“Screeeech—!”
The Golden Roc instantly swelled in size. A piercing cry erupted, vibrating painfully in everyone’s eardrums. Many ordinary mortals present began bleeding from all seven orifices.
The Golden Roc’s eyes flashed with an intimidating, chilling light. As if possessing a spirit, its wings spread like clouds hanging from the heavens, dominating a vast expanse of the sky. With each beat, scorching hot winds surged outwards in all directions. Rocks cracked, vegetation ignited, and thick, billowing black smoke rose.
In the blink of an eye, the Scarlet Flame Golden Roc was already swiping its razor-sharp, colossal claws as it viciously crashed towards the Vajra Acala Buddha statue.
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed. The vast lake surface erupted with plumes of water shooting ten meters high.
It was as if several tons of explosives had detonated simultaneously. A massive mushroom cloud, ten meters in diameter, bloomed above the small island. Pavilions collapsed, buildings crumbled, countless bricks, stones, and huge wooden beams scattering and flying in all directions.
Following that, waves of searing heat, with the island at their epicenter, spread outwards like ripples, directly sweeping across an area one kilometer wide.
Splash!
BOOM! CRACKLE!
The lake seemed to boil, with towering waves rising one after another.
On the lake surface, several police patrol speedboats were tossed high into the air, then slammed back down, capsizing instantly.
A full minute passed before the island and the lake finally calmed.
Everyone was drenched by the colossal waves, and at their feet, numerous small fish and shrimp flopped about incessantly.
Thick dust and smoke still swirled above the island, obscuring the view. No one could see clearly.
“This is a battle between Grandmasters!”
“Stomping a foot to solidify the Vajra Acala, waving a hand to conjure the Scarlet Flame Kunpeng… it’s utterly awe-inspiring!”
Many martial artists sighed with lingering fear. If they had been in that battlefield, they likely would have been torn to shreds.
As for the ordinary people, their hearts felt like they might leap from their throats. Dizzy and lightheaded, their minds raced with wonder. They all felt they had witnessed something extraordinary, making the trip worthwhile.
“Who won?” someone finally asked.
Yes! Who won?
This was the burning question in everyone’s mind. Immediately, silence fell as all eyes intently watched the island.
Slowly, the dust began to settle, and the chaos subsided.
Through the haze, everyone could vaguely make out Huo Qingtian and Lin Zhenyu still standing facing each other, akin to two majestic, towering peaks.
“Senior Huo is still standing! He won!” A martial artist suddenly exclaimed, then raised his arms high, shouting with ecstatic joy.
“Master won!”
“Master has won the Martial Alliance presidency!” Numerous disciples of the Huo family cheered and jumped for joy.
“Congratulations, Senior Huo!”
“Congratulations, Elder Huo!”
“Senior Huo’s cultivation is profound; his assumption of the presidency is well-deserved!”
“Henceforth, the martial world of Hua Xia shall revere Senior Huo. Any command from him, we shall dare to tread through fire and water to fulfill!”
In an instant, many martial artists and wealthy magnates rose to their feet, vying to offer clasped-fist salutes, congratulations, and pledges of loyalty.
Unexpectedly, a voice filled with regret and bitterness reached the ears of every single person present.
“Today… I, Huo Qingtian, have lost.”
“What?”
“This… how can this be?” All the martial artists widened their eyes in shock, dumbfounded, rooted to the spot.
“Elder Huo, this matter is of great significance. You must not be overly modest?”
Wei Feilong’s face had gone pale. His voice trembled as he said, “You and Lin Zhenyu are both standing, neither appears injured. At most, it’s a draw. How can you concede defeat?”
“Alas, look for yourselves—”
Huo Qingtian rolled up the sleeve on his right arm.
His arm was covered in an interwoven pattern of flame-shaped, crimson-red lines, vivid as blood—a shocking sight.
“This—!” The onlookers were stunned into silence.
“This old man’s ‘Vajra Acala Subdues All Demons’ technique did not harm Lin Zhenyu in the slightest! But his fiery true qi has invaded this old man’s body!”
Though reluctant to admit it, Huo Qingtian was a man of integrity. He sighed with a bitter smile, “Therefore… I lost.”
For a moment, the entire scene fell deathly silent.
Many martial artists lowered their heads like quails. No one dared utter a challenge anymore. Even Wei Feilong and Zhao Yuankun bowed their heads.
