Yellow Court Daoist

Boom boom boom!

Ao Lie and Ao Zhi both hail from the Dragon Clan and are at the peak of the Third Realm in their cultivation. When they clash, they exchange dozens of moves without gaining any advantage over each other.

The battle drags on.

Irritated, Ao Zhi shouts behind him, "Fourth brother, there's no need for civility with these people from Min River. Let's join forces and capture this lad to present before our father, and make him bow and confess!"

"Ha ha!"

"You two maggots can join forces if you like, but if I, Ao Lie, retreat even half a step, I'll no longer bear my name!"

Ao Lie remains fearless.

As he laughs heartily, his spear technique grows even fiercer, managing to gain a slight upper hand.

"Don't panic, fifth brother!"

"I'm here to help you!"

Seeing this, Ao Liang bellows. He reaches into the void and grabs an Iron Rod, swinging it powerfully through the air. With a fierce swing, he smashes it towards Ao Lie.

Boom boom boom!

Bang bang bang!

Ao Lie wields his long spear wildly, suddenly facing off against two opponents.

Ao Liang and Ao Zhi, being older and more seasoned in cultivation albeit at a similar level to him, possessed slightly superior combat skills. Ao Lie could match one of them, but against the two brothers combined, he quickly falls into a disadvantage.

His long spear thrusts left and supports right, barely managing to defend, and appears quite embarrassed.

After a hundred exchanges.

"Die!"

Ao Liang swings the Iron Rod, aiming to crush the heavens and fiercely smashing towards Ao Lie's head. If this blow lands, even if Ao Lie does not die, he would be severely injured and seeing stars.

"Not good!"

Ao Lie realizes the danger, thinking it's a bad situation.

But in his haste, he can't dodge in time and manages only to place his long spear above his head to bluntly withstand the rod.

Boom!

Like Mount Tai bearing down, the Iron Rod falls, and the tremendous force bends Ao Lie's long spear to the brink of breaking, numbing his palms tremendously and causing pain throughout his body.

Still, he withstands the potentially fatal strike.

But then Ao Liang and Ao Zhi join hands.

Ao Lie, facing two opponents, struggles to manage both ends. After blocking Ao Liang's rod, Ao Zhi's broadsword sweeps in, cutting through the void and striking Ao Lie's side—

Slash!

The blade slices through.

"Hisss!"

Ao Lie feels the pain piercing his heart, drawing a sharp intake of cold air. His body is flung sideways, blood scattering in the air.

"Meet your end!"

Ao Liang and Ao Zhi do not pause, continuing their assault.

One wielding the Iron Rod fiercely smashes, the other with the broadsword fervently chops. They are determined not to stop until Ao Lie is dead or incapacitated.

"Third Prince!"

Seeing this, a thousand soldiers of the Min River Navy shout in alarm and fury. They step forward in unison, trying to protect Ao Lie.

"Charge!"

But three thousand soldiers from the Wujiang Water Army roar, confronting them head-on and completely blocking the Min River soldiers.

No one to rescue.

Ao Lie is in grave danger!

Ao Liang and Ao Zhi, faces twisted with cruelty, brandish their weapons ceaselessly, about to strike Ao Lie. He struggles to stabilize his posture but can barely defend against them. If the blows land, he would either die or be severely crippled.

"Am I going to die?"

As Ao Lie's thoughts race, images of his father, little sister, wife, and Ao Jun flash through his mind, bitterness fills his heart. He grips his long spear tightly, channeling all his mana to its limit, glaring intently at Ao Liang and Ao Zhi.

In the next moment.

He is about to strike with his long spear for a final desperate attack.

But at that moment—

"That's enough."

Lu Qingfeng, clad in a magnificent brocade robe, thinks to himself as he steps out from the void, shouting, "You rascal, daring to attack our Third Prince, prepare to die swiftly!"

With a thunderous shout.

His voice booms like Nine Heavens Thunder, exploding in the clear sky.

Three thousand from the Wujiang Water Army and a thousand from the Min River Navy are instantly stunned, their ears ringing, shocked and unable to move as they gaze at the endless Sword Qi in the sky and earth.

Though Ao Liang and Ao Zhi are at the peak of the Third Realm, they too are immobilized by such might.

Their eyes bulge wide.

But then they see the myriad of Sword Qi forming an array, thunderously descending.

"Do no harm to my son!"

From the east, an overwhelming aura surges, sweeping through the surroundings. The voice arrives before the figure, booming through the atmosphere.

"Ao Geng."

Lu Qingfeng's lips slightly curl, his Sword Qi unabated. With a quick thought, he commands, merging them together—

Boom!

In that moment, Ao Liang and Ao Zhi are reduced to nothing but flying ashes, with just their Golden Cores popping out, riddled with countless holes.

Their flesh is dust, their Golden Cores are thoroughly damaged.

Two Divine Souls emerge, panicked and unstable, clinging to the Golden Cores as they flee towards the east.

From the east, a figure in a dragon robe appears, his face pale with a white beard. He waves his hand, gathering the Divine Souls and Golden Cores of Ao Liang and Ao Zhi. His mana sweeps over them, with Spirit Pills and True Water falling to purify the Golden Cores and solidify the Divine Souls.

