Chen Jiuyang's voice was sharp and his attitude resolute, his will unshakeable.
The middle-aged man with a refined demeanor let out a soft sigh, "It seems negotiations have failed, Xuan Yang Hou. The next course of action will be decided by the strength in our hands."
"Xuan Yang Hou, I admire your stance. My name is Zeng Youyi. After you die, I will offer incense for you. You are a true man."
As soon as he finished speaking, he rose and left the wooden house. Immediately, the sound of over a dozen steady footsteps could be heard nearby.
*Thump!*
*Thump!*
The muffled footsteps sounded in rapid succession. An ordinary person would have been thrown into panic, fleeing in all directions. However, Chen Jiuyang sat there, his expression unchanged, showing no fear.
When facing great events, one must maintain composure. A stifling killing intent swept over him, but Chen Jiuyang's heart grew even calmer, entering a state where he could contemplate the martial path.
"Xuan Yang Hou, the three clans and sixteen sects of Ziyang County have shown us kindness. We are forced to offend."
A voice filled with killing intent yet polite echoed.
The three clans and sixteen sects had two backup plans, yet they were still outmaneuvered. It was to be expected.
The four clans and sixteen sects had been in Ziyang County for hundreds of years, guarding their local territory. They had undoubtedly supported many individuals, thus their close allies among the martial artists entered the forest to kill Chen Jiuyang. Meanwhile, the reinforcements invited by Ziyang County were to stall the Chen family patriarch, achieving the goal of trapping and killing Chen Jiuyang in the Weiguang Forest.
The latter's lips curled into a faint smile, his voice as cold as hell, "You offer your lives. There's no need for such politeness."
*Bang—*
More than ten people surrounded the inn. The person who had spoken earlier attacked Chen Jiuyang with a surge of violent true qi.
The fist strike was like the heavens, stirring up terrifying waves of energy that lifted the wooden roof of the inn. From a distance, it appeared fiery red, like a falling meteor, its momentum incredibly fearsome.
*Rumble!*
However, facing this move, Chen Jiuyang's clothes fluttered in the strong wind, his long hair whipping around. His brows were calm and unruffled. With a simple raise of his hand, a single palm strike, he blocked the long-prepared killing move of this Earth Realm Grandmaster.
*Bang bang bang!*
The wooden inn around Chen Jiuyang was reduced to dust by this punch, kicking up a massive cloud of sand and earth. Even the spot where Chen Jiuyang was standing sank by twenty to thirty centimeters.
Zeng Youyi's pupils contracted sharply. Chen Jiuyang had blocked a punch from an Earth Realm Grandmaster without moving, and he had done so with his physical body, not true qi. Just how terrifying was Chen Jiuyang's physique?
The Earth Realm Grandmaster who had attacked was even more astonished. The force behind his punch was enough to kill an Earth Realm Grandmaster, yet Chen Jiuyang had blocked it so effortlessly.
Chen Jiuyang slowly tilted his head back, his eyes devoid of emotion and icy cold, looking at the Earth Realm Grandmaster as if he were a god observing pigs and dogs. He slowly uttered a few words:
"Too weak."
*Boom!*
Immediately, Chen Jiuyang unleashed a palm strike.
The air exploded. Zeng Youyi and the dozen or so people nearby watched clearly. Chen Jiuyang's palm strike was incredibly fast, and its power was immeasurable.
As this punch landed on the Earth Realm Grandmaster, the air itself seemed to ripple, followed by a burst of white energy.
How astonishing was this?
Was this pure physical strength?
*Puff—*
*Ch—*
The Earth Realm Grandmaster who had just punched Chen Jiuyang had his body instantly explode, scattering blood, internal organs, shattered flesh, and bones everywhere.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes turned slightly cold, "With such a weak physique, this is not the martial path. You have walked the wrong way. These Profound Realm and Earth Realm cultivators do not deserve the title of Grandmaster."
"It was not without reason that the Eight-Nine Profound Art cultivated qi, body, and soul simultaneously. It is only the subsequent path that has gone awry."
"Upon careful consideration, the problem likely lies in the 'blood-changing' step. I have cultivated the Eight-Nine Profound Art and the Emperor Yu Divine Body Art. Based on this foundation, I have comprehended the 'Yuan' Dao."
"The soul and true qi should not be used in the way they are in this era."
Chen Jiuyang's heart gained some enlightenment. He then slowly raised his head, his sharp and calm voice echoing in the vicinity:
"If you all attack together, you might defeat me. Or perhaps I will kill you all alone. How do you choose?"
Zeng Youyi had witnessed many grand scenes in his life.
With a single punch, the Earth Realm Grandmaster's remains were nowhere to be found.
Seeing this, his heart still felt a slight chill.
"Well said, you arrogant and overbearing Xuan Yang Hou! Then, as you wish, we will all attack together!"
A cold, killing-intent-filled voice rang out.
*Rumble!*
*Tap tap tap!*
Immediately, over a dozen people simultaneously attacked Chen Jiuyang.
There were sabers, swords, crossbow bolts, and divine intent techniques!
The combined attack of more than a dozen people was immense, making Zeng Youyi’s heart pound. Even if Chen Jiuyang was a prodigy among Earth Realm Grandmasters, could he withstand so much power at once?
Force, density of true qi, direction.
All sorts of subtle sensations appeared in Chen Jiuyang's mind. Was this the soul passively operating, observing with meticulous detail?
Then.
*Zheng—*
In the next instant, a grating sound of steel friction echoed through the scene.
"How is this possible!"
Zeng Youyi, standing at a distance, felt a jolt of fear, his heart leaping. A tempest of shock surged within him.
Before him, over a dozen Earth Realm Grandmasters attacked simultaneously. Chen Jiuyang merely drew his saber swiftly, swung it slowly, and then held it above his head.
With just a swing of his saber, Chen Jiuyang had blocked all the moves of the Earth Realm martial artists.
What truly horrified Zeng Youyi was not this, but that after drawing his saber, Chen Jiuyang slowly swung it, affecting the moves originally aimed at his shoulders, head, and legs. This caused all the attacks to converge, allowing him to block them with a single saber strike.
It was like a vortex in water. No matter what you threw into the vortex from any angle or direction, the result was always being drawn into the center.
This was an unheard-of technique!
Chen Jiuyang was indeed a genius, but he was also an Earth Realm Grandmaster. How could he achieve this?
Could this be a move born from Chen Jiuyang's comprehension of the 'Yuan' Dao?
"Heh heh..."
Chen Jiuyang's expression was calm, and a pleased chuckle escaped his lips, "So this is the aura of an ancient martial artist. It is truly interesting, intoxicating."
Martial artists possessed qi, which could be divided into aura, true qi, blood qi, etc. What was aura?
It was the domineering presence of being invincible even when facing an enemy nation.
The moves unleashed by these martial artists were all driven by true qi, and true qi, being emitted by a person, had a traceable path.
Intercepting them midway, altering the direction of the martial artists' moves, influencing the transformation of true qi flow—all of this seemed incredible, yet Chen Jiuyang had achieved it.
"Break!"
Chen Jiuyang, with one arm bent, held his saber, bearing the combined attacks of over a dozen Earth Realm martial artists. With a mere forceful swing, he dissipated these terrifying moves into nothingness.
*Rumble!*
Terrifying air explosions sounded continuously.
And at the center, the young man in moon-white robes sat calmly on the wooden chair, having not risen from the beginning.
Zeng Youyi and the dozen or so Earth Realm martial artists present had their expressions drastically change. They could no longer maintain their calm and composed demeanor.
Immediately, a chill surged into their hearts.