Jin Yao and the others instinctively took a deep, slow breath, regulating their internal energies.
Everyone keenly felt that the current Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong was utterly transformed from the man they had faced moments before. It was an invisible aura, an oppression that permeated everything yet remained untraceable.
Yet, neither Jin Yao nor Zhu Tian and the others showed the slightest hint of fear! Instead, their eyes blazed with fervent light.
"Next, I will use my full strength. I hope you won't disappoint me!" Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong abandoned his previous arrogance, his demeanor turning significantly darker.
"Bring it on!" Jin Yao remained unmoved, responding calmly, "So-called 'Thunderbolt War General' is nothing more than that."
"You are arrogant! But you certainly possess some skill. You should be proud to witness me unleash 'Thunder Descent'!" Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong wasn't angered.
"Hahahaha, is this your final trump card? Let's see what kind of technique this so-called 'Thunder Descent' truly is!" Jin Yao countered sharply, brimming with his own defiance.
Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s expression shifted slightly. Still not angered, he instead displayed a look of deep amusement. "It seems you are still holding reserves back."
"The feeling is mutual," Jin Yao replied coolly.
He didn't assume any particular stance; he merely shifted the tip of his foot slightly forward.
The entire Five Ring Grand Array immediately underwent a subtle transformation!
The aura, previously as calm as still water, seemed to coalesce instantly, then compress within Jin Yao’s body! Following that, it surged outward, leveraging the slight lean of his posture!
The change wasn't obvious, lacking the earth-shattering momentum of 'Thunder Descent,' yet Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong couldn't help but regard them with newfound respect.
The coordination between these five had reached an astonishing level of synchronization—advance and retreat as one, offense and defense unified; five were one, and one was five.
If Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s 'Thunder Descent' was the fierce lightning of a raging volcano, then Jin Yao and the others before them were the profound, boundless ocean! Impossible to fathom!
It wasn't just Jin Yao; Yue Yao, Zhu Tian, Yin Hu, and the others in the other teams were the same!
Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong could clearly sense their battle intent growing stronger. Their joints cracked continuously, indicating their qi had condensed to its peak, poised for instant eruption. The four teams, four auras, merged into a single entity at this moment, possessing absolute tacit understanding.
"They won't be easy to deal with." Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong slowly raised the Frost-Condensing Greatsword in his hand, pouring all his Dou Qi into the blade! The dazzling Dou Qi was strangely sharp yet carried an aura of chilling lethality, and his presence instantly soared.
Everyone instinctively felt that what was coming next would be a strike of overwhelming force!
Jin Yao and the others remained still! Each held their swords across their chests, fully prepared!
Roar!
A deep, thunderous boom erupted suddenly!
Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong let out a fierce shout!
He dissolved into a streak of afterimage!
However, his target was not the Jin Yao squad, but the Zhu Tian squad!
The afterimage flashed, the icy blade shining with an uncanny blue light, instantly appearing before Zhu Tian’s chest!
Such speed—even the Eye of Death Desire could not track this lightning-fast strike! More terrifying than its speed was the accompanying momentum; no one dared doubt the immense power contained within this sword. Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong had even foregone the external projection of Dou Qi, converting all energy into pure physical force for a close-quarters, hand-to-hand assault, revealing how determined he was to land this blow!
"Roar!" Jiu Yao Zhu Tian roared, utterly fearless. He showed no intention of dodging or blocking, completely disregarding the incoming sword!
The Frost-Condensing Greatsword suddenly swept out in a peculiar upward (liao) arc!
It wasn't fast, yet it carried the sound of wind and thunder. The shattered stones and debris on the ground seemed caught in a powerful vortex, all converging before Jiu Yao Zhu Tian’s blade to strike Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong directly.
Jin Yao also moved on the other side! He had to move!
Because he knew that Jiu Yao Zhu Tian and the others could not withstand Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s attack at this moment. Thus, Jiu Yao Zhu Tian had chosen a mutually destructive, desperate fighting style, precisely to disrupt Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s offensive—even for an instant, just enough to reveal a slight weakness!
