Chapter 41: With a Single Strike, I Shatter Mountains and Rivers!

Xidan You gazed at the unstoppable slash, his expression finally changing as fear crept in. The power of the Ink Brush surged to its utmost.

A sharp crack sounded—the Ink Brush splintered with fine cracks. Though the pain of it cut deep, Xidan You feared his own death even more. Without a second thought, he pushed the artifact to its limits.

The Ink Brush became as a judge’s pen, suddenly radiating a dazzling light. A cultured aura unfurled; behind Xidan You, a shadowy figure materialized, pen in hand, striking down with lethal intent!

A deafening roar exploded. The brutal force of the clash sent tremors through every heart, as if all things might be annihilated in its wake.

Xidan You’s body was hurled back by the violent shockwave; already gravely wounded, his injuries grew even worse.

Beixing Dao, meanwhile, staggered back several dozen steps, his face pale—clearly wounded as well, but not gravely so.

“I’m coming!”

With saber in hand, Beixing Dao surged forth again, unleashing another earth-shattering slash. Yet the powerful foe within the formation remained unfazed.

“Today, no matter what you attempt, as long as I remain within the formation, I am invincible!”

The man’s confidence was absolute. Beixing Dao’s blade fell, powers clashed, and a terrifying shockwave blasted out, but the master within the formation stood unmoved.

It was as he claimed: within the formation, he was untouchable.

For a time, the four domain lords fell silent.

Yet the battle below raged on. On both sides, men fell ceaselessly, the fighting growing ever more frenzied and the toll of death and injury ever higher.

Both forces now stood locked in a deadlock, neither able to break the stalemate.

……

Meanwhile, Ye Jiuyao, still unconscious, suddenly twitched a finger. In the next instant, his eyes snapped open, a gleam of clarity flashing in his gaze.

He exhaled a long, turbid breath, as if purging all the stale air from his chest. Flexing hands unused for days, he listened to the cracking of his joints—a reminder of the boundless strength now coursing through his body. Ye Jiuyao smiled in satisfaction.

“What a restful sleep! No wonder they say you sleep best after exhaustion—so that’s what it means.” Ye Jiuyao spoke carelessly, his face bright with contentment. “Someone, attend me! Your young master is awake—bring me food at once!”

But no one replied. A sense of unease crept over him. Hastily collecting himself, he extended his spirit sense and instantly detected powerful auras, among them Ye Hanzhou.

“Let me not be too late!” Without hesitation, Ye Jiuyao unleashed his swiftest movement art, shooting forth like a bolt of lightning.

On the battlefield above, the stalemate persisted. Though the enemy’s formation was invincible, it lacked offensive might, barely managing to hold the three domain lords at bay.

Beixing Dao relentlessly pressed Xidan You, each slash landing true. Xidan You’s face was ashen, his heart filled with bitter frustration.

Luoyuan Huang and Ye Hanzhou, fighting in tandem, held their ground. Though they could not gain the upper hand, neither did they fall behind. Ming Jiuyin and Qi Duanzi were similarly matched, neither side able to best the other.

The most ferocious were the other warriors of Great Zhou. They seemed like harvesters of lives, cutting down foes with terrifying efficiency.

Bai Yijian fought with reckless abandon, crossing blades with an opponent a whole realm above him, yet still holding his own. His adversary began to doubt whether he had cultivated incorrectly all along.

“Do you still refuse to give up? If this drags on, you’ll run out of energy first—when that happens, you’ll die all the same!”

“Old turtle, trying to fool us? I fear you crossing realms to be here—surely even this avatar of yours is not at full strength?”

Zhong Yuanhua snorted coldly. The enemy’s face darkened at the words—for he had guessed true: this was but an avatar. Had the true body come, and the domain lord appeared, he would surely perish.

The enemy snorted in return. “Hmph, spare me your empty words!”

“Empty words? Your face tells the tale—are you so deluded? And if our domain lord discovers an outsider meddling here, what do you think he’ll do?”

Zhong Yuanhua, his tone now tinged with the sharp wit he’d picked up from Ye Jiuyao, spoke so that unease flickered across the enemy’s heart.

“Now’s our chance!”

Sensing a faint instability in the formation, the three lords unleashed their might, blasting the formation with a torrent of power.

They refused to believe in the myth of an invincible formation; if such a thing existed, it must be only because their own power was insufficient.

With enough strength, any defense could be shattered!

Not fools, they focused their efforts, striking a single point. Under this immense force, cracks began to spread through the formation.

“Think you can break the formation so easily? Never!”

The enemy surged with power, the formation instantly reinforced. Suddenly, a backlash erupted, crashing toward the three.

Blood sprayed from their lips as their auras instantly waned. The warriors of Western Desolation roared defiance.

“Heh heh… How does it feel? My formation may lack offensive power, but its defense is peerless. The backlash is not so pleasant, is it?”

Indeed, as the outsider boasted, the formation’s lack of attack was more than compensated by its impenetrable defense.

“Heh… Just a clown from beyond—watch how your grandpa breaks your formation!”

“Who dares speak so wildly?!”

Just as the enemy finished speaking, a wild voice rang out from the heavens. The warriors of Great Zhou were instantly invigorated, fighting all the fiercer.

Those of Western Desolation wailed in despair. They had thought their foes were at their last gasp, only to realize they had been hiding their true strength all along.

“Is your formation so impressive?”

“Haven’t you heard that blowhards are struck by lightning?”

“Such a petty formation dares claim invincibility? Watch how I shatter it with a single blow!”

Again and again the audacious voice thundered from above, and with it came a force even more overbearing than the sound itself.

A golden staff stretched across the sky like the sword of Damocles above the heads of all, containing the will of the cosmos.

It was as if his mere presence crushed all before him—the staff a pillar supporting the heavens. Ye Jiuyao’s slender form shot upward, gripping the staff with sudden force.

A terrifying surge of energy burst forth, as tumultuous as a raging sea. Murderous intent blazed in Ye Jiuyao’s eyes.

“Watch closely!” His voice boomed, stirring tidal waves in every heart, leaving all in awe.

“With a single blow, I sever mountains and rivers!”

“One strike stirs the underworld!”

“One blow divides heaven and earth!”

His words, like a spell, resounded in every mind. For a moment, all forgot the battle, their eyes drawn skyward to that invincible figure.

“Damn it!” the enemy cursed under his breath, for he felt the unmistakable approach of death, as if that staff truly bore the power Ye Jiuyao claimed.

“Break!”

The staff, bearing thunderous force, shattered the obsessions of stars, severed mountains and rivers, and split heaven and earth as it came crashing down.

A sound like the end of the world echoed across the land. A figure plummeted to the earth like a meteor, breath ragged and fading, his aura all but extinguished.

All who witnessed it were struck dumb with terror—none more so than Xidan You, Qi Duanzi, and Ming Jiuyin, whose faces twisted in absolute horror.