LABMY CH122

The sandy ground, crowded with people, was utterly silent. Even the distant city walls were packed with heads, yet despite the tens of thousands gathered, not a single voice could be heard.

They—men and women alike—stood with bulging muscles and sturdy bodies, using their flesh and blood to block the first defensive line of the Asriga Empire.

The Grand Elder squinted his eyes. “If this is the extent of your tactics, then I can only say—how laughable.”

He extended his hand, slowly closing his five fingers. At the same time, a white sphere appeared out of thin air in his palm—an aura sphere compressed to its very limit.

The Grand Elder sneered. “With the blood of ten thousand, I shall instill fear into the hearts of all who dwell upon this land, so that they may kneel in welcome upon our arrival.”

As he spoke, he casually pushed his hand forward, tossing the white sphere—compressed to its utmost limits and continuously releasing tiny streaks of lightning—toward the crowd on the beach.

Those at the forefront immediately paled. The sphere seemed to move slowly, yet the terrifying, chilling aura it emitted made it impossible to ignore.

At that moment, only one thought filled the minds of the crowd: stop it, even if with their own flesh and blood.

If they failed, the Fisherman’s city behind them—and the hundreds of thousands who lived there—would all perish.

The great sects had opened their doors, their techniques shared freely. The noble families had taught their five-element combat skills at no cost. In the six months of rigorous training, this collective spirit of shared progress and shared honor had united the people of the Asriga Empire like never before.

They all knew that eventually, they would fight for one cause—to protect this land.

And now, though the battle had come sooner than expected, not a single person stepped back.

The leading woman, nearly three meters tall, bellowed, “Formation!”

At her command, countless warriors moved as one, each placing their fingers into a strange hand gesture—middle finger pointing straight to the forehead. Dense spiritual energy surged from their brows, layered upon layer, converging in midair to form a roaring tiger.

“Roar!!!”

The tiger charged through the sky, its deafening roar shaking the heavens, as it lunged at the compressed aura sphere. With a ferocious growl, it swallowed the white sphere whole.

But before they could breathe a sigh of relief—”Boom!” A thunderous explosion erupted in the sky, sending shockwaves so powerful that the entire Fisherman’s city trembled.

The tiger shattered. The aura sphere burst forth from its stomach, tearing through the tiger’s remains, accelerating toward the golden barrier.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the aura sphere crashed into the semi-transparent golden barrier. Like a spinning top launched at high speed, it struck the barrier and rotated violently.

Under this relentless impact, cracks began to spread outward from the point of collision.

Suddenly, a massive blue whale emerged from the sky, its tail sweeping up towering waves. With a mighty swing, the whale’s tail, carrying the force of crashing waves, smashed into the white aura sphere.

Under the massive collision, the sea behind them surged with hundred-meter-high waves before crashing down again. The cracks on the golden barrier remained, but the white aura sphere had vanished.

The blue whale hovered in the sky, and from its head, a figure descended—it was none other than Shi Yun, the Sect Master of the Wenxian Sect.

“Your attack was aimed at the entire Fisherman’s City,” Shi Yun said coldly. “There are not only cultivators in this city, but also ordinary people. Are you not afraid of incurring karmic retribution?”

The Grand Elder let out a disdainful laugh. “What I want is for everyone here to die.”

“Mere mortals are but ants beneath our feet. Since when do we concern ourselves with how many ants we crush as we walk?”

Shi Yun’s expression darkened. “Who are you?”

The Grand Elder sneered. “You are unworthy of knowing my name. To me, you are nothing more than an insect—perhaps slightly more useful than an ant, but an insect nonetheless.”

“A lowly creature like you dares ask who I am?”

At that moment, a golden Buddha statue suddenly appeared out of thin air. Towering and radiant, its golden light illuminated half the sky. Meanwhile, wailing ghost infants gathered upon a grotesquely swollen mass of flesh, their countless tiny heads crying in unison. This monstrous lump, filled with sorrow, emerged from the other side.

In the heavens, the blue whale, the golden Buddha, and the monstrous ghostly mass stood as three titanic figures, dividing the sky. The blue whale let out a mournful cry, the Buddha chanted ancient sutras, and the ghostly figure shrieked in agony. Their immense forms cast their gazes upon the eighteen figures standing at the edge of the shoreline.

These three manifested apparitions corresponded to the Sect Masters of the Wenxian Sect, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect, and the Heavenly Demon Sect.

A closed-eyed monk, exuding deep compassion, softly uttered, “Amitabha,” before soaring forward alongside the Heavenly Demon Sect Master.

