"Mingyue, you little brat, I'm sure you never imagined this day would come! The grudge from back then, this old man has engraved it in his heart, and today this place shall be your burial ground!"
The crimson light enveloping Mingyue's body visibly shuddered upon impact, though the damage wasn't significant—it quickly stabilized.
Seizing the opening, Mingyue formed a knife-hand and slashed downward with fierce intent. The palm strike seemed to transform into a peerless blade, cleaving into Sha Hu's shoulder and forcing his body to dip. Sha Hu grimaced in pain.
"To tell the truth, the fact that you've survived until today truly surprises me," Mingyue said, his voice calm and measured—a stark contrast to Sha Hu's berserk fury. "But what surprises me even more is that your strength has grown to this degree. It seems you've had quite a few fortunate encounters over these hundred years."
Sha Hu burst into hearty laughter. "No fortunate encounters—I met a noble benefactor!"
Mingyue furrowed his brow slightly, casting a glance toward
He had instantly deduced the hidden meaning behind Sha Hu's words and concluded that this unfamiliar face—Yang Kai—must be the "noble benefactor" Sha Hu had spoken of.
"Mingyue, you are no match for this old man today! I will tear you to shreds!" Sha Hu continued roaring. His outward appearance was one of wild, emotional frenzy, yet in his heart he understood better than anyone that raw passion and impulse alone would never be enough to defeat Mingyue. Those seemingly meaningless threats were nothing more than attempts to unsettle Mingyue's mind.
"This Island Lord shall be watching!" Mingyue's tone remained utterly indifferent, as if Sha Hu were entirely beneath his notice.
Within the battlefield, the two figures rose and fell, their bodies interlacing and clashing—fist meeting flesh, blood spraying through the air, the occasional crack of bone punctuating the chaos.
This brutal, savage, and thrilling battle left every spectator spellbound. Mingyue's subordinates need not be mentioned—they had never seen him use his full strength before. Only now did they realize that Mingyue's position as Island Lord was no fluke. His true combat power exceeded theirs by more than a few levels.
Even Yang Kai watched from the sidelines with great relish.
Though he was confident that in terms of raw physical strength he surpassed both Mingyue and Sha Hu, the experience of others could be used to refine one's own craft. Whether it was Mingyue or Sha Hu, both were formidable warriors who had achieved great heights in physical power.
The chance to observe such warriors fighting at close range was rare indeed.
He projected himself into the battle, analyzing and predicting its trajectory as he watched, and gained modest insight from the exercise.
Time trickled on. The battle between Sha Hu and Mingyue maintained its astonishing intensity and speed, remaining dead even with no clear advantage for either side.
Periodically, both combatants swallowed Huntian Pills to replenish their depleted blood essence and restore their physical strength, ensuring the crimson glow surrounding their bodies stayed at its peak.
Mingyue's group of subordinates grew secretly anxious. They had no idea what fate awaited them if Mingyue fell. Some wanted to step in and help but lacked the courage, so they turned their attention to Yang Kai instead.
However, after Yang Kai swiftly dispatched two men who had come to challenge him, the rest didn't dare make another move.
Among them, their strength was roughly comparable—even the stronger ones weren't significantly above the rest.
Yang Kai had crushed their two companions like ants. If they still couldn't recognize his power after that, they would truly be blind.
That confrontation had ended quickly and didn't disrupt the clash between Mingyue and Sha Hu. Still, once Mingyue sensed Yang Kai's strength, his attention toward him noticeably increased.
Sha Hu seized this moment in an instant. He poured everything he had into an all-out bombardment against Mingyue.
The long stalemate began to tilt slowly in Sha Hu's favor.
Sha Hu's momentum grew even fiercer, the crimson glow around his body now denser than at the start. With an unstoppable force, he pressed down on Mingyue relentlessly.
Mingyue's situation grew increasingly desperate.
The several warriors who had been watching nearby turned pale. Even they could see that the tide had turned against Mingyue. Though the shift was subtle, given enough time, Mingyue's disadvantage would only snowball until his eventual defeat.
Could Sha Hu truly be this powerful? They could hardly believe it.
Yang Kai quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, Mingyue and Sha Hu were absolute equals in strength. At the start of the battle, even he couldn't predict the outcome. But by now, barring any surprises, Sha Hu's victory was practically a foregone conclusion—Mingyue had no way to reverse his decline.
And so it played out exactly as Yang Kai had anticipated. As time wore on, Mingyue's disadvantage grew while Sha Hu fought with increasing fervor. Of every ten moves, eight were Sha Hu's attacks, leaving Mingyue forced onto the defensive, his momentum gradually ground away.
Finally, when Mingyue struck with a palm and left an opening, Sha Hu lunged in and let out a heaven-shaking roar: "Mingyue!"
The shout seemed to release a hundred years of pent-up rage. His blood and qi surged wildly as he ducked low to dodge Mingyue's strike, formed a knife-hand, and thrust it toward Mingyue's heart.
Victory seemed within arm's reach!
A savage grin spread across Sha Hu's face.
Yet Mingyue, with death mere inches away, showed no trace of panic. He regarded Sha Hu with cold, indifferent eyes, and a faint, mocking smile appeared at the corner of his lips. He said evenly: "Sha Hu, you will never know just how powerful this Island Lord truly is!"
Sha Hu's heart lurched. His instincts screamed danger. Just as he was about to pull back, a fluctuating surge of Saint Power erupted from within Mingyue's body. His already formidable aura skyrocketed as a layer of protective Saint Power materialized around him, blocking Sha Hu's strike.
The force of his domain suddenly exploded forth.