“And, Brother Lin, if I’m not mistaken… you only used about fifty percent of your true power, didn’t you?”
Huo Qingtian let out a long sigh. His expression gradually returned to calmness, as if he had weathered a storm and now found himself back on a clear, broad path. Internally, his mind was not without turbulence; this composure did not come easily.
“Elder Huo still has a sharp eye,” Lin Zhenyu replied with a proud smile. “The Kunpeng has six transformations. I merely used the weakest of them, the First Transformation.”
The faces of those on the shore grew even more fearful. Deep in their eyes, a profound sense of despair and sorrow surfaced.
The simplest transformation of the Kunpeng Six Transformations was enough to overpower Huo Qingtian. Was this even human?
If all six transformations were unleashed, who could possibly withstand it?
Hearing this, Huo Qingtian’s body gave a slight shudder. His face fell into dejection, and he shook his head with a bitter smile. Inwardly, he lamented, “In all the world, perhaps only he now has the qualification to be your match.“
After a long moment of contemplation, Huo Qingtian finally snapped out of his shock. Clasping his fists, he spoke with bitterness, “Grandmaster Lin has tempered his skills through twenty years of arduous cultivation. You are likely just a step away from the Divine Realm now. This old man admits defeat wholeheartedly. For the remainder of my life, I shall reflect on my shortcomings behind closed doors and no longer involve myself in the affairs of the martial world.”
Wei Feilong, Zhao Yuankun, and others displayed sorrow on their faces—the grief of one seeing the fate of a fellow creature and mourning for one’s own kind.
Huo Qingtian, hailed as the Pillar of Central Plains, had dominated Hua Xia for decades. Yet now, defeated by Lin Zhenyu, he was meeting such a regrettable,黯然 (dim) end.
“Although Grandmaster Huo has lost to this old man by a narrow margin, he is a man of his word—his promise is as solid as gold, his spit like a nail. He truly upholds the demeanor expected of us martial cultivators!”
Lin Zhenyu nodded with satisfaction. Then, his imposing gaze swept over the assembled heroes. He spoke in a light, clear tone, “Shouldn’t you all also honor your promises? This old man wishes to assume the position of Martial Alliance President. Do you submit?”
His words were spoken lightly, but to the listeners, they were like a thunderclap ringing in their ears. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, their chests churned with chaotic qi and blood, making it hard to even stand steadily.
Everyone exchanged glances, still hesitating, yet not a single person dared to voice even a whisper of doubt.
He had slain the Divine Ranking Grandmaster Li Tuofeng with a single saber strike and palm strike. The weakest form of his Kunpeng Six Transformations had overpowered the veteran Grandmaster Huo Qingtian…
Though they might not approve of this man’s character or background, in terms of pure strength, who dared not submit?
“If the Hong family doesn’t submit, no one can cure the fire poison in Hetu. We can’t let our Hong family line end…”
Among the crowd, Hong Junshan’s expression shifted repeatedly. Finally, he offered a bitter smile and said, “Elder Lin’s divine skills defy the heavens, approaching the Divine Realm. The Hong family of E Province submits. We are willing to honor Elder Lin as our leader!”
He was the first to kneel. Hong Hetu and the other Hong family disciples were momentarily stunned, then followed suit, kneeling as well.
“We submit…” Zhang Wendao also led his disciples of the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber school to kneel, bowing their heads in submission.
“We submit…”
“Any command you give, we dare not disobey!”
Subsequently, martial artists from many factions—the Mo family of Lingnan, the Tang Clan of Shu, the Golden Saber Wang family of Luoyang—all knelt to the ground.
On one hand, they were intimidated by Lin Zhenyu’s might; further resistance likely meant death on the spot. On the other hand, they were constrained; their disciples had been implanted with the Magma Fire Poison. Even if they wished to fight, they were hindered by this vulnerability.
Fear seemed to be contagious. Immediately, the several hundred martial artists present, over two hundred at the Iron Body stage and dozens of Internal Strength masters, after a fierce internal struggle, all knelt one after another, shrinking in fear like quails.
“President Wei, Family Head Zhao… do you two also wish to spar with this old man? Very well, this old man would be quite pleased!”
Finally, only Wei Feilong, Zhao Yuankun, and a handful of other Transformation Realm Grandmasters remained standing, not yet kneeling.
