"How... how did it get this out of hand..." Clan Leader Shen Haoxuan stared at the swirling dust below, on the verge of tears as he stammered.
The Grand Elder and the others had equally grim expressions, their emotions a complicated mess.
Disbelieving shock and a tidal wave of regret swirled in their hearts, tearing them apart inside.
âIf the one who had unleashed that ultimate strike wasnât Shen Lang, but any other disciple of the Shen Family, what a joyous occasion this would be!â
âOr if Shen Lang didnât hold such animosity toward the Shen Family, how inspiring it would have been!â
âWith a genius like this, it would be no difficult task for the Shen Family to sweep through all of Celestial Phoenix City!â
But...
The uproar slowly died down, and the dust that filled the arena began to settle. The situation below was finally revealed to everyone.
A massive crater had appeared in the middle of the once two-meter-high platform.
A thick cloud of dust still lingered in the crater, refusing to disperse.
Shen Fengxiao and the other three gathered by the edge of the crater, panting heavily. They scanned the inside of the crater, seemingly searching for Shen Langâs figure.
At this moment, Shen Fengxiao and the other three looked utterly wretched. Their clothes were tattered, their faces covered in dust and bruises, and faint traces of blood lingered at the corners of their mouths.
Their swaying bodies and rapid breathing made it clear that all four had suffered a massive backlash from the attack.
Each one of them had lost their earlier composure.
It seemed that in the explosion from the clash of their powerful energies, Shen Fengxiao and the other three had also been seriously injured.
This showed just how ferocious the impact of that immense Energy had been!
Shen Fengxiao had already consumed an Elixir Pill to temporarily boost his Cultivation. He had then attacked with all his might, holding nothing back, and had even absorbed all the Spiritual Power from both Shen Fengkuang and another...
For Shen Lang to have been able to withstand such a powerful attack...
But even so, Shen Fengxiao and the others had no confidence at all.
As the ones closest to the blast, they knew better than anyone the power of the move Shen Lang had just unleashed.
That Thunder Dragon, with its immense pressure that made their bodies tremble just from sensing it, was definitely much stronger than their Golden Secret Giant Hammer!
"Whereâs that brat Shen Lang?" Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Shen Fengxiao lifted his head with the support of two men at his side. He scanned his surroundings, still panting heavily.
A morbid flush appeared on his defeated face as he said in a hoarse voice, "He took that attack head-on. Heâs probably buried in the crater below from the impact of the two energies."
"Taking on five of us... He was too arrogant, and now heâs ended up like this! Hmph!" Shen Jian said with a cold expression.
However, Shen Wubing and Shen Fengkuang, who were standing to the side, clearly didnât think so. They exchanged a look before Shen Fengkuang gritted his teeth and said, "Actually, I could tell from his previous sword strike. Even if all five of us joined forces, weâd be no match for him. That kid is not to be trifled with!"
Shen Wubing added, a little shaken, "Fengkuang is right. We had actually already lost before. Our attacks couldnât harm him much at all. To put it bluntly, on a platform this large, we couldnât even keep up with his speed! The combined attack we just launched was no weaker than a full-power strike from a Qi Martial Realm Eighth Heaven Martial Artist, and thatâs the only reason we gained a slight upper hand."
Although Shen Wubingâs Cultivation was slightly weaker than the others, he seemed to be the calmest of themâor perhaps, the most insidious at heart.
Even while stunned by Shen Langâs power, at the last critical moment, he had still managed to secretly release a vine from behind and bind Shen Lang tightly.
If his Cultivation had been just a little stronger, or if Shen Lang had been unable to break free from that vine, he would have undoubtedly died this time.
He slowly raised his head, his brow furrowed, his gaze constantly scanning the deep crater for any sign of Shen Lang. A cold, bloodthirsty glint would occasionally flash through his eyes, making even Shen Fengkuang, who was beside him, feel a chill run down his spine.
But now, those eyes, which were usually cold and sinister, were filled with deep apprehension... and fear.
