Just as Ye Yunfei was musing to himself, the Master of Xiaoliang Temple made his move to block the attack. He extended a single finger, pressing it gently forward, and a colossal finger-shaped phantom materialized before him. It expanded continuously, clashing head-on with the giant fist unleashed by the mysterious figure.
Boom...
The collision of their attacks sent a violent tremor rippling through the surrounding space. An unimaginable wave of energy erupted from the point of impact between the two figures, spreading outwards in all directions.
"Too strong!"
Sensing the battle aftershocks emanating from the two combatants, everyone present wore expressions of shock and involuntarily retreated further away, fearful of being caught in the crossfire.
"I hadn't expected the Master to be this powerful as well!"
Ye Yunfei was somewhat startled.
While the strength displayed by the mysterious figure was undeniably terrifying, the Master of Xiaoliang Temple also proved to be exceptionally formidable.
"I didn't expect there to be a Demigod as powerful as you within this stretch of Chaotic Void," the mysterious figure spoke slowly, his voice carrying a note of surprise. "You indeed possess the foundation to become a Deity. It is truly a pity that you will not be allowed to."
"Just who are you?" the Master of Xiaoliang Temple demanded, his voice grave. "Why are you obstructing my Deity-Ascension Tribulation?"
"I am a Watcher," the mysterious figure replied, his tone detached and cold, tinged with an air of lofty superiority, as if he deigned to look down upon all others. "My duty is to watch over this expanse of Chaotic Void, ensuring no irregularities occur within this emptiness."
"A Watcher?"
Upon hearing those words, the Master of Xiaoliang Temple momentarily stiffened, for this was the first time he had ever heard such a title.
"Watchers? What are Watchers?"
The others around also felt confused, murmuring amongst themselves, for none had ever heard of such a term.
"Sir," the Master addressed the shadow, pressing further. "What is it that you and yours actually want? Why must you obstruct us Perfected Demigods from undertaking our tribulation? Ascending to deityhood through tribulation is a matter of personal fate and opportunity. The emergence of Deities within our Void would be a boon to this realm's fortune. By acting as you do, you are essentially undermining the luck of this Chaotic Void."
"There is no need for you to know so much. The fact remains, you cannot become a Deity," the mysterious figure responded impassively.
"If that's the case, then there is nothing more to be said. If you persist in obstructing my tribulation, sir, you must be prepared to pay a corresponding price."
In turn, the Master's voice also cooled considerably.
Boom...
Above the Master's head, the dark, heavy tribulation clouds continued to churn and roil menacingly, their aura growing increasingly terrifying. One after another, massive bolts of lightning were gathering, ready to strike.
"While your strength is quite commendable, before us Watchers, you must still abide by the rules we have set. If I say you cannot become a Deity, then you cannot," the mysterious figure answered flatly.
"You are far too overbearing, sir. I care not who you Watchers are. Becoming a Deity is the path I pursue. If you dare obstruct my path, let's see if you possess the capability to do so."
The Master's voice grew sharper and colder with each word.
Boom...
Before the Master had even finished speaking, the mysterious figure attacked again. Still with a fist, he sent another punch hurtling towards the Master.
The punch materialized as a colossal fist imprint. Vaguely, everyone seemed to see suns, moons, and rivers of stars flowing backward in its wake. Surging, turbulent fist-force agitated the entire expanse of void.
The very world seemed to begin rotating along with his fist. Everyone felt immense pressure and was forced to retreat another considerable distance.
"This fellow's strength truly is monstrous," Ye Yunfei could not help but furrow his brows slightly.
Facing the incoming fist, the Master of Xiaoliang Temple formed a strange hand seal with both hands. Immediately, a majestic, illusory image of a Daoist temple manifested above his head.
The temple had three stories. On each floor, a multitude of ancient-looking Deities sat cross-legged as if in secluded cultivation, deep in contemplation. From the bodies of these Deities, one radiant, resplendent Daoist rune after another floated up, suffusing the space around the illusory temple.
Boom...
The three-story temple pressed forward with a slow but inexorable momentum, directly blocking the incoming giant fist.
Then, all the Deities seated within the temple seemed to awaken simultaneously. They let out a unified roar and began forming a multitude of different mysterious hand seals, all unleashing attacks forward together.
