Hearing the same phrase repeated several times did not elicit any boredom or sense of arrogance from the onlookers; instead, each time Qin Fen spoke it, they felt he had become even more formidable than before. It was as if the sentence possessed a powerful enchantment, making Qin Fen seem exponentially stronger with every utterance.

As Qin Fen's words faded, his normally tranquil posture abruptly straightened, his chin tilting slightly upward. Facing the combined pressure of the six grandmasters, his Eighteen-Star Earthly Aura, for the first time, erupted outward as if finally unleashed. A palpable aura radiated from him—the absolute presence of an unrivaled being, proclaiming, "Who else but me?"

The massive surge of power created by the six grandmasters merging their efforts violently collided with Qin Fen's eruption. The surrounding trees thrashed wildly, their leaves shaking incessantly, and the entire field of combined aura pulsed, resembling a world-destroying demonic dragon struggling to break through layers of seals and unleash its devastating force.

The corners of Lü Dongbin's eyes burst, blood spraying outward. He roared, "Move!"

His furious shout resonated like the Vajra Sutra, instantly reinforcing the merged auras of the six masters, stabilizing the energy field that had been on the verge of collapse. They fiercely clung to this hard-won upper hand, refusing to yield! With a heaven-shattering roar, like that of an ancient demon, the six masters transformed into six phantom figures visible to Du Man, surging forward with world-ending momentum toward Qin Fen.

The six had pushed their combined momentum to its absolute peak; any further delay would have seen no further increase. Qin Fen knew this, and the six grandmasters knew it too. Their intent was to use overwhelming momentum to completely suppress Qin Fen before attacking. They never anticipated that the sudden release of Qin Fen’s aura would be so earth-shattering—a mere expansion threatened to dismantle the situation they had painstakingly built.

In that instant, everyone understood that completely suppressing Qin Fen was impossible! To continue resisting Qin Fen's swelling aura meant being violently exploded by him. At that point, humiliation would be total. Qin Fen wouldn't even need to lift a finger; all their fighting will would collapse along with their failing momentum. What would be left to fight for?

Whether it was Lü Dongbin or King Yama, both had to admit that Qin Fen here, in this natural burial ground, was incomparable to the rumored figure from half a year ago. His strength had soared to an unimaginable height; describing it as incredible was an understatement. For someone so young to reach this level, they both firmly believed he was destined to achieve the title of a Divine Beast martial artist.

The six grandmasters acted in unison. Their potent Gang Qi generated a counter-force against the earth, and the resulting wave of impact spread outward across the ground. Nearly two hundred martial artists from the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld slipped, their footing momentarily lost. These were warriors rooted in their training for years, supposedly unshakable even by earthquakes. Yet, the recoil from the six masters' simultaneous exertion shocked them, sending many stumbling askew. Even Du Peng's expression shifted subtly; he inwardly cursed the sheer power of the shockwave. The force actually tore tree roots from the earth, sending them flying, and the air immediately filled with the scent of fresh soil, as if a primordial demon was clawing its way out of the ground.

The earth vibrated, convulsed. Qin Fen shifted his stance, dropping his shoulders, planting his feet firmly, sinking low while drawing his back taut. His posture was a blend of sitting and squatting, his hands forming the "Hand Rejects the Pipa" posture from the simplified Twenty-Four Forms of Tai Chi. His supporting rear foot lifted, then slammed down—Dong! It sounded like the war drum of a primeval celestial demon rising beneath Qin Fen’s foot. The violently trembling earth suddenly fell silent, as if the tremor had never occurred. It was as if the demon, moments from breaking free of its seal, had been instantly re-imprisoned by an immeasurable infusion of magic with that single stomp, locking the formidable fiend away once more.

Du Man’s pupils constricted rapidly. As the only Martial Arts Master not engaged in the fight, and as Qin Fen’s long-time friend, he alone understood the true meaning of that stomp.

Historically, Qin Fen’s footfalls were always earth-shaking; the ground trembling and leaping was the norm. But today, with one stomp, Qin Fen had managed to suppress the power that could shake mountains and rivers. At the point of impact, only a depression less than half a meter in diameter was left! In that single instant, Qin Fen had drawn all the kinetic energy of the vibration downward, channeling it entirely through his own foot into the earth below, creating that localized crater.

With that stomp, Qin Fen himself transformed. His entire body shone with a brilliant, dazzling Hao Guang. He looked like a true Jade Buddha descending from the heavens, his aura sharply elevated once more, seeming ready to pierce the firmament.

In a flash, after a massive, resonant sound, the world returned to an unprecedented silence.

Qin Fen had vanished from his original spot. That stomp had converted into the reactive thrust of a "Dragon Cannon," accelerating forward with the might to shatter heaven and earth.

