"What a beautiful fight."
A tall young man stepped forward, his black hair falling over his shoulders, his eyes shining sharply as he placed his hands behind his back.
This was Shen Wan Yun.
He looked at the battered body of Huo Qiangda, then at the three standing in front of him, before smiling mockingly.
"Looks like this beast has finally been tamed."
Huo Qiangda exhaled angrily, but his body could not endure any more. Even so, he had no intention of showing weakness in front of this man.
"Shen Wan Yun…" He spat the name like a curse, hatred blazing in his eyes.
Shen Wan Yun chuckled lightly, looking at him as if he were already a dead insect.
"Why should I tire myself? They've already done most of the work for me."
A young man beside Shen Wan Yun stepped forward calmly and praised him.
"Honestly, by following Brother Shen's plan, we achieved results even better than expected. This Mao Zedong is extremely impressed."
Shen Wan Yun laughed softly.
"No need for that, Brother Mao. That bastard has been bothering us for a long time."
Then he looked toward the place where Zhang yong had died, where the marks of battle were still carved into the ground, and a cold smile formed on his face.
"Good. Two birds with one stone."
Everything had gone according to Shen Wan Yun's plan. Huo Qiangda had been like a thorn in his throat.
So he united with others who bore grudges against him — geniuses from other sects, most of whom possessed sacred bodies.
Thus, Shen Wan Yun began his plan. Knowing Huo Qiangda's obsession with fighting and chasing heavenly body holders, he lured him toward Long Youliang.
They then guided her toward Zhang yong's location. In the end, they sacrificed one of their own to confirm Zhang yong's strength.
He had been an enslavement-path fighter who used a spider
When he found Zhang yong, he sent a message to Shen Wan Yun.
This allowed them to lead Long Youliang toward him.
Given the known relationship between Long Youliang and Zhang yong, he was certain Zhang yong would step in to save her, resulting in his encounter with Huo Qiangda.
As planned, the two monsters fought brutally, leaving one dead and the other on the brink of collapse. In short, the results were very satisfying.
Shen Wan Yun smiled coldly as he watched Huo Qiangda barely standing while blood poured from his body.
Another young man in the group spoke. He was tall, carrying a wooden staff like a sword, his eyes full of confidence.
"Brother Shen, since the plan succeeded, what do you think? Should we finish this now?"
This was Liang Chen, one of the geniuses of the Heavenly Path Sect, someone who had never hidden his contempt for Huo Qiangda.
Shen Wan Yun slightly raised his hand, signaling him to wait. Then he turned to Long Youliang, his smile becoming gentler — but with clear intent.
"Long Youliang, I'll give you a chance. Become my woman, and I'll let the others live. All of you will die if we attack."
The atmosphere froze at his words.
"Brother Shen, this—!" said a short white-haired young man with sharp gray eyes, holding a thin sword and wearing a long-sleeved white robe.
This was Qing Tian Lin from the Brilliant Wisdom Sect.
He looked at Long Youliang, then back at Shen Wan Yun.
"Don't forget our main goal. We didn't gather here just for you."
Mao Zedong glanced at Qing Tian Lin and smiled.
"Hah, Brother Qing is right. Please save your desires for later, Brother Shen. I have a way to help you then."
Shen Wan Yun laughed lightly and raised his hand soothingly.
"Relax. It's just an offer. If she refuses, nothing changes… except their fate."
The others nodded in understanding, but Shen Wan Yun did not withdraw his offer. He looked at Long Youliang again, waiting for her answer.
Long Youliang's eyes were full of anger, but her mind worked quickly.
She only had two choices.
"I refuse," she said firmly despite her injuries, plunging the area into heavy silence.
"So, that's your choice?" Shen Wan Yun whispered, his smile gone.
Liang Chen suddenly laughed.
"If that's her decision, then let's stop wasting time. Let's end this now."
At that moment, despite the exhaustion tearing at his body, Huo Qiangda raised his head and smiled savagely.
"Hey… how long are you going to take?"
The atmosphere froze again.
Then suddenly, the air trembled. Golden inscriptions appeared beneath everyone's feet, rising into the sky and forming a dome that sealed the entire area.
"A barrier domain formation?… Who?!" Shen Wan Yun narrowed his eyes.
Then a cold, sarcastic voice echoed.
"Did you think you were the only ones who could plan?"
Thousands of black needles covered in death Qi rained from the sky.
"Defend!" Mao Zedong shouted.
Energy shields rose around them — but the needles pierced through instantly.
Liang Chen raised his hand and released a turtle-shell-like shield that expanded.
Heaven Umbrella!
The needles struck like rain, exploding with strange energy that devoured surrounding Qi.
Shen Wan Yun frowned and looked toward the voice.
"Zhang yong…!"
Zhang yong descended from the sky beside Huo Qiangda.
Long Youliang looked at him in shock and relief.
"Impossible!" Liang Chen shouted.
"We saw you die! Huo Qiangda broke your neck!"
