Chapter 2820: Strength Speaks

In the Xuanyang Realm, a deafening roar echoed from deep within the Qiyun Mountain Range, followed by the appearance of a massive crimson mushroom cloud high in the sky. It was extremely conspicuous, visible from tens of thousands of miles away.

In the northwestern part of the Qiyun Mountain Range, smoke and dust filled the air, and hundreds of mountain peaks had been leveled. A faint azure light gate shimmered indistinctly in the void, emitting strong restrictive fluctuations.

Liao Zhongyan stood high in the air, her expression grim, gazing at a dignified-looking old man in red robes opposite her. The old man was tall, his eyes sparkled with vigor, and he exuded an air of natural authority.

The old man in red robes was none other than Guo Yulin, the Guo family patriarch, an early-stage Integration cultivator.

Beside Guo Yulin stood a corpulent old man in golden robes, with a round face, small eyes, and fair skin, whose aura was slightly stronger than Guo Yulin's.

"Madam Liao," Guo Yulin said meaningfully, "if we keep fighting, the secret realm entrance will collapse. At that point, none of us will be able to obtain anything inside." He had rushed here immediately upon receiving the news, and seeing Liao Zhongyan attacking the secret realm entrance, he naturally wouldn't stand idly by.

Liao Zhongyan's willow eyebrows furrowed. She hadn't expected Guo Yulin to arrive so quickly, nor had she anticipated him bringing a helper. Continuing the fight would indeed result in a mutually destructive outcome.

"Alright!" Liao Zhongyan proposed, "The secret realm entrance is already in this state. If we force our way in, the entire secret realm might collapse. Let's send some juniors inside instead. They can each retrieve treasures based on their own abilities." This approach was advantageous for her, because if Integration cultivators were to enter for treasures, she would not be a match for Guo Yulin and his companion.

"No problem," Guo Yulin said with a smile, "However, since we have two Integration cultivators, we'll send ten Void Refinement cultivators. You can send six people. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

"Treasures? Count our Wang family in," a resonant male voice suddenly declared from the horizon.

An azure streak of light appeared in the sky, rapidly flying towards their location. Before long, the azure light stopped, revealing a shimmering azure flying boat with Wang Changsheng and others standing on it.

Wang Changsheng had rushed over as quickly as possible upon receiving the news, but hadn't expected three Integration cultivators to already be gathered here. Seeing Wang Changsheng and his group, both Guo Yulin and Liao Zhongyan frowned. There wasn't much to divide between two families originally, and now with the Wang family also getting involved, the share they would receive would be even smaller.

"Fellow Daoist Wang," Guo Yulin said with a frown, "this secret realm was discovered by Madam Liao and me. It has nothing to do with your Wang family."

"Our Wang family also discovered the secret realm, otherwise, why would we have rushed here?" Wang Changsheng said coldly. "When treasures emerge, everyone who witnesses it deserves a share. If you don't allow our Wang family to participate, then no one gets in." Wang Changsheng's tone was cold. The void vibrated and distorted as countless blue water vapors emerged, transforming into a vast expanse of azure seawater. The seawater churned violently, emitting a loud tsunami-like roar.

"We've been working on this for so long," the corpulent old man in golden robes said with some dissatisfaction, "and Fellow Daoist Wang just wants to waltz in? That's a bit too disrespectful to us!"

"And this Fellow Daoist is?" Wang Changsheng asked, his gaze fixed on the corpulent old man in golden robes, his face full of curiosity. There were many rogue Integration cultivators on the Xuanling Continent, some of whom were indifferent to fame and fortune, remaining low-profile, so Wang Changsheng naturally didn't recognize them.

"This is True Monarch Jin Mang," Guo Yulin explained, "a long-time friend of mine."

"Let's skip the pleasantries and let our actions speak for themselves," Wang Ruyan stated calmly. "We'll let our strength do the talking."

"Good," True Monarch Jin Mang scoffed, a smile appearing despite his displeasure. "I'd like to experience Fellow Daoist Wang's divine abilities myself." Having reached his current status as a rogue cultivator, he naturally possessed considerable skill. The Azure Lotus Immortal Couple had only reached the Integration stage less than three thousand years ago; they could be considered soft targets, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of them.

