Chapter 204: Do You Only Have This Much Skill?

At the peak of an ancient tree not far away, Lin Xuan stood quietly on a branch, his body shrouded in a faint, ethereal aura. His gaze was fixed on the night, taking in every detail of the battlefield. With Lin Xuan's current strength, he could easily gather every wisp of Qi being used on the field.

Xiao Bai knelt on a branch upstream, her slender fingers gently toying with a leaf. "This Zhang Chulan," she said thoughtfully, "his ability to adapt in battle is truly not bad."

Lin Xuan nodded slightly. He could see the potential yet to be fully awakened in Zhang Chulan, a kind of promising possibility. However, what caught his attention more at this moment were all the changes in the Art of Techniques performed during the battle.

"Benefactor, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Qing tilted her head, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness. She could always sense the changes in Lin Xuan's mood.

Lin Xuan smiled lightly: "Just thinking that the fighting styles of these fellows are extraordinary." His voice was calm yet held a trace of profound meaning, "Chaotic on the surface, but actually containing hidden mysteries."

Indeed, what he saw at this moment was more than just the surface battle. Although Jin Yong's Heavenly Steel Qi was not bad, in the eyes of a true top-tier expert, it was overly rigid. And while the battle between Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao still lacked terror, it contained infinite possibilities.

Xiao Bai keenly sensed something: "Is Benefactor evaluating their potential?"

"More than that." Lin Xuan's gaze was deep, as if he could see through the long river of time, "Every era has its characteristics. The fighting styles of these people perhaps represent a transformation in the form of the Outsider world."

As they spoke, the ferocity on the battlefield changed abruptly. Jin Yong summoned his pride and joy, the Ruhu puppet army; the eerie faces of the puppets were chilling in the moonlight.

"These puppets..." Xiao Qing wrinkled her delicate nose, "They're in a good mood."

Lin Xuan, however, saw the trick to it. Although the Qi contained within these puppets was not top-tier, the special method of puppetry was indeed ingenious. If given enough time to develop, it might truly create an entirely new school.

When Zhang Chulan's Palm Thunder struck a puppet, a flash of interest crossed Lin Xuan's eyes. Although the application of thunder techniques was still very rough, that instinctive control was impressive. In his own unique years of cultivation, he had seen too many gifted people, and Zhang Chulan was undoubtedly one with quite distinct characteristics.

"It seems they are about to show their real skills," Xiao Bai said softly. She could see that Zhang Chulan was brewing a more intense attack.

Lin Xuan nodded slightly. As an expert who had already touched upon certain realms, he could utilize the power gradually gathering in the air. It was a kind of aura that was about to fully mature, yet had already revealed its sharpness.

"Sister Bao'er, get ready!" Zhang Chulan's shout came from the battlefield.

Watching this scene, Lin Xuan couldn't help but recall some of his own past events. At that time, he had also experienced countless life-and-death battles. It was those experiences that allowed him to reach today's height step by step. At this moment, standing at the tree peak, the Qi around his body had already merged with heaven and earth. Such a realm was already beyond the imagination of ordinary Outsiders.

"Interesting," Lin Xuan commented softly, watching the tacit cooperation in the fight between Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao. Although from his perspective this level of battle was just child's play, the potential they displayed was worth noting.

Xiao Qing was somewhat restless: "Benefactor, should we go help them?"

Lin Xuan shook his head: "Not necessarily. Some paths need to be walked by them personally to have meaning." His voice carried a certain transcendence, as if he had seen through all the phenomena of the world, "Besides, the real good show is yet to come."

"How about it?" Jin Yong boasted while circling Feng Baobao, "Every Ruhu has been injected with special Qi; unless you can completely destroy them all at once, they will constantly self-repair."

Zhang Chulan's brows were tightly locked. These puppets were not only numerous but also possessed such powerful self-healing abilities; they were indeed tricky. Although his Palm Thunder had decent power, the consumption was too great to deal with so many targets at once.

