Since setting foot on this path, Xue Dalong's fate was doomed to be tragic, with no chance of enjoying a peaceful old age. Rather than suffering a torturous death, it was better to die a swift death at the hands of Chen Yang.
BOOM!!
An overwhelming momentum tore through the sky.
In that moment, Xue Dalong displayed none of the frailties of age. His fighting spirit surged, and wielding a long spear, he seemed possessed by the War God, his aura explosive.
γAt the same time.γ
In various corners of Chilian Peak, five restless groups were suddenly surrounded, their standoffs tense and their weapons drawn.
"You... you're from the Elders' Court?"
"Since you know, why don't you leave at once?"
"Hmph! Isn't the Elders' Court overstepping its bounds? He's no longer part of your Martial Department!"
"Since when is the way the Elders' Court conducts its affairs any of your business?"
After a fiery exchange, the five groups finally departed in resentment. Yet, some still proclaimed that it was time for the Elders' Court to be reshuffled!
RUMBLE.
Atop the mountaintop Yun Island, a howling gale stirred up a thousand waves. Though the script had deviated from its course, the grand battle had finally begun.
Under countless fiery gazes, an eighteen-foot silver spear glinted brilliantly, slicing through the immense waves. The tall, majestic elder stood as if he could hold up the heavens with a single thrust.
A Fifteenth-Order master!
Perhaps this was the first time one had been openly revealed to the public? And a peak Fifteenth-Order master at that!
A smile touched Chen Yang's lips as his own fighting spirit was ignited. He threw a punch.
With the force of his fist, a deep trench was carved across the lake's surface, as if an indistinct monster was tearing through the waves with the speed of light.
In a flash...
BOOM!!
The instant the fist met the spear, the entire lake seemed to boil over. Its center caved in, only to explode outward a second later. The colossal shockwave was deafening.
A massive column of water shot into the air, as if Chen Yang had just plucked the legendary Sea-Calming Divine Needle from the lakebed.
Once it fully emerged from the water...
Fifty meters.
One hundred meters.
Three hundred meters.
The rising column of water soared ever higher. If not for Xue Dalong's spear thrust piercing the sky and severing the column's connection to the lake, it might have easily climbed a thousand meters.
WHOOSH!
Chen Yang changed his palm to a fist, striking down from above.
As the deluge of misty water fell, Xue Dalong swirled his spear through the watery curtain, preparing to unleash a long-brewing attack. However, a single palm strike scattered his momentum, sending him flying through the water curtain and skidding several meters across the lake's surface.
When Xue Dalong regained his footing, he saw Chen Yang still standing at the bow of the boat, hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile on his face.
Xue Dalong was rendered speechless.
"He can't even get close! How is he supposed to fight?"
"Tsk, tsk. As expected of the top expert of this generation. He's just too strong!"
"In the end, he's only human. How sad, how lamentable. The old general is past his prime."
The people surrounding Chilian Peak were utterly shocked by Chen Yang's strength, but they also felt a wave of sympathy for the venerable Xue Dalong. They remembered his glory days, those magnificent years. Xue Dalong had also been a peerless master of his time, dominating the lands and finding no equal. He had single-handedly occupied the top spot on the Dragon Brilliance List for twenty years.
Time waits for no one. And now, one could only ask: the great general is old, but does he still have the strength to fight? Ultimately, a body of flesh and blood cannot withstand the ravages of time.
Huff... huff...
Xue Dalong's expression shifted, his face pale as he panted like a bull. He had thought he could at least exchange a few blows with his opponent. He never imagined he wouldn't even be able to get close, completely powerless to fight back. His every move was a work of art, a display of divine skill.
"I have one last move I want to try," Xue Dalong said, his voice laced with unwillingness to concede.
Chen Yang beckoned. "Bring it on!"
BOOM!!
The long spear soared into the sky, its sharp, torrential aura spreading wantonly. For a moment, across the vast Yun Island, massive waves surged upward, exploding in the air. Sheets of water rained down, swept by the wind like an inverted Milky Way.
Xue Dalong strode upon the waves, a magnificent and thrilling sight. The onlookers' eyes widened in shock, staring at him as if he were a descending Demon God. They were so terrified their mouths hung open, a chill running through their bodies.
He was, after all, a top-tier expert from the older generation, not to be underestimated.
BANG!
With each step he took, a terrifying aura erupted, causing the lake surface to collapse and the water level to surge, forming one vast, horrifying vortex after another.
"SLASH!!"
Wielding the spear with both hands, Xue Dalong brought it down with the crushing force of Mount Tai. The terrifying momentum shook the wilderness, sweeping away everything in its path. Red blossoms seemed to fill the sky before scattering across the ground.
For an instant, everyone was frozen in a state of utter shock, allowing the overwhelming pressure to wash over them.
But at that very moment, the unexpected happened.
SWOOSH... SWOOSH...
With two piercing sounds, a pair of black shadows shot toward the center of Yun Island. They tore through the shockwaves, moving against the tide to forcibly insert themselves into the battle between Chen Yang and Xue Dalong.
Each took a flank, forming a triangular pincer with Xue Dalong. They unleashed their own astonishing attacks, aimed squarely at Chen Yang. They were, without a doubt, here for Chen Yang.
They had been lying in wait, and at the precise moment Xue Dalong unleashed his ultimate attack, his power fully gathered, they sprang out to deliver a fatal blow.
Their timing, it had to be said, was impeccable. Surprise was one factor, but more importantly, they had co-opted Xue Dalong's attack for their own ends. In other words, the situation was now three against one.
"Holy crap! What's going on? Does Xue Dalong have backup?"
"This... this is clearly an assassination attempt! It seems that as this lord's true strength was revealed, some people just couldn't sit still any longer."
"It's over. Three against one... who could possibly survive that?"
Watching the sky change color and the lake's waters flow backward, the crowd was stricken with terror. Even some of the older experts, who were used to major upheavals, couldn't help but tense up, gritting their teeth as they stared at the mist-shrouded Yun Island.
BANG!!
On a nearby ridge, the teacup in Jin Zheng's hand suddenly exploded into dust, scattering on the wind.
"Wu Xing, didn't you say you dealt with all five of those groups?" Jin Zheng's face was so grim it looked like it could drip water, and his clenched fists trembled.
Beside him, Wu Xing's eyes were cold. "It seems we missed some."
"Well, this is just great. Three against one." Jin Zheng's face was pale, his eyes filled with bitterness and profound worry. The two newcomers, they recognized at a glance, were both top-tier Fifteenth-Order experts. Their speed and the brilliant timing of their ambush made it impossible to help, even if they wanted to. The distance was simply too great.
"If anything happens to Chen Yang today, I, Wu Xing, swear I'll hunt down their entire clan, even if it costs me my life!"