Ye Lingshuang stood amidst the radiant glow, her robes fluttering, exuding a sacred and majestic presence, a beauty unmatched in its grace.
The strands of orange-yellow dusk light swirled through the heavens like flowing curves, slowing the passage of time itself.
"Dusk King, do you intend to go against the flow too?" The Phoenix Clan elder's face darkened.
Ye Lingshuang glanced at him calmly and replied, "He is my disciple." With those few words, her stance was clear.
The Phoenix Clan elder's gaze grew cold as he warned, "I advise you not to be stubborn. While the two of you may be strong, two fists can't fend off four hands. There's no way you can stand against so many of us."
He was speaking the truth.
Over thirty powerhouses descending upon them was an unstoppable force. Even if they were fellow powerhouses, they would be hard-pressed to escape defeat.
"Perhaps," Ye Lingshuang said quietly, "But even if we fall, we can still take two down with us. One of them might just be you."
Her tone was calm, yet carried an indescribable authority, a message clear as day: So what? If I say I'll kill you, I will.
The Phoenix Clan elder's expression grew even darker, a gleam of destruction flickered in his eyes as he said in a deep voice, "It's unwise to overestimate yourself, or to underestimate others. Every powerhouse I've summoned here today is renowned across the heavens. Many are even more powerful than you."
"And so what?" Ye Lingshuang replied without a hint of fluctuation in her voice.
Her calm words exuded a dominant aura: And so what? If I say you'll die, you'll die!
"Phoenix Brother, don't waste any more time. Let's suppress them first," a raspy voice suddenly sounded.
It came from a powerful figure concealed within a large gray vortex, exuding a terrifying presence.
This was an immensely powerful powerhouse.
"Very well!"
The Phoenix Clan elder nodded gravely, then roared, "Everyone, strike together! Suppress them!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Without another word, the gathered powerhouses attacked, shaking the heavens and cracking the earth.
One after another, terrifying forces of the Great Dao surged forth like a tsunami, overwhelming the trio of Qin Zi, Ye Lingshuang, and Jin Zhi. Wherever these forces passed, space shattered, time unraveled, and even the laws of the universe collapsed!
"Kill!!"
Jin Zhi and Ye Lingshuang retaliated simultaneously. Brilliant golden light illuminated the world as they fought back, carving out a haven amidst the waves of destruction.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The powers of the Great Dao clashed violently, creating a low, piercing sound. It was the most fearsome of battles—one waged with pure Dao force. While it appeared calm, even the slightest leakage of energy could annihilate entire worlds.
At the level of these powerhouses, all spells were meaningless. What mattered was the raw power of the Dao.
Yet, against the overwhelming assault of over thirty powerhouses, even as mighty as Jin Zhi and Ye Lingshuang were, they slowly began to falter.
Boom!!
Suddenly, a bolt of purple lightning descended from the heavens with unstoppable momentum, cleaving through both sides' Dao forces like a blade cutting a rope in a tug-of-war match.
"King Chu!"
When the figure emerged, everyone was shocked. Standing amidst the purple lightning was a tall and imposing youth—Chu Zhongtian!
"King Chu, are you also going to meddle in this matter?" the Phoenix Clan elder's face grew even darker as he asked through gritted teeth.
Chu Zhongtian responded calmly, "I already recognized his position as the Lord of Xuanhuang Heaven. I can't stand idly by now."
He glanced at several of the gray whirlpools and said, "Fellow cultivators of the Yin-Yang Sect, perhaps you shouldn't involve yourselves in this matter."
Whoosh!
The gray whirlpools suddenly stopped spinning, and several aged voices chuckled bitterly from within.
"Haha, I didn't expect King Chu to care so much for him. In that case, we won't interfere."
"Phoenix Brother, my apologies. We owe King Chu a favor, so we'll take our leave."
"Farewell."
With that, the whirlpools gradually dissipated, and the oppressive atmosphere lessened considerably.
"You all…"
The Phoenix Clan elder was taken aback by how the Yin-Yang Sect members left so abruptly. He felt embarrassed but held back his anger, knowing he had no authority to command them.
