“Pfft!”
A massive hand appeared out of nowhere, and the forty-nine lanterns in the air instantly turned to dust.
“Courting death!”
Ye Qiu was furious, not expecting someone to disrupt at such a critical moment.
Clang!
Ye Qiu swiftly drew the Emperor Sword, soaring upwards and slashing at the giant palm print.
“Clang!”
A deafening clash resounded.
The Emperor Sword collided with the palm print, sparking a shower of flames.
Ye Qiu’s face paled in shock. He had used ninety percent of his strength, combined with the unparalleled sharpness of the Emperor Sword, enough to instantly kill a cultivator with seven strands of true qi.
Yet, the palm print in the air remained completely unscathed.
“The Emperor Sword Chixiao, not bad…”
An aged voice echoed through the heavens and earth.
Ye Qiu quickly scanned his surroundings but saw no one, his heart sinking.
He realised this uninvited guest was likely a cultivator.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to breach the heavily guarded Hades Hall base.
“Could it be the guardian of the Forbidden City?”
Ye Qiu’s heart was filled with both shock and urgency. If it was indeed the Forbidden City’s guardian, he stood no chance of resisting.
Moreover, he was at a critical moment in extending Ye Wushuang’s life against the heavens.
The enemy’s timing made their intentions clear.
Ye Wudi and the others reacted, rushing to Ye Qiu’s side.
“Stop skulking like a coward! If you’ve got the guts, show yourself, and I’ll tear you to pieces!” Ye Wudi, holding the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, radiated murderous intent.
“Tear me to pieces, heh… you’re not capable!” the aged voice sounded again.
Immediately after, the palm print in the air trembled slightly, and in an instant, a fierce hurricane swept up.
“Not good, comma” Ye Qiu started to say, but before he could finish, he saw the nine life lamps he had lit for Ye Wushuang extinguish simultaneously.
“Father!”
Ye Qiu’s eyes widened in anguish.
Once the nine life lamps went out, it meant the life-extension ritual had completely failed, and Ye Wushuang’s life was nearing its end.
“Big Brother…”
“Wushuang…”
Ye Wudi, the War God, and the others felt a chill run through them, clearly understanding what the extinguishing of the nine life lamps signified.
“I don’t care who you are. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll make you pay for my father’s death!” Ye Qiu’s killing intent surged as he gripped the Emperor Sword and attacked the palm print, unleashing the second form of the Grass Sword Technique.
The sword light roared like a dragon, striking the palm print in an instant.
“Boom!”
A thunderous collision echoed.
Yet, the palm print remained unmoved, not a single mark on its indestructible surface, like the immovable palm of the Buddha.
“Not bad swordsmanship, but your cultivation is too weak to harm me,” the aged voice spoke again. “Kid, try taking one of my fingers.”
The palm print in the air suddenly clenched into a fist, then extended a single finger, pressing downwards.
As the finger descended, it erupted with dazzling white light, illuminating half the night sky, like a falling star, utterly terrifying.
Before the finger fully landed, those on the ground felt suffocated, struggling to breathe.
The War God acted first, throwing a punch at the finger.
“Bang!”
The moment his fist connected, the War God was sent flying.
Ye Wudi, Dragon Lady, and Master Du’e followed, but they too were repelled.
None of them could withstand the finger.
“Little rascal, let this old Taoist help you!” Master Longbrow immediately used the Five Thunder Righteous Method, and soon, thunder rumbled.
“Boom!”
Five bolts of lightning, thick as water buckets, descended from the sky, striking the finger in unison.
“Little rascal, strike now!” Master Longbrow shouted.
Ye Qiu attacked again.
“Slaughter Technique!”
With a loud cry, seven hundred twenty sword intents, each over a metre long, appeared around Ye Qiu. They swiftly converged into a single ten-metre-long giant sword intent, slashing at the finger.
Following this, Ye Qiu unleashed five strands of innate true qi.
“Roar, comma” a deafening dragon’s cry resounded.
The five strands of innate true qi coiled behind Ye Qiu, making him appear like a true dragon emperor, majestic and formidable.
Then, Ye Qiu activated the Nine-Turn Dragon Art, unleashing his full power and using the third form of the Grass Sword Technique, striking the finger with all his might.
“Clang!”
Sparks flew, and the sound of the collision was like a landslide or tsunami, deafening.
Ye Qiu had thought that by unleashing all his power with such a formidable technique, he could destroy the finger. But the result horrified him—the finger remained utterly unharmed.
“The one who attacked is definitely a cultivator of unparalleled power!” Master Longbrow realised the opponent’s cultivation was immense, far beyond their ability to counter. Yet, in this situation, knowing they were outmatched, they could only fight to the death.
“Little rascal, again!” Master Longbrow shouted, using the Five Thunder Righteous Method a second time.
This time, he gave it his all, pushing the method to its limit. Moments later, a mass of thunderclouds appeared in the sky.
Amid the dense clouds, lightning flashed, roaring like a giant dragon.
Blood trickled from Master Longbrow’s mouth as he drew symbols with his hands, preparing to summon the lightning, when suddenly—
“Retreat!”
The same aged voice rang out.
A shocking scene unfolded.
In an instant, the thunderclouds in the sky vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.
What?
Master Longbrow sensed something amiss, his heart filled with dread.
A single word had broken his Five Thunder Righteous Method and dispersed the thunderclouds. What kind of monster was this?
Seeing this, Ye Qiu’s heart grew cold.
The opponent was too strong.
Even though they were all skilled, they were nothing before a powerful cultivator.
“Amitabha!” Master Du’e clasped his hands together and said, “To the benefactor in the shadows, please show mercy.”
Tang Fei and Long Ye drew their sidearms, aiming at the finger, their faces tense.
The finger lingered in the air for a few seconds before suddenly pressing down towards Ye Qiu again.
“Bang!”
Tang Fei and Long Ye fired decisively.
As expected, the shots couldn’t harm the finger.
Not to mention that the finger was merely a projection; even if it were physical, bullets couldn’t injure a cultivator.
After all, cultivators had transcended mortal limits. Though not true immortals, they possessed immortal-like abilities.
“Roar!”
Feeling the immense danger, Ye Qiu didn’t retreat. With a loud roar, he channelled the five strands of innate true qi into his right hand and threw a furious punch.
Bang!
The punch seemed to split the heavens and earth, his fist glowing with radiant golden light, accompanied by dragon roars.
Yet, even so, it couldn’t stop the finger.
“Crack!”
The finger descended swiftly, like Mount Tai bearing down, pressing half of Ye Qiu’s body into the ground.
