Chapter 836: You Rong Dahao Was Born to Be One of the Leaders of the Xu Gang

On Luoyun Peak, the auras of successive Grandmasters breaking through their Dao Rhythms appeared. Rong Dahao and his group of a hundred, especially the vanguard, were all incredibly excited.

"Almost done, just one more.""It's the crucial moment...""They broke through! They broke through!""Twenty Grandmasters, plus the ten Grandmasters who just descended the mountain – that's a full thirty Grandmasters! Let's see how arrogant Xu Gang can be now, hahaha!""Don't forget, we still have our trump card, Zero Squad!""Haha, yes, damn it, this time down the mountain, we'll beat Young Master Xu so badly his own mother wouldn't recognize him!""Let's take him down!"

The full twenty newly promoted Grandmasters instilled unparalleled confidence in Rong Dahao's group of a hundred. Even Rong Dahao himself couldn't suppress the smile playing on his lips at that moment. Twenty Grandmasters! If it were him, being ambushed by twenty Grandmasters simultaneously, he would at best be able escape freely, with little chance of turning the tide. After all, Rong Dahao knew these twenty Grandmasters inside and out; each of them possessed trump cards and was no ordinary Grandmaster.

"You twenty newly promoted individuals, plus the Grandmaster squad I previously assembled, mean there are now nearly thirty Grandmasters on the mountain!" Rong Dahao said with a smile to the group. Within his ranks, Zero Squad was composed of seven Grandmasters and led by Lei Ze. This trump card was not easily used, nor were they typically counted during everyday battles. But now, to deal with Xu Gang, Rong Dahao had truly gone all out.

"Brother Hao," Lei Ze, appearing somewhat agitated, walked over and said, "Counting the ten Grandmasters who descended the mountain, we now have nearly forty Grandmasters on our side! Even a typical Throne Realm master would find it difficult to withstand this force!"

"Indeed," Rong Dahao nodded.

Lei Ze looked down the mountain. The clouds obscured everyone's sight and spiritual senses, but it didn't diminish the Rong family's team's confidence in the ten Grandmasters who had descended earlier. "I wonder how far they've gotten, and if they've completely torn through Xu Gang's front lines. I hope they haven't fallen..." Lei Ze said.

Rong Dahao shook his head: "Falling should be impossible. Even if Young Master Xu catches a few, he'd at most plunder their points. This time, when we go down, we'll not only rescue our people but also completely shatter Xu Gang's front lines and bring peace to the East!"

The hundred-strong Rong family team grew excited at his words, raising their hands in unison. "Our leader is right! Shatter Xu Gang's front lines and bring peace to the East!""Shatter! Peace!""Kill!"The crowd was wildly excited, everyone's faces flushed with fervor. Nearly forty Grandmasters – this was a force capable of sweeping across the entire Yunlun Mountain Range.

Just as everyone's emotions ran high, the clouds at the mountain peak stirred. Someone had breached the spiritual formation and hastily clambered to the summit. "Something terrible has happened!" A desperate roar, accompanied by heavy panting, echoed.

"Who?" Rong Dahao vigilantly turned his head. All eyes turned to look, only to see that the person, ragged and stained with blood, was one of the ten Grandmasters who had descended earlier.

"Brother Qian Gun?" Rong Dahao was startled by the man's miserable state. He stepped forward to support him and asked, "What happened? Did you fight your way through down there? Why are you bleeding so much?" In a Grandmaster battle, if you can't win, you can run. You shouldn't be so terribly injured, right? Qian Gun's clothes now looked like rags, torn to shreds, and his body was covered in dried blood scabs. If not for the sliver of human sanity still visible in his eyes, Rong Dahao would have truly believed that something horrific had been done to the ten Grandmasters during their brief trip down the mountain.

