"Damn it! This self-serving bastard is only making things worse for everyone! Now we're in serious trouble!"
Lei Shun's face turned grim as he suddenly shouted, "I'll go grab that old emperor right now. We'll take him hostage and escape the city. Maybe there's still a slim chance for us!"
With that, he turned to leave in search of the old emperor.
Long Dan shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "It's no use. The old emperor is already dead. I don't even know how he died."
"What terrible luck! It seems like the heavens are determined to wipe us out!"
Lei Shun stopped in his tracks, his face darkening even more.
Suddenly, Long Dan's expression hardened as he yelled, "All the cities nearby are already mobilizing their forces to support the royal capital. If we stay here, more troops will keep coming, and our only fate will be death."
"The only path left to us now is to fight our way through the sea of people and break out of the encirclement of the 200,000-strong army. The longer we wait, the worse it gets for us."
"Let's split up and escape now. If even one of us can make it out, that's something. There's no other choice."
Upon hearing this, everyone’s mood turned heavy.
Fighting through 200,000 soldiers to escape? Easier said than done.
After all, there are still 10,000 Gu cultivators and body refiners outside.
Not to mention, the royal city is protected by a formation barrier. No matter how fast you are, you can’t break out without taking the time to destroy the barrier.
If you don’t create a mountain of corpses here, don’t even think about getting out.
No matter how strong they were, they were still just human. Even if they could fight, they'd eventually be worn down and killed. Even if some of them did manage to break through, only a few would survive.
Despair began to show on the faces of the crowd, fear of death flooding their hearts.
Bai Youran's destruction of the Sou Gu’s hut had driven them to a dead end. They had no way out now.
Just as everyone stood there dazed, the Five Ghosts Mountain Shifting Formation could no longer withstand the attacks of the 200,000-strong army and shattered with a deafening crash.
With the barrier broken, the 200,000 imperial guards surged into the palace like a flood, their dense footsteps echoing everywhere.
The sound of their footsteps grew louder and louder, hammering the hearts of everyone present.
“Hahaha... Losing your head is just a scar the size of a bowl! What’s there to fear? Brothers, follow me into battle!”
Suddenly, Shi Kun let out a mad laugh and charged at the approaching army.
“Damn it! We’ll fight! Even if I die, I’ll take ten thousand of them with me! Anyone who wants to die, come at me! Even if I die, I’ll kill as many as I can!” ṟ
Lei Shun laughed bitterly, lightning erupting from his body as he frantically rushed towards the massive army of 200,000!
“Brothers! In our next lives, we’ll be brothers again! Follow me into battle!”
With a furious roar, Long Dan transformed into a half-dragon humanoid, crashing heavily into the army. People were thrown into the air, their screams filling the sky. Wherever the monstrous figure passed, the ground turned into a hellish battlefield.
The others, inspired by their comrades, roared and charged towards the army coming from all directions.
In an instant, chaos erupted within the army. The ferocity of over 20 geniuses turned the tide of battle.
The mortal army was slaughtered like wheat before a scythe, with corpses piling up in the blink of an eye.
Despite the overwhelming numbers of the 200,000-strong army, the group of geniuses carved out several long paths through the soldiers, rapidly closing in on the city's protective formation.
“Kill! Keep killing!”
Under the orders of various mortal nobles, the recruited Gu cultivators and body refiners joined the battle, mingling with the army and launching an attack against the twenty or so geniuses.
These cultivators were far superior to the mortal imperial guards. As they joined the fray, the pressure on the geniuses multiplied.
This guy had traveled across all regions and defeated the top geniuses. Just how strong was he? Was Long Xuan destined to encounter such a terrifying opponent out of nowhere?
At this moment, Long Dan snapped the neck of a peak-stage Marrow Cleansing Gu cultivator, turned, and shouted anxiously, "Be careful! This guy is ruthless in battle. Most of the geniuses who fought him ended up crippled."
