This aura was truly terrifying, surpassing the Demi-Saint Realm by far.
On the path of evolution, the higher the cultivation realm, the wider the chasm. Especially after reaching the Saint Realm, the contrast in power between a Void Saint and a Demi-Saint was sometimes akin to that between the Initial Realm and the Saint Realm. Apart from the most supreme chosen prodigies, virtually no one could bridge such a massive gap, and even for prodigies of that caliber, fighting across realms remained exceedingly difficult.
Thus, when that aura manifested, even Lu Yuan could not help but take a slight step back, his brow furrowing. He knew that his actions had drawn forth a truly formidable figure.
He knew very well that the suppression of the Severance of Heaven and Earth lay over this world, making it exceptionally difficult for Great Saint existences to descend. Yet if special methods were employed, it was not impossible. Rumors had circulated earlier that behind this coalition of extraterrestrial beings stood the backing of Great Saint existences.
Now, those rumors had clearly proven true. Stepping back, Lu Yuan raised his eyes toward the distance. At the same time, below on Mount Tai, the Heavenly Court and the Jiang siblings all felt their hearts skip a beat.
The one appearing now was a true archenemy in every sense.
In the next instant, the terrifying aura surged once more, shielding the injured Zhou Yunqiong. A figure then materialized directly in front of her.
It was a tall, slender man clad in black robes, bearing an air of nobility. The bearing he displayed was even more extraordinary than that of Yu Heng from the Eternal Clan. Just by standing there, he commanded instinctive subservience from onlookers.
"Another from the Ji clan?" Below, Jiang Haokong recognized the man's identity at once. Frowning, he murmured, "And a sequence prodigy at that." To someone of his status, only peers of the same prodigy caliber could catch his eye, and this newcomer was undeniably powerful enough to warrant serious attention.
"Human Lu Yuan, you have already killed many. Now that you have vented your anger, it is time to stop." Ji Hongyu glanced at the wounded Zhou Yunqiong, his brow furrowing slightly.
Internally, he breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had followed behind. Otherwise, there was no telling what catastrophe would have unfolded. At this moment, he did not bother to pursue the fate of the other Ji clan members; as long as Zhou Yunqiong was alive, that was what mattered most to him.
"Vented?" Hearing this, Lu Yuan laughed and retorted, "I merely did what had to be done. They are only paying the price." The man made it sound as though he were committing wanton slaughter. In reality, had Lu Yuan lacked such strength, the ones slaughtered right now would have been this world's native beings and the entire Heavenly Court. This newcomer was truly adept at turning the blame around.
"Regardless of the motive, it should end now." Ji Hongyu seemed entirely indifferent, not taking the matter to heart. "Let everything conclude here." With that, he prepared to take Zhou Yunqiong and depart directly, paying no heed to the lives of the others.
His calculation was simple: he did not wish to clash directly with Lu Yuan for now. Even though his cultivation realm surpassed his opponent's by an entire tier, the Divine Son and Holy Maiden of the Jiang clan were watching below. Matters had to be considered with caution.
"This is not for you to decide." But right at that moment, Lu Yuan spoke.
Without the slightest hesitation, he took a step forward.
*Boom!* A tremendous aura surged forth. Streaks of lightning manifested from his hand, barring Ji Hongyu's path, while his battle intent flared even more fiercely than before.
*Could King Lu truly intend to clash directly with a Great Saint existence?* Witnessing this, everyone in the Heavenly Court paled in shock.
Yet Lu Yuan had already struck. His golden blood energy surged forth in a roaring, sweeping torrent.
"If you seek a fight, I shall gladly accompany you." Ji Hongyu narrowed his eyes as formidable power erupted from him.
The next instant, terrifying force rippled outward. The heavens trembled and the earth cracked as the dread aura swept across heaven and earth. As a sequence prodigy of the Ji clan and a figure of the Great Saint level, Ji Hongyu's strike was naturally far from ordinary. His palm transformed into a towering black mountain, crashing toward Lu Yuan as though intent on suppressing all creation.
Lu Yuan did not evade. He threw a punch straight forward, his golden blood energy surging. The two formidable forces collided head-on.
*Dong!* A deafening roar shook the area, deafening nearly ninety percent of the onlookers. Some of the weaker cultivators fainted on the spot. Although this was merely the aftershock of the collision, its destructive power had already reached a terrifying degree.
"Your strength has indeed exceeded my expectations." Surprised to see that his technique had yielded little effect, Ji Hongyu felt no fear, but immediately sent a voice transmission to Zhou Yunqiong beside him. "The upcoming battle will be brutal. Head into extraterrestrial space now; someone will receive you there."
He could tell that Lu Yuan was intent on taking Zhou Yunqiong's life, and he was not certain whether he could adequately shield her. Thus, the only option was to let her leave first before planning further. After all, battling someone was an entirely different matter from trying to protect someone during a fight. Facing Lu Yuan, not even Ji Hongyu dared to be careless.
"Understood." Zhou Yunqiong was thoroughly terrified. Her eyes flickered with panic, and she immediately shot upward. She, too, knew clearly that there was no safe haven left in this world; Lu Yuan was invincible here. Only by escaping into outer space could she survive, where numerous Great Saint Realm figures remained.
"Did I say you could leave?" But in that very breath, Lu Yuan took a step forward. Streaks of lightning suddenly erupted from him, hurtling in Zhou Yunqiong's direction.
"Your opponent is me." Ji Hongyu did not stand idle either. With a sweep of his hand, another colossal black peak manifested, blocking the lightning bolts.
"You think you can stop me? Let us see if you have the ability." Lu Yuan's battle intent soared. Ten grotto-heavens manifested behind him, granting a tenfold amplification to his combat prowess. The power of the lightning he wielded became far more dreadful than before.
*Rumble!* Boundless lightning roared, shattering the colossal black peak in mere moments.
"Arrogant!" Ji Hongyu's expression shifted slightly as his aura surged directly into the Great Saint Realm. Wasting no movement, he charged straight at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan met him without a trace of fear, his golden blood energy boiling throughout his body. In the blink of an eye, the two clashed violently.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Void of fancy maneuvers, they first collided with pure physical might. The clashing of their fists sounded like the detonation of ten thousand thunders. More terrifying still, under the impact of this immense power, several mountain ranges below cracked and crumbled.
A battle at the Great Saint level had reached the dreadful extent where the landscape and terrain were reshaped with every deliberate strike or stray shockwave.
And this was truly a pinnacle battle in every sense!
Chapter 306