Attacking in Force, the Furnace Shows Its Might: Another Card Up His Sleeve?

Before the Southern Heavenly Gate at the Mount Tai Trial Academy, two diametrically opposed auras swept ceaselessly across the heavens and the earth. They clashed against each other, the might radiating from both seeming evenly matched. Yet what astonished onlookers was the composition of each side. One aura was formed from the combined presence of dozens of Demi-Saints, multiple cultivators of the Saint Realm, and a vast throng of Sovereign King Realm beings. With so many figures pooling their might, the resulting force was naturally terrifying. But what of the other side? There stood only one person. From Lu Yuan, a formidable golden blood energy billowed forth, flooding the entire expanse of the sky. With his strength alone, he tore open a massive rift across the dim heavens, turning the gloom into broad daylight. Opposite him, Yu Xiong of the Eternal Clan watched this display, feeling an even deeper wariness toward Lu Yuan. Though a sequence prodigy possessing immense power, it was precisely because of his prowess that he could discern the stark contrast between them. At this moment, he was entirely certain that in a one-on-one duel, he would definitely be no match. Because of that, he felt all the more fortunate that he had drawn in the Ji clan and the other extraterrestrial clans. Only under these circumstances would they have any chance of utterly eliminating this man. Without another word, Yu Xiong looked at Lu Yuan and softly uttered a single command: "Kill!" As the word fell, he took a step forward without hesitation, the divine halo behind his head radiating piercing bursts of cold light. Behind him, several members of the Ji clan exchanged glances and immediately followed suit. Zhou Yunqiong had also reached the Demi-Saint Realm; compared to before, her strength had undergone a world-shaking transformation, and fueled by her fierce desire to slay Lu Yuan, she struck out as well, her aura flaring to life. At the same time, the Demi-Saints of the other clans all joined the offensive. They had already agreed on the plan during their journey. When they attacked, every Demi-Saint would strike in unison. All of them believed that taking on Lu Yuan alone was virtually impossible. Only by joining forces could they pin him down, allowing their subordinates to deal with the members of the Heavenly Court. No matter how powerful Lu Yuan was, he was still just one man. Their advantage lay in their overwhelming number of experts, which was more than enough to crush the Heavenly Court. Rumble! Over twenty Demi-Saints attacked simultaneously. The spectacle was immense; the firmament trembled violently, and streaks of black lightning crashed down from above. On the earth below, boulders fractured and towering trees disintegrated into powder—and this was merely the collateral damage from their sheer presence. Down below, the members of the Heavenly Court furrowed their brows, their expressions solemn. The might of Demi-Saints was indeed horrifying. Even standing on the ground, most of them felt suppressed and could barely muster the ability to strike, with only those who had reached the Saint Realm faring somewhat better. Everyone now fully understood that this time, the extraterrestrial beings meant business. Boom! Just as these thoughts crossed their minds, Lu Yuan made his move high above. His golden blood energy surged and roared, coalescing behind him into a massive furnace. This furnace seemed even more radiant than the blazing sun. A terrifying pressure descended. Facing more than twenty Demi-Saints, he wasted no time on superfluous movements, throwing a single direct punch. At this point, Lu Yuan had not even drawn upon the divine power within his body, relying solely on his physical might. Boom— A tremendous roar echoed across the sky. The golden blood energy churned and rolled in wave after wave, blanketing the sky and engulfing all twenty-odd extraterrestrial Demi-Saints within it. Led by Yu Xiong, the crowd showed no fear, circulating their strength and uniting their forces to confront that incoming fist. In an instant, dazzling rays of light clashed violently with the golden blood energy. The brilliance was so blinding that onlookers could not keep their eyes open. Anyone a realm lower could not even dream of intervening. Rumble! Another thunderous blast erupted. Beneath that punch, Yu Xiong and the others felt their bodies shudder, and they were forced back a step. Yet Lu Yuan remained standing straight where he was, his gaze razor-sharp, his aura flaring once more. Having chosen to fight, he had no interest in empty words and charged straight into their ranks. "Hold nothing back, or none of us will survive!" shouted one of the Ji clan members. Having recognized their opponent's terrifying strength, he knew they could not afford the slightest carelessness and urged everyone to unleash their peak power. "I refuse to believe that with so many of us joined together, we cannot obliterate him!" Zhou Yunqiong clenched her fists. Surging power swept from her body, radiating brilliant beams of light. She unleashed her ultimate techniques, as well as the supreme grand divine abilities of the Ji clan, coordinating with the surrounding Demi-Saints to strike once more. Admittedly, so many Demi-Saints joining forces—some of whom were sequence prodigies of immense caliber—amounted to a battle prowess that had no reason to fear even the Great Saint Realm. Yet here they were, deploying all of it just to deal with a single adversary. More crucially, Lu Yuan did not retreat; instead, he advanced step by step. Above his head, the Furnace of Heaven and Earth hummed incessantly, drawing in all manner of power of heaven and earth. Indeed, this was the true might of the Furnace of Heaven and Earth: it could continuously absorb various forms of energy to replenish his own reserves. In other words, as long as he wished, he could fight on indefinitely at the absolute peak of his condition. This was an unimaginable, terrifying trait. Yet he felt no fear. Boom! In the next instant, Lu Yuan appeared directly before several Demi-Saints, delivering yet another punch. Squelch! Right in front of him, three Demi-Saints shattered into pieces, their blood instantly vaporized. Those nearby were utterly powerless to stop him. "Quick, move to the next phase!" Yu Xiong ordered immediately upon seeing this. He had truly never anticipated that with the battle having only just begun, Lu Yuan would already slaughter three Demi-Saints. With such overwhelming dominance and horrifying speed, pinning him down would cost an astronomical price. They had no choice but to advance the next phase ahead of schedule. As long as they threatened the lives of the Heavenly Court members below, the entire dynamic of the battle would shift. Hearing the command, Zhou Yunqiong did not hesitate. Leading several Demi-Saints and numerous Void Saints, she dove directly toward the ground. She knew very well that with Lu Yuan's temperament, he would never abandon his subordinates. And that was his greatest weakness. Above, Yu Xiong and the others exerted their supreme strength and techniques, continuing their desperate attempt to entangle Lu Yuan. Yet Lu Yuan merely spared them a passing glance and pressed on with the fight. At the same time, the force behind his strikes grew even more ferocious, accompanied by rolling bursts of thunder. "Why isn't he panicked in the slightest?" The Ji clan members noticed Lu Yuan's composure. He showed no reaction at all, making them wonder whether he held another card in reserve. Yet in this world, apart from the extraterrestrial clans, who else could possibly withstand Zhou Yunqiong and her contingent? Hum— Hum— Just as doubt gripped everyone's minds, two mighty surges of power came rushing forth—both of them firmly at the Demi-Saint Realm!