Azure waves stretched to the horizon, beneath a sky veiled in an ethereal mist. A figure emerged from the depths, a vision of black hair and a long spear. He advanced with an unwavering resolve, a sharpness that pierced the very air, invading the quietude.

The spear trailed behind him, held at a low angle, its tip dragging through the shallow water. Yet, the man himself embodied the spear’s point. He was a single, cold star in the night, a sliver of a crescent moon in the vast expanse. In the long darkness, he was a bright light that could never be overlooked.

To array themselves now was a futile endeavor.

Tai Yin’s left hand swiftly conjured a round array disk, pressing it against his chest. Immediately, a swirling wind arose, manifesting as razor-sharp blades resembling willow leaves, circling him and Xiang Bei. With his right hand, he formed a Daoist seal, his expression solemn. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice tight with caution in the face of such strange arrival.

The newcomer offered no response. He merely quickened his pace, his boots striking the water’s surface and leaving ephemeral footprints in their wake. The spear tip continued to slice through the waves, carving a long, unbroken line in the water, a line that extended from where he emerged to the very edge of vision. It was as if the spear had cleaved the sea of this Mountain Sea Realm in twain!

He neither answered nor paused, as if disdaining to even acknowledge Tai Yin, let alone explain his presence. His silence was an invitation to battle, an attitude echoed by the colossal figure plummeting from the sky.

That giant, still descending at terrifying speed, was now wreathed in sparks from the friction of his passage. As he drew nearer to the sea, the surging thunder of his own circulating blood became audible, a powerful roar that mingled with the crash of waves against the reef. It was as if a sea resided within a human form. This was the mark of a true martial practitioner!

*Bang bang! Bang bang!*

His heartbeat echoed like thunder, resonating through heaven and earth. Nearer and nearer he came, a falling meteorite wreathed in flames. These were no divine abilities, but the raw, incandescent fire generated by his immense speed as he hurtled through the air. The first thing to greet the onlookers was a fist – a fist as hard and vast as an iron bowl. It descended like a falling rock, a collapsing mountain, propelled by the force of rivers, lakes, and seas.

The air exploded.

Xiang Bei straightened, his form expanding in the process. Muscles bulged like mountains and peaks, blood vessels writhed like dragon snakes, and black smoke poured from his pores. In an instant, he manifested his Swallow Thief Overlord Body, towering more than a *zhang* tall. In that moment, he stood between heaven and earth, a force surpassing ten thousand men. His World Covering Halberd was raised high, ready to overturn the very sky! Even if the heavens were to fall, he would overturn them in turn, let alone mere mountains, lakes, or seas.

*Crack!*

Only after Xiang Bei ascended several *zhang* did the colossal reef they stood upon begin to splinter under the force of his counter-thrust. The very air around them erupted in a series of explosions. Xiang Bei climbed higher and higher, faster and faster. The two colossal figures in the sky, one irresistible, the other unyielding, collided decisively. Neither spoke a word, nor even exchanged a glance. The halberd wreathed in black smoke and the fist surrounded by flowing red fire met like two stars colliding in the vastness of the universe!

All roars, all air explosions, were annihilated in that instant. Sound was utterly extinguished; nothing could be heard. In their vision, at the point of impact between fist and halberd, fleeting, twisted black lines appeared – cracks in space itself! The scene in their vision became agonizingly slow, recovering only haltingly, as if heaven and earth had collapsed and were only now reassembling.

Huge ripples spread across the sky. The burly giant’s fist recoiled, his entire body propelled upward. Xiang Bei, however, plummeted straight down, falling… until his battle boots struck the reef, finally arresting his descent.

*Crack, crack, crack.*

The massive reef, measuring over ten *zhang* across, instantly fractured into countless fragments, crumbling and sinking into the sea.

