"Whatever. Just don't let them escape," Shen Yun said, simply clasping his hands behind his back.
He had Xiao Jiu play a BGM for him.
He wasn't the one doing the fighting anyway. All he needed to do was strike an imposing pose as arcs of lightning naturally surged from his body.
The enemy's Grand Array condensed once more. It was exactly the same as before, but this time...
"What is going on?! Senior Brother Qing Guang!"
Qing Hao felt that something was increasingly wrong as he fought. It seemed that every time his attacks blended into the Grand Array, they were preemptively dispersed.
"Shut up!" Qing Guang gritted his teeth. The longer the battle dragged on, the more horrified he became.
The secret behind this Array lay in interlacing and blending the Spiritual Qi of multiple people, allowing them to unleash an offensive as relentless as a torrential storm. But he didn't know if it was just a coincidence—the opponent's lightning always struck precisely at the nexus of their converging Spiritual Power. Since that was the case...
"Taste my sword!"
Qing Guang threw his longsword, which transformed into a beam of light that pierced straight ahead. This was his Lifebound Magical Treasure. Although it couldn't compare to the Sword Emperor's, it could still sever rivers and cleave mountains with a single strike!
"Oh?" Xiao Jiu chuckled softly, seemingly finding it amusing.
Immediately after, two bolts of lightning shot out from Shen Yun's eyes. They struck the exact weak point of the sword. In an instant, its Spiritual Power dissipated, and its offensive momentum drastically plummeted.
Qing Guang spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with absolute shock!
This strike was his signature move. It involved gathering a massive amount of Spiritual Power onto a single point of the blade and detonating it upon closing in. The impact was supposed to be tremendous and unavoidable.
Yet, it was so easily seen through? Panic finally set in.
He suddenly felt that the young man—wreathed in lightning and standing between heaven and earth like an exalted sovereign—was utterly unfathomable! He exuded an air of absolute transcendence. Even if the man wasn't a peak Grandmaster, he had to be close to it! More importantly, he was likely highly proficient in the Array Dao!
"Junior Brother Qing Hao," he suddenly sent a telepathic message. "I have a move of immense power. Take control of the Array for me while I prepare it."
"Alright! I'm counting on you, Senior Brother!" Qing Hao didn't think twice.
Even though his Senior Brother had joined the Cyan Cloud Pavilion halfway through his cultivation journey, he had always been the strongest and had taken great care of him. Because of this, Qing Hao had full confidence in him.
Qing Hao took over control of the Array. Then, Qing Guang detached himself from the formation. Qing Hao's face was full of anticipation, wondering what kind of hidden ultimate skill his Senior Brother possessed.
SWISH!
Qing Guang retracted his Lifebound Magical Treasure, merging it perfectly into a single line with his body. His Spiritual Power surged wildly, faintly forming the silhouette of a massive sword.
"Could it be the Sword Sect's Secret Technique? The Unity of Man and Sword?!" Qing Hao shouted in excitement.
He watched as his Senior Brother's Gathering Spirit grew larger and larger until it reached its absolute peak. Then, like a longsword drawn from its sheath, Qing Guang shot off into the distance. Yes. The distance. A voice trailed behind him.
"This man is an Array Master! As the fastest among us, I shall return and request our master to come in person!"
"..."
Shen Yun and Xiao Jiu were both left entirely dumbfounded by this stunt.
"Senior Brother!" Qing Hao cried out miserably. "That's not the direction of the Cyan Cloud Pavilion!"
But Qing Guang acted as if he hadn't heard him. "I, Qing Guang—bah, I, Lin Jian, am no fool!" he thought. His real name wasn't Qing Guang to begin with; that was merely a name he adopted after joining the Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
"Since I've become a Grandmaster with a lifespan of five hundred years, dying now when I've only lived for three hundred would be a massive loss," Lin Jian thought viciously. Even if it meant offending Emperor Qing, he was a dignified Grandmaster! Where in the world could he not live freely and comfortably?
Just as he was happily scheming his escape, the sky suddenly darkened. Looking up, he saw dense, black storm clouds abruptly covering the heavens. Was someone advancing to the Grandmaster realm here?