Sword Qi! Shot forth!
Mysterious as Celestial Traces! Swift as wind and thunder!
A sharp whistle, piercing and agonizing, as a dazzling blade light burst forth in a spray of brilliance, trailing a beautiful arc as it cut through the heavy suppression, hurtling toward Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s rear!
One strike from the front, one from behind—a superb killing formation instantly materialized!
Hmph!
But just then, another blue streak flashed!
Jin Yao didn't even have time to react to any countermeasure! The sudden blue light had already streaked toward his chest!
It was sword qi—a blue, blazing sword qi! Gloomy and lethal, yet intensely scorching to the point of suffocation! It was like the fire of death piercing through the Nine Hells to reach him!
The one who struck was Sheng Yan Zhen He, who had been observing from the sidelines!
He had to intervene. With his eyesight, how could he fail to see that Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong was in a precarious situation?
He also hadn't expected that these heavily armed warriors from the Demon Dragon Empire would prove so troublesome. Facing the Thunderbolt Warriors, whose strength far surpassed theirs, they showed no fear and were fighting evenly!
It had to be admitted, their formation technique was truly formidable! More terrifying was the death-defying spirit of these heavy warriors! No one doubted that even if a God or Demon stood before them, they could not shake their resolve. This was what truly unsettled Sheng Yan Zhen He!
Therefore, he had been secretly gathering power early on!
If he strikes, it must be a killing blow—that had always been Sheng Yan Zhen He's way of operating. This sudden sword qi attack—in terms of speed, power, and angle—was absolutely flawless!
Jin Yao had absolutely no way to evade it!
In fact, even if Jin Yao had been prepared, avoiding it would have been extremely difficult! Of course, even if Jin Yao had anticipated it, he wouldn't have dodged, as there was no need!
From beginning to end, Yin Hu’s gaze never left Sheng Yan Zhen He. The Dou Qi condensed by the five was already tightly channeled into the Frost-Condensing Greatsword. Thus, the moment the sword qi flashed, Yin Hu’s crescent blade rapidly met it! It was equally solid, fierce, and incredibly fast!
Clash! Clash! Clash! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
Three brilliant explosions of light erupted simultaneously!
One figure was flung outward like shrapnel within the dazzling detonations!
"Pfft..." Jiu Yao Zhu Tian was uncontrollably thrown back, his left arm flying off, trailing a streak of mournful crimson! It was a direct consequence of Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong severing his limb in that first exchange. If Jiu Yao Zhu Tian hadn't shifted his body slightly the instant he was struck, he might have been cleaved in two. This showed how immense the force of Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong's strike was!
However, his sword had simultaneously swept across Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s waist! And he was hit squarely by the sword qi shot out by Jin Yao!
This strike, which contained the full Dou Qi energy of Jiu Yao Zhu Tian, Jiu Yao Zhu Feng, and Jiu Yao Zhu Chuan!
This strike, embodying Jiu Yao Zhu Tian's refusal to retreat even at the cost of his life!
How could it be underestimated!
And the blow Jin Yao had readied was equally astonishing in power! This time, neither side yielded an inch; the result could only be mutual injury!
"Boom..." Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong, struck squarely, was also involuntarily hurled a great distance!
A churning pain convulsed his internal organs, and blood erupted uncontrollably! If not for the formidable defense of the Thunderbolt Armor, Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong might have already been split in two!
Everything happened simultaneously in a single instant!
Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong couldn't even control his body's trajectory!
Clang! Rumble!
Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s body smashed heavily onto the ground as he was thrown.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The moment Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s back hit the earth, he sensed two searing energies rapidly approaching—it was the Great Fireballs from Chi Xiang and Chi Yu, arriving instantly.
The opportunity Jiu Yao Zhu Tian had created at the cost of his life—they would never let it pass!
The two Great Fireballs contained the full magical power of Chi Xiang and Chi Yu. Their speed, power, and even the trajectory of the attack were perfectly flawless! As if rehearsed countless times!
And indeed, they had been!