Just as Xiang Bei surged towards the sky, and the reef began to crack, Tai Yin had already advanced. Since words yielded no response, he would seek answers in battle. He refused to believe that some unknown individual, appearing from who knew where, could truly overwhelm him, a direct descendant of the Tai clan, in this Mountain Sea Realm, a place where divine arrival was impossible! Had not the world-renowned Jiang Qingyang been unable to ensnare him, only to be trapped in a desperate situation by his array?

He took a step forward, stepping off the reef and onto the empty air, his boots hovering a mere three inches above the water. Faster and faster he walked, his array disk suspended before him moving with his every stride. The wind swirling around him transformed into those willow leaf-like green blades, cutting through the air with an ear-splitting shriek, following a mysterious trajectory, one after another, striking first at the figure walking upon the waves.

These wind blades moved with an unnerving slowness in their visual manifestation, designed to induce misjudgment in his opponent. In reality, they were not only swift but also utterly ferocious. This was his most powerful offensive array disk, the Flowing Wind Green Blade. His initial defensive use of it was a feint, intended to catch his opponent off guard.

At this moment, man and array advanced as one, their killing intent sharp. As he rapidly closed the distance to his opponent, Tai Yin saw only a single point of cold starlight. Everything else in his vision seemed to vanish, leaving only that point of cold starlight shining in his eyes. Then, one by one, the wind-element simulated green blades shattered.

His vision cleared. He saw the man again, and the spear. His array disk, suspended before him, had shattered! The fragments of the exploded disk filled the sky, scattering along with the shattered wind blades. In the gaps between the debris, Tai Yin finally saw the true form of the long spear. It seemed to have sprung from the man’s back to his front, now held firmly in his grasp.

The spear’s appearance was utterly ordinary, not even mediocre, arguably ugly. It was simply a piece of burnt charcoal wood, salvaged by who knew whom, crudely whittled and a spearhead haphazardly attached. Only after prolonged use had the spear body become finely polished, smooth to the touch. Yet, when it advanced with an undeniable posture of piercing everything, compelling one to look again, one could suddenly sense within it a power that pierced through time itself.

Too sharp, and too strong.

The flame of civilization passed down, never extinguished. What could block this spear? Upward, it could pierce clouds and break the moon; downward, it could shatter seas and sink boats. Who in this world could withstand its sharpness?

Tai Yin’s eyes narrowed slightly, his face still composed. His right hand, already having completed its seal, lifted upwards, fingers slightly bent like five peaks reaching for the sky.

*Hua la la!*

From the great sea, a water-blue dragon leaped forth, stirring wind and waves.

*Hu hu!*

From the high sky, a sky-blue dragon descended, its body wreathed in a hurricane.

Silent, yet flames flickered. A wave of unbearable heat descended first, then a fire-red dragon soared from the flames, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. Amidst sharp whistles, a forest-white dragon spat out illusions of weapons, bringing pervasive killing intent.

*Hong long long!*

Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky, and from the lightning, a deep-purple thunder dragon emerged, cold and aloof, gazing down upon the mortal realm.

Water, wind, fire, metal, thunder. With these five elements, he would suppress and kill in all directions. This was the Tai clan’s inherited super-grade Dao technique, the Five Dragons Seal Heaven! During the River Viewing Platform competition, he had yet to cultivate this technique. After the end of the Yellow River meeting, spurred by shame, he had overcome his difficulties and successfully mastered this super-grade Dao technique on the outer floors.

As soon as the five angry dragons, each of a different color and form, appeared, they immediately seized control of this part of heaven and earth, dominating the space between Tai Yin and this mysterious opponent. That single point of cold starlight stagnated in the air. The approaching figure and his long spear paused on their forward path.

But… Tai Yin felt a creeping unease. Though they were still so far apart, and this spear had clearly been halted, a stabbing pain lingered in his brow! He hadn’t been struck by the spear, yet it felt as if his very skull had been pierced!

