Shi Changxiao let out a sudden snort, a dull sound that resonated across the firmament. The torrential rain in the air seemed to pause for a fraction of a second, arrested by his mere exhalation. Formless sound waves, accompanied by the pouring deluge, spread out like slow ripples. Everyone rushing in from all directions felt as if a great hammer had struck their hearts; in that instant, they all experienced a subtle, half-beat lag...

In a sudden shift, Shi Changxiao retracted the move aimed at Ying Bokong. A technique already launched, in his hands, it behaved as if tethered by a string—it could be called back at will! It was like a basin of water already overturned, yet just before hitting the ground, every drop miraculously flowed back upstream. A true Shenxuan master remains still until action is necessary, and when they strike, it is earth-shattering. Yet Shi Changxiao could summon and dismiss his power with such ease; what profound depth of cultivation must he possess!

In that pause, everyone felt as if time itself had momentarily flowed backward. The sensation was utterly uncanny!

Shi Changxiao’s fiercely recalled attack did not halt; he channeled the residual momentum of the move to launch it a second time, its might even greater than before, but now the target shifted to everyone surrounding them. All those on the periphery were instantly caught within the scope of Shi Changxiao’s fierce onslaught.

Amidst this extreme confusion and reversal, two figures floated in from the distance like white clouds swept by the wind, alighting atop a massive tree forty or fifty zhang away, silently observing the scene below.

Jun Moxie, who had rendered himself invisible, suddenly felt a tumultuous churning within the Hongjun Pagoda in his mind. It spun rapidly, and with a jolt that felt like a telepathic connection, he snapped his head toward the misty rain, his heart thumping wildly: They’ve finally arrived! Half the plan is successful, but I wonder if...

Shi Changxiao unleashed his fury, and under the sheer force of his power, countless bodies were tossed high into the air like scattered rice balls. The Three Great Elders, seeing the situation deteriorate, made a swift decision and retreated simultaneously. They pulled back over ten zhang before they could dissipate the force of Shi Changxiao’s attack. Witnessing the power of a Supreme Master, the crowd exchanged looks of sheer horror.

However, the other Shenxuan-level master, Fei Mochen, was not so fortunate. Though his original target was Ying Bokong, Shi Changxiao’s move enveloped him as well. In that split second, he endured a barrage of nine palm strikes and one kick from Shi Changxiao. Fortunately, his foundation was strong; though he retreated in utter disarray, he remained uninjured. Knowing he could not contend with Shi Changxiao, he could only curse as he backed away.

But the unluckiest of all was Li Youran’s Sixth Senior Brother!

Because his speed was simply too great!

Everyone else rushed forward, seizing any perceived opportunity, yet his speed outpaced even that of Fei Mochen and the Three Great Elders of Fengxue Yincheng—four Shenxuan masters—who were all retreating! The Cold-Blooded Supreme, Lei Wubei, must have felt proud to have such a disciple.

But his failing was precisely that he was too fast!

He managed what others could not, instantly reaching Ying Bokong’s front. Yet, at that very moment, Shi Changxiao erupted with unexpected madness, not only forcing back the Three Great Elders and the others but simultaneously cutting off all of the Sixth Senior Brother's escape routes. Because he moved too fast, he had the bad luck of not falling into Shi Changxiao's immediate attack radius!

But the terrible luck was that concurrent with Shi Changxiao’s strike, a relatively empty vacuum formed around Ying Bokong! And within this void, he was disastrously positioned for a direct confrontation with Ying Bokong, one of the Eight Supremes—a setting specifically for a one-on-one duel!

At this point, his mind was consumed by shock and terror to the extreme, yet his hands instinctively maintained their prior motion, deftly slipping inside Ying Bokong’s robes... It was truly tragic; excessive speed is not always a blessing.

This Sixth Senior Brother was a perfect example!

Ying Bokong’s attack had just begun. Seeing everyone else driven back by Shi Changxiao, he was feeling frustrated, when suddenly he noticed this audacious fellow standing before him. And this fearless individual had already reached into his robes! If he had been even a fraction of a second slower, his Xuan Dan might have been plucked out! Ying Bokong felt a mixture of rage and amusement!

If a Di Xuan practitioner managed to steal an item from one of the Eight Supremes, Ying Bokong might as well smash his own head in, or the sheer disgrace would kill him from humiliation alone.

But if Shi Changxiao hadn't suddenly stopped his attack, and Ying Bokong had met the assault head-on, given this brat's astonishing speed, he would have succeeded with 200% certainty! The timing he chose was truly impeccable, too perfect!

But success in that moment would have seen Ying Bokong’s lifelong reputation flushed down the drain! A Supreme being robbed by a Di Xuan—that would be world-shaking news!

Thus, Ying Bokong was furious! Raging! Incensed!

He was inherently arrogant and untamed, always doing as he pleased, never taking anyone seriously. Previously, he had shown some restraint out of deference to the reputation of the Cold-Blooded Supreme, Lei Wubei. But now... to hell with Lei Wubei!

The Sixth Senior Brother only knew his movement technique was marvelous, even surpassing the peak of Tian Xuan, but he was ignorant that the Prairie Eagle God, Ying Bokong, was also renowned for his movement and speed; in terms of agility, he was virtually the foremost among the Eight Supremes!