Zhang yong calmly rubbed his neck.
"Oh, about that. I already noticed you during the fight. So I made a deal with Huo Qiangda to deal with you, since we were both injured."
It had been an improvised plan by Zhang yong. In the moment when Huo Qiangda had nearly truly killed him, Zhang yong told him the full situation.
But would Huo Qiangda really believe Zhang yong and give up the chance to kill him just like that? Of course not. Zhang yong had already prepared a mutually beneficial agreement.
But how did it look like his neck had been broken? Naturally, Zhang yong had run out of mental energy, which meant the bone-soul illusion technique would not work.
So he used an illusion Card from his system
Huo Qiangda growled,
"You're late, idiot. If it weren't for our agreement, I would have already gotten rid of your companions."
Zhang yong shrugged.
"Do you think setting up a formation like this is easy? But you didn't have to be so brutal. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise."
The agreement was that Zhang yong would give Huo Qiangda his body-refining technique. It was extremely tempting to him.
Using that technique, Zhang yong had been able to stand against him — the owner of the law of strength body.
If Zhang yong died, the technique would be lost with him.
Who wouldn't want to become stronger?
If Huo Qiangda obtained the technique, he would become far stronger and more dangerous. Besides, Huo Qiangda wasn't confident he could defeat all of them in his injured state. So it benefited him.
Xiao Hong and Kuro appeared on Zhang yong's shoulders. He handed them bottles of medicinal pills.
"Distribute these to the others."
They took the bottles and left.
Because the space was sealed, they were now trapped inside the barrier with him.
Shen Wan Yun's face turned cold.
"You think you can turn the tables? Even if you're alive, we are still seven geniuses, and you? can barely stand."
Zhang yong didn't reply. Instead, he turned to Huo Qiangda and handed him a bottle of red liquid.
"Drink this. It will increase our power by 25%."
Huo Qiangda narrowed his eyes.
"You're not trying to poison me, are you?"
Zhang yong laughed.
"As if I'd poison you at a time like this."
In truth, it was a diluted double-strength enhancement dose, weakened to a 1:4 ratio — increasing power by 25% with fewer side effects.
Huo Qiangda drank it in one gulp. His Qi ignited, and his muscles slightly expanded as his strength partially returned.
"Not bad," he growled.
Their relationship was purely based on benefit. Once this battle ended, they would return to being enemies.
Zhang yong drank one too, even though he hated this drug because of what happened before. But he had no choice.
At that moment, Shen Wan Yun and the others were reassessing the situation. They still had the numerical advantage — but now Huo Qiangda had partially recovered, and Zhang yong could fight them evenly.
The situation was no longer favorable.
But who were they? They were the geniuses of their sects.
Qing Tian Lin took a deep breath.
"We delayed too long. No more wasting time."
He raised his sword.
Beside him, Mao Zedong summoned giant cursed purple killer bees — each the size of a human Body
"We are seven. You are two. Even if the others help you, they are severely injured. We are all at the Ancestor Realm."
Zhang yong smiled and cracked his fingers.
"Huo Qiangda, I'll take Shen Wan Yun, the wooden staff boy, and the one with the headband. We leave one. Whoever finishes first gets him."
Huo Qiangda snorted.
"You're dividing prey now? You've gotten arrogant."
"Let's say I'm setting a framework," Zhang yong said lightly.
The battle exploded instantly.
Qing Tian Lin released sword intent.
Mao Zedong sent the cursed bees.
Shen Wan Yun turned the wind into invisible blades.
Liang Chen summoned massive roots.
Cai Fu created illusion clones.
Huo Qiangda stomped the ground and released a shockwave that destroyed the roots and crushed one of Cai Fu's clones.
Zhang yong raised his hand. Spirit stones floated and formed a barrier around him.
Wind blades approached — but he opened a spatial gate, making them loop behind him.
He dodged and activated heavenly eyes.
There were symbols on each of the seven — except Mao Zedong.
Wind. Time. Space. Illusion. Metal. Wood.
Each possessed a law body — one sub, three elemental, two superior.
All except Mao Zedong.
There was no time to think.
'Take out the time law body first,' Ling Xi advised.
Zhang yong nodded.
"Huo Qiangda — take the killer bees!"
Huo Qiangda laughed and charged.
Zhang yong dashed toward Shanyu Xiao Kang — the time law body user.
"Trying to kill me first?" he sneered.
Time slowed.
Zhang yong felt the air become heavy and sticky. His movements slowed.
He quickly retreated out of the time domain.
Qing Tian Lin seized the moment and struck with his sword.
"Damn… sword intent!"
Zhang yong blocked using golden scales on his arms. The defense held — but the shockwave pushed him back.
Then Shanyu Tong Zhu opened another spatial gate — Qing Tian Lin's attack came through it.
Zhang yong barely dodged.
Then Shanyu Tong Zhu charged forward, opening another spatial gate to shorten distance.
Their teamwork was terrifying — one bending space, the other delivering deadly sword intent through it.