"You are right to fear me!" As Zhu Junfengâs roar faded, a low, hoarse voice drifted out from the wrecked Flying Ship.
THUD... THUD...
The next moment, to the sound of steady, powerful footsteps, Mingyaâs figure slowly walked out of the wrecked Flying Ship.
As he strode forward, a suit of dark, heavy armor with bizarre patterns gradually materialized on his body. A heart-pounding, sinister coldness emanated from it.
Illusion.
This was one of the Youtan Flowerâs abilities. By relying on the Youtan Flower seed rooted deep within their Sea of Consciousness, the Followers of Youtan Heaven could use their Magical Power to create illusions of any armor, weapons, or Magical Artifacts they had seen before.
Of course, there were limitations. First, the grade of the items they could form through Illusion depended on the tier of their Youtan Flower.
Second, they needed to have some understanding of the object they wished to manifest. Only with a sufficiently deep understanding would the illusory weapons and Magical Artifacts possess a fraction of the originalâs power.
Right now, what Mingya had manifested was a precious suit of armor from Youtan Heavenâs Treasure Vault. It was called the Armor of the Dark Monarch.
This armor could absorb all types of attacks, and it was especially effective at defending against and absorbing those aimed at the Divine Soul.
"?!" Mingyaâs appearance caused Zhu Junfengâs pupils to shrink, and his body instantly tensed.
What made him wary was not just Mingyaâs armor, but also the explosive surge in his aura.
Back on the Flying Ship, Zhu Junfeng had been confident his odds of defeating Mingya were seventy-thirty in his favor.
But during their earlier clash, Mingyaâs aura had already told him something was amiss.
However, the exchange had been too brief. Plus, Zhu Junfeng had assumed he was only forced back because heâd been caught off guard, so he hadnât thought much of it.
But now, as Mingya closed in step by step, Zhu Junfeng discovered in horror that the other manâs aura was skyrocketing at a visible rateâgrowing wilder, fiercer, and stronger with every moment!
In the blink of an eye, his power had surged from the late stage of Qi Cultivation with a single Extreme Realm to possessing four Extreme Realms. And even then, the frenzied growth of his aura showed no signs of stopping.
The violent surge of his vital energy and power even condensed into purplish-black energy flames outside his armor, radiating a suffocating pressure.
"?!"
âHow could his power increase so much in such a short time?!â
This was the power of the Holy Blood. It just went to show that Prince Qingheâs deep concern and wariness toward Youtan Heaven were not unfoundedâthey truly had a god, and this Divine Spirit was willing to grant them power!
...
"Huh? Looks like a fight broke out over there."
"Thatâs... Young Master Ji Qinghuiâs Flying Ship. Are his subordinates infighting?"
"The person shouting earlier sounded like a True Disciple from the Void Moon Sect. Theyâre clashing with another group."
"Thatâs not surprising. The Void Moon Sect members have always been arrogant, and that other group is even more aggressive and overbearing. One mountain canât house two tigers. Itâd be stranger if they *didnât* fight when theyâre all in one place!"
"Heh heh, now weâve got a good show to watch."
Since they werenât involved, the Cultivators by the lake were more than happy to watch the Void Moon Sect fight another party.
The same was true for the True Disciples of the other five Major Sects.
Although the threat of Zhong Ming had made them consider an alliance, their mindset had only just begun to shift. They were still delighted to see the Void Moon Sect get taken down a peg.
âHmph. We were completely humiliated, and it was all because the Void Moon Sect dragged us into their mess.â
âExactly. If they hadnât provoked Zhong Ming, we never would have had to face him... Whatâs worse is that after goading him out, they tried to just slip away. As if things could be that easy!â
âWait, something isnât right...â
The gleeful schadenfreude of the True Disciples from the other five Major Sects lasted for only two or three breaths.
As Mingya stepped out of the wrecked Flying Ship, exuding a terrifyingly dangerous aura that continued to swell wildly, every last one of the True Disciples from the other five sects clenched their fists, their hearts pounding in alarm.
They looked at one another, their faces filled with utter disbelief.
âWhat is with this guy? His aura is even stronger than Zhong Mingâs!â
âHow can experts this powerful just keep popping up one after another?!â
The forbidden, dangerous aura didnât just rattle the True Disciples of the Major Sects. The ordinary Cultivators by the lake also fell deathly silent the moment Mingya appeared, their faces twisted in terror. The aura he radiated made them feel an ultimate threat.
However, Mingya paid none of this any mind. He didnât even glance at Zhu Junfeng. Instead, he snapped his head around, his gaze locking onto Zhong Ming.
But what happened next made purplish-black flames erupt from his eyes. Despite Mingyaâs newfound power, Zhong Ming didnât even deign to look his way, treating him as if he were nothing more than an insignificant ant!
This sent him into a fit of wild laughter:
"Hahaha! Good! Excellent!" Mingyaâs laughter was born of pure rage, his voice dripping with brutality and killing intent. "To show me such contempt... Zhong Ming, youâve really outdone yourself!"
"Just you wait. After I defeat Zhu Junfeng, youâre next!"
"Letâs see if you can still maintain that high-and-mighty arrogance then!"
Suppressing his murderous intent, Mingya turned his gaze back to Zhu Junfeng.
Part of the reason for this was that Zhu Junfengâs earlier taunts had drawn a great deal of his ire.
But another reason was that he needed to use the fight with Zhu Junfeng to gain control over the sudden, immense power surging within him.
âWith the blessing of the Holy Blood, Iâd have a chance of winning even if I challenged Zhong Ming right now. But the Chief Priest told me to make my victory a beautiful one.â