"This is terrible, Brother Hao..." Qian Gun took a breath, his face filled with deep despair. Under the uneasy gaze of everyone, he wailed, "That Young Master Xu is a Sword Dao Throne! He instantly killed all ten of us Grandmasters who went down the mountain with a single sword strike – that's why we were cut down!"

Luoyun Peak erupted into an uproar, the crowd buzzing with discussion. Rong Dahao thought he was hearing things. "What did you say?!" he asked, aghast.

Qian Gun, with a mournful expression, said, "Brother Hao, you didn't mishear. That Young Master Xu is a Sword Dao Throne! He really is a Sword Dao Throne, and not an ordinary one. Even a typical Throne Realm Spirit Master would probably find it hard to withstand his attacks..." He cried, "He's not just a Sword Grandmaster at all! This damned intelligence was wrong!" His ten Grandmasters had descended the mountain and didn't even last the time it takes an incense stick to burn. They were all instantly taken down, nearly beheaded on the spot. "What's the difference between this and just handing themselves over? If he had known earlier that Young Master Xu was truly a Sword Dao Throne, even with a hundred times the courage, Qian Gun wouldn't have dared to go down the mountain with just ten Grandmasters!"

"A Sword Dao Throne..." Rong Dahao muttered in a daze, his expression filled with shock: "He's really a Sword Dao Throne? Not just a rumor?" Recalling the scene of Young Master Xu clashing with Jiang Xian at the Duojin Trading Post, Rong Dahao felt a surge of madness. If that guy was a Sword Dao Throne, why would he waste so many words with Jiang Xian back then? If he had directly revealed his Throne Realm aura, even the Jiang family would have wanted to be on good terms with him, right?

"Impossible..." Rong Dahao shook his head repeatedly. He didn't believe Young Master Xu was truly a Sword Dao Throne. At that time, through secret techniques, he could only sense a tiny, almost illusory, Sword Grandmaster Dao Rhythm from Young Master Xu. "Could it be that he recently broke through?" Rong Dahao wondered, then startled himself. How could he have recently broken through? If he had, according to Qian Gun, how could Young Master Xu contend with a Throne Realm Spirit Master? Doesn't he need to consolidate his realm?

"Nothing's impossible!" Qian Gun's mind was in turmoil, yet he had to continue explaining his terrifying encounter down the mountain to Rong Dahao. "Brother Hao, have you never seen a Sword Dao Throne? That guy, that guy... with one sword!" He cried, "With a single sword strike, he cut down all ten of us Grandmasters – the kind where we had no power to resist!"

On Luoyun Peak, everyone was unnerved by Qian Gun's words. So terrifying? Ten Grandmasters wiped out with a single sword? Rong Dahao felt a chill: "Tell me in detail..."

"There's no time," Qian Gun waved his hand. "Brother Hao, Young Master Xu let me come up the mountain just to inform you. Don't waste your efforts. Even if we break through another twenty Grandmasters, we still won't be a match for his single sword strike!"

"Nonsense!" Rong Dahao roared. On the side, the Second and Third Squads, who had finished their cultivation, all twenty Grandmasters, simultaneously opened their eyes at that moment. An overwhelming, fierce aura descended, making Qian Gun shiver violently. He looked back, startled to find the twenty newly promoted Grandmasters with rampant battle intent in their eyes!

"They really broke through?" Even Qian Gun was somewhat astonished at this moment. He hadn't been down the mountain for long, and in such a short time, the Second and Third Squads had all completed their Grandmaster breakthroughs? For a moment, Qian Gun couldn't help but feel impressed and admire the excellent recruits Rong Dahao had found. But... "It's no use!" Qian Gun turned back, tears streaming down his face: "Brother Hao, please listen to my advice. Even if we send down another twenty or thirty Grandmasters, it'll be useless. That guy isn't human at all. You haven't seen him draw his sword; within a ten-mile radius..."

Rong Dahao abruptly interrupted, "I've seen a Sword Dao Throne make a move!"