The development of the battle had not exceeded their predictions; thus, they would allow Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong no chance to catch his breath!
"Roar!"
As he was falling, Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s body inflated like a punctured ball, springing up the instant he landed!
He had managed, in that flash of lightning, to evade both Great Fireballs!
The perfect killing strike dissolved!
However, Jiu Yao Zhu Feng and Jiu Yao Zhu Chuan seemed to have anticipated this change. They lunged forward like maddened tigers! Two greatswords cleaved downward!
Astonishing Dou Qi energy was tightly channeled into the Frost-Condensing Greatswords. There was no dazzling light, not even a hint of strange fluctuation, yet no one dared doubt the immense power these two swords contained!
This attack also comprised all their strength, held back for nothing! Their sole aim was a killing blow!
Ah! Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong, who had just sprung up, was greatly startled! Ignoring the need to adjust his posture or the chaotic energy within him, he desperately swung a sword to meet the two descending blades!
Clash! Rumble! Rumble!
A dull roar exploded again.
In that split second, Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong's greatsword barely managed to block the cleave from Jiu Yao Zhu Feng and Jiu Yao Zhu Chuan, but he was sent flying upward again by the sheer force! And blood erupted uncontrollably!
The hastily reacting Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong could not exert his full strength, so how could he withstand the fully charged onslaught of the two? He suffered a massive loss in the first exchange! The already turbulent energy inside him was further aggravated!
Having landed the blow, Zhu Feng and Zhu Chuan did not pause for an instant, closing the distance with lightning speed, flanking him left and right, coordinating flawlessly.
Before Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong could even settle back onto the ground!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Greatswords flew like shooting stars again, cleaving towards Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s left and right flanks!
Currently airborne, shaken by the impact, Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong had nowhere to retreat! Yet, Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong was indeed a powerful Thunderbolt Warrior; in that instant, he swept his sword out in a crescent arc! Slicing towards Zhu Feng and Zhu Chuan’s waists—a desperate, mutually fatal move!
But the two didn't even attempt to evade! Their eyes were fixed solely on Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong, determined to kill him, even if it cost them their lives!
Yes, defeating a Thunderbolt General would inevitably incur a heavy price; they had been mentally prepared for this!
So they showed no fear!
The Frost-Condensing Greatswords continued their unstoppable downward chop!
Clash! Rumble! Rumble! Splat!
A brilliant light explosion, a muffled roar!
Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong’s sturdy body shot away like a projectile! Then he crashed heavily to the ground!
On the other side!
Splat!
The bodies of Zhu Feng and Zhu Chuan were actually struck sideways by the powerful crescent sword qi! They were also hurled a great distance!
If not for the formidable defense of the Heavenly Demon Armor, and if Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong hadn't been forced to react hastily without exerting full force, that crescent arc would have split them in two!
But regardless of the outcome, the two had completed their mission!
Fighting life for life, even if they failed to kill Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong, they had heavily wounded him—that was enough!
"Zhen Xiong."
"Ah Feng, Ah Chuan!"
Both sides cried out simultaneously!
"Die!"
Two more Great Fireballs whistled toward them! The astonishing magical fluctuations seemed to ignite the very air around them! Their speed was extreme—it was Chi Xiang and Chi Yu attacking again. On such a rare occasion, how could they let it pass?
In truth, they had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver the killing blow!
"Damn it!"
Sheng Yan Zhen He darted forward, rushing toward Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong! Attempting to intercept the two Great Fireballs!
But how could Yin Hu and the others allow him to succeed? Four streaks of fiery sword qi instantly shot out, aimed directly at Sheng Yan Zhen He’s rear! Simultaneously as the qi was unleashed, four golden figures and one massive white figure moved like lightning, chasing after Sheng Yan Zhen He.
It was Yin Hu, Yin Tao, Yin Chi, Yin Yao, and the awakened Sacred Beast, the White Tiger, launching a fierce attack!
No matter what, they had to stop Sheng Yan Zhen He!
They absolutely could not let him save Sheng Yan Zhen Xiong!
Everything happened simultaneously in that fleeting moment!