"Spare me your smooth talk, Swen Guang. I've come here with irrefutable evidence. I guarantee you'll be left speechless."
Wei Tong had no intention of engaging Swen Guang in a war of words. With a wave of his hand, disciples behind him escorted several Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation Cultivators off the Giant Flood Dragon.
These Cultivators stepped forward and, in front of everyone, began recounting the evil deeds Swen Guang and the Shandu Sect had committed. One by one, each account was detailed from beginning to end, with clear cause and effect, backed by both witnesses and physical evidence, leaving Swen Guang no room for denial.
Halfway through their testimony, Swen Guang knew the Wei Family had come prepared. 'This much incriminating evidence against me couldn't have been gathered in a short amount of time.'
"Old Wei, you've been plotting against my Shandu behind my back for a long time, haven't you? Enough of this nonsense. If you want to take my territory, then strength will decide the outcome."
Swen Guang grew furious, knowing this day would not end peacefully. 'Since the Wei Family is out for my life, my only option is to strike first!'
Thus, Swen Guang activated the Golden Core within him, instantly releasing a screen of light so dense it seemed tangible, which unfurled around his body as a defense.
Then, the phantom of his life-bound artifact appeared behind him: a ring-shaped treasure shimmering with a blinding white light. Swen Guang made a hand gesture, and in the next instant, torrents of grayish-white flame surged toward the Wei Family's Battle Array.
The power of this grayish-white flame was astonishing. Though he was far away, Fang Qingyuan felt an inexplicable rage ignite within his heart. It created a powerful urge to go on a killing spree, as if only by hacking wildly could he find release.
'The flame hasn't even reached me, yet its influence is this powerful. If it were actually heading my way, how could I possibly block it?'
Fang Qingyuan cursed his luck internally. 'I thought this would be an easy mission, but I've ended up in the middle of a battle between Golden Core titans.'
'An innocent bystander caught in the crossfire... there's no other way. As reluctant as I am, I'll have to use that Life-Saving Talisman.'
So, Fang Qingyuan took out a talisman made from purple fur, clutching it tightly in his palm, ready to activate it at a moment's notice.
"Be careful! That's the Yindu Light Flame Fire, one of Swen Guang's Golden Core Divine Techniques! Don't underestimate it. Fortify your will and keep your mind clear!"
The speaker was the Wei Family liaison Cultivator, stationed on the silver beast's back. The Wei Family had been plotting against Shandu for a long time and had thoroughly investigated all of Swen Guang's secrets. The liaison was shouting the warning in the hopes of reducing casualties; otherwise, the death compensations after the battle would be staggering.
At that critical moment, a cry of "Array, rise!" rang like a divine chorus in Fang Qingyuan's mind. On the back of the silver beast, the eighteen small flags held by the She Family disciples simultaneously released their Spiritual Power, which linked them all together.
A Six Ding, Six Jia, and Six Mao Demon Suppression Array was instantly activated by the She Family disciples, enveloping the entire silver beast and blocking the first wave of Swen Guang's attack.
The She Family had been conscripted for this battle, so naturally, they hadn't come without a trump card. This Six Ding, Six Jia, and Six Mao Demon Suppression Array was their ultimate safeguard.
But Swen Guang's ring-shaped flames were clearly not so easily blocked. The Spiritual Energy Shield created by the Six Ding, Six Jia, and Six Mao Demon Suppression Array collided with the grayish-white flames in mid-air. In an instant, they wore each other down significantly. After the impact, the grayish-white flames visibly thinned.
Fang Qingyuan's group was one of the lucky ones. Some of the unprepared teams on their Roc Skates, caught by Swen Guang's sudden blast of grayish-white flame, collapsed without a sound, plummeting to the earth along with the giant beasts.
Seeing his forces suffer such heavy losses, Wei Tong flew into a rage. He summoned his Celestial Measuring Ruler, releasing a clear radiance that filled the sky and blocked Swen Guang's grayish-white flames. Then, he snarled:
"Swen, you old fiend, how dare you launch a sneak attack?"