*Roar! Roar! Roar!*

Tai Yin banished the unsettling feeling, driving the five dragons to roar in the air. Five entirely different Yuan forces intertwined, forming invisible chains, dense within the space covered by the Dao technique. This was an unseen binding. The tails of the water, wind, fire, metal, and thunder dragons entwined, rotating upwards like a five-colored spearhead, evenly divided. The bodies of the five dragons then extended outwards, covering an immense area, their heads bowed down, imposing their might upon the opponent.

The sky accordingly took on five colors: blue, green, red, white, and purple. It was as if the entire sky had been dyed, and then the sky itself was collapsing, overturning everything. Caught within this technique, one felt the chaos of heaven and earth, the dizzying brilliance of the five colors. Viewed from outside the range of this Dao technique, the brilliant light and shadow created by the Five Dragons Seal Heaven resembled a colossal five-colored umbrella.

It had opened. The dragons’ bodies were the umbrella ribs. Their entwined tails formed the umbrella tip. The dense, manifest Yuan forces perfectly filled the vast gaps between the five dragon bodies, forming the umbrella’s surface. And the hanging dragon heads, each roaring, unleashed divine techniques. Water cones rotated at high speed, wind blades floated with immeasurable force, fireballs howled as they fell, golden arrows filled the sky like rain, and thunder spears pierced through space. The simplest Dao laws, combined with the might of divine techniques, descended like a flying waterfall. It was as if the heavens were unleashing a downpour, aimed solely at the single figure holding the spear.

Every drop of this “rain” was a dragon’s divine technique. Every drop was a weapon of killing. Heaven collapsed, rain fell. Tai Yin had originally intended to use this technique against Jiang Wang, only to abandon it due to the pursuing disaster battle. To use it against this newcomer was no dishonor.

Thus, he saw—

Beneath the cover of the Five Dragons Seal Heaven, the ink-haired male merely flicked his right wrist and raised his long spear upright. The spear tail hung in the sea, the tip pointed upwards. He raised the spear towards the heavens. With a light tap of his foot, the figure ascended, treading the waves. His hands gripped the spear body, the shaft perfectly bisecting his face. And Tai Yin clearly noticed that the man’s cold eyes, like twin cold stars, were calmly fixed on him.

He had clearly raised his spear and was surging towards the heavens, clearly confronting a super-grade Dao technique named Five Dragons Seal Heaven. Yet, he seemed merely to be casually poking at a fire in a stove with a stick. He maintained eye contact, as if wanting to exchange trivial matters of life with Tai Yin. His chin was slightly lifted, so sharp, almost failing to conceal his contempt!

This casualness infuriated Tai Yin further. His five inner mansions churned one after another, causing the purple dragon to become more agitated, the white dragon more vicious, and the wind to fuel the fire’s momentum… Dragon roars filled the air between heaven and earth. Beneath the Five Dragons Seal Heaven, divine techniques rained down, countless and varied. Every inch of space trembled, almost reaching the terror of heaven and earth returning to chaos.

But after all, it was only “almost.”

The ink-haired male had leaped up, treading the waves. His ascent was so light, yet after he leaped, an unimaginable power, centered around him, suddenly exploded.

*Pi pa!*

Like a log burning and cracking in a stove, the sound of exploding sparks. That spear, ordinary at first glance, suddenly puffed out a wisp of flame above its tip as it plunged towards the sky. A wisp of brilliant golden fire. This wisp of flame instantly exploded, turning into a sea of golden fire, which then transformed into a colossal golden flame dragon, soaring upwards.

This was glorious, brilliant flame, the light that illuminated all things in heaven and earth. What were water-blue dragons, sky-blue dragons, fire-red dragons, forest-white dragons, deep-purple thunder dragons? What was the entwined tail forming a giant umbrella supporting the sky? What was the Five Dragons Seal Heaven? As this brilliant sea of golden flame spread, everything was incinerated. Heaven and earth were draped in a golden shroud, everything becoming resplendent and glorious.

