A howling gust tore across the battlefield, bringing with it a terrifying wave of destructive energy that rattled the heavens.
The Gnome Elder's aura exploded upward. His wild white hair whipped in the wind, and his sharp gaze gleamed with piercing intensity. The weathered lines of his face exuded a dominance that left no room for defiance.
A moment later, countless enormous white blades of wind slashed through the air, tearing the void apart and leaving behind chaotic, gnarled fissures.
"That's the Hurricane Elder's Great Annihilation Technique!" gasped several core elders, horror etched into their expressions.
Though only a mid-tier Divine Ability, this move had been fully mastered by the Gnome Elder—amplifying its power exponentially.
Its destructive potential far outstripped that of an ordinary practitioner. It was the very technique that had earned him his fearsome reputation among the Great Ascension realm elites.
"Old man, I'm joining in!" shouted the Golden Serpent Elder, gripping her serpent-headed staff tightly. Her golden robes rippled without wind as a dark, soul-chilling energy gathered at the staff's head.
Suddenly, a massive serpent phantom materialized behind her—its six pairs of obsidian eyes glowing eerily, tongue hissing, wings unfurled wide enough to blot out the sun.
With a violent lunge, the snake-shaped shadow surged forward, wreathed in a swirling cloud of pitch-black poisonous mist.
"Hmph!"
Not to be left out, the Hongwu Elder raised his hand, forming a radiant, ancient fist seal. With a thunderous roar, he launched his strike like a volcanic eruption, threatening to annihilate everything in its path.
Destructive Fist!
Three Great Ascension powerhouses—each at the late stage—unleashed their ultimate techniques in unison, aiming to obliterate their target completely.
And yet, facing their combined fury, Ye Junlin didn't flinch. A smirk played on his lips, as if amused by their effort.
[Ding! Host is under attack from late-stage Great Ascension enemies. Passive Skill: "Stronger When Facing the Strong" activated. Cultivation increased to Peak Great Ascension!]
Boom!!
Ye Junlin's aura surged once more, soaring to a height previously unimaginable.
"Damn it! His cultivation just jumped again?!" the three elders exclaimed, their expressions twisted in disbelief.
"Heh." Ye Junlin let out a cold chuckle. He lifted his hand, golden light blooming from his palm.
Boom!!!
A thunderous explosion lit the sky.
Before countless horrified eyes, three mighty figures were blasted away, blood spewing from their mouths, their auras severely diminished.
"The sect's information was wrong," the Golden Serpent Elder muttered, face ashen. "Ye Junlin's already at Peak Great Ascension!"
"We've been played…" Hongwu Elder seethed.
Wiping the blood from his lips, the Wind Elder growled, "We have no choice now. We'll use the sect's forbidden technique—throw everything at him!"
"Agreed."
"We must win this battle—for the honor of the Yuhua Sect!"
Behind them, the other core elders stiffened, eyes wide with awe.
They're really going to use that technique…
Meanwhile, Ye Junlin reveled in the newfound power coursing through his body.
It had only just occurred to him—the reason the Hongwu Elder's earlier block hadn't triggered his passive skill. The enemy had to attack first for it to activate.
Suddenly, he sensed a shift in the air.
Buzz…
The three elders' auras changed dramatically.
Silver runes began to appear on their skin, creeping up their necks and over their faces, eventually forming a downward-pointing triangle on each of their foreheads.
Silver light radiated around them, exuding an almost divine aura of inviolability.
"What's going on with them?!"
"They're using the Yuhua Sect's forbidden technique—the Yuhua Ascension Technique!"
"I've heard of this! Only the sect's top core elders are allowed to practice it!"
"It was created by the founding ancestor himself—this is the Yuhua Sect's greatest legacy! Anyone who masters it can temporarily reach unimaginable heights!"
The crowd of cultivators broke into a frenzy.
Even Hong Qianye's expression turned grim. "This secret technique is no less impressive than those found in the Central Region. Whoever created it must've been a once-in-a-generation genius."
Off in the distance, three radiant figures stood tall in the sky, their silver light pulsing like the heartbeat of the heavens.
