"You know young friend Chu Feng?" the Xianhai Fish Clan's patriarch asked in a grave tone.
"Old friends, real tight-knit ones at that," Zhao Laoba said with a grin.
"If you're a friend of young friend Chu Feng, then this should be simple. Right now, young friend Chu Feng is in the critical stage of merging with the formation's power atop this Bloodline Destiny Mountain."
"I set up this formation solely to prevent any accidents, so I hope you'll understand." The Xianhai Fish Clan's patriarch cupped his fists apologetically.
Though the man wore a cheerful smile and seemed quite amiable, the patriarch could not gauge his cultivation level at all.
Had they not already deployed a treasure capable of detecting Heaven God Realm experts to cover the entire area beforehand, they would never have noticed the arrival of this Zhao Immortal Clan patriarch.
"That's precisely why I've come — for this very matter."
"Young friend Chu Feng opened the wrong mountain."
"As it happens, he opened the most difficult one. Since ancient times, no one has ever succeeded in opening this mountain."
"To be precise, no one has ever successfully merged with it."
"But I have a way to stop it."
"If you dismantle the formation now and let me in, there's still time. Once his merger fails, it will truly be too late," Zhao Laoba said.
"My apologies, Patriarch Zhao, but I absolutely cannot agree to this," the Xianhai Fish Clan's patriarch replied.
"This concerns young friend Chu Feng's future. If the three of you won't step aside, don't blame me for resorting to force."
As Zhao Laoba spoke, a terrifying wave of oppressive pressure swept outward.
Seeing this, Little Fish's parents and grandfather simultaneously pinched their hand seals.
Countless colossal fish soared out from the formation, charging toward Zhao Laoba.
But the moment those enormous fish made contact with the invisible pressure, they shattered one after another.
It was like tofu smashing into rock — utterly pulverized.
Before long, the earth trembled and the sky shook.
Aside from the towering mountains, even the people within the great formation were sent tumbling.
Looking once more, the great formation was riddled with countless cracks.
Blood seeped from the corners of the Xianhai Fish Clan patriarch and the others' mouths.
The oppressive pressure had crashed down upon the formation.
A single strike, and the gap in strength was made devastatingly clear.
"Fourth-rank Heaven God!!!"
Though the Xianhai Fish Clan patriarch had long anticipated this, actually feeling the opponent's true power still filled him with a sense of despair.
But they had prepared for this.
Little Fish's parents and grandfather did not hesitate.
They pinched their hand seals, releasing scarlet auras from their bodies that transformed into pillars of light and fused into the formation.
Immediately, the formation took on a bizarre appearance.
On one hand, it emanated an intense aura of blood.
On the other, it radiated an overwhelmingly powerful and sacred aura.
"Hey, hey, hey — I already told you, I'm doing this for young friend Chu Feng's own good."
"What's with the life-or-death resistance?"
"Let me tell you, I could see you're close to young friend Chu Feng, which is why I've been holding back."
"Don't you go thinking you can stop me just by risking your lives."
"Step aside now. Otherwise, you won't just be delaying young friend Chu Feng's future — you'll be throwing your own lives away for nothing," Zhao Laoba said. The smile had vanished from his face, and a fierce glint had appeared in his eyes.
That ruthless look told everyone one thing.
He was not joking.
If they continued to resist, he truly would not spare the lives of the Xianhai Fish Clan patriarch and the others.
"My apologies, Patriarch Zhao."
"Young friend Chu Feng is in a critical phase of merging with the formation and cannot sense the outside world, so there is no way to verify your relationship with him."
"With nothing but your word, and you wanting to interrupt his merger, I naturally cannot let you in," the Xianhai Fish Clan's patriarch said.
"Hmm, I understand."
"I don't blame you. But you… don't blame me either."
Zhao Laoba narrowed his eyes, preparing to strike.
It was precisely at the moment he made up his mind that a terrifying killing intent swept across heaven and earth, penetrating the formation so clearly that everyone felt it.
Boom— And yet, at that very instant, the world shuddered.
A pillar of light pierced straight through the formation and shot into the sky.