
This statement was very brief, with only a few words. However, in that instant, all the blade cultivators froze. Subsequently, their faces contorted into ferocious expressions.
"Damn it, we'll risk it all! This brat has snatched the Divine Stone, we must kill him to vent our anger!" one blade cultivator growled through gritted teeth. At this point, they no longer cared about rules, because the Divine Stone was too precious. Whoever obtained it would become the next Sect Master of the Azure Dragon Sword Sect.
"Kill!"
The blade cultivators roared, and streaks of brilliant blade light burst forth once more, like a storm of pear blossoms, slashing towards Zhou Yan overwhelmingly.
"Haha, a bunch of ants!"
Zhou Yan let out a hearty laugh, his profound internal energy erupting. He then threw a punch, his violent true qi concentrating at a single point, instantly blooming with scorching brilliance, and smashing fiercely into the sky-covering blade light.
A series of dull thuds echoed as all the blade lights shattered. Although these blade lights were powerful, how could they be a match for Zhou Yan?
"Puff, puff, puff!"
Following that, Zhou Yan's fist momentum did not diminish, falling like a storm upon all the blade cultivators. Instantly, their chests and ribs were all broken. They were sent flying backward, crashing into the walls, spitting blood, and letting out miserable screams.