No sooner had Mao Zhe finished speaking than Yang Kai let out a furious roar. The mountain peak he had been carrying on his back shot forward with a thunderous boom, hurtling straight toward the protective grand formation. An enormous shadow blotted out the light before everyone's eyes.
The Xuan Yang Mountain forces hurriedly channeled the formation's power to resist.
A deafening explosion rang out as the peak slammed down, pressing the formation inward so violently that the barrier of light flickered wildly, looking as though it might shatter at any moment.
Yang Kai followed close behind, driving his spear down in a devastating strike that crushed the barrier even lower.
Mao Zhe roared, "Boy, are you trying to wipe us all out? Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
Yang Kai's posture — as though he intended to raze Xuan Yang Mountain to the ground — had thoroughly crossed his bottom line.
"Come, then! Come!" Yang Kai pulled back his spear and thrust again. "If you've got the guts, come out here and fight me to the death!"
The fury in Mao Zhe's heart surged like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Boom…
Between the trembling earth and quaking mountains, the formation's barrier dimmed several shades. The terrifying force that struck from a distance left the numerous Open Heaven cultivators of Xuan Yang Mountain pale-faced and staggering.
A rain of spear strikes poured down like a waterfall, the barrier's light flickering erratically.
Mao Zhe realized with alarm that even after shrinking the formation's coverage area and concentrating its power as much as possible, he still could not withstand those savage, relentless assaults.
At this rate, it would take less than half the time it took an incense stick to burn before Xuan Yang Mountain's protective grand formation was broken through.
If he did not act now, it would be too late. Once the formation fell and they were forced out, they would be at a terrible disadvantage.
His thoughts racing, Mao Zhe gritted his teeth and bellowed, "Everyone — follow me and kill this boy! Whoever takes his head, I'll promote him to Fifth Mountain Lord of Xuan Yang Mountain!"
As he spoke, he thrust his great hands apart. The grand formation enveloping Xuan Yang Mountain dissipated by his own command, and he charged straight at Yang Kai.
Behind him, the mass of Open Heaven cultivators surged forward, chasing after him as though pursuing the moon and stars. Though Yang Kai's strength was terrifying, great rewards bred brave men — and with Mao Zhe having declared his promise before so many witnesses, he would certainly not go back on his word. If luck was on their side and they managed to slay that monster, the position of Fifth Mountain Lord would be theirs to claim.
Figures swarmed through the air. In this moment, the entirety of Xuan Yang Mountain rallied with unified resolve. Before they even reached him, the combined might of their secret arts and Artifacts blossomed forth — every attack carrying the World Force of an Open Heaven cultivator, rumbling toward Yang Kai.
Yang Kai paid them no heed. His spear swept out in an arc, the hundreds-of-zhang-long weapon nearly cutting space itself in half as it slashed toward the densest cluster of enemies. His voice boomed, "A swarm of ants dares to act so insolently!"
The spear's momentum was unstoppable. Those with quicker reflexes dodged in time; those who were slower had their bodies swept apart in midair, not even managing a sound before they detonated into mists of blood, not a single bone left behind.
With that one sweep, the Xuan Yang Mountain forces retreated in a wide arc. Staring at the rain of blood and remains that scattered across the sky, the heat that had flooded their heads cooled in an instant.
Boom, boom, boom…
The combined onslaught of secret arts and Artifacts struck Yang Kai simultaneously, jolting his massive frame and setting it swaying.
A body three hundred zhang tall projected an overwhelming sense of intimidation, but it came with an enormous drawback — he was a massive, obvious target that was exceedingly difficult to dodge.
Every one of those attacks was a divine ability unleashed by Open Heaven cultivators, carrying formidable power.
Yet when they hammered into his body, aside from a handful of moves from Fifth Grade Open Heaven cultivators that managed to inflict some damage, the rest were all blocked by his dragon scales. Even those Fifth Grade attacks could not harm his foundation, merely leaving superficial wounds upon his flesh.
The Dragon Clan's defenses had always been formidable.
Yang Kai strode forward, kicking spirit peaks aside and sweeping mountains away with his spear. In the span of a moment, the area within several thousand zhang was completely vacated. Everywhere he passed, the cultivators of Xuan Yang Mountain scattered before him like prey fleeing a tiger.
Mao Zhe seethed with hatred, constantly shouting to rally their morale, but his efforts yielded little effect.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at him. He extended one great dragon claw and reached out, a savage grin on his face as he snarled, "After today, the Shadowless Heaven will have no more Xuan Yang Mountain!"
He channeled the laws of Space. The dragon claw bypassed the obstruction of distance as though it did not exist. Caught off guard, Mao Zhe was seized in its palm before he could react.
Yang Kai squeezed with all his might. The sound of cracking bone rang out instantly from within his grip.
But in the very next moment, a tremendous force exploded inside his palm. Pain flared across the back of his hand as a bloody hole was blasted clean through, and a streak of light shot out from it — none other than Mao Zhe, whom he had just captured.
Dragon blood dripped down. Yang Kai lowered his gaze and saw that a large hole had been punched through his dragon claw, the scenery on the other side clearly visible through the wound.
He paid it no mind, merely giving his hand a casual shake. His voice rumbled like thunder, "The strongest fighter in the Shadowless Heaven — not bad at all!"
For an ordinary person, breaking through his physical body would be utterly impossible, yet Mao Zhe had accomplished it with ease. Otherwise, there would have been no way for him to escape that grip.
Mao Zhe sucked in a deep breath, his chest and abdomen swelling outward as though pumped full of air.
The instant he broke free, he lunged at Yang Kai without hesitation. His World Force surged, his hands flashing through seal after seal as one potent and refined divine ability after another flowed effortlessly from his grasp, raining down upon Yang Kai in a relentless barrage.