Chapter 1452: Xu Yang's Path

Ultimately, none of their attacks had the desired effect, ending in dismal failure. The powerful sharp blades conjured by two of them were even snapped on the spot.

A rare expression of surprise appeared on Xu Yang's face, yet it wasn't due to the overwhelming power of their attacks, but rather because they were simply too weak.

“Heh heh heh,” Xu Yang chuckled, “what I'm witnessing is truly unbelievable. If this is the extent of your power, and you still manage to rank among the top ten Saints, then this entire group of one hundred Saints is nothing short of a joke.”

Such a remark from Xu Yang was the ultimate insult to the six top assassins standing before him, yet they were utterly incapable of conjuring a more potent counterattack.

Their only option was to leverage their collective strength, unleashing a more formidable and synchronized combined attack. They had to find a way to merge the powers of all six individuals to even hope of shaking the halo surrounding Xu Yang.

“This individual is too enigmatic,” one of them muttered. “I can't gauge the full extent of his power. Although we didn't employ our strongest techniques just now, it's clear he's fundamentally different from any challenger we've encountered before.”

His strength likely already approaches that of a Main God, though even this assessment vastly underestimated Xu Yang's true power.

Xu Yang, however, didn't mind. All he desired was the outcome—the pleasure of watching these six self-important individuals ultimately collapse into despair.

“Heh heh, make your move quickly,” Xu Yang urged, “you have one last chance.”

As Xu Yang finished speaking, he calmly clasped his hands behind his back, quietly observing the six individuals, who resembled ants scurrying on a hot pan.

Without further hesitation, the six assassins exchanged glances. Behind each of them, an incredibly cold blade totem simultaneously coalesced.

Each totem was formed by integrating the six divine-grade famous swords, one wielded by each of the assassins, to create a colossal vortex of sword energy.

In an instant, a massive sword blade, hundreds of meters long, violently crashed down. Only then did a hint of approval flicker in Xu Yang's eyes.

“The power of this strike might barely qualify you as tenth-ranked Saints, but before me, it's utterly insufficient. Honestly, I'm quite disappointed with your performance; it's far from meeting my expectations.”

Xu Yang gently shook his head. In the very next instant, he fiercely clenched his right fist. With this single action, all the surrounding halos instantly shattered, transforming into a cascade of light akin to fireworks. Wherever this radiant rain fell, all concepts of space and time around the six individuals utterly vanished.

It was as if the very space they occupied had transformed into a painting, entirely frozen in stillness. The bodies of the six individuals remained suspended in mid-air, covered and crushed by the light rain, ultimately melting completely into nothingness.

Everything that belonged to them became bound to Xu Yang. Little did they know, however, that the anchor point for these linked auras was merely Xu Yang's illusory body, not his true form.

Consequently, the trace of soul essence he infused into the Supreme God's soul also originated from Xu Yang's illusory body. He was, in fact, the only Saint not entirely bound by the Supreme God's will. What was astonishing was that Xu Yang accomplished this without the Supreme God detecting even the slightest anomaly.

In a sense, Xu Yang's realm and strength already surpassed the Supreme God. He stood at the true pinnacle of this continent's current era. Such an achievement was something even Feng Huo Wuji, the purported strongest of the world's three greatest figures from hundreds of thousands of years ago—the one ranked first—had never accomplished.

On this continent of the Great World, countless millennia of civilization had fostered numerous legends who once commanded great renown. Yet, never had anyone truly stood at the absolute peak, transcending all ages.

Every previous strongest individual had numerous rivals who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, nearly equal in power. But this time, upon his return to the continent, Xu Yang intended to become truly the first person in the continent's history. He would leave all monuments and predecessors far behind, forging an unprecedented path to supremacy.

This was Xu Yang's true objective; furthermore, he intended to guide the trajectory of the continent's civilization back onto the righteous path he envisioned.

As the six individuals before him completely dissolved, Xu Yang gently waved his palm, collecting their formerly exclusive swords. Although he certainly wouldn't use these items himself—possessing Tu Tian and the Jade Bone Divine Sword, two supreme divine artifacts—Xu Yang had no need for such mere trinkets to enhance his own strength.

Instead, he focused on assembling his own team. The exceptional powerhouses he had selected to join his ranks would indeed benefit from these divine artifacts to enhance their capabilities.

When Xu Yang's vision returned to the spacious temple, he immediately set his target on the individual ranked third among the hundred Saints. This person's exclusive halo radiated a deep blue light, shimmering brilliantly like stars.

Perhaps because Xu Yang possessed the Sea God Domain, he felt a strong affinity for this deep blue, star-studded, ocean-like color.

Without hesitation, Xu Yang chose this third-ranked halo, curious to discover the true identity of the third Saint.

However, Xu Yang hadn't anticipated that upon touching the corresponding deep blue halo, what would appear before him was indeed a vast, starry ocean—a dreamlike exclusive spatial domain that enveloped his entire vision.

From that moment, Xu Yang truly understood that the halos possessed by each of the hundred Saints were, in fact, exclusive personal spaces stationed within the temple itself.

The vastness of these internal domains and the intricacy of their internal scenery were determined by each cultivator's individual capabilities, particularly for top cultivators ranked within the top three.

In terms of power, they were all comparable to Main God-level experts, and thus their strength was more than sufficient to craft these unique personal domains.

This dreamlike personal domain, a veritable sea of stars before him, was the culmination of their cultivation.

Although, should they be defeated, their exclusive domain would become the spoils of the victor, they possessed the confidence and honor to protect these personal realms they had painstakingly created with their own strength.