Chapter 1868: Gold-Robed Believer

“If it weren’t for us believers of the Lord, I’m afraid this Ancient Martial God Path region would truly be stirred up by you alone.”

Xu Yang, facing the man in the golden robe, showed him no pleasant expression.

“Alright, you’re just a small fry standing here, nothing more than a lapdog for that imposter emperor. You have no right to waste our time with your nonsense. Since you have the courage to stand before me, you should be prepared to die.”

After speaking, Xu Yang immediately exchanged glances with Long Kun and Po Xiao on either side of him.

These two men, like kings devouring life, charged whistling towards the dozens of silver-robed figures before them. These robed disciples were also powerful puppets, hand-picked from thousands.

Long Kun and Po Xiao, each facing ten silver-robed warriors, still did not lose ground.

Especially Po Xiao, whose soul had just completed a new phoenix nirvana; his combat ability had truly advanced significantly. Even in a one-on-one fight, he appeared to be at ease.

On the other hand, Po Xiao, who was most suited for assassination, found his main battlefield in this jungle. He constantly used his incredibly agile movement speed to change his combat position, confusing the ten millennia-old puppet disciples in silver robes before him. This prevented them from leveraging their numerical advantage or quickly pinpointing Po Xiao’s movements.

As the absolute core of the entire team, Xu Yang did not rush to attack these individuals immediately. Instead, he stood by the emperor, protecting his safety.

After all, to the imposter in the palace, the threat Xu Yang currently posed was far less significant than that of the empire’s true emperor, whom he had replaced years ago.

For a powerful figure at the top, even the strongest martial artist could be appeased through negotiation or compromise.

However, if the true emperor, whom he had replaced, were to return to the palace, it would undoubtedly be an unimaginable disaster for the imposter wielding power.

Therefore, as soon as these individuals appeared, Xu Yang immediately deduced that their true target was not him and his two companions, but the true emperor of the empire standing beside him.

“Sir, please act without concern for my safety,” the emperor said. “Although I haven’t recovered to my peak condition, I can still protect myself.”

Perhaps seeing Xu Yang standing beside him and not rushing to attack, the emperor spoke up to reassure him, effectively calming Xu Yang’s concerns.

At that very moment, before Xu Yang could make the first move, the golden-robed believer, protected by a water-element dragon soul, made his move first.

“Even if just four of you are incredibly powerful,” he declared, “it won’t be easy to simply eliminate us believers!”

When a Martial God-level believer made his move, the effect was incomparable to that of the silver-robed disciples beside him. With a raise of his hand, a powerful surge of martial essence energy struck towards Xu Yang and the emperor.

Facing this incredibly powerful impact, a cold glint immediately flashed in Xu Yang’s eyes. However, his every action remained calm and composed.

With a light tap of his foot, a gigantic rock unexpectedly appeared beneath him and the emperor. The Law of Earth was calmly unleashed, perfectly nullifying the opponent’s powerful martial aura attack, causing its overwhelming force to strike the surface of the large rock beneath Xu Yang and the emperor.

“Oh, your method of changing the earth’s topography is quite peculiar,” he remarked. “I wonder which lineage of martial arts grandmasters you learned from?”

Xu Yang sneered, “Within the Ancient Martial God Path, I doubt anyone is qualified to be my teacher, Xu Yang. Your perspective is still too narrow.”

After saying this, Xu Yang quickly unleashed a new wave of powerful attacks designed to humiliate his opponent. A gust of wind swept across his palm, and behind him, a celestial dragon totem rapidly materialized in the void.

Xu Yang unleashed this technique because he wanted to test the strength of the water-element dragon soul protecting the Martial God-level believer.

As expected, when the two dragon-shaped totem energies collided, the water dragon battle-pet on the golden-robed believer also awakened prematurely at that moment, actively countering the powerful force in the void.

Rumble! The colossal sound in the void startled all living beings throughout the surrounding Mistwood Mountain battlefield, making them tremble. It was a dragon’s roar-like deterrent force that erupted at that moment.

What the golden-robed believer didn't expect was that Xu Yang's seemingly casual palm strike possessed such destructive power. This forced him to use the strength of his guardian battle-pet to resist. In just this single exchange, their superiority was instantly clear.

However, to Xu Yang, the title “Martial God” within the Ancient Martial God Path was supposed to represent the pinnacle of martial arts. Yet, this golden-robed believer, despite also possessing Martial God-level strength, had a very obvious gap in his cultivation foundation compared to the War God Zhen Gang whom Xu Yang had previously encountered.

This difference between two Martial God-level powerhouses was something the other three could not discern at a glance, unlike Xu Yang. If Xu Yang’s judgment were used to describe the difference between them, it would be that Martial God Zhen Gang was absolutely a true Martial God-level powerhouse, whose strength was meticulously cultivated over time.

However, in Xu Yang’s eyes, this golden-robed believer was nothing more than an empty shell, strong on the outside but weak within.

“You’d better quickly reveal your proudest techniques,” Xu Yang urged, “Otherwise, I genuinely worry that you might be instantly killed by my power in an unguarded moment.”

Xu Yang wasn’t mocking his opponent with these words; he was simply expressing his true thoughts based on their recent exchange of attacks.

He had already determined that his opponent was not as formidable as he had imagined. The golden-robed believer, having been verbally outmaneuvered by Xu Yang, erupted in fury.

He suddenly formed hand seals, and the Martial God-level martial essence within him began to surge. Shortly after, the water dragon soul on his body perfectly fused with his physical form.

It was this action that made Xu Yang realize the foundation of this individual’s martial cultivation was entirely rooted in water-elemental power.

“Since you’re so eager to feel my true power,” he declared, “then let me show you the strength of a Martial God-level expert.”

As soon as he spoke, the golden-robed believer stomped his foot, and an endless surge of water aura inexplicably began to appear on the ground of the local battlefield in the surrounding Mistwood Mountains. It was as if the area, originally like an oasis, was transforming.