Just at this moment, several puppets had already circled behind Feng Baobao, preparing to ambush. Zhang Chulan's heart tightened: "Sister Bao'er, watch your back!"

Although Feng Baobao seemed sluggish, her combat instincts were astonishing. Without turning her head, she kicked the ambushing puppet to pieces with a back kick. However, this momentary distraction was seized by Jin Yong.

"Bang!"

A heavy palm slammed into Feng Baobao's shoulder. An ordinary person would likely be severely injured on the spot from this blow, but Feng Baobao seemed not to feel it at all; instead, her eyes became even more focused. Her trait of not knowing pain became her greatest advantage at this moment.

Seeing this, Zhang Chulan felt both relieved and worried. Relieved by Feng Baobao's growth, and worried that if the battle continued like this, even Feng Baobao would have moments of exhaustion. More importantly, their time was not abundant.

"Looks like I have to change methods." Zhang Chulan took a deep breath and began to change his strategy. This time, he did not rush to launch an attack, but waited for these puppets to approach. The thunder light in his hands became increasingly solid, as if brewing something.

Seeing this, Jin Yong showed a disdainful smile: "What, know you can't win and preparing to admit defeat?"

"Hmph! That's not necessarily true!"

The speed at which Zhang Chulan formed seals with his hands was now so fast it was almost impossible to see the movements. The power of the Yang Five Thunders condensed around his body, every wisp of electric light containing destructive force. Yet his heart was exceptionally calm, because he knew that in this battle concerning the fate of Biyou Village, any slight mistake could lead to fatal consequences.

"Sister Bao'er, get ready!" Zhang Chulan shouted in a deep voice. A trace of worry flashed in his eyes; although he trusted Feng Baobao's ability, facing a formidable enemy like Jin Yong, he couldn't help but worry for her.

Feng Baobao immediately understood and agilely distanced herself from Jin Yong. Long-term cooperation gave her an almost instinctive understanding of Zhang Chulan's tactics; even if she didn't understand the specific reason, she knew she had to avoid the range of the incoming thunder strike at this moment.

Jin Yong watched the thunder condensing in Zhang Chulan's hands, his expression gradually becoming solemn. As a leader among the Root Vessels, he could clearly feel the heart-palpitating power in the air. However, the more dangerous the situation, the calmer he became.

"Heavenly Steel Qi!" Jin Yong roared, his Qi momentum erupting. A layer of pale golden light shrouded his entire body; this was a unique skill he had practiced for many years, capable of resisting even the attacks of Harichagai. At the same time, he manipulated the remaining Ruhu puppets to quickly change formation, setting up an eerie defensive array.

Jin Yong sneered, "These are all my trump cards!"

"Boom!"

Thunder descended, the silvery-white electric light pouring down like a galaxy. In that instant, the entire night sky of Biyou Village was illuminated. Yet Jin Yong's defense was unexpectedly stable; those wooden puppets actually formed an energy barrier stacked by dozens of puppets at the critical moment.

"Think you can break my defense like this?" Jin Yong laughed wildly, "Naive!"

However, before his laughter had even faded, his pupils suddenly contracted. He saw that Feng Baobao had somehow circled to his side, a hand-blade striking as fast as lightning. This was a tactic carefully designed by Zhang Chulan, using thunder techniques to cover Feng Baobao's surprise attack.

"Damn it!" Jin Yong was forced to divide his attention to deal with it, and a flaw appeared in his Heavenly Steel Qi defense for an instant. At this very moment of peril, Zhang Chulan's second wave of thunder strikes arrived with a boom.

At the same time, another thrilling battle was unfolding on the west side of Biyou Village.

Lao Meng stood in the alley, facing Zhang Kun's mockery, still maintaining that lazy expression. But only those who truly understood him knew that the most dangerous murderous intent was often hidden beneath this appearance.