"Heavens, this…"
If the sight of the Black Serpent Stronghold Master lying on the ground, gravely injured, was shocking, then when the crowd made out the figure standing on top of him, they were completely dumbfounded.
Because that person was none other than Sikong Zhaixing, the sect master of the Greenwood Southern Forest — the very man the Black Serpent Stronghold Master had been humiliating all this time without so much as a single word in retort.
What was more, Sikong Zhaixing's aura at this moment was staggering, almost impossible to look at directly. All those who had allied with the Black Serpent Stronghold to humiliate the Greenwood Southern Forest stood with their mouths agape, their panicked faces blanketed in terror.
Sikong Zhaixing was not merely stepping on the Black Serpent Stronghold Master with his foot — an extraordinarily terrifying energy was surging all around his body.
The energy seemed formless, yet also seemed to take shape. Most importantly, it distorted space, distorted heaven and earth, and even affected the hundreds of millions of people within a radius of several li.
Although some recognized this energy and most did not, everyone knew it bore a special name — Imperial Martial Force.
"Half-Emperor… Sikong Zhaixing actually broke through to the Half-Emperor realm, becoming a Half-Emperor."
"Incredible, truly incredible. With a Half-Emperor's cultivation alone, the Greenwood Southern Forest can rank among the top of the Greenwood Mountain's second-tier affiliated forces. It looks like the Greenwood Southern Forest is about to rise."
At that moment, the crowd erupted into an uproar, because even in the Holy Land of Martiality, the Half-Emperor realm was not something just anyone could break through to.
After all, it was a realm tied to Imperial Martial Force, which made it extraordinarily difficult to reach. In the Greenwood Domain, apart from Greenwood Mountain and a few ancient forces with long legacies, any faction that possessed a Half-Emperor powerhouse was considered truly remarkable.
Take Greenwood Mountain itself — of its several hundred second-tier affiliated forces and several thousand third-tier affiliated forces, those with a Half-Emperor powerhouse numbered no more than ten. That alone spoke volumes about the might of a Half-Emperor.
"Fellow sect masters, there's a question I'd like to ask. As affiliated forces of Greenwood Mountain, did all of you look down on my Greenwood Southern Forest?"
Suddenly, Sikong Zhaixing raised his head and swept his gaze over the crowd of sect masters who had joined the Black Serpent Stronghold Master in mocking him moments earlier.
"Uh…"
"Head Sikong, you — you've misunderstood. How could we ever look down on your Greenwood Southern Forest?"
"That's right, Head Sikong, please don't misunderstand. Although we are all affiliated forces of Greenwood Mountain, your Greenwood Southern Forest is a legitimate, orthodox force under the mountain. How would we dare look down on you? We don't have that kind of qualification."
Faced with a Half-Emperor powerhouse, let alone those sect masters — even the people from the Prajna Sect and the Black Serpent Stronghold had been terrified out of their wits. No matter who backed them, a Half-Emperor undoubtedly possessed the power to flatten them, and with no support to rely on, they didn't dare talk back.
"Misunderstood? Then what did it mean when you all laughed so happily while the Black Serpent Stronghold was humiliating my Southern Forest earlier? Did you take me for a fool?"
Suddenly, Sikong Zhaixing's eyes blazed with fury. At the same time, a colossal wave of oppressive force swept outward, enveloping all those who had laughed moments ago. The sheer might of the pressure caused the very void in that area to tremble violently.
"Head Sikong, show mercy! Please, show mercy!"
Faced with this oppressive force forged from Imperial Martial Force, the more cowardly among them dropped straight to their knees, terrified that Sikong Zhaixing might kill them on the spot.
And once the cowards knelt, a chain reaction followed — thousands of high-ranking figures from nearly a hundred forces all sank to the ground in unison.