You're Strong? Obliterated!

Spear in hand, Xiao Chen streaked through the air while Gu Li weaved through the void. Gu Li glanced back at the six figures pursuing him, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. He came to an abrupt halt, spun around to face them, and slammed both hands against the void, forming hand seals at blinding speed! "Die for your grandpa!" Boom! To their horror, the six cultivators suddenly realized their bodies were covered in dense clusters of inscribed talismans without them ever noticing! There were thousands upon thousands of them; combined, nearly thirty thousand talismans were plastered across the six men. "Detonate!" Rumble! By the time they reacted, it was already too late... Under their despairing gazes, the terrifying talismans detonated all at once. The resulting fireball swelled over a thousand zhang wide. The blinding glare lit up almost the entire battlefield. The shockwaves whipped Li Guanqi's robes into a frantic flutter. Yet at that very moment, Li Guanqi's expression twisted in alarm! A single thread was anchored to the center of Gu Li's brow, steadily tugging his divine soul out of his body bit by bit! Gu Li discovered in sheer terror that no matter what countermeasure he tried, nothing worked. He roared in desperation, "Big Brother! Save me!" Before his voice even faded, Li Guanqi whipped his sword around, cleaving through the void in a furious slash! Boom! Crack! "Hmph! Rat hiding in the shadows, show yourself!" As the shout rang out, the triangular-eyed man from earlier slowly stepped out from the void. In his hand dangled a severed thread! The man looked down at his bleeding finger, then toward the other end of the severed strand... Gu Li stared at the remnant at his forehead, gasping raggedly for breath. A wave of lingering dread washed over him. Xiao Chen appeared at Gu Li's side, instantly interposing himself in front of him. His spear spun into an impenetrable blur, single-handedly turning aside the barrage of attacks that came raining down! Hands resting on his knees, Gu Li drew deep, heavy breaths, his face slightly pale. Though his divine soul had snapped back into place when the thread was severed, it was still violently shaken. That sensation of having his soul wrenched from his physical form filled him with dread, and it took several breaths before he calmed down even slightly. When he looked up into the distance again, the space within a hundred zhang between Li Guanqi and the man was completely devoid of any other cultivators. The aura clashing between the two was so crushing that it had blasted clear an open zone in the heart of the battlefield. The man narrowed his eyes and tilted his head toward Li Guanqi, his gaze as cold and venomous as a viper's. "You're not Long Hou." "Who are you?" Li Guanqi took on a solemn expression. He licked his lips, probed the man's aura, and murmured, "Heavenly Immortal realm? What layer?" The man sneered. "To think a mere half-step Tribulation Transcendence runt could guess my cultivation." Li Guanqi gave a cold scoff of his own. "Do you actually think you control the board here?" "After descending to the lower realm, your suppressed cultivation is nothing more than the peak of early Tribulation Transcendence." "In the Heavenly Immortal realm... you're fourth layer at most." The man frowned slightly upon hearing this. With a chilling aura, he drew a lavish longsword gleaming with frosty brilliance. "I hope your strength is as tough as your mouth." On this battlefield, two other cultivators possessed strength on par with this man. However, neither of them had made a move so far. Li Guanqi sent a voice transmission to Yu Shan. "Keep a close eye on those two. Find an opportunity to have someone take them out." Yu Shan acknowledged softly and refocused on monitoring the entire field. "Gu Li, look for a chance to slap some inscribed talismans on Yu Shan—life-saving ones, preferably." "The enemy will definitely look for a chance to kill him." Standing behind Xiao Chen, Gu Li gave a subtle nod. Nearby, Meng Wanshu and Hong Zhi's eyes flickered; they had evidently pinpointed the hiding spots of the other two. Those two women, remarkably, were the most formidable cultivators present aside from Li Guanqi. The man fixed a solemn gaze upon Li Guanqi. His dismissive tone didn't mean he truly underestimated his opponent. On the contrary, Li Guanqi exerted an unusually immense pressure over him as well. He had expected to confront Long Hou, the strongest among them, never imagining he would face such a terrifying opponent before Long Hou even appeared. Gripping his sword, the man's aura turned fiercely volatile. Surging Geng Metal power seemed poised to carve the surrounding world to ribbons. A majestic sword intent rose in response—Sword Heart Realm sword intent! Li Guanqi froze for a brief moment, muttering inwardly, *Are Immortal Realm cultivators really this pathetic?