"Senior Zi, don't intervene." Sensing the danger, Chu Feng sent a secret voice transmission. "Senior Ying hasn't used his full power yet, and I keep feeling that the Soul Infant Sect Master's confidence means he must have hidden cards of his own."
"If both of them unleash their true methods, their strength will completely surpass that of ordinary Second-rank True Immortals. If you step into the battlefield at that point, you'll only become a burden that Senior Ying has to protect."
After hearing Chu Feng's words, Zi Xunyi—who had been itching to join the fight—abandoned any notion of entering the battle.
She understood, even though she didn't know what tricks the Soul Infant Sect Master still held, that Ying Mingchao was a True Immortal who had unleashed his God-given Divine Power.
This fact had long been spread by prophecy masters. It was something everyone in the current Hundred Refinements Mortal World already knew.
And precisely because Ying Mingchao was a Second-rank True Immortal who had also unleashed his God-given Divine Power, people considered him the strongest warrior in the entire Hundred Refinements Mortal World.
Presumably, the Abbot of the Buddha Light Heaven Temple and the Sect Master of the Sword-bearing Immortal Sect had refrained from using force to stop Ying Mingchao earlier precisely because they feared his true strength.
But since this was common knowledge, the Soul Infant Sect Master surely knew it too—and that was exactly why Zi Xunyi felt Chu Feng had a point.
If the Sect Master knew full well that Ying Mingchao had unleashed his God-given Divine Power and was no ordinary Second-rank True Immortal, yet still carried himself with such unshakable confidence, then he… must possess a means of countering Ying Mingchao.
At that thought, the hand gripping the Ancestral Weapon trembled tighter and tighter—Chu Feng could even hear the cracking of Zi Xunyi's knuckles.
"Senior, we don't need to enter the fray directly, but we can still help Senior Ying," Chu Feng transmitted again in secret.
"How so?" Zi Xunyi asked, a gleam of light igniting in her eyes.
"Since Senior, you once received a transmission from Master Kai Hong, I wonder whether you know this particular formation."
Chu Feng then described a formation to Zi Xunyi.
Zi Xunyi was unfamiliar with this particular formation, but she was a seasoned Spirit World Master, so even from a verbal description alone, she could grasp its essentials.
The two of them then began secretly setting up the formation. The reason for the secrecy was obvious: the Alliance Army had already collapsed. For the sake of personal gain, even the Abbot of the Buddha Light Heaven Temple and the Sect Master of the Sword-bearing Immortal Sect were siding with the Soul Infant Sect.
If they discovered that Chu Feng and Zi Xunyi were deploying a formation that would benefit Ying Mingchao, there was no telling whether they would move to stop it.
So the formation had to be constructed covertly. Fortunately, both Chu Feng and Zi Xunyi were masters of barrier technique. Setting up a formation internally without making a sound increased the difficulty, but by working together—each handling half—they could complete it given enough time.
Though the stalemate between Ying Mingchao and the Soul Infant Sect Master was driving Zi Xunyi and Chu Feng to desperation, those who had been blinded by greed—people hoping to gain insights into the path of martial cultivation from the Soul Infant Sect's great array—were secretly rejoicing.
At the start of the clash between Ying Mingchao and the Soul Infant Sect Master, they had all been afraid—afraid that Ying Mingchao would simply cut the Sect Master down on the spot. After all, he was the universally acknowledged strongest fighter in the Hundred Refinements Mortal World.
But now the two seemed perfectly matched, and with the Abbot and the Sect Master showing no intention of stepping in, they could finally breathe a little easier.
ROAAAAR— At that moment, a bestial roar erupted from within Ying Mingchao's body.
Above the sky, the silhouette of a ferocious beast materialized. Its aura was overwhelming, as though it could devour all living things. Many onlookers felt their blood run cold, trembling in terror.
BOOM— Almost simultaneously, a deafening explosion rang out from within the battle, and the Soul Infant Sect Master was sent flying backward.
Not only knocked back—there was now a bloody hole in his left chest. His chest had been punched clean through, and blood stained the corners of his mouth.
And Ying Mingchao—his appearance had utterly transformed. His eyes had turned a vivid emerald green, his teeth had sharpened like a predator's fangs, and that jade-green aura coiled around him like green flames.
Ying Mingchao at this moment was several times more powerful than before.
"God-given Divine Power?!"
The sight froze every witness in place. They had almost forgotten—Ying Mingchao was no ordinary Second-rank True Immortal. He was one who had unleashed the God-given Divine Power.
More importantly, until now they had only heard rumors and still harbored some doubt. But seeing it with their own eyes—how could they not panic?