The golden greatsword remained embedded in the soil of the graveyard, magnificent and lethal. The invisible pressure radiating from the blade caused the chaotic skirmish to grind to a halt. The zombies crawling out of the mud slowed to a crawl, and the members of the All-Encompassing Heaven, along with Feng Baobao, froze. Everyone stopped their movements, simultaneously lifting their heads and scanning their surroundings, searching for the owner of the sword.
Lu Liang felt a wave of cold air rush from the soles of his feet straight to his skull; the power residing within that sword made him instinctively want to flee. His perception abilities were exceptionally strong, and at this moment, facing this sword felt more terrifying than facing his great-grandfather, Lu Ci.
Suddenly, a more violent surge of power swept across the entire burial area. In everyone's perception, the surrounding night sky seemed to be torn asunder. One by one, golden circular portals, resembling ripples on water, appeared out of thin air. These densely packed portals nearly filled the sky above and the area around the graveyard.
Immediately following, countless weapons shimmering with a golden luster emerged from those portals. Sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks... every kind of cold weapon appeared, each exuding an extraordinary aura that did not belong to the mortal realm.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!" The sound of breaking air became a continuous roar.
Those golden weapons fell like a downpour, pinning themselves into the ground around the graveyard. Then, streaks of golden energy radiated from the weapons, interlacing to form a pale golden light curtain. This curtain completely enveloped the entire graveyard and everyone within it.
Xu San and Xu Si, who had just burst through the woods and were about to rush into the graveyard, were cut off by this sudden golden barrier. Xu San punched the light curtain, but it only triggered a ripple of golden light. Xu Si's face turned grim, but he could only watch the people inside the graveyard nervously through the barrier.
Inside the graveyard, everyone's attention was captivated. Suddenly, a figure slowly walked out from behind the light curtain formed by the weapons. He was clad in heavy, ornate golden armor of an ancient and noble design. His flowing blonde hair swayed slightly in the night breeze, and his crimson pupils, like burning jewels, scanned the crowd. The oppressive pressure he radiated was like a mountain, weighing heavily on everyone's heart.
The seductive smile on Xia He's face froze, and for the first time, her eyes showed true solemnity. Shen Chong, Dou Mei, and Gao Ning instinctively huddled together, their internal Qi circulating secretly as they looked at this uninvited guest with extreme vigilance. Even the expressionless Feng Baobao frowned slightly, tightening her grip on her kitchen knife.
Only Zhang Chulan, Lu Liang, and Liu Yanyan nearby had expressions of shock mixed with an unbelievable sense of bewilderment. Because they had watched Fate, they recognized the person before them.
Zhang Chulan's mind was screaming in protest: 'Holy crap?! Goldie?! What is going on!? Is this a cosplay? But this entrance looks so real! This can't be real, can it!?'
He blinked hard, wondering if he was experiencing hallucinations due to the influence of Xia He's ability earlier. But the blinding golden radiance and that suffocating pressure were all too real.
The golden-armored figure was indeed Ian cosplaying as Gilgamesh. At this moment, he was scanning the scene with those crimson eyes. His expression was arrogant to the extreme, as if he were looking at a few insignificant bugs.
Xia He forcibly suppressed the tremors in her heart and took a step forward. She managed to squeeze out a seductive smile, attempting to deal with him using her usual methods.
"This young sir, might I ask for your great name? For what reason have you come here in the deep of night?" She paused before continuing. "The matter here is a private grudge between our All-Encompassing Heaven and this young man. I ask that you show us some respect and stay out of it. We will surely offer a heavy reward afterward."
Ian didn't even look at her directly, merely glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
"To enjoy the glory of an audience with this King, yet fail to recognize this King's countenance!" His cold voice carried undisguised contempt. "Mongrels like you do not even deserve to live in this world!"
The moment his voice fell, a more terrifying pressure swept out like a tsunami, aimed directly at the Four Madmen of All-Encompassing Heaven, Lu Liang, and Liu Yanyan. The pressure felt by Feng Baobao and Zhang Chulan suddenly lightened, but the sight on the All-Encompassing Heaven's side was horrific.
"Thud!"
Liu Yanyan was the first to succumb. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to her knees, her face as pale as the corpses on the ground. Lu Liang followed closely, dropping to one knee with veins bulging on his forehead. He desperately channeled his Qi to resist, but his body continued to tremble uncontrollably.
Xia He, Shen Chong, Dou Mei, and Gao Ning were in slightly better condition, but they too were bent over as if carrying a thousand-pound burden. The sound of their bones creaking under the strain was audible. The composure they previously held was gone, replaced by pure horror. The four of them desperately circulated the Qi in their bodies to counter the invisible pressure, barely managing to keep from falling completely prostrate. They struggled to lift their gazes and stared fixedly at the golden figure before them.
Ian looked at their pathetic attempts to resist, a flash of impatience crossing his crimson pupils.
"Who permitted you mongrels to lift your heads and look upon this King?"
With a wave of his hand, a dense cluster of golden portals appeared behind him, blotting out half of the night sky. Countless Noble Phantasms of various shapes, radiating a chilling glint, emerged and locked onto the struggling members of the All-Encompassing Heaven below.
The shadow of death instantly enveloped Xia He and the others. They could clearly sense that any single one of those weapons contained enough power to easily pierce their defenses and pin them to the spot.
However, the Four Madmen were prominent figures in the All-Encompassing Heaven after all; they possessed a certain degree of ferocity and defiance in their bones. In the moment of life and death, their fear actually triggered their predatory instincts.
"Fight him!" Gao Ning growled, forcibly driving all his Qi to break free from the restraint.
Shen Chong, Dou Mei, and Xia He reached a decision almost simultaneously. Instead of waiting for death, they would stake everything on a gamble. They had considerable confidence in their own strength; with the four of them working together, they could almost walk through the world of outcasts unopposed. Aside from a few top-tier existences, there was no one they feared. Although this golden-shining guy before them had an incredible aura, they had never heard of such a person in the world of outcasts. Judging by his face, he didn't look like an old-generation expert. Perhaps he just had a very specific ability and was merely putting on a show.
The four figures exerted force at the same time, actually managing to push against the terrifying pressure and charge toward Ian, attempting to interrupt his attack.
Ian looked at the figures charging like ants and let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"Are you mongrels in such a hurry to die?"
"To dare to resist... how foolish!"
"Insolent curs! To think you would force this King to stand upon the same soil as such witless mongrels."
"Such disrespect is a crime punishable by ten thousand deaths!"