Chapter 1810: A Single Misstep Leads to Total Defeat

Hearing Jing Teng’s seemingly profound “confession,” the women nearby were stunned.

They had just harbored a glimmer of hope, thinking that Jing Teng was probably trying to make her ex-boyfriend jealous during an argument, which was why she said those things. Lending Zu An to her for a performance seemed harmless enough. But the more they listened, the more something felt off. “Fated destiny” was even brought up? Were they just supposed to pretend they didn't exist?

Divination in this world was not a scam; it was one of the seven genuine cultivation arts, containing powerful mystical forces. If Immortal Monarch Baopu had truly divined such a fate, it would prove that she and Zu An indeed shared a romantic destiny. While annoyed, the women wondered if they could have their own fortunes told with Zu An. Unfortunately, Immortal Monarch Baopu was no longer alive, and no one possessed his level of divinatory skill.

The women all harbored some resentment, but fortunately, Sun En timely diverted their attention. No sooner had Sun En finished speaking than he casually sent a palm strike toward Zang Ao. Though a casual strike, the palm visibly enlarged instantly, covering dozens of yards around Zang Ao. At the edges enveloped by the palm, light and shadow grew dim and distorted, clearly indicating that the space itself was beginning to collapse.

“Great Heavenly Net Hand!” Wang Youjun exclaimed in a low voice, his heart pounding. His attention had been entirely on the Sect Master’s three divine talismans earlier, almost forgetting his intrinsic ultimate technique. Zu An and the others observed carefully. Sun En’s strike was indeed powerful, though slightly weaker than Zhao Hao’s. However, having heard Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun mention his three powerful divine talismans, they estimated that combined, he could contend with Zhao Hao.

Their thoughts had flashed by in an instant; the Great Heavenly Net Hand had already descended towards Zang Ao’s head. Yet, he neither dodged nor evaded, merely standing there casually with his hands behind his back. At that moment, the four old men he had brought with him moved. With a loud shout, they each placed their palms on the back of the person in front, forming a single line. Then, the chest of the foremost person swelled like a ball, and he slowly pushed both palms forward, unleashing a torrent of overwhelming force.

The force directly met Sun En’s Great Heavenly Net Hand. With a loud boom, the massive palm dispersed, stirring up gusts of wind all around. Sun En let out a surprised “hmm.” He had intended to test Zang Ao, but had utterly not expected his attendants to block the attack. Although they clearly used a combined strike technique, being able to withstand his blow was still something to be proud of. Zu An thought to himself, “As expected of the Adventurers’ Guild Master; his subordinates are truly a gathering of masters.”

“The Four Sages of Liangshan!” Wang Youjun, likely the only one in the room well-informed about the Adventurers’ Guild, immediately blurted out. “It’s said that the Adventurers’ Guild has four most mysterious guest elders, who are the highest-cultivated individuals in the guild apart from the Master. I never expected them all to be dispatched this time.” Zang Ao smiled faintly. “There’s no help for it; with the turbulent situation around the grand tomb, I always need to find some people to protect myself.” The expressions of the other people in the tomb chamber were odd. “I don’t believe you one bit,” they thought. “Your own cultivation is clearly so high; why would you need others to protect you?”

At that moment, Sun En scoffed, “Do you think you’re the only one with subordinates?” Hearing this, Wang Youjun’s scalp tingled. He thought, “You’re not going to send me, are you? While I might be able to handle one or two, I’m definitely no match for all four of them combined.”

Just then, Sun En conjured a special talisman: “By imperial decree, generals under the True Lord Beidi, Demon Subduer, heed my command!” The Beidi Demon Subduing Talisman! A burst of light emanated from the talisman, and then the ethereal figures of heavenly soldiers and generals materialized. Seemingly receiving orders, they charged toward the Four Sages of Liangshan.

Zu An and the others were seeing this for the first time and watched in wonder. Zu An, in particular, felt that those ethereal figures closely resembled the heavenly soldiers and generals he had seen on television in his past life. Could it be that a true Celestial Court and Divine Realm existed, and its heavenly soldiers and generals projected their will into this world upon his summons?

Chu Chuyan also meticulously observed the talisman in mid-air with her beautiful large eyes. While White Jade Capital was skilled in talisman arts, their talismans primarily served as auxiliary tools for cultivation. How could there be such a powerful and wondrous talisman? Xie Daoyun had seen it before, but still watched in dazzled admiration. Unlike Chu Chuyan, who only dabbled in talisman arts, Xie Daoyun specialized in them. However, her studies leaned more towards runic arrays, and she had never imagined that talismans could be used for such direct attacks.

She meticulously observed every detail, feeling a dawning comprehension in her heart, yet also more confusion. Unable to fully grasp the profound mysteries on her own, she decided to discuss it with her teacher upon returning. By studying it together, they might just grasp the fundamental principles.

Meanwhile, the Four Sages of Liangshan quickly found themselves in a predicament. Their combined strike technique was originally best suited for tackling a single top-tier master, allowing the power of all four to converge on the target. If an opponent attacked any one of them, the other three would unleash a furious counterattack. Of course, they weren’t entirely incapable of handling group attacks, as each of them possessed high cultivation. However, it became troublesome if the group of attacking enemies was numerous and each possessed formidable strength.

