[What in the world is happening? The host is being surrounded and hunted by eight great experts!]
[Wang Qing was killed by Yang Xiu a hundred years ago, yet today, the host somehow resurrected him—and now he's attacking the host?]
[Wang Qing alone is nothing, even alive he was just a Yin God cultivator. But the others—each one is terrifying. There are three Yang God experts from the Qingming Sect, plus Gu Wenzhi, Liao Chan, and Hu Ying, all Refining God masters, and finally Kong Shen, a Shattering God powerhouse.]
[Hiss… host, did you just poke a hornet's nest?]
[Achievement mission issued—engage in battle against the eight great experts. The more astonishing the outcome, the higher the achievement points.]
[Mission reward: Emperor-Extinguishing Blade Domain, one-star to three-star.]
"Tricks fit for insects."
Yang Cheng snorted coldly. A layer of invisible sword qi ripples spread around him, each wave carrying terrifying force—it was his Asura Sword Domain.
"Bang! Bang!"
The silver-white sword light struck the sword domain, booming loudly before shattering inch by inch. The gray eagle claw slammed down but was completely blocked by the domain, unable to advance even half an inch no matter how much true qi Liao Chan poured into it.
"Everyone—attack together."
Kong Shen's low command rang out, and the others instantly moved.
The golden-haired beauty Yu Xuan's eyes suddenly erupted with two blazing golden beams, filled with destructive power. The beams streaked like lightning toward Yang Cheng.
Wang Qing roared and threw a punch. His fist was wrapped in a yellow glow, forming a giant phantom fist that crashed toward Yang Cheng's chest with mountain-splitting force.
The other two Vajras of the Qingming Sect were not to be outdone. One slashed with a long blade, the blade light flashing as it chopped toward Yang Cheng's waist. The other thrust a spear, its tip gleaming coldly as it aimed straight for his throat.
In that instant, the combined attacks of six Insight God experts struck Yang Cheng's Asura Sword Domain at once.
"Wong!"
The sword domain quaked violently. The originally solid ripples of sword qi flickered wildly, as if they could shatter at any moment.
Yang Cheng frowned slightly. The combined assault of these eight was stronger than he had anticipated.
"Crack!"
With a sharp sound, Gu Wenzhi's life-bound sword qi condensed once more. Taking advantage of the domain's brief instability, it pierced through first and struck Yang Cheng's body squarely.
But no blood spattered.
The sword light, sharp enough to pierce fine steel, left only a faint white mark on his skin—it didn't even break the surface.
"This… this is impossible!"
Gu Wenzhi's face was full of disbelief. His life-bound sword qi could pierce even the defensive treasure armor of a peak Insight God expert, yet it couldn't harm Yang Cheng's body at all.
He didn't know that this was the power of Yang Cheng's Primordial Golden Body.
As Gu Wenzhi stood frozen in shock, Liao Chan's gray eagle claw finally tore through the Asura Sword Domain and raked across Yang Cheng's back—only to leave behind a few pale scratches.
"Not good!"
Liao Chan's heart clenched with dread, and he tried to retreat.
But it was already too late.
Yang Cheng stepped forward, not backward. Instead of dodging, he crashed straight into Liao Chan head-on.
"Boom!"
A deafening thud echoed. Liao Chan was struck as if hit by a collapsing mountain. His body shot through the air like a broken kite, blood spurting wildly from his mouth. Half his bones shattered from that single impact, his aura plummeting instantly.
Meanwhile, Yu Xuan's golden beams, Wang Qing's giant fist, and the blade and spear lights followed close behind.
Yang Cheng opened his mouth and exhaled. Black-and-white flames erupted forth, forming a blazing wall of fire.
The golden beams slammed into it and were instantly incinerated. The giant fist, blade light, and spear shadow all struck the flames next, twisting and warping under the heat, their power reduced by half.
"This…"
Everyone was stunned.
To face the full combined might of six Insight God experts alone—and emerge unscathed—then counterattack and cripple Liao Chan in the process… such strength was simply beyond comprehension.