This was a divine ability, the Solar True Fire! It was truly like a sun exploding. All things in heaven and earth should witness this splendor. And Tai Yin’s troubles were far from over. As the ink-haired male rose, treading the waves and raising his spear towards the sky… as everyone’s vision focused on the brilliant golden flame above… the man’s single footstep, light as a dragonfly skimming the water, completely detonated the terrifying spear momentum he had gathered all the way across the sea.

The terrifying spear qi, which had lingered in the water mark, surprisingly leaped out of the sea, forming a semi-transparent long spear, its tip out of sight. It was as if gripped by the hand of an invisible god, a spear that struck from the very edge of vision!

Tai Yin’s hand flipped, and a black-green array disk rose before him. Grim patterns adorned its surface. From the black-green cold light, a pair of dry, bloodless hands emerged. The two hands separated, then squeezed together, and a fierce ghost with long red eyebrows and a trailing red tongue leaped out. Its appearance was ferocious, its momentum grim and cold.

This was the array disk, the Red Eyebrows Hanging Dead Ghost. As soon as the ghost appeared, its red tongue extended rapidly, like a spirit snake, winding around the spear that had leaped from the sea. It was as if a red tassel was binding the long spear, or a red rope ensnaring a flood dragon. But before it could exert its force, the red tongue shattered inch by inch, exploding into the sky like scattering blood-colored butterflies.

The array disk in Tai Yin’s hand also instantly cracked into four or five pieces.

The semi-transparent long spear continued to advance.

Tai Yin’s left hand, reaching through the fragments of the cracked array disk, continued to move forward, clenching into a fist. He shook the starlight of the four floors, using the strength of the Reverse Four Symbols Mixed Yuan, and with extreme force, collided directly with the spear.

*Crack.*

The spear, its tip beyond sight, emitted a porcelain-like cracking sound, finally shattering into pieces, scattering into nothingness. Tai Yin, however, was pushed back several *zhang* by the immense force, landing precisely on the reef. And it was at this exact moment that Xiang Bei, after colliding with the giant, was slammed down, his remaining power shattering the reef!

Xiang Bei stood on the water waves after the reef had sunk, his body wreathed in ghostly qi, his eyes intensely solemn. Tai Yin retreated behind him, standing on the water where the reef had been. In the high sky just now, he and the giant had engaged in the purest collision of force against force. And he had undeniably been at a disadvantage. The body of a martial practitioner, so strong! This giant who had suddenly attacked was a martial practitioner nearly touching the threshold of divine arrival. Though not quite Zhong Li Yan, he was not far off.

Where had these two people come from? Both he and Tai Yin had attacked simultaneously, yet both had fallen into disadvantage. The proud sons of the various countries had all been tested at the Yellow River meeting, and he knew the outstanding disciples of the major sects in the Southern Domain roughly. Yet none matched the two individuals before him. Were they from some hidden world sect?

“*Ai Ying*? Or *Bei Hui Feng*?” Xiang Bei’s eyes were fixed on the spear-wielding male as he voiced his question. Although the giant martial practitioner appeared more imposing, he subconsciously felt that among these two, the spear-wielder was the more significant.

“That doesn’t seem to be your concern,” the giant figure in the sky said in a loud voice. “Either hand over the Huai Sha Jade Wall, or die!”

Xiang Bei laughed, incensed. “It seems I’ve given you too much credit!” Raising his World Covering Halberd, he took a step forward. “Xiang certain wishes to see how you will make me die!” This rude martial practitioner, if he truly believed that brute physical strength could kill him, Xiang Bei, was utterly ridiculous!

But at this moment, the ink-haired male spoke. He bent a finger, pointing behind Xiang Bei, and said casually, “I think your friend should have a different opinion.”

Xiang Bei looked back with vigilance. He saw only that from the center of Tai Yin’s brow, a sudden crack appeared, spurting out a stream of fresh blood. His entire body tipped backward and fell!