No! That wasn't the power of Mount Sumeru! Taishan Wang watched Lü Dongbin's boundless, surging aura and Stellar power, noticing that this technique's expansion differed slightly from Mount Sumeru's power; it seemed to also conceal the Great Vajra Divine Might Art—but that wasn't right either! After several bursts of true energy, his skin turned as bright red as a scalded crab.

Biancheng Wang stared blankly at Lü Dongbin, mentally chastising himself. This time, he had truly underestimated the heroes of the world. He had initially thought Qin Fen was just an inexperienced youth, but this kid was actually strong enough to take on many opponents single-handedly.

He had expected Lü Dongbin to be all talk and easily defeat him, but he hadn't anticipated that Lü Dongbin harbored another power within his body—that was his true strength! "Huu... huuh..." Lü Dongbin gasped deeply. After multiple consecutive power boosts, his strength had now fully erupted. Every pore expelled a force called sheer might. His clenched fists seemed larger than Qin Fen’s head. "I initially preferred not to use this power, because..."

Lü Dongbin looked at his left and right fists, a hint of self-mockery on his face. "Because when I’m like this, I truly look hideous."

"Agreed," Qin Fen gazed at Lü Dongbin. "It is a bit ugly."

He Xiangu showed no surprise like the others; her beautiful eyes sparkled only with worry. In past battles, Lü Dongbin either only used the new martial art Ci, manipulating the Yin-Yang Flying Swords, or he used the power he created by merging the Three Great Divine Arts—the power of Mount Sumeru, the Great Vajra Divine Might Art, and the Extreme Burning Heavenly Sun Art—the uniquely crafted Indestructible Power of the Fire-Refined Vajra.

Others didn't know, but He Xiangu knew that Lü Dongbin had once said that only when he reached the Nineteen-Star level and entered the Earthly Dipper Realm could he truly unleash the new ancient martial arts simultaneously. Only then would he be qualified to contend with all the heroes of the world to see whose hands the title of Divine Beast Martial Artist would fall into! "What would be the result of an Eighteenth-Star, Earthly Human Realm state simultaneously employing two major new ancient martial arts?"

"At best, lifelong injury preventing further advancement; at worst, death and disappearance."

He Xiangu remembered that Lü Dongbin’s answer to her question had been just that. Today, he hadn't reached the Nineteen-Star level, nor did he possess the strength of the Earthly Dipper Realm, yet he still chose to merge the two major new ancient divine arts within himself.

"Xiangu," Lü Dongbin smiled as he turned to look at He Xiangu. A brilliant, gentle light flowed from his hideous crimson face, making the repulsive visage seem less frightening, his gentle gaze flickering repeatedly within his fierce eyes.

That was... He Xiangu was slightly stunned by the silent signal in Lü Dongbin's eyes. That was the signal the Eight Immortals set for retreat—or rather, a signal for one to stay behind and cover the retreat, asking the others to escape.

This signal had never been used since the Eight Immortals established it. That was because the condition set for its use was a situation where a complete retreat was impossible, and one party had to voluntarily choose to stay behind to give the others a chance to flee.

He Xiangu looked at Lü Dongbin, then at Qin Fen, and a sharp, cutting pain flared in her heart. Qin Fen was too strong! Lü Dongbin had used all his strength, yet he still lacked the confidence to join forces with the others and defeat Qin Fen. And how important were New Energy and New Metal? Everyone knew that.

Lü Dongbin didn't believe Qin Fen would actually agree to let the people of the Heavenly Gate leave after relinquishing the New Metal and New Energy. The only reason he had made such a statement was to shatter the fighting will of the Heavenly Gate, making it easier to kill everyone and prevent anyone from breaking through desperately and leaking the news.

"Qin Fen, you claim to be the number one person of the younger generation, is that right?" Lü Dongbin turned back, beckoning his disciple over. He received two pills and popped them into his mouth. "Come on! Unleash all your power and let me see what kind of strength the so-called number one of the younger generation possesses now."

The meatball-sized Super Berserk Pill and Super Iron Armor Pill slid down his throat as Lü Dongbin tilted his head back. A visible, magnet-shaped energy form rose behind him.

Bio-Beast! Level Four Fusion! Lü Dongbin had staked everything, activating his special Bio-Beast synchronized with the new martial arts, betting it all against Qin Fen! "Remember, once the battle begins, ignore everything else!" Lü Dongbin looked back at He Xiangu, signaling rapidly with his eyes. "Run! Don't look back! Run! And..."

Lü Dongbin's tiger-like eyes shot out a faint warmth, as if he were softly whispering by He Xiangu’s ear, "I love you."

Mist gathered in He Xiangu's eyes. She gently bit her lower lip. Her full Seventeenth-Star power suddenly erupted. Within her soaring battle intent, the suppressed emotion was something outsiders could never know.

Qin Fen's eyes swept over the Yama Kings and Night Roaming Gods of the Underworld. "What about you all?"