The monk opened his eyes, filled with boundless pity and serenity. “Your strength is formidable, but we are not afraid.”

The Heavenly Demon Sect Master, a scruffy middle-aged man, scoffed, “Enough talk. If you want to fight, then fight.”

Shi Yun stepped forward. “For thousands of years, we have been bound by the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone. Today, we do not seek rebellion—we only seek fairness.”

“Ants,” the Grand Elder shook his head slowly. “Have no right to speak of fairness.”

The tension thickened, swords drawn, the battlefield on the brink of eruption. But then, the Grand Elder took a step back.

“You are not even qualified to fight me.”

“Lan San, Lan Si, Lan Wu, Lan Liu.”

At his words, four enforcers behind him stepped forward. With each step, their overwhelming spiritual pressure sent shockwaves through the battlefield. The sheer force of their presence made those behind the golden barrier instinctively retreat.

Lan Shaoyu suddenly chuckled. “Lan San, stand down.”

“Let me have some fun with these oversized piles of trash.”

From behind the semi-transparent golden barrier, Lan Shaoyu provocatively taunted the leading frontline guardian, “Don’t you know? Ants that grow too big are nothing but an eyesore.”

The air was filled with killing intent—the battle was about to erupt.

Lan Si, Lan Wu, and Lan Liu raised their hands in unison. In a single motion, a chillingly sharp blue water sword appeared in each of their grasps. Lan Si swept his blade across the sea.

Deep blue seawater surged. Amid the rushing sound, massive icicle-like water spikes, sharp enough to pierce the heavens, burst from the ocean surface, aligning themselves in midair, their deadly points aimed directly at Shi Yun and the others.

The blue whale charged forward, but countless icy spikes mercilessly pierced into its body. The whale let out a sorrowful wail, its massive body twisting violently as it flung the embedded spikes back toward Lan Si and his allies.

The golden Buddha extended its massive palm, pressing down fiercely toward Lan Wu. But with a single thrust, Lan Wu’s sword pierced through the Buddha’s hand, then slashed through the air, slicing toward the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect.

Meanwhile, the monstrous lump of ghost infants let out a heart-wrenching cry. The tiny heads detached from the fleshy mass one by one, rushing toward Lan Liu at terrifying speed. Wailing, they swarmed around him, seeking an opening to sink their teeth into his flesh.

A glimmer of blue light sliced through the horde of ghostly infants. With an expressionless face, Lan Liu emerged before the Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

In half a year of cultivation, the only one who had broken through the Mahayana stage and entered the realm of Mortal Immortals was Shi Yun. And only Shi Yun knew the true strength of these people, whose names sounded like mere household servants.

At this moment, they were locked in a back-and-forth battle, but it was only because…

Shi Yun’s heart sank further—these people were merely toying with them before the cat caught the mouse. Once they were done playing, today would be the day of their deaths.

A bitter, self-mocking voice echoed in Shi Yun’s heart. They had cultivated for half their lives, exerting every effort to reach their current realm, yet they couldn’t even protect the land of their birth.

Only eighteen people. The ones who had come from across the sea, only eighteen.

And these eighteen could slaughter hundreds of thousands, even millions of them.

For over a thousand years, the immortal artifact Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone had silently suppressed and sealed off the Sea of Falling Waters Region. How could the world be so unfair?

And yet, despite the Asriga Imperial Court’s centuries of planning, sacrificing over ten thousand cultivators, all they had managed was a mere crack in the barrier. Their original plan was to widen this crack, break it completely, and shatter their thousand-year imprisonment.

But today, Shi Yun finally understood—the difficulty of such a feat was akin to overturning the heavens. It was nothing more than a fool’s dream.

Suddenly, a voice came from the side—it was that young man speaking.

“I never expected that, just because I was bored and didn’t want to stay on Xianling Island, I would come to the Sea of Falling Waters Region on a whim to search for this rumored place—and I actually found it.”

As he spoke, Lan Shaoyu summoned a flying sword. His sword was clearly different from those of Lan Si, Lan Wu, Lan Liu, and the others. His sword seemed to be forged from water, its blade flowing as if liquid.

Yet with just the slightest slash, the sharpness of his sword forced a group of cultivators guarding the shore to retreat with severe injuries.

As one group fell back, another swiftly pulled the wounded to the rear and filled the gap. They lacked the strength of the sect leaders, but they were using their very flesh and blood to resist the invaders.

Lan Shaoyu’s words made Shi Yun whip her head around to look at him.

It was him!