The moment this thought flashed through his mind, a deafening thunderclap echoed across the world. BOOM! Several bolts of lightning instantly pierced through his body before he could even scream. More lightning rained down. No matter where he flew, the heavenly lightning seemed to be locking onto him in an endless, relentless barrage.
After spewing another mouthful of blood, he finally realized what was happening and let out a wretched shriek.
"Heavens! A peak Grandmaster!"
A newly emerged peak Grandmaster! A peak Grandmaster capable of commanding the forces of heaven and earth! A true apex existence in this world! How was he supposed to escape from that?!
Meanwhile, back on Shen Yun's side, the Array sustained by the remaining four had long since collapsed. Huddled together, they stared in sheer terror at the figure standing between heaven and earth like a god.
How could this be?! Qing Guang's miserable screams had already reached them, and the distant web of lightning sent a chilling despair into their hearts.
"Why... why..." Unable to handle the psychological blow, Qing Hao suddenly charged forward with reckless abandon, screaming like a madman. "If you are a peak Grandmaster, why didn't you reveal yourself earlier?!"
Had he just revealed his identity, there was absolutely no way the Cyan Cloud Pavilion would have chosen the Seventeenth Imperial Princess as a stepping stone to establish their dominance! Throughout the empire, there were only three Princes backed by a peak Grandmaster!
Shen Yun seemed to hear his words. After Xiao Jiu provided the translation, he slowly lowered his head. With eyes flashing with lightning, he stared down at the maddened Grandmaster, and slowly spat out four words.
"I was in seclusion."
"..."
Qing Hao's expression shifted continuously as if performing a magic trick. Finally, he lowered his head, his shoulders trembling. A dignified Grandmaster was actually weeping, tears streaming down his aged face.
"Punk," Wei Er suddenly flew up to the man, cracking his knuckles. His face was twisted in a ferocious scowl. "Are you ready?"
Qing Hao shivered. Suddenly realizing something, he yelled, "I am willing to atone! I am willing to serve your Jiuzhou Sect for a hundred years! No, three hundred years! To make up for my crime of offending a peak Grandmaster!"
He was a Grandmaster from Emperor Qing's own clan. As long as he didn't die, Emperor Qing would definitely come to save him!
"So, you still don't get it, do you?!" Wei Er's eyes gradually turned bloodshot. He threw a vicious punch. "You murdered my comrades! You insulted my Huaxia! With a blood feud like this, you still think you can live?! Pay with your life!"
Qing Hao took the punch squarely to the face and was sent flying hundreds of meters. Looking at Wei Er's expression—one that looked ready to tear him limb from limb—he finally understood. Everything truly happened just because he had killed a few insignificant Cultivators.
"Lunatics, you're all lunatics! I am a Grandmaster! A Grandmaster!" Qing Hao shouted hysterically, his face flushed red.
A Grandmaster! There were countless mortals and Cultivators in the world, but how many could ever become a Grandmaster? They could ascend to the heavens, dive into the earth, move mountains, and part the seas! To ordinary people, they were unimaginable, god-like existences!
BOOM! Shen Yun really couldn't hold back anymore. He brought down a massive bolt of lightning, enunciating every single word. "Your status as a Grandmaster, compared to my compatriots, is utterly worthless!"
"..."
Qing Hao slightly opened his mouth, as if he still wanted to say something. But Wei Er had already charged at him. He didn't use any Inheritance Treasure, nor did he use any Inheritance Secret Technique. He only sought flesh-to-flesh combat, wanting to beat the man to a pulp barehanded to console the spirits of his fallen comrades in heaven.
Shen Yun slowly closed his eyes. He knew very well that the martyred heroes were far more than just those seventeen people. This was the hardship of pioneering a new era. But as someone who had transmigrated from an era of peace, imagining the scenes of the martyrs' families receiving the tragic news still stirred an unbearable emotion in his heart.
"Master," Xiao Jiu's gentle voice echoed in his mind, seemingly wanting to brush away Shen Yun's sorrow. "There are still three people left. It's completely fine if you want to kill them all too."