For a moment, that area of space became densely packed with countless profound and arcane hand seals, descending like a torrential downpour upon the mysterious figure. All the energy and laws of that entire region boiled and surged in concert with the vast number of seals.
"So you are connected to that heritage! I would never have imagined!" the mysterious figure exclaimed, somewhat taken aback as he observed the three-story temple above the Master's head. A cold smile then graced his features. "To think a member of that heritage was exiled to this Chaotic Void for some transgression. But no matter. Now that you've arrived here, whether you're a white tiger or a divine dragon, you'd better coil and crouch appropriately."
A long blade of archaic and simple design appeared in his hand. With one mighty swing, a fearsome aura erupted. A vast, brilliant expanse of white blade light shot skyward.
*Clang!*
The long blade collided violently with the three-story temple above the Master's head. A colossal ringing sound exploded, shaking everyone to their core, causing them to stumble unsteadily, their limbs going soft.
Next, the Master of Xiaoliang Temple and the mysterious figure engaged in a fierce and truly terrifying battle. Every single move and technique employed by these two peerless experts contained horrifying destructive power, a spectacle that left all onlookers secretly exclaiming in awe.
"If this continues, the situation doesn't look good for the Master," Ye Yunfei watched with growing concern. "Even if he fights this opponent to a standstill, the ongoing battle will definitely affect his Deity-Ascension Tribulation. He will have great difficulty successfully completing it."
While superficially it seemed the Master and the mysterious shadow were evenly matched, unable to gain a decisive upper hand, prolonged combat would inevitably cause major interference, perhaps even prevent the tribulation from concluding.
"Yes, that fellow isn't in a hurry, either. Look, he's fighting in a relaxed, measured manner," Hun Lao nodded in agreement, also picking up on the tactic. "He's clearly aiming to drag things out and prevent the Master from undertaking his tribulation."
"But that fellow is truly formidable. The Master would find it extremely difficult to force him back. With this person intervening, the Master will probably find it very hard to pass the tribulation smoothly," Hun Lao remarked with a sigh.
"I wonder how long I'd be able to hold out against him?" Ye Yunfei pondered aloud.
"I estimate you wouldn't last very long before him. The Master's tribulation will certainly require a long period to run its course. Even if you stepped in to hold that fellow off, you'd likely be defeated before long. And then he would still be free to interfere with the Master's trial," Hun Lao said, already deducing Ye Yunfei's thoughts about intervening.
"Yes. Even if I offered assistance, I doubt I could hold him back for any meaningful amount of time," Ye Yunfei acknowledged, his tone tinged with frustration after evaluating his own strength.
"And more importantly," Hun Lao continued, his gaze scanning the distant void, "I faintly sense several exceptionally terrifying auras lying concealed not far away. I suspect they are likely allies of that fellow."
"Indeed, I feel them as well," Ye Yunfei agreed, his gaze following Hun Lao's. Concern colored his voice. "There, in that direction, several powerful beings are lurking. The energy fluctuations they exude don't seem any weaker than the Master of Xiaoliang Temple."
Both Ye Yunfei and Hun Lao possessed extraordinarily sharp spiritual senses and had already detected several frightening presences hidden within a patch of space not far away.
"That mysterious shadow is already so powerful. If he has several allies of similar strength, that basically makes him—and them—invincible here," Ye Yunfei said, looking back at the battling Master with a bitter smile. "Even if I intervened, it likely wouldn't be enough to help the Master. Could it be the Master's tribulation attempt is doomed to fail yet again?"
Just at that moment, a giant figure of terrifying height took a single step and strode directly into the Gudao World Cluster. His two enormous eyes, akin to two radiant stars, shot forth a pair of terrifying, piercing gazes.
"You evil ones are indeed here causing trouble. You all deserve death!"
The massive figure swept his gaze over the entire Gudao World Cluster, his expression immediately turning to one of anger. His voice was icy as he spoke.
He extended a single palm, which enlarged continuously with a rumbling roar, reaching outwards. With a single grasp, he seized over a dozen figures whose bodies were shrouded in hazy halos of light.
*Crunch… pop, pop, pop!*
Squeezing tightly, those dozen-odd figures were crushed, exploding like fragile eggs. Their halos shattered.