“Then get on the stage immediately!”
Lin Zhenyu roared sharply. His gaze, sharp as divine lightning and fiery snakes, shot towards the remaining individuals.
The targets’ hearts pounded violently, filled with extreme unease. Sharp pain throbbed in their minds. A few even began bleeding from their ears.
“Words shaping reality, uttering true words, eyes shooting furious divine lightning that interferes with the physical world! This is approaching the Divine Realm!”
“We… submit!”
In an instant, Wei Feilong and Zhao Yuankun, their hearts also trembling with fear, despite their immense unwillingness, had no choice but to fall silent and kneel.
At this moment, nearly all the martial artists and wealthy magnates from the ordinary world were kneeling. Only one figure—Tang Linglong—remained standing there, holding her chin high, as conspicuous as a crane among chickens.
“Little Tang, are you mad? Kneel down, quickly!” Ahead, Zhao Yuankun turned his head and rebuked her in a low voice.
Although everyone appeared submissive with lowered eyes, many were actually watching Tang Linglong in the crowd.
Relying on Jiang Taichu’s prestige, she had debated all heroes in the Assembly Hall, her eloquent tongue embarrassing many powerful figures and leaving them unable to retort. Seeing this scene now, many sneered inwardly:
“Tang Linglong, you think just because your master is Jiang Taichu, you can disregard everyone under heaven. Now Jiang Taichu’s enemy has arrived, and his strength is so formidable. You’re doomed.”
Noticing the disdainful gazes, Tang Linglong’s pretty face displayed boundless arrogance, her chin lifting even higher.
Lin Zhenyu also noticed this. Instead of anger, he smiled, intrigued. “Little girl, it seems you are that female disciple of Jiang Taichu’s. Everyone else is kneeling. You refuse? Are you not afraid of this old man?”
“What is there to fear about you?”
Tang Linglong gave a light laugh, her expression as calm and unruffled as ancient scriptures. She said placidly, “Your cultivation is indeed passable. But compared to my master, it’s like a stray dog next to a majestic lion! The difference is too vast! I only bow to Heaven, Earth, my parents, and my master. What gives you the right to make me kneel?”
These words left many dumbfounded, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets in disbelief.
“Is this girl insane?”
“Arrogant! Just like her master! Doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. She’s courting death!”
Numerous martial artists wore expressions of open ridicule.
“Hmph, let her be arrogant. Now she’s met someone who can put her in her place!”
“Her and her master making enemies of all the heroes has nothing to do with us! We beseech Elder Lin to punish her accordingly!”
There were even younger generation figures like Zhang Mingli, who gloated secretly in their hearts and quickly distanced themselves from her.
“Tang Linglong, stop this nonsense! Kneel immediately and apologize to Elder Lin! His cultivation defies the heavens, but his magnanimity is vast. He won’t stoop to holding a grudge against a child like you!”
Wei Feilong rebuked her again, genuinely unwilling to watch her meet a premature end.
“Heh, little girl, such courage! Worthy of being Jiang Taichu’s disciple. Admirable bravery!”
Lin Zhenyu laughed heartily, then said coldly, “However, courage is one thing. In this world, strength always speaks loudest! This old man has returned to Hua Xia. There are two people I must kill: one is War God Ye Zhan Tian, the other is your master, Jiang Taichu!”
Slowly, he raised his dry, reddish palm and thrust it towards Tang Linglong from a distance. In a low voice, he declared, “Then… you shall go first. Wait for your master on the road to the Yellow Springs to keep him company!”
A fiery serpent, ten meters long and as thick as a water barrel, shot directly towards Tang Linglong.
Moreover, the serpent moved with lightning speed. The distance of one li was covered in an instant. The next moment, it was upon the shore, streaking towards Tang Linglong like a bolt of lightning.
At this point, many martial artists watched with eyes full of despair, shaking their heads helplessly. In their hearts, they thought, No one can save her now.
“Lin Zhenyu, for a Martial Arts Grandmaster, bullying a young girl like this—are you even a man?”
“I, Jiang Taichu, have come to slay you!”
Right at that moment, a voice surged forth. It started low and deep, but gradually transformed—like the cry of a dragon or phoenix, the roar of a tiger echoing through mountains and forests, like a Giant Peng soaring ninety thousand li into the sky, akin to an eighteenth-category typhoon sweeping across ten kilometers.
