No one knew how much time had passed.
"Look!
Such a huge city!"
A student exclaimed in surprise.
Up ahead in the misty void, a terrifyingly massive city appeared, straddling the void, sinking and floating like a colossal beast.
"We've arrived. This is Hujie City.
It was built on a crucial spatial node. Without its suppression, enemies from beyond could invade at will,"
He Zhanglao explained.
The flying vessel halted before the city. Leading Hudao Academy's contingent, He Zhanglao exited the vessel and produced a golden token, immediately activating it.
Boom…
The city gates opened.
"Let's go in."
He Zhanglao took the lead and entered the city.
"So big!"
Everyone exclaimed in awe upon entering.
The city's area was immense, at least equal to the combined territories of several medium-sized empires.
There was no end in sight.
Inside the city, crowds bustled back and forth amidst a clamorous uproar.
Contingents from various sects and factions streamed through the gates.
Ye Yunfei saw that several top forces from the Central Continent had arrived.
"Look, it's Ye Yunfei!
He really is still alive!"
A steward from the Shenfeng Sect spotted Ye Yunfei and called out in a low voice.
Immediately, many gazes turned towards Ye Yunfei.
"It really is Ye Yunfei, he's alive!"
Many were extremely surprised.
Because, for a while now, news of Ye Yunfei's death had spread throughout the Central Continent.
"Even if he's alive now, he won't live much longer!"
"Right, being too arrogant and overbearing destines one for a short life."
Numerous hostile gazes fixed on Ye Yunfei, their ill intentions evident.
Especially the members of those four top Central Continent forces; each one stared at Ye Yunfei with cold, gloomy eyes.
"Humph!
If anyone dares to make a move against our Hudao Academy, don't blame me for being impolite!"
He Zhanglao's eyes were cold as lightning. His sharp shout rumbled in everyone's ears.
Those who had shown hostility towards Ye Yunfei, cowed by He Zhanglao's divine majesty, then dispersed.
"Ye Yunfei!
Wonderful!
You're alive!"
Suddenly, a crisp, melodious female voice rang out.
Then, a stunningly beautiful woman rushed towards Ye Yunfei, like a divine lotus blossoming. Her body was lustrous, her dark hair flew, and her long skirt danced.
It was Su Qingluo!
"Qingluo, you're here too!"
Ye Yunfei was overjoyed.
"A while back, I heard news that you were assassinated. I can't tell you how worried I was!"
Tears of emotion sparkled in Su Qingluo's beautiful eyes.
"Heh, my fate is quite resilient. I'm not that easy to kill,"
Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
"Originally, after hearing the news, I wanted to go to Hudao Academy to find out the truth, but I was confined under house arrest by the elders of my family."
Su Qingluo explained.
"Soon, I will personally pay a visit to the Su Family,"
Ye Yunfei said, his expression turning stern.
"You've actually reached the initial Mystic Liquid Realm!"
Suddenly, Su Qingluo exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
"Heh, Qingluo, you've also reached the initial Mystic Liquid Realm,"
Ye Yunfei said with a smile, also feeling some surprise.
He hadn't expected that Su Qingluo's spiritual power realm would also break through to the initial Mystic Liquid Realm in such a short time.
"Qingluo!
Come back!"
Suddenly, a loud shout rang out. A grey-robed old man with a stern, majestic face strode over.
"Eighth Grandfather!"
Su Qingluo was taken aback.
"Qingluo, how many times have I told you to mind your image.
You are the eldest daughter of our Su Family, a person of noble status. Not just anyone is worthy of reaching above their station for you."
The grey-robed old man swept a disgusted glance at Ye Yunfei.
Rumble…
A terrifying wave of energy pressure, like an overwhelming tidal wave, surged towards Ye Yunfei, intending to cow him into submission.
This grey-robed elder was a second-level expert of the Grotto-Heaven Realm.
"Out of respect for your status as Qingluo's grandfather, I'll let it slide this time,"
Ye Yunfei, hands clasped behind his back, swept a cold glance at the old man. The power from his physical body vibrated out, yet not even the hem of his clothes fluttered.
A mere second-level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert? If a fight broke out, Ye Yunfei had confidence he could kill him; how could he possibly fear him?
"Humph!"
That grey-robed elder's face was extremely ugly.
As an expert of the Grotto-Heaven Realm, the spiritual power pressure he released couldn't affect a junior in the slightest — truly embarrassing.
At the same time, his heart was filled with shock.
"Qingluo, come with me!"
The grey-robed elder barked.
In the end, Su Qingluo had no choice but to follow the grey-robed elder away.
Right at this moment.
Rumble…
Suddenly, the entire Hujie City began to tremble.
"Enemy spotted!"
A great roar echoed, shaking the entire city.
"To the ramparts!"
An elder with a full head of white hair and beard shot into the sky, shouting.
This elder was a high-ranking officer of Hujie City.
Thus, contingents from various sects and factions all rushed towards the city walls.
Beyond Hujie City lay a massive spatial abyss, like the mouth of a monster.
Through this space abyss, one could faintly see the other side, arrayed with a large host of troops, dense and packed, their momentum astonishing.