Next, the enormously tall figure made another sweeping palm strike. His arm stretched outwards, his palm expanding further, covering a vast swathe of space. Wherever it passed, everything was suppressed.
*Bang, bang, bang…*
Another dozen or so mysterious figures, also enveloped in hazy halos, were caught by the giant palm. Their bodies were smashed into pulp, disintegrating like another clutch of shattered eggs.
"Everyone, be on guard! Form the combat formations immediately!"
At this critical moment, the mysterious figure who had been fighting the Master of Xiaoliang Temple whirled around. Seeing the colossal newcomer, he immediately shouted the command.
Immediately, a large number of additional figures shrouded in hazy halos of light began to manifest continuously, gathering together into a large group.
Simultaneously, the shadow battling the Master leaped high into the air, instantly putting a large distance between himself and the Master, effectively disengaging from the fight.
Concurrently, three other figures—each radiating an exceedingly powerful energy aura—also appeared on the scene.
"You evil creatures! Do not play at ghosts and gods before me. Show your true forms, all of you!"
The giant figure glared at the multitude of figures surrounded by hazy halos, his voice brimming with wrath.
With a single clap of his palms, a gigantic palm imprint solidified in the air. From the center of the palm's hollow emerged a great number of dazzling, radiant mysterious runes. These luminous specks floated outwards like a swarm of brilliant fireflies, dispersing towards the halo-encircled crowd.
The onlookers then observed a remarkable change: the halos shrouding those mysterious figures seemed to dissolve, as if shattered by a frightening force, and their true faces were revealed.
To everyone's astonishment, these figures, who had previously appeared exceedingly mysterious, were in fact ordinary-looking individuals—some men, some women, some old, some young.
At the forefront stood four elderly men. Although their features were very plain, the immense energy auras they were now releasing made everyone present feel a sense of trepidation. Among these four was the mysterious figure who had just been battling the Master.
"How is this possible? He broke our Concealment Secret Technique so easily!"
Those who had just been cloaked in the hazy halos now wore expressions of terror and disbelief. The Concealment Secret Technique they cultivated was profoundly subtle; others would find it exceedingly difficult to discern their true appearances. Yet, now, it had been shattered by a single move from someone else, leaving them all exposed.
"Every single one of them looks unfamiliar, yet their combined strength is frighteningly powerful. Since when did our Chaotic Void Sea possess such a terrifying batch of experts?"
At this point, most of the beings within the Gudao World Cluster had gathered on the scene, forming a massive circle to witness the spectacle of these ordinary-looking strangers. They all felt intense astonishment. Not long ago, it was precisely this group of ordinary-faced strangers who had been constantly ambushing various Perfected Demigods preparing for their Deity-Ascension Tribulation within the Gudao World Cluster.
"All of you," a Perfected Demigod of the Demon Race stepped forward. His gaze swept over each of the newly-revealed strangers before he spoke, his voice filled with killing intent. "I remember you. You injured our patriarch. Starting now, our Demon Race will mobilize all our resources to settle this score with you."
"You evil beasts!" a Demigod-level expert from the Zhan Family also stepped forward, pointing a trembling finger at the unfamiliar masters, speaking through gritted teeth. "We had no feud with you, yet you launched sneak attacks that resulted in the death of our Zhan Family Patriarch! This is a grudge written in blood! Our Zhan Family will utilize all our power and spare no expense to make you pay!"
Next, experts from several other major forces also stepped forward, uttering threats towards these unfamiliar-looking adversaries.
After all, it was not long ago that the Perfected Demigod experts from these major families and sects, poised for their tribulation, had suffered sneak attacks—some died, others were gravely wounded.
"You evil creatures, calling yourselves Watchers. Do you truly believe you can control this Chaotic Void?" the colossal figure boomed, his immense form dominating the void space, exerting immense pressure on everyone present. "You think too highly of yourselves! Starting now, you shall face your reckoning! None shall escape!"
Turning his attention, the giant figure looked at the Master of Xiaoliang Temple. "Master of Xiaoliang Temple, you may proceed with your thunder tribulation. With me here, these creatures will not be able to disturb you further."
"My deepest gratitude, Elder, for your timely aid," the Master replied immediately, sounding truly grateful. He then turned and strode back under the dark mass of roiling tribulation clouds.