Lu Qingfeng disregards them and moves forward to catch Ao Lie.

"Luo Fuzi."

Ao Lie, seeing Lu Qingfeng, shows boundless joy on his face, "Thanks to your timely arrival, otherwise I am afraid I would have been defeated by the hands of brothers Ao Liang and Ao Zhi."

Ao Lie is overwhelmed with gratitude and relief.

Though he had led many battles against demonic forces over the years, and faced numerous perils, such a close brush with death as experienced today was rare.

"Hisss!"

Before he could stabilize himself, he winces as he speaks, the wound on his waist flaring up—the broadsword nearly severing half his waist still emits a terrifying presence. If not treated promptly, he risks severe lingering injuries and future issues.

No time for further words.

Ao Lie reaches into his robe, intending to fetch a Spirit Pill to stabilize his injuries.

But then 'Luo Fuzi' grabs his hand, slowly shaking his head.

Confused, Ao Lie hears words by his ear, "I have a Xuanji Rejuvenation Pill that can bring back the dead and mend broken bones

Ao Lie's eyes shimmered with understanding the moment he heard the term "Luo Fu".

Immediately, he ceased his attacks, allowing his injuries around the waist to rage and spread.

On the other hand.

Wujiang Dragon Lord Ao Geng remained silent.

Holding steady the Divine Souls of Ao Liang and Ao Zhi with one hand, he slightly mended their Golden Cores. His eyes, filled with indifference, looked toward Lu Qingfeng and Ao Lie.

"Luo Fu!"

"Prepare to die!"

Ao Geng roared furiously.

Without any prior gesture, he swung his large sleeves vehemently, sweeping across with endless Sword Qi towards both Lu Qingfeng and Ao Lie.

His face was stern, clearly enraged to his limits.

Lu Qingfeng stood between them, paying no heed.

At that moment.

"Stop!"

From the west, the Outer Heaven Void burst apart, and a figure descended in front of Lu Qingfeng and Ao Lie. With no movement but a glance, he shattered the thousands of Sword Qi.

Upon closer look.

With a blue face and red beard, it was none other than Min River Dragon Lord Ao Zhan.

"Father."

"Disciple Luo Fu greets the teacher."

Ao Lie and Lu Qingfeng, seeing Ao Zhan, respectfully offered their greetings.

Ao Zhan nodded slightly, without turning around.

Hands behind his back, robes fluttering, he stood proudly confronting Ao Geng.

Former friends, now on the brink of a fierce confrontation.

"Ao Geng."

"Why resort to such lethal measures?!"

Reflecting on the previous sword moves and seeing Ao Lie's horrific waist injury from the corner of his eyes, Ao Zhan's eyes filled with wrath as he questioned.

"Why?"

"Why?"

Ao Geng, furious to the extent of laughing, placed his hand before him; two Golden Cores fluctuated up and down, within each housed a Divine Soul—precisely Ao Liang and Ao Zhi.

Their faces looked as if they were mourning at a funeral, crying and weeping to Ao Geng, "Father, the Min River has bullied us too far; you must avenge us brothers!"

"Father, the Min River initiated the bullying. Even if you send troops to flatten the Min River now, within and beyond Shang River, no one will object."

"Revenge! Destroy the Min River!"

Both Ao Liang and Ao Zhi, newly dead, faced bleak prospects with their disintegrated bodies, momentarily lost their senses, crying and wailing nonstop.

Pointing at Ao Geng, and then at Ao Zhan, their curses were relentless.

Ao Zhan, seeing the Divine Souls of the two,

Immediately understood, his gaze shifting to Ao Geng.

Ao Geng then snarled with laughter, "Ao Zhan, I have treated you generously. In early years when you were pursued by the eastern and western seas, it was my Wujiang that sheltered your wife and daughter. Later on, turning cold-hearted and refusing to associate is one thing, but covertly striking, first by making your disciples kill my sixth, seventh, and eighth sons, and now this disciple of yours even directly slays my fourth and fifth sons."

"Ao Zhan, do you truly think I, Ao Geng, am that easy to bully?"

Ao Zhan, hearing this, frowned slightly, puzzledly spoke, "I ordered my disciples to kill your sixth, seventh, and eighth sons?"

This Ao Zhan was truly bewildered.

He recognized that the two Divine Souls in Ao Geng's possession were indeed Ao Geng's fourth son Ao Liang and fifth son Ao Zhi, who were killed by Luo Fu right before his eyes, leaving no room for argument.

But those other three sons—

"Still pretending to be ignorant?"

Ao Geng, truly furious, his face reddening, waved his hand in the air, and suddenly two scenes appeared.

One depicted a sinister middle-aged man, like a snake emerging by day, who with a single strike decapitated a general and burst his Golden Core and Divine Soul.

Another scene.

Showed myriad sword lights forming an array, initially slaying one person with the Sword Array, and then gathering the sword lights, revealing a figure. Although the appearance differed, after heaven and earth converged, without the Inheritance Order to mask it, the essence could be recognized.

It was Luo Fu.

Luo Fu shook and transformed into a flying sword across the sky, killing another.

Ao Zhan watched these.

His pupils subtly contracted.