It was because of him that the Asriga Empire lost a hundred years of preparation time. In just half a year, they were discovered by those across the sea.

How ridiculous—just because a spoiled young master acted out of boredom, the Asriga Empire was now facing utter annihilation.

At that moment, fury overwhelmed Shi Yun, an uncontrollable wrath that drove her to an irrational decision.

Since they were all going to die anyway, she would take this man down with her before she perished.

Her moment of distraction allowed Lan Si’s icy water prism to pierce her shoulder, but she ignored it. The massive blue whale let out a deep, mournful cry and charged toward Lan Si with reckless force.

As Lan Si dodged, Shi Yun did not pursue. Instead, she turned abruptly, sword in hand, and stabbed toward Lan Shaoyu. Her entire presence surged with a violent aura, deep blue spiritual energy wrapping around her like a tangible force. At this moment, her sword seemed to burn with her very life force.

“You dare, brat!”

A furious roar rang out as the remaining twelve enforcers rushed forward. The outcome seemed inevitable.

…

Before receiving the news, Jian Yuanbai was completely absorbed in preparing for something important. In three days, his Little Spoon would turn eighteen. Birthdays were significant, and turning eighteen meant the Contract Ceremony would also take place, making it even more important.

Jian Yuanbai didn’t want Little Spoon to skip a birthday celebration and go straight into the Contract Ceremony. So while all of Wangyun Sect was busy preparing for the grand event, he was alone, planning a birthday celebration.

With full concentration, he used his spiritual energy to mold fireworks for the occasion, completely shutting out the outside world, thinking only of perfecting his fireworks.

Until the Human Emperor burst through his door.

Seeing Jian Yuanbai, the Human Emperor felt a hint of disappointment. Not because Jian Yuanbai was unaware of the invaders from across the sea—after all, they had all believed there were still a hundred years left. But now, in less than six months, the enemy had arrived too suddenly. Jian Yuanbai not knowing was understandable.

The few sect masters who had arrived at the coastline first had only been there by coincidence.

The disappointment stemmed from something else—after half a year, Jian Yuanbai was still only at the Mahayana stage.

Against an enemy whose cultivation levels were unfathomably high, what use was a Mahayana cultivator?

Jian Yuanbai asked calmly, “Why has the Human Emperor come here so suddenly?”

The situation was dire, and the Human Emperor had placed his hopes on Jian Yuanbai. Instead of sending a message to Wangyun Sect, he had come personally. Though disappointed, he still spoke with grave urgency: “They have arrived. From across the sea.”

The moment he finished speaking, Jian Yuanbai moved to leave. At the same time, Mu Jingzhuo, who had come to check on the commotion, also arrived. As the system urged him to bring people with him, Jian Yuanbai grabbed a shoulder with one hand, and in the next instant, he vanished from the room.

In the blink of an eye, he had traveled thousands of miles from Wu Wang Peak to the Sea of Falling Waters Region. He even had two people in tow.

Seeing the scene before him, Jian Yuanbai let out a breath of relief. Thankfully, no one had died yet.

The massive whale had fallen, barely alive, floating on the sea’s surface. The golden Buddha statue had dissipated, and ghostly infant heads lay scattered on the ground. Three sect masters had sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Behind them, the men and women who had cultivated Body Refinement Techniques were all wounded as well.

As someone suddenly appeared, the crowd turned to look at him. But upon recognizing who he was, most were filled with disappointment.

Ever since the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone shattered, any breakthrough below the Mortal Immortal stage no longer triggered tribulation lightning.

In this past half-year, the only tribulation lightning that had appeared was during the ascension of Shi Yun, the Sect Master of Wenxian Sect, when she fully stepped into the Mortal Immortal realm.

So, everyone knew—Jian Yuanbai, the Sect Master of Wangyun Sect, had not reached the Immortal stage. He was still at Mahayana.

Shi Yun, a Mortal Immortal, had been unable to withstand three serious attacks. What could a Mahayana cultivator do?

Holding her wound, Shi Yun sighed. “You’ve come.”

“You shouldn’t have. As a Mortal Immortal, I couldn’t last three moves. You, still in the Mahayana stage, will only die with us.”

“The Asriga Empire must not perish today.” She looked up at the Human Emperor. “Please, issue the order—do not let any more cultivators come.”

Hope was fading from everyone’s eyes, except for Mu Jingzhuo, who spoke with unwavering determination. “Everyone, can you still fight?”

Lan Shaoyu sneered. “Where did this foolish brat come from? Do you think a few rousing words can change the outcome?”

