Blinding light descended like a second sun. The explosion thundered through heaven and earth. Even from Polaris Imperial City and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the mushroom-like cloud rising after the blast could be seen clearly.
Alistair Jewel, Sword Sage, and Bone Sage were not the only ones stunned into silence. Even Yue Guan and Ghost swallowed despite themselves. This was the first time Wu Ling had used this attack in front of them as well.
After firing that shot, Wu Ling slowly descended. The flames around him gradually faded, but the black spear shaft extending from the front of the golden spear continued radiating terrifying heat.
"Whew. One shot a day really feels great. Right, Sect Master Alistair, what were you about to say?"
Wu Ling smiled brightly, then shouldered the long spear and walked toward Alistair.
Looking at Wu Ling's hot-blooded appearance, in both senses of the word, even Alistair, who was known for his calm and gentleness, almost lost composure.
Wu Ling merely approached, yet the heat wave he carried was enough to curl the hair at Alistair's forehead. If Bone Sage had not been behind him, releasing cold Spirit Power to protect him, the heat alone might have dehydrated or even burned him on contact.
"Cough. Saint, I believe the wind on the mountaintop is rather strong. It is not a good place for a conversation. Shall we go down and discuss matters in detail?"
Wu Ling looked around. The summit, which had once been lush with branches and leaves, had become bare. Only the plants halfway down the mountain and at the foot remained. The entire peak now had a strange bald-ringed landscape. In a sense, the mountain was already half ruined. But judging from Alistair's expression, he did not mind at all, or rather, he did not dare mind.
Wu Ling casually twirled the spear, making Alistair retreat several more steps. Then the long spear vanished, and Wu Ling looked once more toward the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's territory.
For more than ten seconds, Wu Ling stood fixed in place. But because of the shot he had just fired, no one present had any desire to ask too many questions.
In a daze, Alistair seemed to see Wu Ling's seventh Spirit Ring flicker faintly. Immediately afterward, a satisfied smile appeared on Wu Ling's face.
Then Wu Ling turned and waved.
"Let us go, Sect Master Alistair. The wind on this mountain really is a little strong."
At that same moment, outside the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's territory, Golden Crocodile Sage silently stared at the crater before him, a crater that looked like a miracle of divine punishment.
He had never imagined that when Wu Ling said he would act, he had truly meant that he would act personally, and with only one strike.
"An attack of this level... perhaps only... no, distance must be included as well. If the distance were close enough, even Lucius Cross would have to avoid its edge. If he were careless for even a moment, he might fall to this strike."
"One could call this the strongest strike beneath the gods. And an attack like this came from the hands of a level-seventy Spirit King."
Thinking that, Golden Crocodile Sage raised his hands. The trembling was extremely faint, but he could clearly feel it.
He was afraid.
He feared this attack. If such a strike landed on Spirit City, then aside from Lucius Cross, perhaps even he would die on the spot.
But in the next moment, Golden Crocodile Sage's emotions settled again.
Because the person who had unleashed that attack was their Saint.
His fear and dread turned into pride all at once.
"With the Saint here, Spirit Hall is destined to rise!"
"Huh? Old Golden Crocodile, what are you talking about?"
The sudden voice made Golden Crocodile Sage pause. He was about to become alert, but a moment later, a familiar face appeared beside him. After seeing who it was, Golden Crocodile Sage relaxed again.
"So it is you, Rose. Did Wu Ling send you?"
That was right. The person beside Golden Crocodile Sage was Wu Ling's clone, Rose. Now, Rose held a small golden throne in her left hand. If one looked closely, they would see that the miniature golden throne was identical to Wu Ling's Martial Soul True Form. It had been made in imitation of Wu Ling's Martial Soul True Form, and it had only one purpose: long-distance connection to the inside of Wu Ling's true-form throne.
"Yes. The main body sent me to collect a few things."
As she spoke, Rose lifted the little throne.
"Things? Rose, your main body erased everything with that shot. Besides, most of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's assets were already moved out quietly. The only pity is the Spirit Bone on that old dragon's body. Still, for a battle result like this..."
Golden Crocodile Sage trailed off.
Because then, as the throne in Rose's hand shone with golden light, countless gray-white spheres of different sizes floated up from the pit.
The largest gray sphere took the shape of a flying dragon and directly entered the throne. The remaining gray spheres wanted to enter as well, but they were blocked outside by a layer of golden light.
Then a silent devouring began. Nearly a hundred gray spheres devoured and merged with one another, then devoured again, until finally only two gray spheres remained.
One was shaped like a dragon. The other was shaped like a human. After breaking through that golden light, both entered the throne as well.
"Not bad, not bad. Two extra harvests," Rose murmured happily.
Golden Crocodile Sage seemed to understand something, but decades of experience taught him not to ask too deeply.
"Rose, is there anything else you need me to help with?"
Rose put away the throne, tilted her head, and thought for a moment.
"No. Old Golden Crocodile, you can go back and report."
After receiving Rose's answer, Golden Crocodile Sage did not refuse. The events of the day had nearly shattered his view of the world again, so he needed to return and calm himself as soon as possible.
On Wu Ling's side, Wu Ling and Alistair returned to the guest room. But although they were on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's own ground, Alistair, the host, seemed even more restrained than Wu Ling.
On the way back, he had secretly asked Bone Sage and Sword Sage how they would fare against that attack. If they were slightly closer, they would certainly die. If they were farther away, they could escape, but they would be unable to help anyone else. As for enduring it, the two of them together might barely withstand it if they fought with everything they had.
In the end, Alistair reached one conclusion: if Wu Ling truly wanted to destroy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, it would not be much harder than destroying the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
After setting down his teacup, Wu Ling asked without looking away, "Sect Master Alistair, how did you find those fireworks just now?"
"...Truly terrifying."
"Is that so? In that case, shall I fire one over your sect later to celebrate?"
Alistair's face immediately went pale. He raised a hand to stop Bone Sage, who wanted to act, then asked in a low voice, "Saint, what do you mean by this?"
"Fine. Since matters have reached this point, there is no need for me to hide anything. I will put the cards on the table."
As he spoke, Wu Ling tossed a piece of parchment in front of Alistair.
"Submit, or be exterminated. Choose one."