Once the Fang Clan crumbled, the Ancient Splendor Continent would inevitably descend into chaos, granting the Soul Fighting Continent ample time to recuperate and strengthen itself. Both Dugu Ba-Chen and Xuanyuan Jue were confident that under his guidance, the younger generation would produce even more top-tier masters. Putting aside others, Ye Jing-Yu and Xuanyuan Jing alone held the potential to break through to the Venerable Realm—truly supreme experts.

By that time, it was likely that the apex masters of the Ancient Splendor Continent would have suffered heavy losses, making the complete severance of their control far easier. It wasn't necessary to annihilate the Ancient Splendor Continent; merely achieving parity would suffice.

For this very plan, Dugu Ba-Chen, Xuanyuan Jue, and the others had prepared for three hundred years, and now that the operation had commenced, there would be no holding back.

In what seemed like an instant, seven streaks of sword energy shot out from Xuanyuan Jue, striking mercilessly at the seven experts positioned behind Fang Zhen-Tian.

"Chiii! Chiii! Chiii..." Seven clear sounds rang out in succession, and each of the seven men simultaneously sprayed a jet of blood. In the blink of an eye, Xuanyuan Jue had wounded seven opponents—a stark demonstration of the gulf separating a true Venerable Realm powerhouse from a Ninth Heaven master.

Just as Xuanyuan Jue prepared to launch a second assault, seven blue lights flared across the bodies of the seven men. Simultaneously, each gripped a Fang Tian Hua Ji (Halberd), utterly disregarding their wounds, and swung the weapon down upon Xuanyuan Jue.

The seven blue lights converged instantly, coalescing into a single colossal halberd that cleaved directly toward Xuanyuan Jue’s torso.

A flicker of light flashed in Xuanyuan Jue’s eyes. He tapped the air with two fingers, and a sliver of sword light materialized in the void, clashing violently with the massive Fang Tian Hua Ji.

"Rumble!" A deafening explosion erupted as the halberd and the sword light detonated simultaneously. The rampant energy shattered the very space around them, and a black vortex formed in the air, swallowing the ferocious energy entirely. Fortunately, this plane remained relatively stable; within moments, the dark vortex dissipated completely.

However, Fang Tian’s seven experts were violently thrown backward. Blood spurted from their mouths, noses, ears, and even the corners of their eyes—a perfect illustration of the saying: bleeding from the seven orifices.

As for Xuanyuan Jue, he merely leaned back slightly, effortlessly neutralizing the entire force. This was the fundamental difference between a Martial Venerable and a Ninth Heaven Martial God. Even if seven Ninth Heaven Martial Gods combined their attack to withstand a single strike from a Venerable, the resulting recoil force was not something they could easily absorb.

Fang Zhen-Tian, who was already locked in an intense battle with Dugu Ba-Chen, appeared entirely unconcerned with the fate of his clansmen. Without drawing his weapon, his figure flickered rapidly through the void, his hands weaving intricate patterns. Blue ripples formed between his palms, and a vast, surging power began to emanate slowly...

"Dugu Ba-Chen, Xuanyuan Jue, you truly shouldn't have intervened, and if you were going to, you shouldn't have done it here... Boundless Sea..." Fang Zhen-Tian spoke coldly. At this moment, his tone suggested a deity from the Nine Heavens passing judgment on the fate of mere ants.

As his words faded, he suddenly threw his hands wide open. The massive blue ripples surged outward like giant waves, rushing toward Dugu Ba-Chen. Furthermore, the sea below them erupted in towering, monstrous surges, as if some leviathan were stirring in the depths. Endless sprays of foam rocketed upward, smashing directly toward Xuanyuan Jue...

Sensing this overwhelming power, the expressions of Dugu Ba-Chen and Xuanyuan Jue remained utterly unchanged. Dugu Ba-Chen clenched one hand, and a blade of transparent light manifested within it—a battle saber forged entirely from pure energy.

Without uttering a word, he raised the blade with both hands and slashed forward with lightning speed. No exceptionally strong force seemed to emanate from the strike, yet the very space before him was instantly torn open. Black energy churned forth from the rift, accompanying the blade as it sliced into the blue ripples.

"Crash!" With a deafening sound, the blue ripples were cleaved directly in half by Dugu Ba-Chen's strike, resembling a celestial curtain ripped down the center... But in the next instant, the cleaved sections instantly rejoined, continuing their advance toward Dugu Ba-Chen...

Dugu Ba-Chen's face remained impassive. He continued to swing the saber in his hand, and the speed of his strikes increased exponentially. Any observer present would have been unable to track the speed of his movements, seeing only eight or nine arms suddenly extended, each wielding a flashing saber. The intense blade lights continuously hacked at the blue ripples. The ripples shattered and immediately reformed, only to shatter again, yet they relentlessly pressed toward Dugu Ba-Chen.

"Crack..." With a sharp snap, the long saber in Dugu Ba-Chen’s hand suddenly shattered. His body involuntarily staggered back a step, and the blue ripple wash reached him. His form erupted with countless razor-sharp saber energies, finally shredding the blue wave into pieces... Yet, a trace of blood escaped the corner of his mouth; he was clearly injured.

This was the confrontation between true masters—no need for elaborate flourishes, only the application of ultimate power to determine victory.

On the other side, Xuanyuan Jue now held a longsword materialized from energy. Facing the roaring, colossal tidal wave, Xuanyuan Jue swung his sword without hesitation... A deceptively simple thrust, yet it contained the ultimate essence of all swordsmanship in the world...

His motion was elegant, concise, and utterly casual, like a gentle woman, but the moment the sword shot forth, the sword energy was overwhelmingly dominant and ferocious, potent enough, it seemed, to demolish a city...

This was the 'Falling Leaf Topples Cities Sword' technique. This single strike severed his earthly affections, his desires... The merciless sword light grew larger and larger, finally transforming into a massive blade thousands of feet long, which descended fiercely upon the monstrous tide. The surging waves were instantly shattered by this single cut.

Though cutting water usually makes the flow continue, under the might of this sword, the sea itself was fundamentally severed, breaking into countless splashes that fell back into the ocean. The air was filled with spray and sea foam, interspersed with sharp sword energy...

Yet, seven figures burst forth from within that sword energy, each grasping a Fang Tian Hua Ji, and they swung down without hesitation toward Xuanyuan Jue...

Xuanyuan Jue remained equally calm. He flicked his longsword, weaving seven brilliant sword blossoms that shot toward the seven figures...

But at that precise moment, a shadow materialized out of thin air directly behind Xuanyuan Jue and lunged, aiming directly for his heart.