“But not letting anyone else come? How could that be allowed?”

“The deaths here are far from enough to make up for the destruction of the Spirit-Suppressing Turtle Stone.”

Tens of thousands of lives were, to him, as weightless as drifting feathers, not even stirring his heart. The lives of the Asriga Empire’s people were utterly insignificant in his eyes.

A familiar chime rang in Jian Yuanbai’s mind. But before he could tell Mu Jingzhuo, Lan Shaoyu had already lunged forward, sword in hand, striking straight at him.

Jian Yuanbai could freeze others in time—but only when the gap in cultivation level was immense. He glanced at the Grand Elder, uncertain if he would be noticed.

Since he had never fought them before, he decided to take this seriously.

As he pulled Mu Jingzhuo over in one swift motion, he simultaneously shifted to shield Mu Jingzhuo in front of him. With just one palm strike, Lan Shaoyu was forced to retreat repeatedly in a somewhat disheveled manner under the pressure of the attack.

Lan Shaoyu looked at him suspiciously. “Are you really not at the Mortal Immortal realm?”

Jian Yuanbai said indifferently, “I can also be a Mortal Immortal.”

As soon as he spoke, the spiritual energy around him suddenly surged, and his entire cultivation realm shot straight into the Mortal Immortal stage. Jian Yuanbai reached out and placed his hand on the tattered, translucent golden barrier, which, in an instant, became as flawless as if it had never been damaged.

Because the Asriga Imperial Court had sworn an oath to stand strong for a hundred years, Jian Yuanbai believed that as the strength of the empire’s cultivators increased, this protective barrier would only grow more robust. Thus, he did not take it upon himself to sustain it alone.

The more a group works together toward a common goal, the more they avoid relying too heavily on a single individual. If one person is too powerful, stealing all the limelight, others will grow complacent, thinking that when disaster strikes, the strongest will bear the burden. That burning drive to protect themselves and their homeland will slowly dissipate.

Jian Yuanbai could step in when facing a common enemy, but when the people of the Asriga Empire eventually merged into the Ninefold Continent, he would not be able to shield each and every one of them. In the end, they would have to rely on themselves.

The moment the barrier was restored, dark clouds rapidly gathered in the sky. A thick bolt of tribulation lightning, carrying a world-destroying force, struck down with a deafening roar!

Everyone was dumbfounded by this scene, including the Grand Elder and the enforcement squad members who had come from the sea.

What did he mean by “I can also be”?

Could he truly step directly into the Mortal Immortal realm from the Great Ascension stage just by saying he could?

Was that something one could simply declare into existence?!

And in front of so many people?!

As streaks of lightning struck Jian Yuanbai, he endured them without retreating. His figure, wrapped in purple-black tribulation lightning, suddenly appeared in front of Lan Shaoyu.

Lan Shaoyu’s expression changed drastically. He swiftly retreated, shouting, “Lan Yi!!!”

As an Earth Immortal, he naturally did not fear a mere Mortal Immortal like Jian Yuanbai. But what he did fear was the tribulation lightning engulfing the man. If he got careless and let it strike him, he’d be in serious trouble.

The fifteen members of the enforcement squad surged forward simultaneously, surrounding Jian Yuanbai but not daring to attack rashly.

Jian Yuanbai suddenly raised his hand. A massive dragon, roaring ferociously, descended from the sky, carrying the weight of thunderous power. Amidst the dense, rolling thunderclouds, the dragon weaved through the purple-black lightning. Each of its scales gleamed with a radiant violet light. It let out a sky-shaking roar, its long tail sweeping out, instantly entangling all fifteen members of the enforcement squad—dragging them straight into the tribulation clouds.

The enforcement squad’s expressions changed to sheer terror. Even though they were all at the Profound Immortal realm, none of them had ever experienced firsthand what it was like to be thrown directly into tribulation clouds!

They unleashed all their skills in a frenzy, cold light flashing as their weapons pierced through the dragon’s scales.

Lan Yi roared, and the fifteen swords in their hands plummeted rapidly, piercing through the surface of the Sea of Falling Waters with an overwhelming suppressive force.

In the next instant, the ocean—ten thousand meters deep and boundless in expanse—suddenly retreated by several hundred meters.

Fifteen massive water dragons surged upward, roaring toward the sky. As they ascended, they collided violently, merging into a single colossal entity that blotted out the sun.

As this massive water dragon soared into the sky, the world seemed to lose all color. Only its towering form remained.

With a furious roar, the dragon opened its maw and swallowed the lightning-infused dragon whole.