"Do not hold back against him. Use your strongest trump card and kill him. Don’t worry about his clan seeking revenge!"
"The Jun Clan’s rule is that every genius, after reaching adulthood, must travel and challenge the top geniuses of various regions. The one with the most victories will become the core talent of the family. If they die, they die! It’s their own fault for being weak! Many of their geniuses die in these challenges every year."
"If you hesitate against this fierce opponent, you will definitely die! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!"
Upon hearing this, Long Xuan couldn’t help but curse in his heart. This guy wanted to challenge him just for the sake of sparring? He sure knew how to pick his moments.
Right now, Long Xuan was in a life-or-death crisis. Where was the time for sparring?
But could this guy really be the threat to Long Dan's life? Could he really overpower the complete version of the Evil Dragon Emperor’s Eye? After all, Long Dan possessed Limit-Breaking Gu, and there was no telling how many Gu's had already broken through their limits.
Could this be another false alarm, with an even greater threat lurking behind?
Long Xuan took a deep breath. There were too many variables, and it seemed endless.
"You’ve seen my current situation. I don’t have time for a duel. How about we find a quiet place to fight properly once I get out of this mess?" Long Xuan tentatively suggested.
Jun Zaitian’s face showed impatience as he replied, "There’s no need for that. Whether you leave or not, you’re dead today. There’s no point in wasting time."
"If you want to get out of here, you’ll have to kill me first."
"I gave you the chance to attack first, but you’re useless. If I strike first, you won’t get the chance! Kneel!"
Suddenly, a black eye appeared at Jun Zaitian's brow, radiating an eerie light. Under its gaze, Long Xuan felt as though a mountain was pressing down on him. His knees buckled, almost forcing him to kneel.
It was only because of his Purgatory True Demon Art, which involved jumping into lava and nearly killing himself, that his physical body had grown so strong. He barely managed to resist the sudden increase in gravity with his sheer physical strength. Otherwise, he would have been utterly humiliated today.
Long Xuan was now truly enraged. He immediately activated the divine power of his Purgatory True Demon Art. As the power erupted, two giant manifestations, a Divine Dragon and a Golden Crow, appeared in the sky.
The Divine Dragon exuded endless pressure, and the Golden Crow shone with dazzling golden light.
The Golden Crow spread its wings and soared into the sky, causing the temperature to rise rapidly. The surrounding Imperial Guards immediately shielded their eyes and retreated in panic under the scorching heat.
The area around Long Xuan instantly cleared.
With the two manifestations empowering him, Long Xuan felt two enormous forces surge into his body, making his strength rise continuously.
The overwhelming gravity that had been suffocating him moments ago suddenly felt like nothing. It now seemed like a mere drizzle, having no effect on him at all.
Looking at the Divine Dragon and Golden Crow dharma forms in the sky, exuding boundless might, Long Dan was visibly shocked.
Wasn’t the Long Clan's ultimate technique, the Dragon Inverse Art, only capable of summoning one manifestation? How could Long Xuan have two? How did he manage it?
Jun Zaitian was also slightly surprised. The range of his Gravity Eye would alter the gravity of everything in its sight, with the force intensifying the closer someone was to him.
Long Xuan had been so close to him that the fact he could resist the gravity with just his physical strength had already been impressive. But to now summon two dharma forms and render the gravity meaningless was beyond belief.
"Interesting! Interesting! Whenever I open the Gravity Eye, most geniuses are crushed under the pressure."
"Even those few who focus on body cultivation can barely move under the gravity, left at my mercy."
"But you’re the first genius to completely ignore the effects of my Gravity Eye!"
"In terms of physical strength, among all Gu cultivators at our level, no one can match you. I acknowledge you as the strongest!"
"Now, let’s see how many moves you can withstand!"
Jun Zaitian’s expression grew increasingly excited, his gaze turning more frenzied. With a wild laugh, he charged at Long Xuan...