"I feel an endless stream of power flowing through me!" the Hongwu Elder marveled, drunk on the sensation.
"Then let's not waste it," the Wind Elder said solemnly. "The longer we hold this state, the worse the backlash. There's no turning back."
"I don't care if my foundation crumbles or my cultivation shatters!" the Golden Serpent Elder shouted madly. "As long as we destroy him!"
"Kill!!"
With a unified roar, the three launched their final assault.
The sky trembled under the weight of their combined might.
Dozens of core elders joined in, unleashing a net of overwhelming attacks.
Ye Junlin narrowed his eyes. "Now this… is more like it."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosions shook the heavens.
Ye Junlin clashed with all of them head-on—one man against nine late-stage Great Ascension experts. Most of the pressure came from the three who had activated the secret technique.
The force was intense. Even Ye Junlin felt it.
"Great Annihilation Technique!"
The Wind Elder, glowing with silver runes, raised his hand and summoned a white storm of death, tearing through space toward Ye Junlin.
"Die!!"
Hongwu and the Golden Serpent Elders pressed in, their strength magnified by the Yuhua Ascension Technique.
BOOM!!
Just as they closed in, a terrifying pressure erupted behind Ye Junlin.
A massive shadow appeared.
Wearing an imperial crown, arms clasped behind his back, stood a towering figure with cold, aloof eyes—like a being watching the rise and fall of countless worlds.
"…What is that?"
Gasps and shudders ran through the onlookers.
"It's the apparition from the Secret Realm!" Hong Qianye cried, eyes wide.
With the Celestial Emperor Apparition standing behind him, Ye Junlin's aura transformed. A divine pressure swept across the battlefield.
He raised his hand. Unfathomable power surged forth, shattering the enemies' coordinated attacks and sending the core elders flying.
"This… this is a Divine Ability!" the Wind Elder stammered.
"But I've never seen such an apparition before…" Hongwu muttered, shaken to the core.
Before this celestial figure, they felt like ants—weak, helpless, and ready to kneel.
"Don't blink," Ye Junlin said calmly. "The real fight starts now."
The Golden Serpent Elder, trying to hold herself together, barked, "You think a giant illusion scares me? I've seen worse!"
"Heh."
Ye Junlin smirked. Slowly, he raised his finger—then pointed it at her.
Boom!!
The world seemed to still, as all focus fell on that one outstretched finger—brimming with the Dao itself.
Terror gripped the Golden Serpent Elder's heart.
The finger grew larger in her vision, the pressure unbearable.
She couldn't move. Space itself had frozen. Even her spiritual energy refused to circulate.
Endless golden light burst forth from Ye Junlin's fingertip, coalescing into a divine sword that cleaved through the sky.
Heaven-Cutting Finger!
"AAAGHH—!"
The Golden Serpent Elder screamed, trying desperately to counter with a spell.
Too late.
The golden blade carved through everything.
Her body disintegrated. Her soul was erased.
The other elders froze in fear, every hair on their body standing on end.
Ye Junlin clenched his fist again.
Boom!
A black vortex formed—a colossal fist imprint descended like a collapsing universe.
The remaining core elders tried to flee but couldn't move, drawn in like leaves in a storm.
"Help! Somebody help me!"
"No—!!"
And then—obliteration.
Their bodies shredded, their divine souls extinguished.
Only the Wind Elder and Hongwu Elder remained.
They exchanged a single look of sheer panic… then fled in opposite directions.
Their will to fight had shattered.
"You think you can run?"
A teasing voice echoed in the skies.
Glowing white hands reached out of thin air, instantly crossing the massive distance.
The two elders were seized mid-flight.
"You demon… The Yuhua Sect will never forgive you!!" the Wind Elder screamed, blood pouring from every orifice.
"You monster! Demon of the Arid Province!!" Hongwu Elder cried in terror.
"Oh, why make such a fuss?" Ye Junlin said, almost bored. Then he tightened his grip.
Crack!
Crack!
Their bodies exploded.
And just like that, they were gone.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
All eyes turned toward the lone figure standing tall beneath the heavens—Ye Junlin, flanked by the towering Celestial Apparition.
The world dared not speak.
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