The water dragon exploded, drenching Lan Yi and the others as they abruptly halted in midair. Lan Yi spoke coldly, “We are the enforcement squad of Immortal Spirit Island, all at the Profound Immortal realm. If you die at our hands, it will not be a disgrace to you.”

Jian Yuanbai shot forward, striking with his palm. Though it seemed like a casual slap at empty air, the surface of the Sea of Falling Waters retreated by a thousand meters with a deafening crash.

Behind Lan Yi, a massive blue eye suddenly opened.

Sensing something, Lan Yi and his team swiftly turned around—only to be greeted by a sight that left them utterly stunned.

A single eye.

Just one eye.

And yet, it alone was enough to obscure the entire sky behind them.

Jian Yuanbai remarked flatly, “The water dragon you summoned is a bit too small.”

In the next second, waves towering ten thousand meters surged out of nowhere.

Lan Yi and his squad were sent flying like dumplings into boiling water, one by one, as a massive dragon tail slammed them deep into the ocean.

Their bodies crashed into the Sea of Falling Waters and continued sinking—straight down to the seabed.

A cloud of silt billowed up from the impact.

Before they could react, a colossal blue tail, large enough to cover half the ocean floor, pressed down on them.

Several of them coughed up blood, only for the seawater to wash it away instantly.

Pinned beneath the dragon’s tail, they found themselves utterly unable to move.

The Grand Elder could no longer stand idly by. He turned to Jian Yuanbai and said, “You are not from this forsaken land, are you?”

“Our Immortal Spirit Island has always been peaceful with others. When have we ever offended you?”

Jian Yuanbai replied seriously, “This place has a name. It may not sound great.”

“But it is called the Asriga Empire, not some ‘forsaken land.’ And I am the Sect Master of its number one sect—Wangyun Sect.”

The Grand Elder’s expression changed again and again before he finally let out a cold snort. “If you are from here, then we have nothing more to discuss. I am a Great Golden Immortal. I do not believe that a mere Mortal Immortal, no matter what tricks you have, can defeat me.”

Jian Yuanbai narrowed his eyes slightly. “A Great Golden Immortal… is that supposed to be impressive?”

As he finished speaking, his cultivation surged once more under the astonished gazes of all.

The eighty-one tribulation bolts that had yet to finish striking him from his ascension to the Mortal Immortal realm were now joined by new streaks of lightning.

Mortal Immortal.

Earth Immortal.

Profound Immortal.

Great Golden Immortal.

In just a few breaths, Jian Yuanbai’s aura and cultivation had soared to the Great Golden Immortal stage.

He glanced up at the four simultaneous lightning strikes descending upon him, then turned to the Grand Elder—who was now retreating hastily—and said, “To be honest, I don’t even need to lift a finger. I just need to walk close to you with these bolts of lightning.”

“You will die.”

At that moment, absolute silence fell over the world.

Every single person found themselves swallowing dryly, their throats choked as if something were stuck, rendering them unable to utter a single sound.

This man—this man who had been calm from beginning to end—what kind of monster was he?

Saying he could be a Mortal Immortal, he stepped into the Mortal Immortal realm.

Dismissing the power of a Great Golden Immortal, he instantly ascended to that stage.

Since when did one’s cultivation depend merely on declaring it so?

Those who had felt despair moments ago now wondered if they were dreaming.

As Jian Yuanbai took one step forward, the Grand Elder—who had never been so terrified in his life—blurted out in panic, “Don’t come any closer!”

This was no joke.

Four tribulation lightning bolts striking simultaneously—at such high realms, each bolt grew exponentially stronger. Even an Immortal Emperor would suffer immensely under such an assault.

Jian Yuanbai said, “Now, can we have a proper conversation?”

The Grand Elder warily asked, “What do you want to discuss?”

Jian Yuanbai, however, turned his gaze toward Mu Jingzhuo within the barrier.

With just one glance—only one glance—Mu Jingzhuo felt every hair on his body stand on end.

He didn’t even need to think to know what Jian Yuanbai was about to make him do.

Behind him, at this very moment, were tens of thousands—perhaps even hundreds of thousands—of watching eyes.

No, please no.

Absolutely not.

Mu Jingzhuo looked at the tall figure before him—the man who stood alone against everything for them.

He had long lost count of how many times, in times of danger, it was this man who shielded him.

In times of peril, in moments where lives were at stake—Jian Yuanbai was always the most dependable.

But when there was no danger…

Jian Yuanbai was the most dangerous one of all!!!