Chapter 430: Originally, this move wasn't meant to be used against you...

Lord An activated the grand protective array the moment Governor Lü and Wu Youdao began to fight. A hemispherical barrier, resembling an inverted bowl, covered Hánshuǐ City, ensuring that the aftermath of their battle would not affect the city.

The sky above Hánshuǐ City seemed to erupt with deafening thunder. The two combatants fought fiercely, their fists and feet colliding and emitting dazzling rays of light. Mortals could not look directly at the battle; even cultivators with lower cultivation levels felt a stifling sensation in their chests, as if resonating with the intense struggle.

Wu Youdao no longer dared to use his 'Universe in Hand' technique to pierce through Governor Lü, fearing that his other hand would also become fused with Governor Lü's body. With one of Wu Youdao's arms fused to Governor Lü's chest, his movements were greatly restricted. Coupled with Governor Lü's astonishing healing speed, he surprisingly gained the upper hand for a moment!

"Damn it, get lost!" Wu Youdao cursed. He found it difficult to fight effectively and still couldn't fathom how Governor Lü had come up with such an outrageous method.

Wu Youdao punched Governor Lü in the face. Governor Lü's head tilted to the side, then, with effort from his neck, he slowly pushed it back into place.

"This move was originally meant for that old silent scoundrel," Governor Lü declared, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes. "I didn't expect you'd be the first to benefit from it!"

"'Old Silent Scoundrel'?" Wu Youdao mused. "Could it be Daoist Silent?!" Clearly, Wu Youdao had heard of this name before.

"It's rumored that Daoist Silent has enemies all over the world," Wu Youdao pondered. "Could it be that he intends to improve the combat strength of Great Xia's cultivators by making enemies?" As an emperor, his mind was clear, and he thought more deeply than others.

"As expected, the Wen Dao Sect is indeed the greatest obstacle to the restoration of Great Yu!" Wu Youdao exclaimed, recalling the National Preceptor's warning to be wary of the Wen Dao Sect members, as they were formidable enemies. Fortunately, so far, he had not encountered anyone from the Wen Dao Sect.

"As expected of Governor Lü, he might actually win this fight!" Lu Yang's eyes gleamed. He hadn't expected Governor Lü to be so dependable, and at the same time, he was glad he hadn't revealed his sect. Judging by Governor Lü's brutal fighting style, his feud with his master must be considerable.

"He can't win," Immortal Fairy stated. "This fighting style relies on Wu Youdao having never seen it before and being unable to react. Once Wu Youdao understands, Little Lü will be on the defensive." With her innate intelligence and countless battles under her belt, Immortal Fairy immediately saw the shortcomings of this method. The only way to win was to restrain Wu Youdao and then, while he was off guard, strike him down with absolute power. Unfortunately, Governor Lü did not possess absolute power.

Just as Immortal Fairy had predicted, after taking a few more blows, Wu Youdao quickly found a solution. His left hand transformed into a celestial blade, which he slashed towards Governor Lü. Governor Lü sidestepped to dodge. Unexpectedly, Wu Youdao wasn't aiming for Governor Lü at all, but for his own right arm!

Swish— The celestial blade struck, severing his right arm. Blood gushed out, forming a river that cascaded over Hánshuǐ City. Upon contact with the transparent barrier, it made sizzling, corrosive sounds that sent shivers down people's spines. If the barrier could not withstand it and the Tribulation Stage blood fell to the ground, it would undoubtedly cause a catastrophe. Fortunately, the transparent barrier was strong enough, and it remained intact even after the blood's corrosive properties were exhausted.

Wu Youdao's severed arm rapidly healed.

"Heavenly Melody!"

Wu Youdao, now free, opened his mouth and emitted a piercing sound. The sound contained magic, like the murmuring whispers of a thousand chatterboxes. No matter how Governor Lü covered his ears or closed off his five senses, the sound still echoed in his ears.

"Great Luo Triple Force!"

Wu Youdao seized the opportunity to throw a punch, his fist erupting with a dazzling, sun-like brilliance. "Even a highly accomplished monk who has cultivated the Sixteen-Foot Golden Body would have their cultivation shattered by this punch!" Wu Youdao laughed uncontrollably.

Governor Lü, troubled by the Heavenly Melody and unable to perceive external movements, took the full force of the punch.