"The tide seems to be turning in our favor," Jin Zhi quipped with a playful smile, his tone light.
"Hmph, even so, we still have over twenty powerhouses. You three cannot change the outcome!" the Phoenix Clan elder retorted coldly.
"How about if you count me in?" A warm, slightly clumsy voice suddenly echoed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of the earth shaking came closer, as if a massive creature was approaching, causing the ground to tremble.
Everyone turned to look, only to see an enormous, rotund figure carrying a butcher's knife, walking step by step through the air.
With each step, a golden halo appeared around his body, emanating both holiness and a profound sense of weight.
"Who is this?"
The powerhouses furrowed their brows in confusion.
Qin Zi's eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "Zhou Xiang?!"
It was none other than the plump man from the Fragmented Continent who loved to slaughter pigs—Zhou Mo's brother and one of Qin Chuan's half-disciples!
"Lay down the butcher's knife, and become a Buddha on the spot."
Zhou Xiang smiled at the gathered powerhouses before gently bending down to place the butcher's knife at his feet.
Buzz!
As he straightened, boundless Buddhist light radiated from his body, and his massive frame transformed into a golden figure, as though he had been cast from immortal gold.
"King of the Earth Burial?!"
All the powerhouses were shocked. There was only one person in the world with such powerful Buddhist light, but that person was supposed to be thin!
This transformation was too drastic for them to accept.
"A mere mortal shell, you're too attached to appearances," Zhou Xiang said with a smile, pressing his palms together.
The Phoenix Clan elder took a deep breath and asked, "King of the Earth Burial, are you planning to interfere in this matter as well?"
Zhou Xiang chuckled, "What you see is all predestined; nothing is truly a 'trivial matter.' Besides, I owe his father a debt of gratitude."
Without Qin Chuan's guidance, Zhou Xiang would likely still be lost in the cycle of reincarnation, unable to find his true self.
"The cultivators from Burial Heaven Valley and I share a bond of goodwill. I don't wish to cross swords today, so I hope you'll extend me this favor."
He directed his words toward a few of the gray whirlpools.
"This… sigh."
"Farewell."
Muffled voices of hesitation echoed from the whirlpools before they, too, dissipated.
"The tide has turned again, little Phoenix. Looks like it's time for you to leave," Jin Zhi remarked meaningfully.
"You still don't stand a chance!!"
The Phoenix Clan elder's face flushed with rage, his expression nearing madness as he roared.
"Hahaha, that's not necessarily true!"
A hearty laugh rang out, accompanied by a surge of scorching energy. A blazing sun appeared over the sea of clouds, radiating boundless power.
A frail-looking youth and a burly middle-aged man appeared together, merging into a single figure—an upright man.
"The Devourer of the Sun!"
Everyone's expressions changed drastically. Qin Zi's eyes widened as well—wasn't this the Sun Devouring Emperor? Since when had he become this powerful?
The Sun Devouring Emperor calmly addressed a group of figures, "To the friends from the Green Lotus Dao Sect, if you still remember our romantic encounters from the past, perhaps it's time to leave."
Whoosh!
Immediately, the expressions of everyone present stiffened, especially Ye Lingshuang, who blushed slightly and muttered, "Scoundrel!"
Several gray whirlpools hesitated before gradually dissipating under everyone's gaze.
"This... this..."
The Phoenix Clan elder's mouth fell open. He knew that he had invited those from the Green Lotus Dao Sect by invoking a "debt of gratitude," and yet, the Sun Devouring Emperor's mere mention of a "romantic encounter" had driven them away. Did this mean the Sun Devouring Emperor outranked him in their eyes?!
It was an unbearable humiliation!
"The tide has turned once again. It seems you should head home now," Jin Zhi said, smiling.
"Impossible!!"
The Phoenix Clan elder's face turned crimson, his loss in the battle of influence pushing him to the brink of madness, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
At that moment, the Sun Devouring Emperor spoke calmly, "It's time to stop this, for I'm not just speaking for myself today. My sister also said that this young man… you cannot kill him."
Boom!
