Her 'Ephemeral Finger' strike, while not the most powerful technique in her sect, was exceptionally formidable. Even cultivators at the Half-Saint domain would have to tread cautiously against it.
After all, this seemingly simple finger strike, once it landed, could pierce through the armor of a tank. The sheer might of this move was terrifying.
Yet, Zhang Fan, with a casual palm strike, without employing any specific technique, effortlessly neutralized her 'Ephemeral Finger.' What's more, his counterattack was launched after hers, making her realize that this young man might not be merely a Half-Saint as she had assumed.
He was likely a true Saint domain powerhouse!
At this thought, Wei Xiaowen found Zhang Fan's previous arrogant demeanor somewhat understandable. To reach the Saint domain at such a young age was indeed enough to make one look down on the younger generation.
However...
"Even if you are a true Saint domain expert, you will not belittle me, Wei Xiaowen!" Gazing at the smiling youth opposite her, the fear in Wei Xiaowen's eyes slowly dissipated, replaced by an unyielding fighting spirit.
"Your will is rather good, it's just your strength that falls a bit short," Zhang Fan commented with a light smile, observing Wei Xiaowen's transformation.
Wei Xiaowen remained silent. Her feet shifted subtly, and with a sudden push, her entire body leaped into the air, as if she were an immortal, hovering above the hall.
Fortunately, the hall had a high ceiling, or her simple push-off would have likely punched a hole through the dropped ceiling.
Although Wei Xiaowen had reached the Saint domain, she could still maintain a brief suspension in the void.
The onlookers watched in stunned silence as Wei Xiaowen levitated without any visible support.
"Brahma Palm!" Wei Xiaowen extended her hands, rapidly forming a series of complex and obscure hand seals. In mere moments, a golden Buddha seal, condensed from potent true qi, rapidly took shape in her hands, emitting a dazzling golden light.
With the Buddha seal cupped in her hands, Wei Xiaowen hovered in mid-air, her entire being radiating golden light. At this moment, to the onlookers, the domineering woman of the Wei family seemed to have transformed into a female Vajra from Buddhism.
When the Vajra rages, all beings fear.
"Go!"
Wei Xiaowen pushed with all her might, and the golden Buddha seal shot from her palm, hurtling towards Zhang Fan!
As the saying goes, amateurs watch the spectacle, while professionals see the skill. Most people present, upon witnessing this, felt nothing more than disbelief.
But Qi Xiangyu's eyes lit up as he saw this palm strike. He stared intently at Zhang Fan, eager to see how he would defend against this move.
"The secret, unpassed art of Great Dragon Temple, Brahma Palm!" Qi Xiangyu's heart was filled with envy. Even the most powerful ultimate technique of their Extreme Fire Sect paled in comparison to the move Wei Xiaowen had unleashed.
"If I could learn the Brahma Palm, I could probably contend with a peak Xiantian Grandmaster with this move alone," Qi Xiangyu mused inwardly. While powerful ultimate techniques were notoriously difficult to cultivate, once mastered, they granted the ability to fight beyond one's own tier.
If he could learn an ultimate technique on the level of the Brahma Palm, his late Xiantian stage strength would make him fearless even when facing a peak Xiantian Grandmaster.
"As expected of the Senior Disciple of Great Dragon Temple. With this single move, her power has likely entered the true Saint domain!" Qi Xiangyu expressed a touch of awe.
The Buddha seal, originally only palm-sized, rapidly grew after leaving Wei Xiaowen's palm. By the time it reached Zhang Fan, it was over ten feet wide, completely engulfing him.
Even Qin Luoshui, standing beside him, was affected.
"I didn't expect Senior Disciple to even use the Brahma Palm. Even facing this move, I would probably find it difficult to resist," Yan Wanqing said, standing beside Zhang Fan. As she watched the oncoming golden Buddha seal, it exerted immense pressure on her, yet she showed no inclination to evade.
Because she believed that while the power of this Buddha seal might be formidable, it was nothing to the young man beside her.
"This move is rather interesting, it already has a hint of sorcery to it. It seems Great Dragon Temple is not as simple as I imagined," Zhang Fan nodded with amusement, thinking to himself.
Regarding the identities of Wei Xiaowen and Yan Wanqing, Zhang Fan had suspected they were disciples of Great Dragon Temple the moment he saw Wei Xiaowen.
And now, judging by the technique Wei Xiaowen employed, it was further confirmed. She was proficient in Buddhist ultimate techniques, and at such a young age, with such profound cultivation, only the most elite Buddhist sects in China could produce her.
Although Great Dragon Temple was a powerful force, on par with the Green Gang and the Hongmen, and could even rival the former Pill God Pavilion, due to their sect's principles, their disciples were extremely low-profile and rarely ventured into the Chinese martial arts world. Therefore, even with Wei Xiaowen's strength, she was not widely known in the martial arts circles of China.
It was worth noting that even an ordinary invincible Grandmaster, once their strength was publicly acknowledged, would likely be famous across China.
"You have the Brahma Palm, I have the Heaven-Overturning Palm. We can compare and see whose is mightier!" Zhang Fan said with a playful tone. He lightly flipped his right hand, and in an instant, a massive hand seal condensed from spiritual energy formed in his palm.
"Go!" Zhang Fan gently pushed, and the palm seal shot out, heading towards the incoming golden Buddha seal.
As the palm seal passed, it seemed to twist the very space, and the crowd could almost hear the sound of space tearing.
The two massive palm seals collided, but they did not produce the earth-shattering explosion that everyone had anticipated.
To Wei Xiaowen's disbelief, her Brahma Seal, which she had poured all her effort into condensing, met Zhang Fan's palm seal like a small whirlpool encountering a tornado – it vanished and was swallowed without a ripple.
And the palm seal continued its trajectory, unimpeded, directly towards her. As the palm seal descended, it completely covered her, leaving no room for evasion.
Facing this palm strike, a trace of fear involuntarily arose within Wei Xiaowen. It wasn't that she was afraid, but rather a fear of power that far surpassed her own level.
This was beyond conscious control, like hair meeting fire.
*Boom!*
Struck by the palm seal, despite Wei Xiaowen's strenuous efforts to resist, she was still sent flying back over ten meters, only stopping when she crashed into the hall's wall.
"I'm okay?" Upon landing, Wei Xiaowen had expected to be severely injured, if not killed. But she discovered that aside from a sharp pain in her chest, she was not truly harmed.
Looking up at Zhang Fan, she saw him staring at her with a half-smile. Wei Xiaowen then realized with a jolt that Zhang Fan had likely held back his power at the last moment.
At the same time, her heart was churned by immense shock. To control such immense power to this degree, to make it appear effortless, was something even a true Saint domain expert might not be able to achieve.