"No wonder he was able to wipe out the Ouyang clan. With power like this, arrogance is justified."
Kong Shen's face hardened, for the first time showing genuine caution.
Hu Ying, who had yet to attack, stood frozen like a statue. She had thought Yang Cheng was merely slightly stronger than them—but this? This strength was on an entirely different level.
The gap was simply too vast.
"Thud!"
Liao Chan crashed to the ground, struggling to his feet. He roared hoarsely, "Everyone! Stop holding back! Go all out—if we don't use our full power, we'll all die here today!"
Before his words even faded, his body erupted with an aura several times stronger than before. He had activated his trump card.
"Roar!"
Hu Ying was the first to respond. Her qi surged violently, her body expanding until she stood three zhang (10 meters) tall—a towering female giant.
Her skin turned bronze, her muscles knotted like iron cables. She swung her fist forward, the air cracking apart under the pressure, a blow capable of splitting the sky itself, smashing toward Yang Cheng.
"Awuu!"
Yu Xuan, the golden-haired woman, refused to fall behind. Her body burst with golden light as she transformed into a massive golden-maned lion. Its jaws opened wide, fangs gleaming, eyes blazing with ferocity as it lunged at Yang Cheng.
"Good—come!"
Yang Cheng's battle spirit surged. Instead of retreating, he advanced. His right hand clenched into a fist, crimson dragon qi coiling around it—the Crimson Flood Dragon Divine Fist.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two punches collided with explosive force.
Yang Cheng and the giantess Hu Ying each staggered back three steps. The golden lion, however, was blasted away by the sheer shockwave of the punch, howling as it tumbled through the air.
After knocking back the two of them, Yang Cheng's body blurred. Ignoring the attacks from both sides, he suddenly lunged straight toward Gu Wenzhi.
Gu Wenzhi's pupils constricted sharply. He hadn't expected Yang Cheng, who was still under assault from Hu Ying and Yu Xuan, to suddenly redirect his focus toward him. He was completely caught off guard.
In that instant of mortal danger, Gu Wenzhi didn't have time to think. Eight dazzling sword lights burst from his body, weaving together in the air into a shimmering web that formed the Eight-Gate Sword Formation, locking him safely in its center.
This was his ultimate defensive technique, a formation said to be indestructible.
"Die."
Yang Cheng uttered the word softly. Behind him, a golden nine-clawed dragon phantom roared into existence, radiating supreme dragon might—it was the manifestation of his Ancestral Dragon Sword Body.
He joined his index and middle fingers like a sword and thrust forward, carrying the might of the golden dragon as his finger pierced through the formation.
"Crack…"
A horrifying scene unfolded.
The Eight-Gate Sword Formation—supposedly able to withstand a full-force strike from a peak Insight God expert—shattered like fragile glass beneath that single strike, breaking apart piece by piece in an instant.
"Not good!"
Gu Wenzhi's face turned pale. He spun around to flee, transforming into a streak of light that shot dozens of zhang (over 100 meters) away in a flash.
He glanced back in relief, realizing Yang Cheng wasn't chasing him. Just as he was about to exhale, the world spun violently.
He lowered his gaze—and froze.
His neck was gone.
At some unknown moment, his head had already been severed from his body.
"So… that's it…"
The thought was the last thing to flicker through Gu Wenzhi's fading consciousness. His head dropped from the sky and hit the ground with a dull thud.
"So strong… this man is far too strong."
Kong Shen's expression hardened as he stared at Gu Wenzhi's headless corpse. For the first time, his composure cracked. He had truly underestimated Yang Cheng's ruthlessness and power.
"Everyone—finish this quickly!"
He no longer dared to hold back. Mist erupted from his body, spreading wildly and swallowing the entire forest. Within the fog, countless ghostly silhouettes drifted and twisted, making it impossible to tell what was real and what wasn't.
Hu Ying once again transformed into a towering female giant, roaring as she charged forward.
