Chapter 692 - 277: Landing on the Island (3)

The Five Elders exchanged a glance, each seeing a trace of determination in the others’ eyes.

"Since you’ve forced our hand, don’t blame us for what comes next!"

The leading elder bellowed, "Formation!"

The dormant True Essence within the five men erupted like volcanoes. Brilliant streams of multi-colored True Essence shot into the sky, roiling the clouds.

Having worked in perfect tandem for years, they knew they were no match for Luo Zhixian in a one-on-one fight. Their only hope was to rely on this trump-card combination technique!

"Five Directions Cross! Heaven-Locking Forbidden Land!"

The five figures flickered, instantly taking up positions in five cardinal directions. With a flurry of hand seals, five torrents of True Essence—each of a different attribute, yet perfectly unified—roared forth. They didn’t strike directly, but instead wove together in mid-air, instantly forming a colossal net of light that blotted out the sky!

The net of light glowed with five colors—gold, green, blue, red, and yellow—and radiated an aura of terrifying power!

This was one of the Divine Techniques that had made the Five Elders famous—the Five Directions Cross Lock!

Once caught within it, a victim would be trapped in an isolated cage. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi would be sealed off and their movements restricted, leaving them able to do nothing but endure the relentless Erosion powered by the Five Elders in unison!

The net of light blotted out the sun, carrying with it a pressure that inspired despair as it descended upon Luo Zhixian!

Seeing the Divine Technique unleashed by the Five Elders, Deng Ziheng was inwardly astonished. ’The Five Directions Cross Lock truly lives up to its name! Their five auras are perfectly fused. With the Five Elements Rotation bringing forth Everlasting Life, its power is comparable to an all-out attack from someone at the peak of the True Essence Realm!’

Just as this world-shaking Divine Technique was about to fall upon him, Luo Zhixian finally moved.

He didn’t perform any complex maneuvers. He simply took the dark spear in his hand—now saturated with a massive amount of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi—and thrust it forward at the descending five-colored net.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

At the same time, the clear sky above him suddenly grew dark. Innumerable silver bolts of lightning, each as thick as a child’s arm, materialized from nothing. Like raging Thunder Dragons, they let out deafening roars as they coiled around the spear, imbuing the weapon with the very might of thunder!

Divine Technique! Thunder Radiance!

This was one of Luo Zhixian’s two ultimate Divine Secret Techniques!

Chen Qing’s eyes went wide. As his master thrust the spear, it was as if a miniature sun of pure lightning had been born at its tip—the absolute embodiment of destruction and penetration, all of its power focused into a single point!

At that same moment, the eyes of every expert from Yanzi Dock, as well as the other masters and spies who had rushed over to spectate, were all wide with shock.

Every gaze in the vicinity was fixed on that single point.

It was as if time itself had frozen.

BOOOOOOM—!

The Thunder Spear clashed head-on with the five-colored net!

There was no stalemate, no struggle.

The instant they connected, the seemingly indestructible Five Directions Cross Lock—a technique embodying the profound mysteries of the Five Elements—lasted for but a single breath before it shattered, starting from the point of contact with the spear tip.

A terrifying, spherical shockwave exploded outward in every direction!

The dock area bore the brunt of the blast. Solid stone slabs, massive mooring posts, docked ships, and nearby buildings were all pulverized into dust by the destructive shockwave!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Feiyan’s main island trembled violently, as if struck by a cataclysmic earthquake.

An immense, unseen force blasted the surrounding sea apart, throwing up tidal waves hundreds of yards high that crashed outwards. The monstrous waves blotted out the sky, heralding what seemed like the end of the world!

A series of five wet, retching sounds rang out.

The sounds came almost in unison as the Five Elders’ formation was violently torn asunder. The five of them were sent flying backward like kites with their strings cut, blood spraying from their lips. Their faces turned deathly pale in an instant, and their auras withered at an alarming rate.

A single strike!

The combined power of the Five Elders, unleashing a Divine Technique, had been utterly crushed by a single thrust of Luo Zhixian’s spear!

Luo Zhixian stood motionless, spear in hand. His robes fluttered gently in the sea breeze and the lingering turbulence of energy, his expression as serene and tranquil as ever.

The victor was decided in an instant!

A dead silence fell over the ruins of the dock.

All eyes were fixed on the scene, filled with utter shock.