Qian Gun was stunned, then delighted: "Then you should know how truly terrifying a Sword Dao Throne is..."

Rong Dahao looked straight at him: "A Sword Dao Throne isn't as terrifying as you imagine. You were just caught off guard and developed a psychological shadow."

Qian Gun froze. "No! Brother Hao, was the Sword Dao Throne you saw a fraud? The one I saw down the mountain wasn't like what you're describing!" Qian Gun was going crazy internally. He wanted to persuade further, but Rong Dahao wouldn't give him a chance to demoralize the troops.

"Qian Gun, step back!" A warm hand pressed down on his shoulder. Qian Gun understood: further words were useless, and would only boost the enemy's morale while dampening their own. "Brother Hao, I..." Qian Gun hesitated.

"I understand," Rong Dahao said in a low voice, his eyes complex. How could he not know the power of a Sword Dao Throne? It's just that if Young Master Xu wanted him to surrender, he couldn't, not even if it meant death. This was no longer just about the Yunlun Mountain Range trial; it concerned ghost beasts, and Rong Dahao absolutely could not work under Young Master Xu.

"Thirty Grandmasters, follow me down the mountain!" With a command, Rong Dahao led his people, bursting out of the spiritual formation with a roar, piercing through the clouds, and swiftly departing Luoyun Peak.

"Go, leader!""Charge!""Kill them all!"The trial participants still lingering on the peak had no idea of the true stakes involved. They only knew that their side still had thirty Grandmasters, a force in the Yunlun Mountain Range capable of slaying gods and Buddhas alike. Young Master Xu is a Sword Dao Throne? What can a mere single Throne Realm master accomplish? Moreover, in this Cloud Realm world, even a Sword Dao Throne can at most use the power of a peak Sword Grandmaster. And Grandmasters? Our side has thirty of them! An overwhelming advantage in numbers!

Down the mountain."Sit tight, huddle together!" Zhao Xiu kicked each of the nine Grandmaster captives, gathering them in the prisoner camp, and scoffed, "Only when you truly understand and commit to allegiance will you be able to leave this place."

"Young Master Xu has already let us leave!" a Grandmaster in the prisoner camp indignantly shouted.

"Young Master Xu is benevolent and let you go, but we, the Five Tiger Generals, also have the ability to capture you and thoroughly assimilate you into Xu Gang." Zhao Xiu sneered, digging his nose with a finger and flicking something away.

"You..." The nine Grandmasters collectively felt insulted. "The King of Hell is hard to provoke, but even little devils are troublesome." Why are there so many dirty scoundrels in this damned Xu Gang? But thinking of Young Master Xu's single sword strike, everyone felt utterly powerless to resist, and could only silently pray in their hearts:

"Brother Hao, surrender...""This Xu Gang is truly not someone we can provoke..."

Their prayers weren't even half-finished. On Luoyun Peak, the clouds parted to reveal the clear sky, and dozens of figures flashed out. "It's Brother Hao!" someone among the nine Grandmasters excitedly exclaimed. But soon, someone spoke rationally, their voice full of bitterness: "Can they save us?" The nine fell silent simultaneously.

Zhao Xiu burst into laughter: "Forget your Brother Hao, even the King of Heaven himself couldn't save you now!" With that, he looked towards Luoyun Peak. Nearly thirty Grandmaster figures startled Zhao Xiu greatly. "Are the people on this peak all so exceptionally talented? In just a moment, nearly thirty more Grandmasters came down?" Zhao Xiu's heart quickened somewhat, but then he thought of Young Master Xu and quickly calmed down. So what if there are thirty Grandmasters? Young Master Xu is an unreasonable existence! Gods and Buddhas alike, if they come to Yunlun Mountain Range, he'll destroy them with a single sword!

"Young Master Xu, they're here." Among the Five Tiger Generals, the other four gathered behind Young Master Xu. Tai Xing spoke gravely.

