No! That wasn't the power of Mount Sumeru! Taishan King watched Lü Dongbin’s infinitely expanding momentum and star-level strength, realizing this technique’s inflation differed slightly from Mount Sumeru Power; it seemed to harbor the Great Vajra Divine Might Skill, but that wasn't right either! After forcing his zhenqi several times, his skin turned a vivid crimson, like a boiled crab.

Biancheng King stared blankly at Lü Dongbin, mentally reviewing his judgment: this time, he had truly underestimated the heroes of the world. He had initially thought Qin Fen was just a novice, but this kid was so formidable he could challenge them all alone.

He had assumed Lü Dongbin was all hype and expected to defeat him swiftly, yet he never imagined the other power hidden within him—this was his true might! "Huu... huu..." Lü Dongbin gasped heavily. Having forced his strength up several times in succession, his power had now fully bloomed; every pore erupted with a force called 'fierce might,' and the fist clenched in his ten fingers seemed larger than Qin Fen’s head: "I originally 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... I look truly hideous like this."

"Agreed." Qin Fen looked at Lü Dongbin: "It is a bit ugly."

He Xiangu showed no surprise like the others; her beautiful eyes were alight only with worry. In previous battles, Lü Dongbin would either use only the new martial art, Magnetic Yin-Yang Flying Sword, or the unique power he forged by fusing three divine skills: Sumeru Power, Great Vajra Divine Might Skill, and Blazing Celestial Sun Skill—the Indomitable Fire-Forged Vajra Power.

Others might not know, but He Xiangu knew that Lü Dongbin had once stated that only when he possessed Nineteen-Star level strength and entered the Earthly Stasis Realm could he truly deploy the new ancient martial arts simultaneously. Only then would he be qualified to contend with all the heroes of the world to see who would claim the title of Divine Beast Martial Artist! "What would be the consequence of using the two new ancient martial arts while in the Eighteen-Star level, Earthly Stasis state?"

"Lightly, career-ending injury that blocks future advancement; heavily, death and complete disappearance."

He Xiangu remembered that was Lü Dongbin’s answer when she had posed the question to him. Today, he hadn't reached the Nineteen-Star level, nor did he possess the Earthly Stasis strength, yet he still chose to converge the two new ancient divine skills within himself.

"Xiangu." Lü Dongbin turned and smiled at He Xiangu, a brilliant, subtle light escaping his ugly, vermilion face, making the ghastly visage seem less repulsive. His gentle gaze flickered repeatedly within his fierce eyes.

That was... He Xiangu started slightly at the signal in Lü Dongbin's eyes. That was the signal the Eight Immortals used to command retreat, or rather, a signal for one party to remain behind to cover the rear, demanding the others withdraw.

This signal had never been used since the Eight Immortals established it. The stipulated condition for its use was when a full withdrawal for everyone became impossible, and one person voluntarily chose to stay to give the others a chance to escape.

He Xiangu looked at Lü Dongbin, then at Qin Fen, a sharp, cutting pain twisting her heart. Qin Fen was too strong! Even having mobilized all his power, Lü Dongbin was not confident they could defeat Qin Fen by joining forces, and how vital were the New Energy and New Metals? Everyone understood that.

Lü Dongbin did not believe Qin Fen would genuinely agree to let the members of the Heavenly Gate leave if they surrendered the New Metals and New Energy. His words were merely a tactic to shatter the morale of the Heavenly Gate, making it easier to kill everyone and prevent anyone from desperately breaking out and leaking information.

"Qin Fen, you claim to be the foremost figure among the younger generation, is that right?" Lü Dongbin turned back, beckoned his disciple, and popped two pills into his mouth: "Come! Unleash all your power, let me see what strength the foremost figure of the younger generation possesses now."

The pill-sized Super Berserk Pellet and Super Iron Armor Pill slid down Lü Dongbin’s throat as he tilted his head back. A visible, magnet-shaped energy form rose from his back.

Biochemical Beast! Fourth-level Fusion! Lü Dongbin staked everything, activating his special Biochemical Beast tailored for his new martial arts, gambling everything against Qin Fen! "Remember, once the battle starts, ignore everything else!" Lü Dongbin looked back at He Xiangu, sending continuous signals from his eyes: "Escape! Don't look back! Escape! And..."

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

Mist gathered in He Xiangu’s eyes; she lightly bit her lower lip. Her full strength at the Seventeen-Star level suddenly erupted, the towering battle intent cloaking an emotion outsiders could never grasp.

Qin Fen swept his gaze across the Yama Kings and Night Roaming Gods of the Underworld: "And you all?"