Three loud shouts erupted almost simultaneously. Lü Dongbin's forward-pressing momentum ignited the fighting spirit of the three masters of the Underworld. How could the dignified Underworld lose to the martial artists of the Heavenly Gate here? Not only in martial might, but also in momentum and spirit, they could not be outmatched by the Heavenly Gate! Taishan Wang’s face darkened with surging ghostly energy, his handsome features instantly transforming according to the Profound Yin Art.

Lü Dongbin observed this and marveled in his heart. This technique was not considered top-tier internal energy, yet Taishan Wang had cultivated it to such a profound level! Truly! Every person who reaches the Master Martial Dao level is a genuine genius among human martial artists! To cultivate a not-so-top-tier internal energy to such a degree of power, this person was truly no ordinary genius.

"Heh heh..." Taishan Wang felt Qin Fen's gaze of admiration directed his way, and the chuckle in his throat sounded dry. He, a dignified martial predecessor, was being looked upon with appreciation by this young man while they—his sworn enemies—were ganging up on him. He figured no one would believe this story if he told it.

"There is no strongest martial art in this world, only the most suitable one," Taishan Wang said lightly, his words carrying an indescribable pride. "I merely chose the martial art most suited for me."

Qin Fen nodded again with approval. This only prompted Taishan Wang to shove the Super Berserk Pill and Super Iron Armor Pill into his mouth. His Bio-Beast looked like a mass of black smoke about to envelop his body, and the surging aura made the surrounding rotting leaves draw back, revealing the damp, firm, blackened soil beneath.

The Sixth Hall's Biancheng Wang opened his great hands, and his entire body instantly transformed into a massive furnace. Within a five-meter radius centered on him, the damp, rotting leaves immediately ignited. This burning only lasted an instant before being completely incinerated to ash by a stronger, higher-level power. His two massive, clenched fists spewed dazzling white light that extended all the way up to his shoulders.

Nuclear Fusion Fist! A New Martial Art! Qin Fen hadn't expected to witness this legendary, extremely expensive, and radioactive Super New Martial Art here again.

"Awooo awooo awooo!" Biancheng Wang let out a string of howls that left everyone except Taishan Wang bewildered. The greatest advantage of New Martial Arts was the instant maximization of energy, allowing for forced, overloaded combat between life and death, but never had anyone heard of someone howling in pain while using their power.

Qin Fen narrowed his eyes into slits, watching Biancheng Wang's glowing arms transform. Within the dazzling white light, countless particles seemed to be shifting, squeezing, and decomposing.

Taishan Wang stared at Biancheng Wang in shock. This was a technique Biancheng Wang had only mentioned, never shown—the Atomic Burst of the Nuclear Fusion Fist! Biancheng Wang was an outstanding talent. When atoms are struck by immense energy, their arrangement becomes uncontrollable, leading to a split that generates unparalleled energy. People call this Nuclear Fission—thus, the atomic bomb was created! Later, when people sought to control this nuclear fission energy, they created controlled nuclear fusion. This massive energy was subsequently replaced by Plant Abilities.

The Nuclear Fusion Fist is, theoretically, small-scale controlled nuclear fusion as its primary driver. However, Biancheng Wang discovered that if these controllable energies were squeezed and impacted again... they would evolve once more into a new, uncontrollable nuclear fission. Biancheng Wang termed this the Super Atomic Split, which required a certain amount of time to complete.

In normal fierce combat, Biancheng Wang never had the opportunity to complete such a split, but today, Qin Fen had given everyone the chance to elevate their strength and fully unleash their potential.

In an instant, the powers of the six great masters on the battlefield climbed, squeezed, and merged into a grand force that shot straight toward the heavens, a power capable of splitting the sky and tearing the firmament apart! "Brother Zhanpeng... If you were among them..."

"This..." Conglin Youxia, standing proudly in the front row, pondered deeply, finally coughing dryly without saying anything more.

What was there to say? The lineup just now was clearly two Eighteen-Star martial artists, plus a group of Seventeen-Star and one Sixteen-Star martial artist.

Now, in the blink of an eye, there were three Eighteen-Star martial artists, one of whom, Lü Dongbin, was almost freakishly powerful. The Insect Martial Artist Lan Caihe, facing Lü Dongbin now, might be beaten to death with a single blow.

And Biancheng Wang, who had appeared harmless at Seventeen-Star, had suddenly unleashed a bizarre New Martial Art that even a blind man could tell was extraordinarily potent! The damp earth beneath his feet had long cracked and dried! Standing bare-chested, even the hair on his chest had been burned away.

As for his lower body? Du Zhanpeng had no interest in watching a man's lower body.

Qin Fen slowly rotated his body, looking at these powerful martial artists of the older generation one by one. Almost all of them had now reached the peak of their lives in terms of strength, their imposing auras blazing toward the sky! "Very good! You should be ready now? Then... you can all come at once."