Kong Sheng's voice rang out once more, drawing Chu Feng and the others' gaze back toward him.
However, when they looked, it left them thoroughly disappointed.
Kong Sheng's words had been so imposing, so full of bravado, that one couldn't help but assume he had already dealt with those two Spirit World Guardians.
But upon closer inspection, the crowd found that not only had Kong Sheng failed to deal with the two Spirit World Guardians — he was actually being suppressed by them, clearly at a disadvantage.
"I-I-I say, with you in this state, you c-can barely even protect yourself, and you still dare threaten others?" Wang Qiang mocked.
"You actually think I can't handle these two Spirit World Guardians?"
"Then let me show you the true power of a Heavenly Bloodline!!!" Kong Sheng finished speaking, and the Nine-colored Lightning flashing in his eyes grew ever more intense. Then, using his eyes as the source and his skin as the pathway, the Nine-colored Lightning began converging toward his forehead.
Soon, the Nine-colored Lightning spilling from both eyes intertwined at the center of his forehead, forming a symbol.
The symbol writhed and shifted, yet one could vaguely make out that it appeared to be the character for "person."
At that moment, Kong Sheng's aura surged, and his combat power climbed along with it.
"HAA!!!"
With a sudden, thunderous shout, the half-finished Ancestral Armament in his hand roared to life like a slumbering primordial beast — emitting a savage cry while radiating tremendous power.
Faced with this, the two Immortal World Spirit World Guardians' expressions changed drastically. They were forced to retreat.
Though Kong Sheng's cultivation had not risen in the slightest, his combat power was now on an entirely different level from before. He had surpassed the two Spirit World Guardians.
Kong Sheng, who had been on the losing end, had reversed the situation in the span of a single heartbeat, suppressing both Spirit World Guardians.
"The Lightning Mark — this is the Lightning Mark that forms after the Nine Thunders converge into one."
At that moment, Chu Feng's gaze was fixed, sharp and focused, on the writhing lightning symbol on Kong Sheng's forehead. He knew that this was the Lightning Mark his father had spoken of.
His father had told him that once a possessor of the Heavenly Thunder Bloodline reached the Martial Ancestor realm, the Nine-colored Divine Thunder within their body would converge — the Nine Thunders becoming one — and from that, they could condense a Lightning Mark that symbolized their identity.
And the Lightning Mark, depending on the Mystic Art one cultivated, was ranked from weakest to strongest: the Human Mark, the Earth Mark, the Heaven Mark, and the Divine Mark.
Though what Kong Sheng had condensed was merely the lowest-rank Human Mark, his combat power had still increased dramatically. Otherwise, he could never have obtained the strength to contend with those two Immortal World Spirit World Guardians.
More importantly, this was the first time Chu Feng had ever seen a Lightning Mark, and his heart couldn't help but stir with excitement. After all, the Mystic Art he cultivated was Divine Punishment — the strongest among all the self-imposed Mystic Arts.
"The Human Mark is already this formidable. I wonder what the Divine Mark you condense after becoming a Martial Ancestor will look like?" The Queen's voice sounded in his mind, brimming with anticipation.
"I'm looking forward to that day too. But the situation right now doesn't seem to favor us," Chu Feng replied. Excited as he was, worry still lingered — he felt that no matter how strong Zhao Hong might be, those two Spirit World Guardians were likely her limit. If Kong Sheng defeated them, things could go very badly for them today.
"Relax. As long as his cultivation doesn't break through further, my Spirit World Guardians can handle him," Zhao Hong said, seeming to sense the concern Chu Feng and Wang Qiang shared.
Chu Feng studied Zhao Hong and found that she truly looked unconcerned, full of confidence in her Spirit World Guardians.
"Nothing more than a pair of Spirit World Guardians — what makes you think you can stand against me?" Kong Sheng, now with the upper hand, had grown bold. He even hurled insults while continuing to suppress the two Spirit World Guardians.
"Hmph." Faced with Kong Sheng's provocations, anger flickered in the eyes of the two Immortal World Spirit World Guardians. They exchanged a glance, as though reaching some unspoken decision, and then golden light began radiating from within their eyes.
Hummm—
The light spread, and brilliant golden radiance started emanating from within their bodies. It grew ever brighter, so blinding that many in the crowd could no longer keep their eyes open, forced to look away.
However, the piercing radiance did not last. Before long, it receded.