Han Li turned his head to glance at Sect Master Wang. He saw Wang Juechu looking grim, discussing something with three unfamiliar men whose faces bore the marks of age and hardship. They all seemed troubled by the golden light surrounding the dwarf.
The golden light of Jin Guang Shangren rang out once more as a bizarre laugh. Through the laughter, he tilted his head back, his nostrils flaring toward the sky, and then shouted arrogantly, "This venerable one will stand right here and let you attack at will. If anyone can break through this immortal master's Diamond Indestructible Technique, then perhaps this venerable one might spare your miserable little lives." After finishing, he burst into another round of mocking laughter.
Jin Guang Shangren's words completely enraged the Seven Mysteries Sect disciples, who had previously felt at least a trace of fear toward the golden shield. Several skilled martial artists immediately surged forward from the crowd, rushing toward the dwarf, but Sect Master Wang stopped them with a gesture.
Wang Juechu waved his hand, recalling the protector who was still on the field. He then whispered a few words to a burly man among the three at his side. The man nodded and strode forward with deliberate steps, coming to stand before the dwarf.
The dwarf looked at the bearded man before him, and a flash of malicious cunning crossed his eyes.
It should be known that, due to his congenital physical deformity, he had been ridiculed since childhood. As a result, he harbored a particular hatred for tall and imposing men. The man standing before him fell squarely within the scope of his envy and spite. He was already considering what brutal methods to use to torture his opponent.
This bare-chested man was one of Wang Juechu's three grand-uncles. Despite his bushy beard, one should not mistake him for some crude brute. In truth, his actual age had long surpassed sixty. As one of the Seven Mysteries Sect's most celebrated warriors of former years, who had slain countless enemies, he naturally would not act rashly against this strange golden shield.
The man carefully examined the golden glow, then looked at Jin Guang Shangren within it. He split into a grin, and suddenly extended two fingers, flicking lightly against the golden shield. A clear, resonant "clink" rang out.
This frivolous gesture sent Jin Guang Shangren into a fury. He spoke in a sinister voice, "You uncultured brute! Are you trying to make this immortal master send you to reincarnation sooner?"
The man's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. Instead, he took a single step and appeared at the dwarf's side. With another lift of his leg, he was suddenly behind the dwarf.
And so, the man began circling the golden-shielded figure, using Jin Guang Shangren as his center. His strides grew ever wider, his orbit ever faster. In the blink of an eye, his silhouette had blurred into a smear, impossible to track with the eye.
Jin Guang Shangren grew dizzy and confused from the relentless circling, and his anger burned hotter. Without thinking, he reached into his robes, apparently to retrieve something.
The bearded man, still circling, naturally noticed his opponent's movement.
He suddenly opened his mouth and released a long, piercing roar—part dragon's cry, part tiger's howl—powerful and sustained, making every person on Sunset Peak feel their ears ring. Even the leaves on nearby trees trembled slightly.
When Jin Guang Shangren heard the roar, his limbs went weak. His hand, already inside his robes, could not be pulled back.
Suddenly, a series of sharp, crackling sounds erupted from the man's joints—crisp and clear, growing ever more rapid, until they rang out like a string of firecrackers, even drowning out the roar itself.
When the man circled back to face the dwarf once more, he stopped. The roar and the joint-crackling ceased simultaneously.
Only now did the people, emerging from their dazed stupor, realize that the man's physique had swollen to more than its original size. The muscles on his chest and arms bulged grotesquely, gleaming dark and hard as though cast from pig iron. Compared to the dwarf, he now appeared like a giant.
Having bought himself a precious moment, Jin Guang Shangren finally drew a long, narrow wooden box from his robes. It was pitch-black throughout, with a talisman paper pasted across it, as if sealing whatever lay inside.
Before the dwarf could tear off the talisman paper, the giant-like man had already extended his enormous palm and, without the slightest courtesy, slammed a devastating punch into the golden shield. The golden glow shuddered and deformed violently, sending the dwarf's body rocking unsteadily, making it impossible for him to steadily peel away the talisman.
Jin Guang Shangren felt a jolt of alarm. He knew full well the power of his golden shield. For this man to actually deform the shield with a single blow—what kind of superhuman strength did that require? His contemptuous attitude evaporated entirely, and his hands moved even faster to tear off the talisman paper.
With a tearing sound, the talisman paper finally came free.
A look of joy had barely appeared on Jin Guang Shangren's face when a series of booming impacts rang out against the shield in rapid succession. His body swayed uncontrollably with each one until, finally, he lost his footing entirely and collapsed to the ground on his backside.
It was only then that he realized the burly man across from him was using both fists and feet, launching a gale-force barrage of attacks upon the golden shield. The barrier around his body was being kneaded like dough, caving in and bulging outward with every punch and kick, bending and warping ceaselessly. The golden layer of light seemed as though it might shatter and dissolve at any moment under the onslaught.
Witnessing all of this, Jin Guang Shangren's face changed drastically. He could no longer maintain his air of immortal dignity and began flailing in panic, forming hand seals and chanting incantations. Unfortunately, in his fluster, he made error after error, producing no effect whatsoever. The black box remained utterly still.
Watching all of this from behind, Jia Tianlong was somewhat stunned.
On one hand, he was rendered speechless by Jin Guang Shangren's bumbling. On the other hand, he was genuinely shaken by the martial prowess of Wang Juechu's grand-uncle. He had personally tested the power of Jin Guang Shangren's golden shield before—it was truly impervious to blades and spears, immune to fire and water, as hard as diamond. Yet now, under this man's fists and kicks, the shield was shuddering violently, being kneaded and twisted at will.
This was simply unbelievable! This man's skill was far too profound and unfathomable!
The thought that two more equally formidable experts stood on the other side sent a first, faint tremor of regret through Jia Tianlong. He realized for the first time why the opposing side had been so confident in demanding a death duel. With three monstrous fighters like these as backing—if the roles were reversed, he too would probably have been eager to demand a blood contest.
With this thought in mind, Jia Tianlong looked at the dwarf, who was clearly losing ground. He was already weighing whether he should send someone to assist this high-and-mighty immortal master—lest the fellow perish in utter confusion without ever getting a chance to use his signature flying sword technique.
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(End of Chapter)