Xu Xiaoshou was somewhat surprised to see that the people from above still refused to surrender. Are these people really not afraid of death? Or did the person sent back earlier fail to adequately describe the battle? Regardless, Xu Xiaoshou somewhat admired these people's courage to descend the mountain. But clearly, trying to win by numbers works fine against ordinary people. Against him... Heh!

"You few, wait here and warm up a cup of tea. I'll be right back." Xu Xiaoshou instructed, turning back. The Four Tiger Generals showed expressions of shame, each feeling the inadequacy of their own strength. Indeed, in the end, Young Master Xu still had to bear everything alone...

"Who is your leader? State your name!" Xu Xiaoshou leaped, already standing above Xu Gang's surging crowd.

Rong Dahao, leading his many Grandmasters, stood suspended in the air. He could instantly see the nine Grandmasters in the prisoner camp all shaking their heads at him. Is he really that powerful? Rong Dahao refused to believe it. He had never actually witnessed a Sword Dao Throne, but he had seen many peak Throne Realm Spirit Masters. Compared to the Grandmaster geniuses in Yunlun Mountain Range, who could all fight above their realm, a Throne Realm Spirit Master was essentially just someone with an additional domain and a deeper comprehension of Dao. And due to the restrictions of the Cloud Realm world, these couldn't be fully utilized. Under these preconditions, could Young Master Xu still cut down ten Grandmasters with a single sword strike?

"Rong Dahao!" he replied to Young Master Xu, his eyes filled with solemnity.

"It's you?" Xu Xiaoshou saw the stout man in ornate robes, somewhat surprised. He knew this person. That day at the entrance of Duojin Trading Post, he was behind Jiang Xian. Xu Xiaoshou hadn't expected him to be someone important, not just an onlooker. "Successor of Taixu?" Xu Xiaoshou pressed; this was information he had gotten from the captives.

"Greetings, Young Master Xu," Rong Dahao nodded slightly, but didn't show excessive deference, as he had come with a resolve to fight to the death. "No need for further words," he declared. "Young Master Xu took my men, so today I will repay you with battle!"

The thirty Grandmasters moved swiftly, like a gale. Xu Xiaoshou extended a hand. "Hold on!"

The void hummed, and the thirty Grandmasters ahead, originally brimming with battle intent, were abruptly cut off in their momentum by that single shout. They felt nauseous, with an urge to vomit.

"What the hell was that?""What kind of ability is this?""Is this a Sword Dao Throne?"

The thirty Grandmasters felt a tremor of fear; they couldn't even comprehend this ability. "Aura?" Rong Dahao seemed to grasp something. Young Master Xu's raised hand had almost made him regurgitate blood. Such an aura, he had only experienced it from his own master.

"What do you intend?" Rong Dahao's tone grew more defiant. The stronger the opponent, the more desperately he had to fight, because he absolutely could not surrender.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled: "I originally came only for the cloud beasts. I didn't expect the East to have such an elite team as yours. Without further ado, I like you all." He spoke bluntly.

Rong Dahao and his group were stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Join Xu Gang, and I'll spare your lives!"

Rong Dahao froze. He had prepared himself to fight to the death precisely because he feared Young Master Xu would try to subdue them. Was the opponent still so resolute now?

"Better to be shattered jade than intact tile!" Rong Dahao suddenly roared. Behind him, the nearly thirty Grandmasters, originally deep in the grip of the aura, heard his words. Their eyes, previously muddled, instantly regained their battle intent. They roared in unison: "Better to be shattered jade than intact tile!" Their soaring battle intent seemed to tear through the clear sky.

Xu Xiaoshou watched with even greater delight, looking at Rong Dahao, his tone full of admiration. "Most people, upon witnessing my power, wouldn't even dare to resist. Yet you are formidable, unaffected by my aura. Today, others may die fighting according to their wishes, but I cherish talent; I absolutely will not let you die. You, Rong Dahao, are destined to be one of Xu Gang's leaders!"