"Hiss..." A spurt of blood, three feet long, erupted directly from his ing opening. A pain almost unbearable by ordinary men shot straight into Xuanyuan Xiaozhan’s mind, causing his brow to furrow despite his iron will... This blade of Illusion and Annihilation had not only shredded the flesh of his ing chest, but the sharp blade energy had violently shattered his ing bone...

Had he not retreated with extreme swiftness, this strike might have cleanly cleaved his body in two... The Shengsi Huanmie Dao (Life and Death Illusion Annihilation Blade) truly dissolved between life and death... Feeling the severity of his internal injuries, Xuanyuan Xiaozhan coldly fixed his gaze on Ye Jingyu, and the Tianzun Blade in his hand...

At that moment, Liang Xiaoke had barely managed to stitch his body back together, appearing blood-soaked as he moved to Ye Jingyu’s side. Gongsun Lu stood nearby, and even Luo Xiaofeng struggled to his feet. The few of them stared intently at Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, who was severely wounded in the heart...

How much combat power did he still possess? This was the thought foremost in everyone’s mind. Almost no one believed such an injury could pose a mortal threat to Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, even though the wound looked dreadfully deep...

Even Ye Jingyu, who had unleashed the strike, watched Xuanyuan Xiaozhan intently. This was the ultimate effort he could muster—a blade technique he comprehended based on the feeling of his Tiandi Erhun (Heaven and Earth Two Souls) being shattered by Xuanyuan Jing that day, caught between life and death. This was, thus far, the most powerful strike he had ever executed.

If even this failed to incapacitate Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, perhaps they were all doomed to perish here today... A profound silence fell over the scene. For a time, no one dared to strike first...

“The Jinglei Daojue (Startling Thunder Blade Art) does not seem to possess such a move!” After an unknown stretch of time, Xuanyuan Xiaozhan finally spoke, his voice measured... “Indeed. This is a technique I devised myself.

What does Your Highness think?” Ye Jingyu replied calmly, though his heart was fraught with tension. The nonchalant tone in Xuanyuan Xiaozhan’s voice made him wonder if his strike hadn't inflicted any serious damage. Ye Jingyu’s spirit was utterly exhausted from executing that blow, and his internal Bahuang Yuanli (Overlord Primordial Force) had been completely drained.

Though physically uninjured, he was essentially combat-powerless. If Xuanyuan Xiaozhan was truly fine, they stood no chance of resisting further... “Good, good, good…” Xuanyuan Xiaozhan uttered the word ‘good’ three times in quick succession, pausing slightly before continuing, “Truly, the student surpasses the master.

I have swept across the Nine Provinces for decades without a single defeat, yet today I am wounded by you to this extent. If my guess is correct, my army has also been routed by you?” “Correct. Your thirty legions have utterly collapsed.

Your son, Xuanyuan Lin, was slain by me. Your Highness, you have lost. Completely lost…” Ye Jingyu stated softly, yet these words caused everyone present to break out in a cold sweat.

If Xuanyuan Xiaozhan were to fly into a rage and fight them to the death, who among them, given their current strength, could stand against him? Even Ye Jingyu himself felt a spike of tension. A Martial God—not merely a Martial Saint—how powerful was that?

He truly had no idea... “Very good, very good…” Upon hearing that Ye Jingyu had even killed his Lin’er, only two words escaped Xuanyuan Xiaozhan’s lips. His eyes, sharp as an eagle’s, became impossibly cold, seeming intent on piercing Ye Jingyu through...

Sensing the shifting aura emanating from Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, everyone present felt their hearts leap into their throats, their internal energies beginning to circulate as they prepared for a desperate final stand... At this juncture, there was no turning back. Either they obliterated Xuanyuan Xiaozhan in one decisive blow, or they would be killed by him...

“Whoosh…” Suddenly, Xuanyuan Xiaozhan raised the Tianling Suijian (Heavenly Spirit Shattering Sword) in his hand, and a fierce burst of sword energy erupted. The group’s nerves tightened, especially Ye Jingyu, who furiously circulated the scant remaining Bahuang Yuanli. He even began tapping into the Zhenyuanli (True Essence Force), which was useless in this context, preparing to parry Xuanyuan Xiaozhan’s attack...

Liang Xiaoke and Luo Xiaofeng also galvanized their internal powers without hesitation, readying their strongest attacks... However, Xuanyuan Xiaozhan paid no heed to their expressions or movements. The long sword in his hand stabbed sharply toward the void, effortlessly tearing open a fissure.

His body then stepped directly into the rift, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye... Ye Jingyu, Luo Xiaofeng, Liang Xiaoke, and the others remained utterly vigilant, their senses heightened to their extreme. They instinctively clustered together, guarding against a sudden attack from Xuanyuan Xiaozhan.

But time seemed to halt at that moment. The vanished Xuanyuan Xiaozhan never reappeared, not even the slightest ripple betrayed his presence... A full few kèzhōng (a quarter of an hour) passed, yet there was still no sign whatsoever...

Liang Xiaoke turned back toward Ye Jingyu with a look of bewilderment, his voice tinged with disbelief, “He… didn’t actually leave, did he?” He didn’t actually leave, did he? This simple question brought looks of utter astonishment to their faces. Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, the God of War of the Nine Provinces, the undefeated one, the war god who would never retreat even in the face of death—he had actually left?

How was this possible? Had he retreated? Had he conceded defeat?

This was even more shocking than if they had all been killed by him... Xuanyuan Xiaozhan, a generation’s War God, defeated just like that... “Perhaps… he truly has gone?” After a long while, Ye Jingyu stated again, his own conviction wavering.

The others fell silent once more. After more time elapsed, they finally confirmed it: Xuanyuan Xiaozhan was gone. Yes, he was gone, truly gone...

The powerful, invincible God of War had been repulsed by a single strike from Ye Jingyu. The decades-long myth of his invincibility was shattered into dust by Ye Jingyu this day... A look of ecstatic joy spread across Luo Xiaofeng’s face.

This time, Ye Jingyu had not only saved him but had also saved the entire Southern Cloud Empire... Most crucially, once news of today’s battle was publicized, the defeat of the God of War would deliver a crippling blow to the entire Tianyuan Empire, while Ye Jingyu’s prestige would soar to unimaginable heights... Just as everyone was stunned by Xuanyuan Xiaozhan’s defeat by Ye Jingyu, in a forest not far from Yunjing City, the tattered Xuanyuan Xiaozhan stood upon a clearing.

Before him lay a massive boulder, upon which sat cross-legged an exceptionally handsome man clad in simple cloth robes...