"With this senior's intervention, the Master finally has a chance to face his tribulation," Ye Yunfei felt a surge of pleasant surprise.
Boom...
In the next moment, the lightning bolts gathered above the Master's head finally began to descend.
First came a blindingly radiant thunderbolt as thick as a mountain chain. Its world-annihilating aura spread out instantly, engulfing an enormous expanse of space.
The Master's Deity-Ascension Tribulation had truly commenced!
Witnessing the start of his tribulation, a variety of emotions washed through the crowd. Some felt envy and jealousy, others felt unwilling and bitter. Some were filled with profound shock, while others watched with anticipation.
Everyone understood: should the Master of Xiaoliang Temple successfully ascend, he would become the first Deity of the entire Chaotic Void Sea. Consequently, the Xiaoliang Temple would also ascend to become the most powerful force in the Chaos Void Sea, making its dominance a matter of ease.
"Everyone, spread out! Guard the Master while he endures the tribulation!" the Four Great Protectors of Xiaoliang Temple shouted in unison.
Immediately, all the members of Xiaoliang Temple scattered, forming a defensive perimeter around the Master's position, alert and ready.
"All of you who wish to exact revenge," the immense figure now swept his gaze over the assembled forces of the various great powers, his voice resonating clearly, "there is no need to wait for another time. You may begin your vengeance now."
"Exactly! We can take revenge now!" a Demigod expert of the Zhan Family roared excitedly, spurred by the words. "With this elder present, we have no need to fear these creatures!"
Leading a charge of five enormous warbeasts, he stormed forward.
"Hear the order of the Zhan Family! Begin the attack now and avenge our Patriarch!"
Another high-level Demigod of the Zhan Family waved his arm and shouted. Instantly, the entire Zhan Family contingent raised a unified battle cry and surged forward in a formidable tide, accompanied by their multitude of battle beasts.
The Zhan Family Patriarch had been killed by these mysterious, unknown experts not long ago. Every member of the Zhan Family burned with a desire for bloody vengeance, and now they did not hesitate, launching their attack decisively.
However, other major powers hesitated and held back.
"Members of our Demon Race," a Perfected Demigod of the Demon Race contemplated for a moment before raising his voice in command, "stand down for now! Our priority is escorting our injured Patriarch back to the Demon Capital for healing!"
With a wave of his hand, this Perfected Demigod demon led the entire Demon Race contingent as they turned and departed.
This Demon Race group had originally come to the Gudao World Cluster escorting their own Patriarch for his tribulation. With that Patriarch now grievously wounded, continuing the tribulation was naturally impossible.
"We of the Demon Capital shall also return for now," a Perfected Demigod of the Demon Capital also waved his hand decisively. "There will be other opportunities for vengeance later."
He led the Demonic Capital forces as they withdrew.
"The Celestial God Hall will also return to headquarters to recuperate first," a Demigod-level member of the Celestial God Hall declared loudly, gesturing for their people to retreat as well.
One after another, forces belonging to the various major powers began to depart.
These major powers had all come to the Gudao World Cluster originally to escort their Perfected Demigod experts, hoping to utilize the environment for their tribulations. However, after suffering ambushes from these mysterious strangers, the Perfected Demigods they had escorted were either dead or severely wounded, rendering successful tribulation impossible.
"What are these great powers doing?" Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm watched in bewilderment as group after group departed, sounding incredulous. "Weren't they just crying and howling for vengeance? The enemy is right here! They could take action now. Why give up the opportunity and leave?"
"I know the reason," Hun Lao responded with a cold smirk. "It's because if they acted now, seeking revenge, they would essentially be aiding the Master. The Master is currently undergoing his tribulation. If those major powers engaged the mysterious attackers now, they would tie them down, preventing them from disrupting the Master's trial. In short, those factions absolutely do not wish to watch helplessly as the Master of Xiaoliang Temple successfully ascends to Deity status."
"That's most likely the reason," Ye Yunfei agreed, also smiling coldly.
Observing the departing forces of the major powers vanishing one after another into the distance, the colossal figure standing aloft in the void first appeared momentarily stunned, then he shook his head and softly sighed.
"A heap of loose sand…"