The O'Brien Empire. Martial God Mountain.
Fain remained at the peak of the Saint Realm, unable to break through to the God Realm. As for what had happened at the Bosha Dam not long ago, Fain knew nothing of it. When the powerful figures had burst out, the auras they radiated—even from Martial God Mountain, Fain had barely been able to sense them.
"What terrifying auras." Fain stared southward in shock. "What on earth is happening to the south?"
"Alas." Fain seethed with quiet frustration.
The Yulan Continent was growing more chaotic by the day, and even Fain felt exhausted trying to hold this vast empire together.
"Master, please come back soon."
The Martial God would need nearly three more months before he could return from the Tomb of the Gods.
After a long while.
"Whoosh!" A figure came streaking in from the distance at tremendous speed.
"Eldest Brother." It was Kasrot. Kasrot landed before Fain and said respectfully, "Eldest Brother, I've received intelligence. Lin Lei, Olivier, and a middle-aged man fought a bald man at the Bosha Dam."
The intelligence operatives of the O'Brien Empire recognized Lin Lei and Olivier, but they did not know who Desri was. The report had been relayed at the fastest possible speed.
"Three against one?" Fain was stunned.
He already knew about Lin Lei ascending to godhood: "No wonder such terrifying auras emanated from the south not long ago."
"But the report says the Bosha Dam shattered. Then a massive number of figures appeared out of thin air—dense crowds of them flying past. Those figures vanished in an instant… and afterward the Bosha Dam actually re-formed." Kasrot felt awkward relaying this part.
But the intelligence report described exactly that.
"A huge number of figures vanishing in an instant?" Fain understood. When powerful experts flew at extreme speeds, ordinary people could hardly perceive them. "If I'm reading this correctly, it seems an enormous number of Saint Realm experts appeared around the Bosha Dam!" Fain didn't dare consider the possibility that among that crowd were many God-level beings.
After all, reaching the God-level was far too difficult.
"The situation is growing ever more complicated," Fain thought with distress. "But there's nothing I can do about this. I'll just have to wait for Master to return."
High above the imperial capital of the O'Brien Empire, dense clusters of figures suddenly appeared.
The figures flying through the sky numbered nearly one thousand!
"Th-that's…" Countless citizens in the capital looked up and were dumbstruck. According to common knowledge, those capable of flight were either Wind System Grand Mages or Saint Realm experts. And now the sky was filled with such an enormous crowd.
"They can't all be Saint Realm—how could there possibly be so many?"
The masses in the capital shook their heads in disbelief, convinced they must be Wind System Grand Mages.
Among the group of experts flying through the sky, at the forefront was a handsome youth in a resplendent golden robe that shimmered with light. Behind him stood three experts lined up abreast, and behind them, arranged in orderly ranks, was a large number of further experts. The several hundred bringing up the rear were the weakest—peak Saint Realm.
"So this is the greatest empire on the Yulan Continent?" the handsome youth said with a sinister smile. "They worship someone called O'Brien?"
"Yes, Lord Adkins!" A silver-haired elder behind him replied respectfully. "This man called O'Brien has only cultivated for a little over five thousand years. By all estimates, his strength should be that of a lower god." There was a note of complete dismissiveness toward O'Brien in the elder's tone.
"Then that ahead must be Martial God Mountain." The handsome youth gazed at Martial God Mountain in the distance. There were still many visitors at its base, sightseeing and paying respects. The handsome youth shook his head. "A lower god daring to call himself the 'Martial God'—how laughably arrogant. I find this Martial God Mountain quite unsightly as well."
"Great Lord Adkins, let this subordinate destroy this eyesore of a mountain for you." A silver-haired young man stepped forward from behind the handsome youth. Seeing that his lord did not object, he immediately waved his hand—
In an instant, the world's elements surged together violently. Above the sprawling Martial God Mountain, rumbling sounds erupted.
"What's happening?" Countless nominal disciples and direct disciples within Martial God Mountain felt the sudden upheaval in the elements.
"Hmph." The silver-haired young man smiled coldly and flipped his palm—
"Boom!"
Countless wind blades materialized above Martial God Mountain, forming what was essentially the Forbidden Magic—Destruction Storm. To be precise… compared to an ordinary Destruction Storm, each wind blade was a hundred, even a thousand times more powerful. Every blade glimmered with faint golden light as the endless storm swept downward.
"Run!!!" Piercing screams echoed throughout Martial God Mountain.
But the wind blades were too fast. Even Saint Realm experts could not escape their range before being engulfed by the overwhelming torrent of blades.
"Ssssss~~~" The massive Martial God Mountain—boulders, trees, flowers, grass, and even human bodies—was shredded to pieces under the onslaught of those endless golden-glinting wind blades. Even Saint Realm experts like Kasrot and Bruner…
They could endure only one or two seconds.
"Aaah!" Miserable screams rang out as Saint Realm experts were ground into mincemeat.
In merely a few seconds, Martial God Mountain—scoured by the endless wind blades—had completely vanished. In its place gaped a bottomless pit of terrifying proportions.
"Mm, not bad." A satisfied smile appeared on the handsome youth's face.
The silver-haired young man's eyes flickered with a gleam of delight. He bowed respectfully and retreated.
"Hm?" The handsome youth frowned suddenly, his gaze turning toward the depths of the pit. With his power, he could clearly perceive that Fain had barely survived the wind blade assault—his head had been protected, and his body was now rapidly regenerating.
At the same time, the terrified Fain was hurtling eastward through the depths of the earth at top speed.
A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed the silver-haired young man's eyes. His figure blurred as he moved to fly downward, but the handsome youth shot him a cold glance. "Come back." The silver-haired young man froze as though his body had been seized, suspended in midair, unable to descend any further.
"That little fellow managed to escape with his life. I, Adkins, am in a fine mood today, so I shall grant him his life." The handsome youth smiled as he spoke.