Chapter 732: Qing Yanjing
As the Sea Demon Jiao bellowed furiously, Xiao Ze decided to abandon his concealment. The spatial distortion rippled as he stepped out, his gaze falling thoughtfully on the woman in the white dress.
Xiao Ze's soul perception had continuously monitored the surrounding area, leaving nothing about the woman or the Sea Demon Jiao hidden from his insight.
Moments ago, during her exchange with the Sea Demon Jiao, the reflection of a black pagoda seemed to flicker in the woman's eyes.
A black pagoda... In the Great Thousand World, spirit techniques took myriad forms. Among them, some could manifest into a black pagoda. However, the most renowned and powerful of these was undoubtedly the Great Pagoda Technique of the Buddha Clan.
When cultivated to high levels, the pagoda could evolve into various unique forms, such as the Holy Pagoda cultivated by Mu Chen or the Dark Pagoda cultivated by another Buddha Clan prodigy.
Xiao Ze's thoughts raced as he considered the possibility: could this woman be a member of the Buddha Clan on a training journey?
Important figures from a faction as significant as the Buddha Clan rarely ventured out alone. Typically, they were accompanied by guardians or remained secluded in their clan's holy grounds. Still, Xiao Ze decided to confirm his suspicions by using his status panel to check her identity.
What he discovered left him slightly shocked she was someone he hadn't expected to meet.
The Sea Demon Jiao, seeing Xiao Ze emerge silently, grew more irritated.
"Eavesdropping on our private exchange? That's quite underhanded, isn't it?"
Xiao Ze remained calm, replying with a faint smile.
"I had no intention of getting involved in your dispute. If you both continued your chase without stopping here, I'd have been content to stay uninvolved."
The Sea Demon Jiao shifted slightly, closing the distance between itself and Xiao Ze.
"Unfortunately, things seldom go as planned. You're already caught up in this!"
Sensing the creature's hostility, Xiao Ze's smile didn't waver.
"The Sea Demon Jiao Clan may have Heavenly Sovereign level beings, but that doesn't give you license for such reckless behavior. If you think you can slaughter and plunder at will in the Great Thousand World, even a Heavenly Sovereign from your clan might find it hard to shield you from the consequences."
His words pierced through the Sea Demon Jiao's facade of civility. Its features contorted into a feral snarl as its spiritual energy surged, spreading unchecked throughout the area.
"Ha! So what? You and that woman are merely Lower Earth Sovereigns. How could you possibly send word of this to anyone?"
"Today, I'll kill you both, take what I need, and hide away in a lower plane for a few hundred years. Once I ascend to the Heavenly Sovereign level, everything will change!"
Its arrogant voice echoed across the ocean, but neither Xiao Ze nor the woman flinched.
The Sea Demon Jiao's threats were met with serene composure. While Xiao Ze maintained his calm smile, the woman's face showed only a faint trace of anger no fear.
Their reactions caused the creature's boisterous laughter to falter. For the first time, it sensed that these two weren't as straightforward as they appeared.
"Two mere Lower Earth Sovereigns! I'll show you the power of a High Earth Sovereign today!"
With a thunderous roar, the Sea Demon Jiao unleashed its spiritual energy, stirring the ocean below into towering waves tens of thousands of feet high. Its claws gleamed with deadly energy as it struck simultaneously at both Xiao Ze and the woman.
The sheer force of the attack would have overwhelmed most Lower Earth Sovereigns.
The woman immediately sent a voice transmission to Xiao Ze.
"Quick, get over here!"
With a wave of her sleeve, an imposing spiritual array expanded in all directions. The brilliant formation glowed with protective light, forming a barrier that shielded her from the claw strike.
The massive claw slammed into the light screen, shattering some of its components. However, the array was no ordinary formation it was of a Grandmaster level, and it held firm.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ze faced the claw strike with nothing more than his clenched fist. Spiritual energy condensed around his hand, forming a crystalline glow as he punched forward.
The punch collided with the claw strike, shattering it completely. The resulting shockwave carved a deep trench across the ocean's surface, exposing the seabed below.
"What?! Impossible!"
The Sea Demon Jiao's human like expression contorted in astonishment. A Lower Earth Sovereign shouldn't have been able to withstand such an attack, yet Xiao Ze had casually destroyed it.
Even the woman, safe within her spiritual array, was visibly surprised.
Xiao Ze's gaze turned icy as he addressed the beast.
"I had no desire to meddle in your dispute, but since you've decided to drag me in, I suppose it's only polite to return the favor."
With a wave of his sleeve, a golden cloud emerged from his personal world, coalescing into a vast Golden Sea of Battle Will.
In the center of the turbulent sea, a radiant sun formed, covered with densely packed battle runes. The sheer pressure caused the Sea Demon Jiao's expression to change.
"A Battle Array Master?!" it exclaimed, its voice filled with disbelief.
The creature's instincts screamed of danger. Its prey, who it had dismissed as mere Lower Earth Sovereigns, were anything but ordinary.
One was a Grandmaster Spirit Array Master, and the other a rare and powerful Battle Array Master was a walking catastrophe.
The battle sun's overwhelming energy surged with terrifying momentum, prompting the Sea Demon Jiao to abandon all pretense of pride. Without hesitation, it turned to flee.
"Leaving already?" Xiao Ze murmured. "Not so fast."
"Solar Extinction Beam!"
The radiant sun released a blinding beam of golden light, streaking toward the fleeing creature.
From tens of thousands of feet away, a column of blood erupted into the sky, accompanied by the Sea Demon Jiao's agonized scream. Though it narrowly survived, the beast would need decades to recover from its injuries.
Xiao Ze turned his gaze to the battle sun, observing its intricately detailed runes. Roughly estimating, he counted over five million.
Thanks to the resources he'd amassed since becoming an Earth Sovereign, his Saint Flame Army had surpassed ten thousand in number. Coupled with his enhanced willpower, the runes he could now manifest rivaled the might of a High Earth Sovereign.
Retracting the battle array, Xiao Ze turned to the woman and smiled.
"Thank you for your offer of assistance earlier."
The woman offered a wry smile.
"I only intervened because I inadvertently dragged you into this fight. But with your strength, it seems my actions were unnecessary."
"A kind gesture is always worth gratitude," Xiao Ze replied, bowing slightly. "Meeting like this must be fate. My name is Xiao Ze."
The woman hesitated briefly before offering a graceful smile.
"I am Qing Yanjing. A pleasure to meet you, Xiao Ze."
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