"Murong Yu — he's Murong Yu, the young valley master of the Sword God Valley."
"Could that be the legendary Strange Weapon, the Divine Wood Sword, behind him?" The appearance of this plainly dressed young man set off a wave of exclamations throughout the crowd. As it turned out, he was none other than the number-one prodigy of the Sui Region.
"Murong Yu, you're really asking for death, daring to leap over my head?"
"Murong Yu, how dare you! Do you really think that being the young valley master of the Sword God Valley puts you above all law?"
At the same time, those four prodigies were brimming with fury, pointing at Murong Yu and roaring. Clearly, his earlier stunt had gravely offended them.
"It was you who blocked my path, so I jumped over your heads. But if you insist on calling it 'leaping over,' then so be it. After all, there's a saying in this world — 'ask for humiliation and you shall receive it.'" Murong Yu let out a contemptuous smirk, ignored them entirely, and prepared to continue making his way toward the mountain's peak.
"Murong Yu, you stop right there!" Before he could even move, the four prodigies launched themselves forward and surrounded him.
In that instant, everyone instinctively backed away a great distance. All of them could sense that these five prodigies were at odds and on the verge of blows.
Faced with this situation, the elders of the Supreme Villa made no move to intervene. Instead, they joined the crowd as onlookers.
In truth, even the senior experts from the various powers who had been resting at the summit began to emerge, wanting to witness a clash among the brightest of the younger generation.
"Good dogs don't block the road. Move." Murong Yu didn't so much as furrow a brow. His arrogance was absolute.
"Murong Yu, you really are full of yourself. Do you think you're the only one who's entered the Heaven Martial Realm?" The four prodigies snorted coldly, and a tremendous aura erupted from each of them, distorting the very air around them. Heavenly Force — all four of them had indeed entered the Heaven Martial Realm.
"Incredible! As expected of people who received the Supreme Invitation. At such a young age, they've already reached the Heaven Martial Realm — who knows what heights they'll reach in the future?"
"I'm so envious of the senior and junior sisters who might have the chance to join hands with prodigies like these. If one could become the partner of such a genius, what more could one ask for in life?"
After the four revealed their strength, the onlookers were impressed at most, but the women in the crowd were already letting their imaginations run wild. That couldn't really be blamed on them, though — the vast majority of women simply wanted to find an ideal husband and a powerful pillar to lean on.
"So what if you've entered the Heaven Martial Realm? Were you still beaten like dogs by Zhang Tianyi?" The contempt in Murong Yu's eyes did not diminish one bit. If anything, a mocking curve curled at the corner of his lips.
"Murong Yu, your arrogance knows no bounds! Today, I'll stand in for your father and teach you a lesson!" Having been reminded of their most humiliating defeat, the four prodigies were so angry their eyes practically shot fire. They wasted no more words and struck without delay.
The four didn't employ any martial arts techniques — just straightforward fists and feet. Yet every strike was infused with Heavenly Force, and each punch and kick could shatter mountains and split boulders, carrying unimaginable power.
A single ordinary punch from them could demolish a grand palace, and a casual kick could sever the flow of a river. Such was the might of a Heaven Martial Realm expert.
"You overestimate yourselves."
Murong Yu let out a cold laugh, then drew the Divine Wood Sword from his back. The moment the weapon settled in his hand, a strange radiance bloomed from it. Innumerable runes spiraled forth and merged into Murong Yu's body. In that instant, the luminous runes became one with him, and his aura surged dramatically.
"Whoosh!"
At the same time, Murong Yu pointed the sword at the four of them, and a colossal wave of oppressive pressure descended from the heavens. Beneath the four prodigies' feet, sand and gravel blasted outward as a massive crater formed. The four top-tier geniuses were equally unable to withstand the crushing force and were slammed unceremoniously into the ground, unable to rise.
"Heavens! Murong Yu is that powerful? He defeated four top-tier prodigies in a single blow!"
"No, it's not Murong Yu who's powerful — it's the Divine Wood Sword. The might of this Strange Weapon is overwhelming. With it in hand, forget Tang Yixiu and Song Qingfeng — even a second-level Heaven Martial expert would have to give way."
"Amazing, truly amazing. Legend has it that Strange Weapons are forged using the martial force unique to Martial Monarchs as their foundation, rare minerals from across the world as raw materials, and grand arrays condensed by Purple-Robe Spirit World Masters. Their power can shake heaven and earth. No wonder factions that possess a Strange Weapon are so envied — they all become regional overlords."
"Indeed. This kind of treasure dates back to antiquity. On the current Nine Provinces Continent, no one is capable of forging such an item."
"Strange Weapons — across the entire Nine Provinces Continent, there are probably fewer than ten. The majority are held by the Jiang Dynasty, and only two belong to other factions. They are the Sword God Valley's Divine Wood Sword and the Thorn Armor of the Situ Clan."
Murong Yu's deployment of the Strange Weapon drew countless gasps of admiration. Everyone was captivated by its unique power. But unlike the crowd, several elders standing at a distance wore dark expressions on their faces. They were clearly the seniors of those four prodigies, and they found themselves in an awkward position — stepping forward was uncomfortable, yet staying back was equally untenable.
"So this is the true might of a Strange Weapon. What a fine treasure." At the same time, Chu Feng was also deeply drawn to the power of the Divine Wood Sword. He could feel just how formidable the formation contained within it was.
The weapon harbored a force that far surpassed Heavenly Force. As people had said, it truly seemed to contain the martial force that only a Martial Monarch could wield.
"Brother Murong, suppressing others with a Strange Weapon — isn't that a bit improper?"
Just then, a light laugh rang out, and the crowd quickly parted to form a path. At the end of that path, a man of striking bearing strode forward at a leisurely pace.
He stood over two meters tall, yet his build was not bulky — rather, he was lean and well-proportioned. His features were nothing like the fair, delicate handsomeness of the four prodigies before him. Instead, he exuded a rugged, masculine charisma — a man's kind of handsomeness.
Most importantly, this man radiated a unique bearing, an aura of looking down upon the world as though he alone stood supreme. Countless women were drawn to him, and even some men found themselves mesmerized by his presence.
"Situ Qingming?!"
In that moment, before Gu Bo even had to speak, Chu Feng had already guessed the man's identity. Trailing behind him was a group of Situ Clan members. Judging by his age and imposing manner, there was no need to guess — this had to be the Situ Clan's future patriarch, Situ Qingming.
"Situ Qingming, you might actually be worthy of fighting me. Why don't you bring out your Strange Weapon too, and let's test each other?" The look in Murong Yu's eyes as he regarded Situ Qingming was equally hostile.
"That's exactly what I had in mind."
Suddenly, Situ Qingming's figure flickered and vanished. When he reappeared, he was already standing right in front of Murong Yu. At the same time, a layer of blood-red mist, carrying a terrifying aura, radiated outward from Situ Qingming as he launched a direct assault on Murong Yu.