His words were like a bolt from the blue. The gray whirlpools abruptly ceased spinning, and the powerhouses inside seemed shaken to their core.
The Sun Devouring Emperor's sister!
That woman had left an indelible impression in the hearts of all these powerhouses. Her strength had been unparalleled throughout history. Many powerhouses had emerged from the human race, but only one had ever been called... the Human King!
The Sun Devouring Emperor's words carried an extraordinary weight, especially when he mentioned his sister. The powerhouses within the gray whirlpools, who had been ready to unleash their full might, suddenly hesitated. The mention of the Human King left them in awe, reminding them of her unmatched power.
"Human King…" the Phoenix Clan elder muttered, his face growing even more sullen. The memory of the Human King's reign was enough to cause tremors in his heart. Despite the passage of time, her reputation still sent ripples of fear through the hearts of even the most formidable of beings.
"Are you really going to let this child go?" the elder growled, his voice filled with both frustration and desperation.
The Sun Devouring Emperor remained calm, his expression firm as he said, "This is not just my decision, it is her will. You all understand what that means."
Silence fell over the scene. The powerhouses hidden in the gray whirlpools, who moments ago had been ready to crush Qin Zi, now found themselves weighing the consequences of defying the will of the Human King.
Slowly, one by one, the gray whirlpools began to dissipate. Each departure felt like the retreat of a massive storm, the overwhelming pressure in the air lifting bit by bit. It was clear that the presence of the Human King's name alone had turned the tide.
The Phoenix Clan elder, his eyes filled with rage, looked at the Sun Devouring Emperor and the others, realizing that the momentum had fully shifted away from him. He clenched his fists, his voice trembling with anger. "We Phoenix Clan… will not forget this!" With a final glare at Qin Zi and his protectors, the elder's figure slowly dissipated into a trail of flames, retreating along with the others.
The vast sky, which had moments ago been filled with the oppressive presence of so many powerhouses, now returned to a tranquil state.
Qin Zi, who had been standing there frozen, finally let out a long breath of relief. His body trembled slightly as the intense pressure that had been suffocating him finally lifted.
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Senior Jin Zhi! Thank you, Sun Devouring Emperor!" Qin Zi called out gratefully, bowing deeply to each of his saviors.
Ye Lingshuang, Jin Zhi, and the Sun Devouring Emperor all exchanged glances, each giving a slight nod in acknowledgment. They had managed to avert a crisis for the time being, but each of them knew that this was not the end of the matter.
Jin Zhi stepped forward, his expression more serious now. "Qin Zi, the Phoenix Clan will not let this matter rest so easily. You need to be prepared for more challenges ahead."
Qin Zi nodded solemnly. "I understand, Senior Jin Zhi. I will not take this lightly."
Ye Lingshuang, her eyes full of determination, added, "You are my disciple, and as long as I stand, no one will harm you. But you must grow stronger, Qin Zi. The path ahead is dangerous, and you cannot always rely on others to protect you."
The Sun Devouring Emperor, standing tall with his arms crossed, looked at Qin Zi and said, "You've earned some powerful enemies today. But you've also made powerful allies. Use this time wisely, Qin Zi. Your potential is great, but potential means nothing if it isn't realized."
Qin Zi felt the weight of their words sink in. He had narrowly escaped death today thanks to the intervention of these powerful figures, but he knew that he couldn't always count on such fortune. He needed to grow, to become stronger so that one day, he could face his enemies head-on.
"I will," Qin Zi said, his voice filled with resolve.
The Sun Devouring Emperor smiled slightly, then turned to leave. "I'll be keeping an eye on you, Qin Zi. Don't disappoint me."
With that, the group began to disperse. The tension in the air faded as they went their separate ways, leaving Qin Zi standing alone on the mountaintop, the sky above him vast and endless.
The battle for survival was not over—it had only just begun. But with his newfound resolve and the support of those who believed in him, Qin Zi felt a flicker of hope burning within him.
As the last rays of the sun began to fade from the horizon, casting the world into twilight, Qin Zi stood tall. He knew that the road ahead would be fraught with danger, but he was determined to walk it, no matter what.