Chapter 1928: Compatibility and Inclusiveness

"This person is indeed incredibly powerful. We cannot afford to give him any more opportunities to unleash his full potential. We must shorten this engagement. Any further delay will be highly detrimental to us."

After the arrogant green-robed elder was instantly obliterated by Xu Yang’s single strike, the remaining five martial god-level elders, revered as living fossils, were gripped by a sense of fear.

They no longer dared to regard Xu Yang as an ordinary young martial artist. The grave expressions on their faces clearly showed the profound fear they now harbored for him.

Yet, their prestigious positions left them no alternative. In this ultimate confrontation, they could only steel themselves for a life-or-death showdown against Xu Yang.

With survival as their priority, dignity became secondary. The notion of a one-on-one duel was completely discarded by the five elders, as the fate of the green-robed elder, who had just perished at Xu Yang’s hand, served as a stark warning.

Undoubtedly, few in the entire Ancient Martial God Way could stand against Xu Yang in a solo fight. Their only chance to suppress him lay in uniting, unleashing their most coordinated techniques, and maximizing the complementary and synergistic effects of their powers.

Having spent years secluded deep within the imperial palace, the five elders were intimately familiar with each other's cultivation systems, allowing for incredibly seamless coordination.

In unison, the five began to channel the immensely profound martial essence within their bodies. Soon, five distinct aura halos, each a different color, materialized around them.

In the void above Xu Yang, these coalesced into five ceaseless vortices of power, which then surged directly towards him.

Such was the might of this attack that even a martial god-level expert, if struck, would be instantly annihilated. However, these five supreme martial gods were facing Xu Yang, a terrifying entity whose power defied conventional understanding.

Xu Yang displayed no hint of panic, leisurely ascending higher into the void. Deep within himself, he activated the most complete principles of the Tai Chi Dao.

Immediately, an extraordinarily brilliant Tai Chi totem, glowing with golden light, coalesced before Xu Yang. This was a power he had refined directly from his own inner source of life.

It was also the cultivation system Xu Yang was most proud to have developed himself. The Tai Chi totem cycled ceaselessly before him, silently manifesting the most profound and mysterious Dao known to existence.

The black and white sections intertwined, appearing to generate infinite vitality from the central pattern. At this moment, Xu Yang’s gaze was utterly frigid; he had resolved to eliminate these five stubborn elders.

However, he then reconsidered. Eliminating all five of these supreme martial gods would constitute an immeasurable loss for the empire.

A better alternative, he mused, might be to invade their spiritual realms, fundamentally alter their ingrained beliefs, eradicate their selfish inclinations, and instill new convictions. This way, they could serve the empire by guarding it, which seemed a more beneficial outcome.

In truth, Xu Yang acted this way out of consideration for the old emperor. He did not wish for the aftermath of this conflict to leave the empire in a perpetual state of vulnerability.

After all, the Ancient Martial God Way was fundamentally a world where the strong prevailed. Even if Xu Yang could leverage his influence to halt the current border dispute between the two empires, there was no guarantee against future invasions from other empires. Retaining these five elders would at least prevent the empire's internal martial power structure from collapsing entirely.

With these considerations in mind, Xu Yang refrained from unleashing his strongest profound techniques. Instead, as the immense golden Tai Chi totem manifested its power, he subtly activated the Kunlun Dao cultivation system, seamlessly merging it with the Tai Chi totem.

Swiftly, the golden-threaded pattern at the center of the Tai Chi totem slowly parted, as if opening a gateway to a new realm. From the endless darkness within that fissure, an immensely powerful devouring force continuously emanated outwards, enveloping the void battlefield.

This was, in fact, the potent devouring power inherent to the Kunlun Dao technique at work. It was Xu Yang's first time attempting to combine two supreme cultivation methods of the Human Emperor level.

The resulting power was far greater than even Xu Yang had anticipated. The Tai Chi totem functioned as an incredibly sturdy platform, a medium capable of containing any force.

The Kunlun Dao, serving as the platform's blade, effortlessly gathered all five power vortices unleashed by the martial god-level living fossils. It then swallowed these five tempestuous forces whole through the inner contours of the endlessly dark Tai Chi totem.

"What?! How is this possible? How did he achieve that? I've never even heard of such a cultivation technique!"

The five living fossil elders were utterly dumbfounded. Had Xu Yang unleashed a powerful offensive technique, they might have had a countermeasure.

However, the technique Xu Yang was now employing was one he had purely created himself. It presented the five martial god-level living fossils with an insurmountable challenge.

As these five elders had spent years in secluded cultivation, they were completely at a loss on how to counter this Tai Chi Dao, which appeared to have no discernible weaknesses.

Witnessing the five elders’ helpless and bewildered expressions, Xu Yang burst into laughter. In front of the assembled martial god-level experts of the Changyun Heaven Sect below, he openly mocked the empire's five strongest martial artists.

"You're not giving up on attacking me this quickly, are you? I concede that my cultivation technique is indeed profound and unpredictable, and it's understandable if you cannot counter it. However, I truly didn't expect your psychological resilience to be so fragile that you'd choose to surrender without even attempting a response."

Faced with Xu Yang’s merciless taunts, the five living fossil elders gritted their teeth, initially contemplating another defiant attempt. However, after a moment’s reflection, they decisively abandoned the notion.

"Enough. The Dao he has demonstrated is unlike anything I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. I can find no point of entry to decipher or counter this power. I am utterly convinced by this defeat."