* On second thought, it made sense. The Immortal Realm was rich in resources, and their cultivation conditions far surpassed the lower realms. Those born directly into the Immortal Realm might not possess a deeper comprehension of the Dao of the Sword than those who had fought tooth and nail in the realms below! A peculiar glint entered the man's eyes, and an eerie smirk crept onto his face. "The Human Spirit Realm must be destroyed." "Remember the name of the man who slays you: Song Yuan!" Boom! The instant the words fell, violent Geng Metal power erupted! A golden domain surged forward, engulfing the space around Li Guanqi. Li Guanqi's expression remained unchanged. With a wave of his hand, boundless thunderous power burst forth. Faint traces of nominal law were woven into the lightning. Though it fell short of the full power of the opponent's laws, Li Guanqi's identity as the Thunder Master combined with the fusion of his various energies allowed him to tear right through the incoming domain with ease! Song Yuan's eyes narrowed; an ominous premonition seized him. Yet the moment he tried to pull back, Li Guanqi's figure was already behind him. "Too slow." Thud! Li Guanqi drove a fist forward. Song Yuan's body took the brunt of the blow and shot backward like an artillery shell. Boom! Boom! Boom! The man crashed straight through a floating isle, shattering it to rubble. The sheer force made his eyes bulge, and he spat out a great mouthful of blood. *Impossible... How can his physical strength be this monstrous?!* Before he could even process the thought, Li Guanqi burst through the swirling dust and debris! A barrage of dozens of razor-sharp sword beams met him head-on! Song Yuan darted and dodged across the flying stones, desperately evading the onslaught. Yet the moment his foot touched another hurtling rock, the boulder beneath him abruptly exploded, and boundless thunder erupted from beneath his soles! Purple-black lightning coalesced into giant thunder serpents that coiled rapidly around him. At the same time, a hulking figure clad in purple thunder armor materialized before his eyes. Song Yuan swung his sword in response, tracing profound arcs of light to shatter the thunder serpents. Yet Li Guanqi's next strike was already upon him! The two silhouettes flickered madly through the air, trading hundreds of blows each breath. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! A flurry of metallic clashes rang out, and the stray shockwaves pulverized one floating isle after another. Blasted backward, Song Yuan realized in mounting horror that he held not the slightest advantage in the sword arts. His opponent's sword speed was faster than that of any cultivator he had ever encountered in the Immortal Realm! So blindingly swift were the strikes that, by the end, he could only deflect on raw instinct! Thud! Boom! Crash! Bang! Amid deafening detonations, Song Yuan's body slammed into a massive mountain once again. A turbulent look filled his eyes. He had never expected to be outmatched in both speed and power! Looking down at the sword wound on his chest that cut deep to the bone, a chill gripped his heart. He had never imagined the Human Spirit Realm could harbor an expert like this besides Long Hou! Treading on empty air, Li Guanqi maintained an unruffled expression, looking completely at ease in the clash. His dominant strength exerted an overwhelming pressure, stifling his opponent at every turn. He showed not the slightest hint of being suppressed by the difference in cultivation realm. Li Guanqi drew a deep breath and spoke in a bone-chilling voice. "If this is all you have... then you can die." With those words, endless thunder transformed into a boundless purgatorial sea. Demonic qi surged, and a purple-black gleam flashed across Li Guanqi's eyes. "Heart Demon Control! Demon Domain!" Taking advantage of the split-second daze that seized the man, Li Guanqi shot forward! "Red Lotus: Thunder Wrath!" A phantom of the Thunder God raised a greatsword aloft, channeling pure destructive power as it cleaved straight toward the man's head! Yet just as the sword beam was about to strike home, a ringing sword hum tore through the air! From amidst the crowd, an old man suddenly appeared directly in front of Li Guanqi.