The six grandmasters’ combined aura instantly fractured violently. Each felt a profound, internal nausea, wondering what on earth Qin Fen had done in the past six months. His strength was utterly absurd! The six were not novices; even in their first combined effort, their status as Super Experts meant they understood one critical fact: no matter how fierce Qin Fen appeared, they absolutely could not retreat! Any single retreat would lead to consequences beyond measure. They had to maintain absolute coordination, steadying their Martial Dao hearts, resolving to use a furious storm of attacks to eradicate this monster—a future threat to the Heavenly Gate and the Underworld—right here in the natural burial ground.

The moment Qin Fen attacked, his eyes lifted to meet the charging Lan Caihe, displaying a faint look of approval... Lan Caihe, the Insect Warrior, whose crazed, bloodthirsty gaze filled with killing intent suddenly shifted, instantly morphing into one of sheer terror and apprehension. His charging body halted abruptly in mid-air, pivoting to flee... Flee? No one anticipated that Lan Caihe, the Insect Warrior who had lost all semblance of normal human thought, would choose this moment to retreat! Lü Dongbin found this the most unacceptable fact. The intelligence he possessed clearly stated that the Insect Warriors feared no death and disregarded injury, fighting with reckless abandon. Even Nezha had suffered some harm subduing him, yet Lan Caihe had shown no inclination to back down or flee.

He should have been a killing machine, a warrior who never retreated. But Lan Caihe was afraid—a deep, instinctive fear.

If he were still the normal Super Warrior Lan Caihe, he would not retreat. Even if he harbored fear toward Qin Fen, he would never choose to withdraw; as a human, he bore the responsibility of protecting his comrades.

But the current Lan Caihe was not the Lan Caihe of old; he was the Insect Warrior. A creature fighting purely on instinct. While it might truly fear no death, all beasts possess an instinct for self-preservation.

If Lan Caihe had completely lost all cognitive ability, becoming a mere enemy/ally-indiscriminating Insect Warrior, he might not have felt fear or fled when facing Qin Fen. However, he retained a tiny, extremely sparse sliver of judgment—and it was this fragment of discernment that allowed him the choice to advance or retreat.

Before Qin Fen’s overwhelming, heaven-and-earth-crushing aura, his instincts screamed that he was less than a lamb awaiting slaughter; he would be instantly and ruthlessly crushed. Therefore, he retreated! Sensing Lan Caihe pull back beside him, Lü Dongbin immediately offered a comprehensive list of curses—from the ancestors to the founders—of that mysterious, self-proclaimed number-one organization, the Founding Association. What in the hell was this messed-up Insect Warrior product?

It was touted as the most outstanding killing weapon in existence, yet it was nothing more than a charlatan selling snake oil! If he survived, he would surely persuade the Jade Emperor to mobilize forces and wipe out the Founding Association! The Heavenly Gate had paid a king's ransom for this defective product? A wave of furious curses washed over him. In his rage, Lü Dongbin’s strength did not diminish; rather, his fury at the seemingly shadowy organization caused his aura to unexpectedly surge higher.

The remaining four grandmasters, along with Lü Dongbin, maintained their formidable presence, instantly rearranging their positions to compensate for the gap left by Lan Caihe's retreat.

Seeing Lan Caihe pull back, Qin Fen halted his own charge, planting himself firmly. He looked up to the sky and let out a soft sigh: "Ah..."

This sigh carried a profound sense of desolation and loneliness that eclipsed the previous one, enveloping the entire battlefield. Many Heavenly Gate and Underworld martial artists felt an inexplicable sadness, unable to pinpoint the source of their melancholy.

The five grandmasters were deeply shaken. This single sigh possessed more potency than the ubiquitous Om Mani Padme Hum mantra, or the equally common Lin Bing Dou Zhe Ji Ran Lin Nine Syllable Mantra. Heaven and earth seemed to fall into profound silence along with the sigh, and the warriors' own momentum felt on the verge of collapse.

Qin Fen was no longer attacking proactively. The fighting spirit and momentum of the six had finally ignited his own desire for a true battle, prompting him to release his power in response to the grandmasters' resolve. Yet, unexpectedly, before he could truly engage, merely with a stomp and a glance, the one who least should have—the Insect Warrior Lan Caihe—had turned tail and fled.

With one of the six gone, dismissed by a mere look, Qin Fen felt an intense loss. A sigh, born of genuine emotion, escaped his throat. The birds previously scattered by the earth’s tremor returned to their branches, perching with the peacefulness of infants hearing a lullaby.

Without Qin Fen's proactive assault, as he merely stood ready to defend, the five grandmasters could adjust their strategy without feeling so rushed. In a flash, they exchanged glances and instantly recalibrated their positions.

In that instant! The five grandmasters finally closed the distance and materialized beside Qin Fen!