Pfft— Governor Lü coughed up blood continuously. The power of the nation's destiny rapidly healed his wounds, but this punch contained three layers of force: the first severely injured him, while the second and third layers actively prevented healing.

"Not dead yet? Take another punch!" Wu Youdao said, his expression turning greedy, as if the power of the nation's destiny was within his grasp.

"The Emperor of Great Yu is truly impressive."

A steady chuckle echoed as a five-colored halo suddenly appeared, blocking Governor Lü. Wu Youdao's punch was too powerful; the five-colored halo only held for two breaths of time.

Crack— The halo shattered, and Governor Lü vanished without a trace.

"Here!" Wu Youdao turned his head and saw Governor Lü being supported by Qiu Jin'an.

"Are you alright?"

"Not dead yet."

"It's you, the Sect Master of the Immortal Sect!" Wu Youdao stared coldly at Qiu Jin'an. "You should be at the Hundred Flowers Restaurant right now!" He knew his two most powerful ghosts were stationed there.

At the Hundred Flowers Restaurant:

A giant ghost lay on the ground, its body hollowed out, its three souls stirred into oblivion by three chopsticks, and a bowl of rice forcefully shoved into its mouth. Countless lesser ghosts lay with twisted necks and severed bodies, scattered across the entire hall.

"You mean the Bloated Ghost and the Starved Ghost?" Qiu Jin'an scoffed. "They're nothing special. The only interesting thing is when they devour each other to form a new ghost, but even that's only so-so."

"As for the lesser ghosts that can lock the three souls and seven spirits by riding on one's neck, those are just leftovers from the Wen Dao Sect."

The Bloated Ghost and the Starved Ghost are highly compatible spirits. The Bloated Ghost, having died from overeating, continuously eats after becoming a ghost, never feeling full. The Starved Ghost, having died from starvation, also continuously eats after death but never feels satisfied. When these two ghosts devour each other, they merge into a spirit called the Gluttonous Ghost. Ordinary cultivators who encounter a Gluttonous Ghost are doomed to die.

"To think you could deal with me using just the Bloated Ghost and the Starved Ghost?" Qiu Jin'an added, "You underestimate me too much."

Wu Youdao's eyes narrowed slightly. Countless Integration Stage cultivators, including a considerable number of those in the late Integration Stage, had been devoured by the Bloated Ghost and Starved Ghost. These were not spirits that an Integration Stage cultivator should be able to handle. This Qiu Jin'an's combat strength was beyond his expectations.

"You block the damage, I'll attack, how about it?" Qiu Jin'an transmitted telepathically.

"Alright," Governor Lü agreed. In terms of combat strength, he was far inferior to Qiu Jin'an.

"Lord, we are here!" several Integration Stage cultivators announced as they appeared, coming to assist in the battle.

Previously, they had been restrained by the ghosts appearing in the city, but when Qiu Jin'an arrived, he conveniently helped them deal with the problem, freeing them up to assist.

"Go down and help your colleagues deal with the ghosts and maintain order in the city!" Governor Lü commanded, waving his hand. The outcome of this battle could not be determined by a few additional ordinary Integration Stage cultivators. Even a peak Integration Stage expert like himself would die instantly without the blessing of the nation's destiny. Now, only a supreme expert among Integration Stage cultivators like Qiu Jin'an could help. But the problem was, where could one find Integration Stage cultivators of the Five Great Immortal Sect Masters' caliber?

Wu Youdao tried his old trick again, attempting to control Qiu Jin'an: "Heavenly Melody..."

Qiu Jin'an's combat experience was far superior to Governor Lü's. He raised a fire lotus in his palm, emanating destructive intent.

"Red Lotus Karmic Fire!"

Boom— Destructive energy erupted. A massive red lotus bloomed in the sky above Hánshuǐ City. Each of its twenty-eight petals possessed the power to shatter a Grotto-heaven, and the immense destructive energy released was unimaginable. Even through the barrier, Lu Yang could feel the scorching heatwave.

As the smoke dissipated, Wu Youdao's disheveled appearance was revealed. His clothes were askew, his body was covered in burns, his skin was wrinkled, and his head gleamed bald. Gone was his usual composed and arrogant demeanor.

"This move was originally intended for the Wen Dao Sect," Qiu Jin'an said, "but it's a pity I had to use it on you first."

Qiu Jin'an slowly shook his head, and another red lotus began to form in his palm.