With so many Open Heaven cultivators fighting here, the impact on the entire World would be catastrophic. If the battle dragged on, they could shatter this World entirely. But what choice was there? If Zuo Quanhui was allowed to refine the World's essence undisturbed, this continent would be plunged into slaughter all the same!
All Yang Kai could do was end the fight as quickly as possible and minimize the destruction!
Yang Kai's gaze drifted toward the fallen Local Great Emperor in a pool of blood nearby, and at that moment, Lü Baiyang looked back at him.
Their eyes met, and Lü Baiyang spoke in a deep voice: "Lü Baiyang of the Azure Cloud Continent humbly begs you to lend your aid — slay the wicked and restore peace to this world!"
"I will not fail your trust!" Yang Kai gave a slight nod, raised his spear, and leveled it at Zuo Quanhui from afar.
Today, on this ground, only one side would walk away — one would die, and the other would live!
Upon seeing this, Lü Baiyang's figure flickered and vanished from where he stood. Having received the acknowledgment of the Heavenly Dao and achieved the status of Great Emperor, the Azure Cloud Continent was entirely open to him — he could come and go as he pleased. Even without ever having cultivated the Dao of Space, he could traverse every corner of this continent at will.
The great battle was about to begin! He had no way to gauge the profound cultivation of either side about to clash, but he knew full well how vast the gap between himself and them was. Staying would not only fail to help, he might even be caught in the crossfire.
Better to find a way to evacuate the living beings in the area immediately. No matter how many he could save, he would do everything in his power!
Zuo Quanhui and the others made no move to stop him — the life or death of a mere Local Great Emperor was beneath their notice.
Twenty-two Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivators — their combined aura spread outward, and heaven and earth themselves seemed to freeze and grow heavy.
Zi Yan and the others involuntarily grunted, feeling as though a mountain had been placed upon their bodies. Breathing became labored, and they had to push their own auras to the limit to resist, all while hastening toward Zuo Quanhui's side. The disparity in numbers was simply too great — nearly threefold — and their only recourse was to rely on Zuo Quanhui, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven master.
The standoff turned razor-sharp in an instant. Both sides unleashed their full auras, pressing them against each other like colliding tides, each trying to seize the initiative in this silent battle of wills. Yet neither truly made the first move. In the space between the two groups, spatial rifts flickered in and out of existence, and the very fabric of space warped grotesquely.
It was a perfect stalemate!
The formless pressure released by Void Land's forces combined, led by Zuo Quanhui, was actually being held at bay.
Zi Yan and the others were nearly ecstatic, pushing their auras with even greater ferocity.
Void Land was retreating step by step! Among the twenty-two figures standing firm in the void — seemingly majestic and imposing — several suddenly swayed, their faces paling slightly. It looked as though they could hold on no longer.
The Heavenly Sword Alliance members grew elated at the sight, determined to press their advantage and crush Void Land's fighting spirit in one decisive surge.
If they could accomplish that, Void Land would be severely hamstrung in the real battle of blades and fists to follow.
With such a massive disparity in numbers, even with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven master holding the fort, it should have been the Heavenly Sword Alliance at a disadvantage. Yet in truth, it was Void Land that appeared outwardly strong but hollow within.
Zi Yan couldn't fathom why — she could only guess that Void Land's forces had been too heavily depleted in the great battle a few days prior and hadn't yet recovered.
This was wonderful news.
Yin Xinzhao, Pei Wenxuan, Danyang Tianjun, and Huang Mao were thinking the same thing. Perhaps this time, they could turn defeat into victory.
Then the situation changed without warning!
A sky full of palm strikes suddenly hammered down upon Zuo Quanhui's back like a violent storm. The world-shaking power of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator erupted in full. Even with Zuo Quanhui's Seventh-Order cultivation, this ambush from behind left him eyes blazing with fury. His aura, pushed to its absolute limit, snapped. Without a moment's hesitation, he spun and slashed a sword strike behind him.
That arc of sword light seemed capable of cleaving the void itself — heaven and earth held nothing but its brilliance.
A figure stumbled backward in haste but could not escape the blade's edge. From head to waist, the person was struck squarely, nearly split in two.
Fortunately, the attacker had immediately retreated after launching the ambush and had moved quickly enough that the strike did not claim his life. Still, he was gravely wounded — from brow to abdomen, flesh was torn open and blood flowed freely. His entire body was blasted backward, crashing directly into Dingtian Peak.
The towering peak, tens of thousands of ren high, sheared off a section on the spot, its shattered stone crashing down in a thunderous collapse.
The ambush had come from nowhere, and Zuo Quanhui's counterattack had been lightning-fast.
Only now did Zi Yan and the others react, turning their heads just in time to see the figure of a disciple of the Myriad Demons Heaven — the one called Mo Sheng, who had claimed to have broken through during the battle, fought his way out of the encirclement, and eventually joined their ranks — sent flying through the air.
Pei Wenxuan's mind went blank, an instinctive sense that something was terribly wrong.
Junior Brother Mo Sheng — why would he ambush Zuo Quanhui without any reason? But the evidence was plain for all to see: Mo Sheng had already been slashed away, his life or death uncertain. Pei Wenxuan could not deny what had happened.
A cold, piercing gaze suddenly shot toward him, murderous intent surging like a tide.
Pei Wenxuan shuddered, hurriedly turning his head, and cried in alarm: "Uncle-Master Zuo, I had no idea—"
Before he could finish, an overwhelmingly terrifying pressure descended from above. It was Void Land's forces — the very ones who had been crumbling under pressure moments ago — launching their counterattack.
The sheer force of that pressure bore no resemblance to the feebleness they had displayed moments before. It swept across heaven and earth like a tidal wave crashing over mountains.