It was unclear if he feared the power Shen Lang had displayed, or if he was afraid that Shen Lang, being vengeful over the smallest grievance, would come back to settle the score for his sneak attack.
"Hmph, stop building up his reputation at the expense of our own. So what if heâs strong? After taking that hit, even if he survived, heâs probably missing an arm or a leg! Letâs see him act so arrogant in the future!" Shen Fengxiao frowned and sneered. "In any case, he brought this on himself. We won this battle!"
The surrounding crowd immediately erupted in cheers, the sound shaking the heavens.
"Isnât it a little too early to be declaring victory?" A cold voice suddenly drifted out from the large crater, ringing in everyoneâs ears.
The heaven-shaking cheers came to an abrupt halt, cut off just like that.
BOOM!
Amidst a spray of flying rock shards and swirling dust, a figure shot out from the crater. After a flip in mid-air, he landed steadily on a protruding rock opposite Shen Fengxiao and the other three.
It was the very youth who had terrified the entire Shen Family to their coreâShen Lang!
After the terrifying clash of power, the entire stage had collapsed, leaving a deep crater in the middle. But not only was this youth not missing any limbs as everyone had expected, his aura was still imposing and his breathing was perfectly steady.
Even more frightening, his appearance was still neat, without even a speck of dust on his clothes!
Just by standing there, when compared to the wretched state of Shen Fengxiao and the other three, the difference was like heaven and earth!
With that one appearance, it was instantly clear who was superior.
"You... youâre completely unharmed? Thatâs impossible!" Staring intently at Shen Lang, Shen Fengxiao swallowed hard and spoke, his voice filled with disbelief.
His face twitched violently, its pale color turning ashen.
He wasnât the only one who had lost his composure. A deep sense of dread spread throughout the Martial Arts Arena, and everyoneâs hearts clenched.
To face such a powerful Energy impact and not suffer a single injuryâwas he even human?!
There was no need to fight anymore. This time, the Shen Family had been utterly defeated!
"Had enough? If so, then itâs my turn."
Under the watchful eyes of the entire arena, Shen Lang slowly walked toward Shen Fengxiao and the others.
His expression was still indifferent, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smirk. He casually glanced at the four in front of him, and then a chilling sharpness suddenly surged in his dark eyes!
"Since you wanted me to lose an arm and a leg so badly, Iâll let you lose an arm and a leg!"
His cold voice echoed in everyoneâs ears. In a flash, Shen Langâs figure blurred into a black shadow, appearing before Shen Fengxiao and the other three with a piercing whistle of wind and a powerful, oppressive aura.
"We surrender!" The moment their gazes met Shen Langâs dark eyes, a chill shot through the hearts of Shen Fengxiao and the other three. They all turned at almost the same instant, intending to leap off the stage.
"Think you can run?" With a soft cry, four Water Pillars shot out like bolts of silk, wrapping around the waists of the four men and immediately dragging them back.
Shen Fengxiao reacted the fastest, whirling around to throw a punch at Shen Lang.
But as he threw his punch, Shen Lang had already leaped into the air. Overtaking him despite moving second, Shen Langâs knee, infused with ferocious Powerful Qi, slammed viciously into his chest!
With the KRAK of several ribs breaking, Shen Fengxiao screamed and was sent flying through the air.
"Shen Lang, stop!" On the high platform, several Elders could finally no longer hold back. Four figures leaped up from the platform and jumped down, intending to stop Shen Lang.
A red shadow flashed, and Xue Dangdangâs figure appeared, blocking their path.
"You old coots! You let those bastards attack Brother Lang, but you wonât let him hit them back? Iâve been putting up with you for a long time!" Xue Dangdang shouted coldly. She crossed her arms, and her sheathed Longsword began to radiate a brilliant light.
"Back off, or Iâll destroy you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, three more figures soared into the air. Yin Kuang, Zeng Zuimo, and a third person also took flight.
"Sit your asses back down, or Iâll tear down your entire Shen Family! Donât think I wonât hit you just because youâre old!" Yin Kuang was just as blunt.