Three explosive shouts erupted almost simultaneously, Lü Dongbin's unyielding momentum igniting the competitive spirit of the three masters from the Underworld. How could the dignified Underworld lose to the martial artists of the Heavenly Gate here? Not only in brute force, but also in momentum and spirit, they could not be outmatched by the Heavenly Gate! Taishan King’s face darkened intensely, his handsome features instantly twisting like those practicing the Profound Yin Skill.

Lü Dongbin observed this with astonishment. This technique wasn't considered top-tier inner cultivation, yet Taishan King had mastered it to this degree! Truly! Every person who reached the Master martial arts level was a genuine prodigy among human martial artists! To elevate a non-top-tier inner cultivation technique to this level of power—this person was no ordinary genius.

"Heh heh..." Taishan King felt Qin Fen's gaze of admiration as well, and the chuckle escaping his lips sounded somewhat dry. He, a venerable martial arts senior, was joining forces with sworn enemies to besiege this young man, and yet he earned a look of approval from him. Such a thing, if spoken aloud, probably no one would believe.

"There is no strongest martial art in this world, only the most suitable one," Taishan King said coolly, his words carrying an ineffable pride: "I merely chose the art most suited to me."

Qin Fen nodded again in approval. This only spurred Taishan King to immediately shove the Super Berserk and Super Iron Armor Pills into his mouth. His Biochemical Beast enveloped his body like a cloud of black smoke, and the soaring aura caused the surrounding decaying leaves to recoil to the sides, revealing the moist, solid, blackened earth beneath.

The Sixth Hall's Biancheng King threw open his massive hands, his entire body instantly transforming into a colossal furnace. Within a five-meter radius centered on him, the damp, rotten leaves immediately ignited. This burning lasted only an instant before a stronger, higher-order energy completely incinerated them to ash. His two massive clenched fists erupted with dazzling white light, the radiance extending all the way up to his shoulders.

Nuclear Fusion Fist! A new martial art! Qin Feng had not expected to witness this legendary, extremely costly, and highly radioactive new martial art again here.

Awooo awooo awooo! Biancheng King let out a series of howls that baffled everyone around him except Taishan King. The greatest advantage of new martial arts was instantly maximizing energy, allowing for forced, overloaded combat in life-or-death situations, yet no one had ever heard of someone screaming in agony while using their power.

Qin Fen narrowed his eyes into slits, watching Biancheng King’s glowing arms transform. Within the blinding white light, countless particles seemed to be shifting, compressing, and decomposing.

Taishan King stared at Biancheng King in shock. This was a new martial art that Biancheng King had only mentioned but never displayed—Nuclear Fusion Fist: Atomic Burst! Biancheng King was also an outstanding talent. When atoms were impacted by immense energy, their arrangement would go out of control, triggering fission and generating unparalleled energy—a process people called [Nuclear Fission], which created the atomic bomb! Later, when people sought to control this nuclear fission energy, they developed controlled nuclear fusion, but this vast energy was eventually superseded by plant abilities.

The Nuclear Fusion Fist, theoretically, was based on miniature controlled nuclear fusion as its driving force. However, Biancheng King discovered that if he compressed and struck these controllable energies again... they would evolve into a new, uncontrollable nuclear fission, which Biancheng King termed Super Atomic Splitting, requiring some time to complete.

In normal intense battles, Biancheng King never had the opportunity to complete such a fission, but today’s Qin Fen gave everyone the chance to elevate their strength and display their true capabilities.

Momentarily, the six masters on the battlefield saw their powers rise, squeeze, and fuse into a grand energy that shot straight into the sky—a power seemingly capable of cleaving the heavens, tearing the firmament apart! "Brother Zhanpeng... if you were here..."

"This..." Conglin Ranger, standing proudly in the front row, hesitated for a long moment, finally clearing his throat dryly and saying nothing more.

What was there to say? The previous lineup clearly consisted of two Eighteen-Star level martial artists, plus a cluster of Seventeen-Star and one Sixteen-Star level martial artist.

Now, in the blink of an eye, there were three Eighteen-Star level martial artists, one of whom, Lü Dongbin, was so monstrously powerful he bordered on the abnormal. Even the Insect Martial Artist Lan Caihe would probably be beaten to death by Lü Dongbin with a single blow now.

And the Seventeen-Star level Biancheng King, who looked harmless before, unveiled a bizarre new martial art that even a blind man could see was extraordinarily powerful! The moist ground beneath his feet had long since cracked dryly! Standing there, completely bare-chested, even the hair on his chest had been burned clean off.

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

Qin Fen slowly turned his body, looking at each of the powerful old-generation martial artists. Now, almost all of them had ascended to the peak of their lives; their majestic auras blazed toward the heavens! "Very good! You should be ready now? Then... you can all come at once."