Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Fang family's Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal powerhouses each unleashed their abilities, striking Chen Yi's physical body head-on.
In that moment, thunderous sounds rang out ceaselessly, and blindingly bright light illuminated the entire hall of the Bean God Palace.
Amid the churning waves of energy, Chen Yi stood proudly in place, utterly unmoved.
His entire body was shrouded in layers upon layers of light spots, thick and weathered, like the bark of an ancient tree. The combined assault of the Fang family's numerous Gu Immortals was completely blocked by this layer of bark-like light — impenetrable!
"What kind of defensive technique is this?!" Not only did the Fang family's Seventh Transformation Gu Immortals all draw sharp breaths, but even Fang Dizhang's pupils contracted.
"This man is not merely an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal — he's a powerhouse among Eighth Transformations! Again!!" The Fang family Gu Immortals were not discouraged. Fang Huasheng shouted in a low voice and led another assault.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Fang family Gu Immortals bombarded him once more. Chen Yi couldn't move, had nowhere to dodge, and took every hit.
As the blinding radiance faded, the layer of bark-like light surrounding his body remained intact — and seemed even thicker than before.
Fang Dizhang's gaze flickered intensely, and at last he identified Chen Yi's identity: "So it's Chen Yi, the Supreme Grand Elder of the Tianlian Sect! No wonder he possesses such defensive measures!"
Chen Yi — the Supreme Grand Elder of one of the Central Continent's Ten Great Ancient Sects!
The Fang family Gu Immortals present were active in the Western Desert, but they had some knowledge of Gu Immortal intelligence from the other four regions as well.
Hearing Fang Dizhang identify Chen Yi's origins, every Fang family Gu Immortal's heart sank.
Pressure!
A man's shadow is like a tree's bark — the mere title of Supreme Grand Elder of the Tianlian Sect was enough to discourage the Fang family Gu Immortals.
"The Bean God Palace is the legacy of Ancestor Yuanlian. For your Fang family to try and seize it by force shows far too little regard for my Central Continent," Chen Yi said nonchalantly.
The Fang family's Seventh Transformation Gu Immortals exchanged glances, momentarily awed by his bearing.
"Hmph. Since Immortal Venerable Yuanlian left the Bean God Palace in the Western Desert, that proves this place belongs to the West. You're nothing but a junior — what right do you have to overturn your ancestral master's decision?" Fang Dizhang sneered. In matters of verbal sparring, as a Grand Master of the Wisdom Path, he would never lose such a contest easily.
Chen Yi burst into hearty laughter. "It's useless. My defensive killer move is called the Rugged Bark Body Armor. The more you attack it, the stronger its defensive power becomes. Its potency is actually at its weakest when first deployed. Unless you shatter this technique outright, every attack will only fuel its power!"
Chen Yi continued speaking, seemingly revealing his trump card, but in reality using sharp words to undermine the Fang family Gu Immortals' fighting will.
Just then, an abrupt change occurred!
A hoarse, aged voice suddenly echoed throughout the hall: "Then let my husband give it a try!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal took several swift steps forward, arriving before Chen Yi.
His appearance underwent a sudden transformation — from a youthful-looking Seventh Transformation Gu Immortal, he changed into a magnificent old man with a sprawling white beard like a lion's mane.
Every muscle on the old man's body bulged like layers of rock. He clenched a fist the size of a sand bowl and drove it straight at Chen Yi's face.
A bare fist rapidly filled Chen Yi's vision. Before the blow even landed, his heart was pounding wildly as he sensed an incomparable aura of force — a trail of the Strength Dao — hurtling toward him with devastating power!
Chen Yi's expression changed!
He couldn't dodge this punch — he could only take it.
The fist struck Chen Yi square in the face.
Chen Yi immediately felt a terrifying force, as though an entire mountain had crashed directly into his face!
In an instant, he was launched like a cannonball by the old man's blow. With a thunderous crack, he shot out like lightning, slammed into the wall of the Bean God Palace, and instead of falling, was embedded directly into it.
Pfft!
Blood streamed from Chen Yi's seven orifices. His entire head had nearly been shattered by the punch — his skull was certainly cracked — but Chen Yi quickly surged with azure light, urgently healing himself.
As for his defensive killer move, the Rugged Bark Body Armor, it had been shattered by the old man's single punch!
"Fang Gong! You, the Supreme Grand Elder of the Fang family, an Eighth Transformation cultivator, actually disguised yourself to launch a sneak attack! I can't believe you'd stoop so low!" Chen Yi roared, rage blazing from his eyes like flames.
With a single sentence, he exposed the mysterious old man's identity — he was none other than the Fang family's Supreme Grand Elder, Fang Gong!
"Fang Gong indeed specializes in the Strength Path — an extremely rare Strength-path Eighth Transformation among today's Five Regions Gu Immortals!"
"He hid himself so well. He's been traveling with the expedition force all along. The Fang family must be dead set on this — they've even deployed an Eighth Transformation existence to join the campaign!"
"The two rounds of fierce attacks from the Seventh Transformation Gu Immortals before were all a feint — their purpose was to set the stage for Fang Gong. This was likely Fang Dizhang's plan."
Fang Yuan had been watching the battle the entire time, and at this point, he was quite surprised as well.
Fang Gong, a dignified Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal and Supreme Grand Elder, resorted to hiding his identity for a sneak attack. This was like a government official stooping to petty theft — completely shameless.
If word got out, the reputation of the Righteous Path would be utterly destroyed.
But precisely because of this, Fang Gong's sudden explosive assault knocked Chen Yi off balance in one blow, shifting the entire trajectory of the battle to excellent effect!
The three-way stalemate that had existed before immediately collapsed.
The Fang family's Supreme Grand Elder Fang Gong had repelled Chen Yi, giving the Fang family the upper hand as they began to seize control of the situation.
Chen Yi had been schemed against, and once he was knocked back, the progress he had accumulated from influencing the Bean God Palace was more than half depleted. He was in terrible shape!