Hearing Wei Tong's accusation, Swen Guang's face twisted into a sneer.
"We're already at White Mountain, what's the point of such talk? Old Wei, come and face your grandpa!"
Before Wei Tong could respond, a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator stepped forward and declared:
"No need for an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken! If you want a piece of Brother Wei, you'll have to get through me, Huo Hu, first!"
The sight of Huo Hu made Swen Guang laugh with rage. 'Since when does a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator dare to challenge a Golden Core Cultivator? Have I, Swen Guang, really fallen so low that I'm to be humiliated by the likes of him?'
At this thought, Swen Guang's heart filled with savagery. 'I must crush this wretched bug.'
Wei Tong looked into Swen Guang's eyes and sensed a cruel, savage intent. Without wasting words, he nodded to Huo Hu. Huo Hu then turned, mounted the Blazing Flame Tiger behind him, and galloped through the air toward Swen Guang.
At first, the man and tiger moved in complete silence. Huo Hu's black-and-yellow striped trousers were illuminated by the flames from the Blazing Flame Tiger, making him look like a flowing shadow.
But a closer look revealed a dim light flowing within this shadow, shimmering with a liquid red glow, like magma slowly churning deep underground, gathering its power.
Finally, Huo Hu's speed increased more and more until, with the force of a thunderclap, he crashed to a halt right in front of Swen Guang.
Like a bolt of celestial fire striking deadwood, the impact instantly shattered a large section of the thick light screen surrounding Swen Guang.
Feeling the force of the impact, Swen Guang's expression changed drastically. He had no time to think. With a long howl, the light screen around him erupted into grayish-white flames that rapidly surged toward Huo Hu.
The grayish-white flames burned fiercely, yet though he was right in their path, Huo Hu felt no heat. Just as they were about to engulf him, the red glow around his body began to pulse. With each flicker, rings of flame burst outward.
Though launched second, the rings of flame arrived first, colliding with the grayish-white fire in mid-air. In an instant, they annihilated a large portion of each other.
The grayish-white flames seemed to possess a will of their own. Taking damage, they pulled back to coalesce and reform.
But Huo Hu had no intention of letting it have its way. With a twist of his body, the Blazing Flame Tiger beneath him lashed out with its tail, which cut through the air like a flaming steel whip.
The grayish-white fire had no physical form, but it reeled from the tail's lash as if it had suffered a heavy blow.
Some of the grayish-white fire clung to the Blazing Flame Tiger's tail. However, there were no signs of burning. Instead, black blotches appeared on the tail, as if it had been afflicted by poison rather than fire.
Huo Hu narrowed his eyes to get a better look. 'What kind of fire is this grayish-white flame?'
It was clearly formed from a swarm of innumerable, translucent insects. Within the body of each insect, a distorted human face was visible.
The expressions on the faces were all horribly twisted, contorted with malice, hatred, or madness.
It was as if all the negative emotions in the world had been gathered together; as far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single trace of beauty or hope.
Though the faces were twisted beyond recognition, Huo Hu made a startling discovery: they were all faces of the same person.
Before Huo Hu could process this, the situation changed in an instant. The faces within the insects all swiveled to stare at him, their mouths opening as if in a collective, piercing howl.
Huo Hu heard no sound, but a malevolent will powerful enough to shatter his soul pierced directly into his mind.
In that instant, blood trickled from Huo Hu's mouth, nose, and the corners of his eyes. His mind felt like a boiling slurry, and in his dazed state, he could not regain his senses.
Just as he was about to be overwhelmed by the tide of malevolent will, Huo Hu suddenly let out a great roar. At the same time, the tiger beneath him also bellowed at the insect swarm.
The sound waves from the man and his tiger exploded outward in a fan shape, carrying sparks of red light. They swept out like a furious tide crashing upon the shore. The layer of grayish-white fire bore the brunt of the assault and was annihilated in less than half a breath's time.
Afterward, the rumbling tiger's roar continued to roll onward, stirring the very wind and clouds, as vast and tumultuous as the sea.