Even though Xiao Geng didn't believe it, everyone else wore expressions of utter disbelief. Some martial artists were naturally gifted with immensely strong physical bodies and formidable self-healing capabilities, but even after a wound pierced their body, it would take them at least several dozen days to recover, even if they survived. How could anyone possibly recuperate as swiftly as Ye Jingyu? Was this still a human physique? Even the divine body of a Martial God couldn't regenerate this fast!

"Is this your ultimate technique? Not bad, not bad. To actually manage to wound my body—very good, very good. But if this is your strongest move, then I think the game is over!" Ye Jingyu watched his continuously healing wound while speaking in a casual tone.

The speed of that sword light was swift, but the power it carried was somewhat weak. Although it pierced his body, the minuscule trace of True Essence energy left behind was completely devoured by the Primordial Power within him, leaving nothing to obstruct the recovery of his Chaos Body. After all, even when his arm was nearly crippled by Sakuragi, it only took the time spent traveling to heal completely.

This was the might of the Chaos Body: unless he was utterly annihilated, no matter how grievous the injury, given enough time, he would recover completely...

Hearing Ye Jingyu’s mocking words, Xiao Geng nearly spat out another mouthful of blood. He was, after all, a Martial Saint; yet his strongest strike was treated by Ye Jingyu as mere child's play. This was utterly humiliating! But the crucial point was that Xiao Geng couldn't find a single rebuttal...

How could he? He had just been pummeled twice by Ye Jingyu, and the single sword strike he managed to land healed so quickly?

Suddenly, Xiao Geng realized Ye Jingyu's true power—or rather, his sheer terror. Despite only possessing the peak strength of a Grand Master, Ye Jingyu could easily inflict heavy injuries upon him, while his own desperate sword thrust had failed to seriously harm Ye Jingyu?

What did this mean? Had he been hiding his true strength all along?

With this thought, Xiao Geng stopped treating Ye Jingyu as a Grand Master he could toy with. Even though he himself had achieved the rank of Martial Saint, he absolutely could not underestimate this man.

In fact, Xiao Geng understood that achieving the Martial Saint realm wasn't due to his own effort; if his master hadn't sent him that inexplicable elixir, he would still be stuck hovering at the peak of the Grand Master realm...

Calming his turbulent mind, Xiao Geng quickly settled down, circulating his True Essence subtly to alleviate the throbbing pain in his abdomen and nose...

"Ye Jingyu, I underestimated you. But no matter how strong you are, I will definitely slay you with my sword today. Witness this move: Heaven and Earth Shatter..." With his focus regained, Xiao Geng's entire aura underwent a profound shift. If he was a berserk beast moments before, now he was a hunter lying in wait to strike its prey—calm, decisive...

The instant Xiao Geng’s voice faded, his figure lunged towards Ye Jingyu once more. His long sword thrust forward, releasing a beam of light aimed directly at Ye Jingyu’s heart...

Ye Jingyu’s body flickered, intending to dodge, but Xiao Geng’s second sword was already arriving, followed instantly by a third, a fourth, a fifth...

In the blink of an eye, he had unleashed nine strikes. Each one was real, each carrying enough power to kill a peak Grand Master. Even Ye Jingyu’s physical body could surely not withstand such immense force...

However, these rapid nine strikes were all evaded by the prepared Ye Jingyu. Just as Ye Jingyu prepared to counterattack, Xiao Geng swept his long sword around, unleashing a massive, blood-red arc of sword energy...

It was a sword beam more powerful than any before it, a light capable of leveling a small mountain. Even with Ye Jingyu's strong physique, he would surely be cleaved in two by this energy. At that point, no matter how resilient his body was, recovery would be impossible...

Seemingly sensing the terrifying power of this sword light, Ye Jingyu frowned slightly, pushing off forcefully with both legs to vault into the air, soaring upward by over a hundred zhang, just narrowly clearing the enormous blade sweep...

But that massive energy swept over the rebel soldiers several hundred meters away, reducing them to dust, and tearing the houses and structures along the edge of the square into shreds. After the sword energy passed, everything was leveled to the ground, clearly demonstrating the might of a Martial Saint...

A silver streak flashed across the sky, and a silver Vajra Bracelet slammed viciously into Ye Jingyu’s shoulder. The immense force instantly smashed Ye Jingyu down from the sky, causing him to crash heavily onto the ground, immediately carving a pit over ten zhang in diameter in the plaza outside the Imperial Palace...

Xiao Geng did not press the attack, instead recalling his Vajra Bracelet. He glanced at it, noticing hairline fractures appearing across the bracelet, and his expression shifted slightly again...

All eyes turned to the crater in the earth, wondering if Ye Jingyu would climb out again. After all, being struck by a profound-grade Soul Artifact from such a height—even if he survived, he must be severely wounded by now...

He didn't keep them waiting long. A figure rose from the pit, his shoulder appearing to be completely caved in...

"I almost forgot, you are also a Soul Master. I never imagined the Soul Artifact on you would have such a utility. Too bad, it looks like it’s shattered..." A sinister smile touched the corner of Ye Jingyu’s mouth, as if his shoulder felt no pain whatsoever...

"So what if it shattered? You are already heavily injured. Are you still my match?" Seeing Ye Jingyu’s sunken shoulder, Xiao Geng sneered coldly...

"Heh heh, of course, I'm not your match, because you are no longer worthy of being my opponent. Now, I will let you witness my true power!" The smile on Ye Jingyu’s lips grew increasingly evil and radiant, like a demon crawling up from the depths of hell...

"Heaven's Judgment..." Ye Jingyu softly commanded, suddenly raising his right hand and slapping it toward the distant Xiao Geng...

In that instant, black clouds gathered densely overhead, and an immense power coalesced in the sky, transforming directly into a giant hand reaching down to crush Xiao Geng...

Immediately, Xiao Geng felt his body immobilized, and a wave of despair surged within him, as if the end of days had arrived...

Crack... Before the gigantic hand could connect, the sound of bones snapping echoed out, immediately followed by Xiao Geng’s agonizing scream...