"As expected, a breach has been torn open in the spatial barrier here,"
Ye Yunfei thought to himself as he gazed at the spatial chasm.
He saw that within the spatial abyss, vast amounts of time and space laws surged turbulently, and endless energy whirlwinds howled and roared.
"Humph!
Such a puny continent, and you dare to block the advance of our great army. Truly overestimating yourselves.
Now we give you a chance: all of you, kneel down and welcome our grand army into the Tianxuan Continent.
In that case, you lowly creatures will have the chance to become our slaves.
Otherwise, when our army steps onto the Tianxuan Continent, we will slaughter extensively, leaving no fowl or hound behind. Not a single living soul will remain on the Tianxuan Continent!"
Suddenly, an emotionless, icy voice came from the other side of the abyss.
This voice was utterly cold, carrying a tone of contempt.
"Our realm's defenses are impregnable. If you Extra-Dimensional armies had the ability, you would have already broken through.
What's the point of empty bluster here."
On the ramparts of Hujie City, a scholarly-looking middle-aged man appeared, speaking clearly.
Amplified by spiritual power, this middle-aged man's voice resounded majestically, like the voice of Heaven itself, transmitted to the other side of the spatial abyss.
"Gu Chengzhu!"
As soon as they saw this middle-aged man, many members of the Tianxuan Continent's various factions cried out excitedly.
"Gu Chengzhu is the city lord of Hudao City, and he is also the number one expert of our Tianxuan Continent!"
"With Gu Chengzhu here, we need not fear the strong enemies from beyond!"
...
The morale of the Tianxuan Continent's forces greatly swelled.
"Good, then let you lowly creatures witness some might!"
The voice from the other side of the abyss spoke coldly.
As the voice faded.
Rumble…
A pitch-black hand, covered in fiendish scales, slowly extended over from the other side of the abyss.
This hand was enormous, nearly filling the entire abyss.
Under the horrified gazes of the onlookers, the hand passed through the abyss channel and arrived before Hujie City, striking a palm towards the city.
Boom…
Energy runes that blotted the sky transformed into a raging torrent, violently surging towards Hujie City to drown it.
The faces of everyone changed.
Just a single hand, yet it possessed such terrifying power.
Just how terrifying must the owner of this hand be!
How could they fight against such an existence?
It simply wasn't on the same level!
Although many had come from the Tianxuan Continent, numbers were useless. Facing such a fearsome existence, victory couldn't be achieved simply by having more bodies.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Countless martial artists of the Tianxuan Continent stared, dumbstruck, at that giant hand in dead silence.
"Do not fear!
Because the owner of this hand is too powerful, he is rejected and suppressed by the rules of this realm. His true body cannot cross over.
Thus, only this projected hand can come.
Everyone, join forces and blast it back!"
Gu Chengzhu roared.
As his voice fell, Gu Chengzhu took the initiative, summoning a Dragon-head Seal and hurling it fiercely at the giant hand.
This Gu Chengzhu was a ninth-level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert!
"Gu Chengzhu is right!
Let's join forces and drive it back!"
Many Grotto-Heaven Realm experts also shouted, releasing their techniques one after another.
Thus, everyone attacked.
For a moment, sword glints, blade lights, fist imprints, palm shadows, and various activated magical treasures flew towards the giant hand like a plague of locusts.
Rumble…
In front of Hujie City, endless waves of energy shockwaves surged, incredibly frightening.
Finally, that giant hand slowly retreated.
It was originally rejected by the heavenly rules of this realm, and now, attacked by the martial artists of the Tianxuan Continent, it couldn't hold on for long.
"Wonderful! We finally repelled it!"
Cheers erupted from the Tianxuan Continent's martial artists.
"Humph, a bunch of insignificant bugs. What's there to be proud of.
If it weren't for this realm's heavenly rules rejecting me, a single breath from me would annihilate all of you."
That voice sounded again, carrying arrogance and also a trace of unwillingness.
"If it weren't for our realm having a defect in its heavens and earth, limiting the highest possible realm to only the Grotto-Heaven Realm, perhaps, given my talent, destroying you would be as easy as turning over my hand."
Gu Chengzhu stood toe-to-toe with him.
"'Our realm has a defect in its heavens and earth, the highest realm possible is only the Grotto-Heaven Realm?'"
Upon hearing Gu Chengzhu's words, many martial artists of the Tianxuan Continent were stunned.
Most martial artists were hearing this saying for the first time.
Only those Grotto-Heaven Realm experts who had lived for many long years knew the inside story, sighing softly to themselves.
"The Tianxuan Continent is just a Small World. Compared to the outside world, its heavenly laws are naturally defective.
It's destined that martial artists on this continent can only cultivate up to the Grotto-Heaven Realm at most.
This is an innate deficiency; there's nothing that can be done about it."
Ye Yunfei nodded slightly upon hearing Gu Chengzhu's words.
"Haha, so it seems you bugs aren't convinced.
Fine then. We'll send creatures of the same realm to have a battle, and let you bugs see just how weak you truly are.
Do you dare?"
That voice from the opposite side sounded once more.