When the Profound Heaven Sword first appeared, Zhang Ao didn't think much of it. After all, Yang Kai's cultivation wasn't particularly high, and the attack was launched through a barrier — it posed no real threat to a Saint-level powerhouse like himself.
But the moment it inexplicably swelled in size, a wave of danger crashed over Zhang Ao like a physical blow.
It was as though the Profound Heaven Sword's power had suddenly multiplied several times over.
There was no way he could ignore it.
With a deep shout, Zhang Ao hurriedly raised his defenses.
BOOM...
The colossal sword cleaved downward, and a blinding golden radiance erupted, so brilliant that everyone had to shield their eyes. Even someone as powerful as Zhang Ao staggered, nearly driven to his knees by the blow.
On either side of him, several fighters from the Broken Profound Hall who were caught in the sweep of golden light didn't even have time to cry out. In an instant they were annihilated, not a trace of them remaining — as if they had never existed in this world at all, simply erased from existence.
The crowd's expressions changed drastically.
No one had expected this. Just moments ago, the new Holy Master of the Nine Heavens Holy Land had seemed to want reconciliation with everyone, but in the blink of an eye, he had struck with lethal intent.
So decisive. So cold-blooded. Without a shred of hesitation.
Faster than flipping the page of a book.
Howls of rage and curses erupted from the ranks of the Broken Profound Hall. These fighters, having lost family and friends, felt their eyes turn red on the spot. Fury ignited in their hearts as they glared at Yang Kai with burning hatred.
The cultivators of the War Spirit Palace and the Nether Sect, on the other hand, retreated several steps in horror. Having sensed the terrifying power contained in that strike and witnessed the devastation it wrought, their faces turned ashen and their bodies trembled. They instinctively sought a safer position.
Their formation became disorganized in an instant.
The tremor from the earth spread outward through the underground cavern. The warriors from various factions who had been lured here wore complex expressions on their faces. They were standing at a considerable distance, and Yang Kai's attack had been aimed directly at Zhang Ao, so they hadn't been caught in its range.
In that moment, they were struck with sudden uncertainty — wondering whether they should continue to oppose the Nine Heavens Holy Land.
The law of the jungle was eternal and unchanging. The previous Holy Maiden of the Nine Heavens Holy Land had indeed brought suffering to the world and aroused the wrath of gods and men. But if what the Nine Heavens Holy Land's people were saying was true, then it had nothing to do with them. Moreover, they had promised to properly compensate all the factions that had suffered losses.
That willingness to take responsibility alone was commendable. There were precious few factions in this world willing to admit their own mistakes. Any other faction would have told them to consider it bad luck and wash their hands of the matter entirely.
If they withdrew now, not only could they avoid further losses — they might even receive compensation from the Nine Heavens Holy Land. It was even possible that through this opportunity, they could forge some kind of relationship with the Holy Land.
For a time, many among them hesitated in indecision.
Zhang Ao, Manager Cao, Wu Jie, and the others stood frozen in momentary shock, as if dazed by Yang Kai's strike.
No matter how they imagined it, they could never have guessed that Yang Kai — a mere Transcendent Stage Two cultivator — could unleash such a devastating attack.
That was a blow powerful enough to rival the full-force strike of a peak First Level Saint. Zhang Ao had managed to block it, but his arms had gone numb, his blood and qi roiled wildly, and his flushed face made it obvious he was far from comfortable.
As Saints, they had all felt their lives were under genuine threat from that kind of power. Their eyes trembled uncontrollably.
Yet Yang Kai, having launched the Profound Heaven Sword, simply grinned at Zhang Ao and slowly extended one hand.
Above the ground where the Broken Profound Hall fighters had gathered, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly grew incredibly dense. After a swirl of wind and clouds, a colossal handprint materialized in the sky — vast enough to blot out the entire heavens.
From another of the Nine Peaks, a mysterious power once again shot out, just as before. Bolstered by that energy, the handprint became even more solid and terrifying, shrouding everyone's vision in darkness until not a sliver of light remained.
The Heaven-Shrouding Hand — one hand to shroud the heavens!
Zhang Ao finally snapped back to his senses. Together with another Saint-level expert from the Broken Profound Hall, he summoned his most prized artifact and transformed into twin streaks of rainbow light, charging upward toward the sky.
Whoosh whoosh...
Two beams of light pierced through the firmament like thunderbolts, punching two holes through the enormous handprint. The sky-covering seal suddenly showed a flaw, its momentum greatly diminished, but it still pressed downward with what force remained.
BOOM...
The earth shook violently. Outside the barrier of the Nine Peaks, a massive palm imprint was left on the ground, spanning a radius of a hundred zhang.
At least several dozen Broken Profound Hall fighters had been unable to dodge in time. They were flattened into pulp on the spot, dying in the most ghastly manner imaginable, the stench of blood rising to the heavens.
"Ruthless!" A few li away, Yun Cheng's eyes narrowed as he cried out involuntarily.
"Terrifying!" Ji Yan, who stood beside him, felt a chill run through his entire body. Although he sensed that Yang Kai's current cultivation was roughly on par with his own, that kind of attack was simply beyond anything a cultivator at their level could produce.