"This is just a sparring match," Wang Ruyan said solemnly. "There's no need for my husband to act. Let me experience Fellow Daoist's divine abilities."

"Madam Wang," Liao Zhongyan asked with a frown, "what if you lose?"

"We will leave immediately," Wang Changsheng stated. "But if my wife wins, we will also send people inside. Let the juniors gather cultivation resources, and they will be responsible for their own lives and deaths." As fellow early-stage Integration cultivators, in terms of magical power, Wang Ruyan was certainly inferior to True Monarch Jin Mang. However, she possessed many treasures and had mastered multiple secret arts, so defeating True Monarch Jin Mang should not be an issue. The reason Wang Changsheng wanted to send juniors to search for treasures was twofold: firstly, both the Liao and Guo families had powerful forces backing them, and it would be unwise to clash head-on with their supporting forces just for a secret realm. Secondly, Wang Qingshan had previously obtained a map, which was rumored to be a map of a secret realm. Wang Qingshan had submitted it to the family, and they had sent people to watch the places marked on the map, but had never found anything. It was possible that this was the very secret realm. If so, juniors entering to collect cultivation resources would have a natural advantage.

"Good, I have no objections," Liao Zhongyan agreed.

Guo Yulin's lips moved slightly as he transmitted a message to Liao Zhongyan. After a moment, Guo Yulin spoke, "It's settled then."

Wang Ruyan waved her hand, and Wang Qingxiao and the others understood immediately, retreating as far as possible. Liao Zhongyan and Guo Yulin also dispersed their clan members to prevent them from being caught in the aftermath of the fight.

True Monarch Jin Mang formed a hand seal, and countless golden spirit runes appeared on his body. A golden light shot out from him, transforming into the phantom of a three-headed giant python. A significant portion of its body shimmered continuously with spiritual light, indicating that its Dharma Idol was nearly five-tenths condensed. The three heads of the giant python phantom were distinct in color, appearing vividly lifelike. Based on Wang Ruyan's many years of combat experience, the three heads of the giant python phantom likely represented different attributes, capable of releasing various familiar spells.

Without further ado, she immediately summoned her Dharma Idol, which was six-tenths condensed. Over the years, the family had been collecting Heavenly Sound Sand for Wang Ruyan to condense her Dharma Idol. For an early-stage Integration cultivator, a six-tenths condensed Dharma Idol was quite good, though Wang Changsheng's Dharma Idol was seven-tenths condensed.

Wang Ruyan took out her Golden Lotus Guqin and began to play. A female phantom appeared and began to play a musical piece. The sound of a flute and zither interwove, spreading across tens of thousands of miles.

True Monarch Jin Mang snorted, and with a flick of his hand seal, the golden head in the center of the giant python phantom spat out a stream of golden flames, carrying terrifying high temperatures, directly towards Wang Ruyan. Large quantities of crimson flames appeared in the void, instantly expanding and transforming into massive crimson fireballs that hurtled towards Wang Ruyan like meteors. The temperature within a ten-thousand-mile radius suddenly soared, causing the ground to spontaneously combust.

As the dense crimson fireballs approached within ten thousand feet of Wang Ruyan, they were shattered by blue sound waves, disappearing without a trace. Even the golden flames were no exception, pulverizing under the dense blue sound waves.

The guqin music grew more urgent, and numerous blue flying swords shot out, aggressively striking towards True Monarch Jin Mang. One of the giant python phantom's azure snake heads spat out a stream of azure mist, enveloping the blue flying swords. The blue flying swords immediately halted, floating motionless in mid-air. A stream of golden flames struck, shattering these blue flying swords.

One of the giant python phantom's yellow snake heads opened its gaping maw and spat out a beam of yellow light, which then vanished. The next moment, ripples appeared in the void in front of Wang Ruyan, and a thick yellow lightning bolt emerged from thin air, streaking directly towards Wang Ruyan's crown.