He vaguely saw Ying Bokong’s hand shoot out and grasp his wrist. The instant it connected, the sound of bone marrow exploding cracked like frying soybeans. Before the sound had even finished, Ying Bokong released his grip and slapped him at the waist, then sharply raised him high overhead. His own body, once impossibly agile, now possessed not a sliver of resistance in Ying Bokong’s grasp, transforming into a gigantic human-shaped doll, ready to be twisted and squeezed at will. The Sixth Senior Brother’s consciousness ended there; he fainted dead away.

Ying Bokong paid no mind to the Sixth Senior Brother’s fate. He simply treated the slender body like a toy, spinning it around his head like a windmill, emitting a ga-su sound. For a moment, it generated countless afterimages, then, whoosh, he flung the body away, precisely toward his fellow disciples.

The nine disciples reached out together to catch him, but the small body was spinning too fast and coming in too fiercely. With a muffled bang, the spinning momentum actually knocked several of the disciples down. The body spun another four or five zhang before finally landing on the ground, where it continued to rotate like a top for a moment, splashing rainwater that shone brilliantly under the reflected glow of the surrounding Xuan Qi, scraping the grass beneath it clean before it finally stilled. Even in unconsciousness, the impact of the throw elicited one last agonizing cry; he was barely clinging to life!

The disciples rushed forward to check, and upon seeing his condition, several cried out in grief and indignation.

A living person, spun around like a pinwheel, the consequences were predictable! Both arms were shattered into seventy or eighty segments by the pressure of the Xuan Qi. His legs were broken, his waist bone and pelvis pulverized, and his Dantian utterly destroyed. Even if he managed to survive, he was unequivocally crippled; calling him completely paralyzed would be an understatement!

Having courage is no flaw, and daring to attempt something is a virtue. But without complementary strength to match one's ambition, one is at fault. Rashly provoking a power one cannot handle—the fate of the Sixth Senior Brother served as the perfect illustration of this principle!

The Eldest Senior Brother, Lei Jianhong, roared out in grief and indignation, rising to his feet, shouting furiously: “Ying Bokong! Such vicious means! From this day forward, the disciples of the Cold-Blooded Supreme will hunt you until death!” Ying Bokong, brimming with anger, cursed back without restraint: “Get lost, your mother’s! He deserved this repayment for daring to provoke this lord! If you dare annoy me again today, I will ensure Lei Wubei’s line ends completely!”

Stung by his roar, the nine senior brothers’ chests nearly burst from suppressed rage, but they forced themselves to endure it. Who was Ying Bokong? If he initiated the aggression, he wouldn't fear the consequences. If he truly went berserk and killed all ten of them, it seemed entirely possible. The immediate course was to swallow their anger for now and plan slowly.

Indeed, the dignity of a Supreme Shenxuan master could not be offended. If you offend it, you must pay the commensurate price!

“Ying Bokong, such chaotic fighting is quite tedious. Why don't you and I join forces first, eliminate all these people here, and then find a quiet place for a proper three-day, three-night battle? I guarantee you’ll be satisfied then. Afterward, we can debate who claims the Xuan Dan. What do you say?” The moment Shi Changxiao uttered these words, the faces of everyone present turned ashen.

If the two Supremes truly joined forces, perhaps only the Three Great Elders of Fengxue Yincheng might luckily escape; everyone else would likely be unable to flee. Even Fei Mochen, being a Shenxuan-level master himself, would be no exception, as he was alone and significantly weaker than the two Supremes.

Ying Bokong burst into loud laughter, his imposing gaze slowly sweeping the area. Whoever his eyes landed on involuntarily took a step back. Several people near the periphery, feeling the sharp, lightning-like scrutiny of Ying Bokong’s eyes upon them, felt an inexplicable terror in their hearts. Suddenly, with a piercing cry, they threw down their weapons and fled.

Ying Bokong scoffed and laughed heartily: “Shi Changxiao, do you really take me for a fool? You want me to slaughter everyone here so that only you and your subordinates remain, claiming all the benefits? I came here to fight, not to help you kill people over this worthless Xuan Dan! Today, the Xuan Dan is in my hands. Whoever can land a single strike or two on me can take it! Why would I be interested in teaming up with you? Watch this move!” He suddenly shot upward and then swiftly arrived before Shi Changxiao, launching a flurry of punches and kicks.

The quick-witted among those present instantly realized the trap: if they followed Shi Changxiao’s proposal, the two Supremes would eliminate the local experts, while Shi Changxiao’s own forces remained unharmed. Even if they genuinely dueled afterward, Ying Bokong’s strength was inferior to Shi Changxiao’s. The final outcome regarding the Xuan Dan was predictable!

In truth, the possession of the Xuan Dan might not even have been Shi Changxiao’s true objective. Consider this: everyone gathered here were top-tier masters from various nations, including some of the most renowned experts of the age. Normally, any one of them could shake a region. Today, they were drawn here by the Xuan Dan. If such a large contingent of masters were wiped out, it would greatly benefit the Divine Bestowal Empire to which Shi Changxiao belonged. The fact that Shi Changxiao could devise such a venomous scheme so quickly, intending to use Ying Bokong’s hands to slaughter them all, truly affirmed his title as the Imperial State Preceptor of the Divine Bestowal Nation!