These heavenly soldiers and generals quickly surrounded the Four Sages of Liangshan. Although the four initially managed to cooperate and hold their ground, the heavenly soldiers and generals were too numerous. Soon, the four found themselves overwhelmed, unable to cope with all the threats simultaneously—a situation their enemies typically faced. It seemed the tables had turned unexpectedly.

At this point, one heavenly soldier, unable to squeeze into the immediate battle, fixed its gaze on Zang Ao. Wielding two colossal golden hammers, it swung them directly at his head. Given the size of the hammers and the immense power behind their swing, not to mention a human, even a prehistoric mammoth would be flattened into a meat patty.

Finally, Zang Ao moved. He unleashed an upward punch that, compared to the colossal golden hammer, seemed like an ant against an elephant. Yet, upon contact, in a twist that was both unexpected and somehow anticipated, Zang Ao remained perfectly still, while cracks began to appear on the surface of the massive golden hammer.

The cracks continuously extended upwards, quickly spreading across the golden-armored general’s surface. The further they went, the denser the cracks became, soon resembling a spiderweb. With a series of sharp cracking sounds, the massive general suddenly shattered completely, turning into countless fragments that dispersed into dust.

Zu An and his companions watched with grave expressions. No wonder Jing Teng had said Zang Ao was one of the world’s top masters; seeing it now, it was indeed true. Yun Jianyue felt even more depressed. She had always been proud and arrogant, yet since arriving in this world, she had suffered repeated setbacks. Sun En was understandable; he had cultivated far longer than her and had the aid of three divine talismans, so it was normal to be unable to defeat him.

After all, they were both sect masters and sometimes conversed quite pleasantly, so it wasn’t a loss of face. But what about this Zang Ao? The power of that single punch already indicated his strength far surpassed hers. And he wasn’t particularly old, and from their conversations, it seemed he hadn’t been cultivating for many years either. Was there any justice left in the world?

For years, she had held herself in high esteem, feeling quite impressive. Yet now, an undeniable sense of helpless frustration arose within her. “You finally couldn’t resist making a move,” Sun En said, staring calmly at Zang Ao.

Zang Ao glanced at the Four Sages of Liangshan not far away. Though disheveled, they wouldn’t be defeated in a short time. He then spoke, “Sect Master Sun, there’s no irreconcilable enmity between us. Why must you attack me? Shouldn’t we first apprehend these people, get the whereabouts of the immortal fate from them, and then discuss other matters? The strength of these people is not to be underestimated either. If we fight to a mutual defeat, won’t that just let them benefit?”

Sun En calmly replied, “What you said does make sense. However, I’ve already been outmaneuvered by you once before, and I don’t wish to make the same mistake again.” No sooner had he finished speaking than another talisman ascended above his head. This talisman glowed with a faint purple light, and lightning flashed across its surface, each bolt exuding an aura of destruction.

The Supreme Divine Lightning Talisman! The talisman suddenly flared brightly, and almost simultaneously, an arm-thick bolt of lightning struck down towards Zang Ao’s head. This was no ordinary lightning; it was akin to tribulation lightning, targeting not only the cultivator’s body but also their spiritual soul.

Even Zang Ao dared not face it head-on. He instantly flashed, moving faster than the lightning itself, and charged directly towards Sun En. He knew that constantly evading the lightning was ultimately passive; he needed to close the distance to prevent Sun En from employing his lightning techniques.

But as if Sun En had anticipated his move, a brilliant purple light suddenly erupted between the two men. Countless bolts of lightning, as thick as water buckets, poured down, densely filling every inch of space. The lightning was almost tangible, even glowing with a reddish hue.

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun’s expressions changed. This power even surpassed the terrifying thunder storm they encountered when they first landed on the island. It seemed Sun En was going all out against Zang Ao. Zu An and the others were seeing this terrifying lightning storm for the first time, and their faces also paled. Legends spoke of cultivators enduring a terrifying tribulation lightning baptism to ascend to immortality, but what kind of cultivator could survive a lightning storm of this magnitude?

Zang Ao, charging in, seemed to have walked into a trap. He was instantly engulfed by the terrifying lightning storm, letting out a series of agonizing screams. Faintly, a luminous mist could be seen rising around him, clearly indicating that a protective artifact had been activated. Unfortunately, before a lightning field as terrifying as tribulation lightning, no protective artifact could last long; it shattered almost in an instant.

True to his reputation as the Adventurers’ Guild Master, Zang Ao quickly conjured various other artifacts. But one by one, they rapidly exploded. Under this terrifying tribulation lightning, each artifact could only endure for a maximum of a second.

As time passed, he expended more and more artifacts, yet the overwhelming lightning storm showed no sign of stopping. Zang Ao’s artifacts were finite, however. Eventually, he could only rely on his own cultivation to cast various spells in resistance. Alas, how could he possibly contend with the terrifying power of tribulation lightning? After a short while longer, he could no longer sustain himself, and his body, charred like charcoal, crashed to the ground.

“Master!” The Four Sages of Liangshan turned ashen. They knew that even if their Master’s cultivation was inferior to Sun En’s, he shouldn’t have been defeated so quickly. Who knew that a single misstep could lead to complete defeat!