The Elixir Tasting Daoist's expression grew complicated. If Zhang Yan had merely gathered all his Elixir Evil power into one point to wield, it would have been impressive, but nothing extraordinary. However, if he achieved this effortlessly, it was truly spine-chilling.

At this moment, Zhang Yan suddenly smiled and casually loosened his grip, tossing the dragon whale back down.

Zheng Ying froze for a brief moment, then burst into laughter, thinking Zhang Yan could no longer sustain his control.

His laughter immediately roused a cascade of mocking laughter from the entire crowd.

Zhang Yan paid no attention to this. Moments earlier, he had simply wanted to feel the weight of a single dragon whale. While he had no doubt he could effortlessly overpower all nine, he was unsure of the actual limits of his strength.

But after this brief interaction, he had one impression:

Light.

Far too light!

So, next…

Zhang Yan inhaled slightly. With this single breath, Zheng Ying and the Elixir Tasting Daoist were suddenly overcome with an intense unease. They sensed the fine gravel atop the cliff quivering faintly as if some earthshaking power was brewing.

Sitting upon the Cloud Couch, Zheng Hongtu's face abruptly changed as he leaned forward, staring intently below.

Feng Haiqing and Du Ruoyu seemed to perceive something as well, their brows deeply furrowed. Yuxiao Sect's Master Tian and Shaoqing Sect's Master Xu also showed subtle shifts in their expressions.

Elder Gong's body shuddered, his gaze igniting with sharp brilliance, his face stirring with excitement as he leapt to his feet.

Suddenly, from atop the Thousand Ridges Cliff, a plume of white mist burst skyward from Zhang Yan's body. This towering surge of smoke was vast and unparalleled in its might, carrying an indomitable force capable of upturning mountains, subduing peaks, and stirring the Four Seas!

A thunderous roar followed. Smoke and dust billowed as sand and stones erupted in all directions. The Elixir Tasting Daoist and Zheng Ying were both unable to maintain their footing, pushed back dozens of steps by the ferocious tide before they could stabilize themselves. Their faces turned ashen with shock.

The vast, sky-encompassing smoke transformed abruptly into a colossal hand of white mist, its five fingers spread wide, reaching into the clouds as if to seize the sun and the moon. The hand flipped its wrist and descended, plunging towards the deep sea below.

A muffled boom resounded as seawater surged violently upward. The nine-headed dragon whale, not sparing a single one, was scooped up in its grasp!

"This… this… this…"

The tens of thousands of noble family disciples outside Raging Wave Rock were left agape, staring in disbelief at the dragon whales writhing helplessly in the misty hand like nine struggling eels.

Feng Clan Chief Feng Haiqing's eyelids twitched furiously, his fingers trembling as he exclaimed in a mix of shock and anger, "Could… could Zhang Yan already be at the Second Grade Elixir Formation?"

Zheng Hongtu's face darkened, his heart brimming with shame and fury. With this single grasp, Zhang Yan had far surpassed Zheng Ying in capabilities. The depth with which Zhang Yan had hidden his abilities fooled even him.

Yet, if they thought this was the end, they could not have been more wrong.

As if still unsatisfied, Zhang Yan leapt high into the air, standing firmly within the void. Gazing downward, he suddenly released a long, resonant howl. Its reverberations stirred the ocean waves as if shaking their very foundation. The misty hand gave a violent tremor and then rose even higher, pulling the nine whales' chains taut with a deafening screech!

"What is he trying to do?!"

"Clatter!" With a start, Zheng Hongtu stood abruptly, knocking over the table before him without noticing.

"Crack, crack, crack…"

The sound of splintering stone echoed relentlessly. Dust and shards of rock fell as the golden chains embedded deep within the solid rock were forcibly dragged out segment by segment. The nine dragon whales, unable to withstand such immense force, let out pained wails as the golden locks bound around them cut into their flesh, causing blood to gush forth in a nauseating spray.

Zhang Yan let out a thunderous shout that echoed across the four directions. The misty hand gave a sudden, upward heave, and, with an earsplitting crash, the golden anchoring rings were uprooted entirely!

Tens of thousands of disciples stood on the cliffs, trembling with awe and dread at the spectacle. Their knees grew weak as if they could collapse onto the ground at any moment.

Zhang Yan hovered in midair, with hands clasped behind his back and a massive hand suspended in the sky, clasping the nine dragon whales tightly. A fierce wind tore at his Daoist robe, threatening to rip it apart.

Zheng Ying trembled uncontrollably, his face as pale as paper, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and confusion.

Zhang Yan paid him no mind and instead turned to look at the cultivators of the noble families. Each of them averted their gaze. He raised a finger, pointing toward the "Source Separation Essence Jade" positioned atop the Cloud Couch's stand, and bellowed, "I desire this. If anyone has objections, step forward and challenge me!"

He surveyed the crowd, declaring, "Who dares to come?"

The scene fell utterly silent.

With a furrowed brow, Zhang Yan repeated, "Who dares to come?"

Blood dripped from the corner of Zheng Ying's mouth.

Focusing his breath, Zhang Yan roared for the third time, his voice booming, "Who dares to come!"

He shouted three times, yet not a single person responded!

Zhang Yan smiled lightly. With a faint mental command, he flung the nine barely-alive dragon whales onto the sandbank below. He then flew atop the Cloud Couch, waved his sleeve, and claimed the "Source Separation Essence Jade" in full view of the True Masters present. Laughing heartily, he soared into the sky, transforming into a vast misty vortex and disappearing into the heavens.

Zheng Hongtu, Du Ruoyu, and Feng Haiqing's faces were ashen with anger, but they remained silent.

From the clouds above, a faint voice echoed:

"Through a thousand tempers, the Dao within is forged,

Qiankun's essence held in my grasp.

Sun, moon, and stars burn and revolve,

Shifting fate, stealing eternity, defying tribulation's grasp.

Breaking through a thousand waves and myriad shoals,

Immortality's path is tread without regret, a laugh to mock passing years!"

Suddenly, a resounding laugh erupted, prompting Zheng Hongtu and the others to turn their heads. Elder Gong stood, guffawing audaciously.

In this moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration, as if the clouds had parted and the fog had lifted. All the oppression and frustration from before had been swept away in his mirth.

He cast a defiant glance at the others, laughed once more in triumph, then flicked his broad sleeves and flew away with hands clasped behind his back.

The space before Raging Wave Rock fell into a deathly stillness. The tens of thousands of noble family disciples stood in a collective daze, their expressions despondent and their spirits utterly crushed.

Sitting inside the Flying Tower, Zheng Xun was utterly dazed, his lips trembling as he murmured repeatedly, "Pulling up nine whales… First-class Elixir Formation… Pulling up nine whales… First-class Elixir Formation…"

...

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