The golden-maned lion that Yu Xuan had become opened its maw and spat out several golden spheres of light, each one containing terrifying destructive power.
Wang Qing threw a punch, manifesting a massive hand of earth-yellow energy that blotted out the sky.
Liao Chan, gritting his teeth through his wounds, conjured another gray eagle claw.
The remaining two Vajras of the Qingming Sect swung their blade and spear together, their strikes surging with killing intent.
In an instant, every attack came crashing down toward Yang Cheng like a storm meant to annihilate everything.
The power was immense—enough to tear apart a mountain range, enough to crush the heavens themselves.
Yet Yang Cheng's face remained utterly calm, not a ripple of emotion showing.
He had spent eight years cultivating within the Reincarnation Mountain. His strength was no longer what it once was.
These people were still judging him through the eyes of the past. They were doomed to pay for their ignorance.
"Break!"
Yang Cheng didn't even bother to use a divine art or domain technique. He simply threw a single punch.
"Puchi!"
A crimson hole exploded through the chest of the giantess Hu Ying. Her colossal body was sent hurtling backward like a rag doll before crashing into the ground, her aura instantly collapsing.
In the next breath, Yang Cheng's form blurred again. He activated the Divine Ability · Shrinking the Earth to an Inch, vanishing like a ghost from his spot.
Yu Xuan's golden spheres, Wang Qing's enormous hand, Liao Chan's eagle claw, and the flashing blade and spear lights—all of it struck only empty air.
Their combined attacks smashed into the ground, leaving behind massive craters that cracked the earth apart.
By the time they realized it, Yang Cheng's figure had reappeared behind the two Vajras of the Qingming Sect.
A chill ran down both men's necks. Their instincts screamed danger, their hair stood on end, but before they could turn to defend—
"Shua! Shua!"
Two sharp flashes of blood-red light sliced through the air.
Two heads flew upward, eyes wide in shock and horror.
In an instant, of the eight who had surrounded Yang Cheng, five were already dead.
The golden-maned lion form of Yu Xuan trembled violently, her fur standing on end. Wang Qing's face turned as pale as snow, his heart sinking into an icy pit.
This ambush that was meant to kill Yang Cheng—had turned into their nightmare.
On the mountain peak above, the blindfolded man and the one-armed nun stood frozen, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Is… is he even human anymore?"
The blindfolded man muttered under his breath, his voice trembling. "To single-handedly fight eight Insight God experts—not only surviving but killing five—his strength must already rival a Yin God powerhouse."
The one-armed nun's beautiful eyes widened. She had been worried Yang Cheng wouldn't be able to withstand the siege, but now she realized her concern had been entirely unnecessary.
Within the battlefield, Yang Cheng's gaze turned toward the dense fog ahead. His voice was calm, almost lazy. "Kong Shen. You've been hiding long enough. Are you still not going to show yourself?"
From within the mist, a pair of eyes gradually formed—eyes filled with fear.
"Yang Cheng," Kong Shen's voice trembled faintly. "I admit it—I underestimated you. Let's end this here. The matter of the Earth Spirit Heart Pill is over. How about we turn hostility into peace?"
"Peace?"
Yang Cheng's lips curved into a faint, icy smile. "Sure."
Kong Shen's heart lifted slightly in relief. "Master Yang truly lives up to his reputation—broad-minded and—"
"Leave your head behind," Yang Cheng interrupted, his tone light but cutting.
"Yang Cheng, don't push me too far!"
Kong Shen's voice turned cold and furious. "You may be strong, but you can't defeat me completely. If you force me, you'll only ensure mutual destruction!"
"Mutual destruction?"
Yang Cheng laughed softly, shaking his head. "You overestimate yourself."
Before his words even faded, his hands formed seals, and endless true qi erupted from his body.
The Blood Sea Sword Talisman flew out, glowing like a scarlet sun.
In the sky, a river of blood surged into existence, its waves roaring and thick with the stench of iron, engulfing the entire fog-covered forest in a crimson tide.