The silence was broken by a wave of suppressed gasps and sharp intakes of breath.

"This... is the power of a Grandmaster?" someone stammered, their voice trembling, scarcely able to believe their eyes.

"The Five Elders joined forces, deployed the Five Directions Cross Lock... and they actually... lost?"

Those were the Five Elders of Yanzi Dock, whose reputation struck fear far and wide!

"So strong! Is this the true power of the Master of Ten Thousand Laws Peak from the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect?"

In the distance, the masters and spies from various powers were also reeling from the shock.

They had expected a fierce struggle between titans, perhaps even one where Luo Zhixian would be at a disadvantage. They never imagined such a one-sided, crushing conclusion.

As for the disciples of Yanzi Dock, their faces were drained of all color, their expressions a mask of terror.

The Five Elders, whom they normally worshipped as supreme, god-like figures, had just been sent flying, spitting blood and their auras withered. The shock was simply too much to bear.

Chen Qing’s own heart was a swirling vortex of shock.

He knew his master was strong, but to witness him unleash a Divine Technique at full power with his own eyes... The visual and spiritual impact was incomparable.

The majestic, divine might of the lightning, the indestructible power concentrated into a single point... The Spear Path, when cultivated to this level, was nearly indistinguishable from a fundamental Law of the universe!

’Is this the being I’m supposed to surpass one day?’

"Enough!"

Amidst the chaos and horror, an utterly cold voice boomed from the depths of Feiyan Island. It was like a clap of arctic thunder, instantly silencing the clamor!

The pressure contained within the voice far surpassed that of the Five Elders, causing everyone present—including the distant masters spectating—to feel their Heart and Spirit shudder!

Chen Qing’s pupils contracted as he whipped his head toward the source of the voice.

There, at the heart of Feiyan Island, atop its highest peak, a hazy figure had appeared at some unknown point.

Though its features were indistinct and it leaked not a single trace of an aura, the very act of standing in the void as if on solid ground was a testament to its unfathomable power.

A master! A true, top-tier master!

’Is this the one who’s been pulling the strings at Yanzi Dock from behind the curtain all this time? The true leader?’

Luo Zhixian remained standing with his spear, his robes gently stirred by the sea breeze. He calmly turned toward the figure, his expression as placid as an untouched well, as if he had been expecting this person’s arrival all along.

"Luo Zhixian."

The cold voice spoke again. "Is this your Spear Path? Crushing others with brute force, acting as you please?"

Luo Zhixian replied coolly, "My Spear Path follows only my conscience. Harm my disciple, and a price must be paid. That was true a hundred years ago, and it is true today."

The figure on the summit fell silent for a moment, apparently weighing its options.

’The power Luo Zhixian has shown is simply terrifying. Should I intervene personally?’

Yanzi Dock had already been utterly defeated today, its reputation left in tatters.

"...Fine! Very fine!"

After a long moment, the cold voice rang out again. "This matter ends here! You may go!"

Luo Zhixian glanced at the figure. His objective had been met.

He had grievously wounded the Five Elders, crushed Yanzi Dock’s resistance, obtained justice for his disciple, and dealt a heavy blow to this power that colluded with the Demon Sect.

There was no longer any point in staying.

Without another word, the dark spear in his hand vanished as if it had never existed.

Luo Zhixian turned, strode leisurely back to the fast boat, and gave Deng Ziheng a slight nod.

Deng Ziheng understood at once. Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he took a deep breath and propelled the boat forward with his True Essence.

Under the watch of countless complicated gazes, the small boat slowly turned, cutting through the still-unsettled waves and sailing leisurely toward Dongji City.

Only when the boat had become a mere speck on the horizon did the suffocating pressure over Feiyan Island finally begin to dissipate.

"Quick! Send word back immediately!"

"World-shaking news! Luo Zhixian of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect stormed Feiyan Island single-handedly and grievously wounded the Five Elders of Yanzi Dock with a single spear strike!"

"Urgent dispatch! Send it to headquarters now! Hurry!"

After a moment of silence, the area erupted into a frenzy.

The spies from the various powers scattered like a startled school of fish, using every communication method at their disposal to spread the earth-shattering news as fast as they could.

Everyone understood that the events of this day would sweep through the entire Celestial Star Seventy-Two Islands like a hurricane, and would even reach the shores of Yan Country in short order!

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