Boom—!
A deafening explosion shook the heavens, and the entire island of Penglai trembled violently.
The instant the golden sword-light clashed against the colossal hand, blinding radiance burst forth, dazzling like the sun itself.
A tidal wave of destructive force spread outward. Towering ancient trees were torn from their roots, shattered stone and broken branches rained in all directions, and the ground split apart into yawning cracks that plunged into unseen depths.
Li Wenxing and the others were thrown through the air, crashing heavily onto the earth. Their throats surged with a metallic taste, and each spat out a mouthful of blood.
Ignoring their pain, they struggled to raise their heads and peer toward the source of that dazzling light.
Suspended in midair, the golden sword-light clashed against the massive palm. Golden brilliance and the palm’s white radiance intertwined, eroding one another with a sizzling sound.
For the first time, astonishment flashed across the handsome man’s face. His brows furrowed slightly, his gaze turned toward the origin of the golden light, and his eyes glimmered with solemnity.
Clearly, he had not expected that here, on Penglai Island, someone could withstand his attack.
Moments later, the golden sword-light suddenly surged, tearing apart the giant palm and scattering it into motes of light that dissolved into the air.
The handsome man hovered aloft, staring at the golden sword-light that had ripped through his strike. For the first time, indifference faded from his eyes.
His long fingers curled faintly. That seemingly casual palm strike had in fact contained thirty percent of his power since awakening. Even an Ultimate Grandmaster would scarcely withstand it—let alone shatter it outright.
“Interesting,” he murmured, his cold voice finally tinged with a ripple of emotion.
His gaze stretched far toward the forest depths, where clouds and mist entwined. There, a faint trace of sword intent lingered, subtle yet overwhelming, like a dragon lying in wait.
His deep eyes narrowed slightly, their long, narrow shape tracing a chilling arc, while the halo around him quivered with ripples born of his stirring mood.
Clearly, the one who had struck far exceeded his expectations. Unlike the feeble mortals below, this figure barely qualified as a “worthy opponent.”
He spared not another glance at Li Wenxing and the others, as though they were mere roadside dust.
With a flicker of movement, his body flared with white radiance and transformed into a streaking stream of light, like a meteor ripping across the sky, rushing toward the forest depths.
The brilliance vanished so swiftly that only a fleeting afterimage lingered, the air still echoing with the shrill tear of sound—yet the man himself was already gone.
Li Wenxing clutched his chest as he staggered upright. He stared after the departing light, eyes nearly bulging from shock.
Leaning heavily against a tree trunk, blood still dried at the corner of his lips, he stammered in a trembling voice, “He… he just left?”
That crushing, world-ending pressure had not yet fully dissipated, yet the man had suddenly departed. The abrupt shift left him unable to react.
Li Juntang too rose shakily, straightening his disheveled robes, his face full of doubt and unease. “That golden sword-light was no common strike. To force that monster to retreat on its own… the one who acted must possess unfathomable strength.”
The memory of the massive palm’s descent filled him with lingering dread. Had the sword-light not appeared, they would have been reduced to blood and pulp.
Li Guanglong slowly loosened his grip on his long blade. His knuckles were red from strain.
Gazing toward the vanished streak of light, he said gravely, “Penglai Island truly hides secrets. That monster already wielded godlike power—yet there’s an even stronger existence here. Terrifying.”
At that thought, a complex light flickered in his eyes.
Qian Jin hobbled over with the aid of a broken branch, his gray beard trembling with his labored breaths, his murky eyes heavy with solemnity. “In my younger years, this old servant once heard the late emperor speak of Penglai Island as a relic of the ancients, holding countless astounding secrets. Perhaps the one who struck was an ancient immortal guarding this isle.”
At his words, the surrounding soldiers erupted in hushed murmurs, their faces a mixture of relief at surviving and awe for the mysterious powerhouse.
Meanwhile, the handsome man who had become a streak of light sped through the forest. Ancient trees bent aside under the pressure of his aura, leaves scattering like a tide.
In less than half an incense stick’s time, he slowed and descended upon a broad lakeshore.
The waters were crystal-clear, reflecting faint clouds in the sky. On the grass beside the lake stood a cluster of a dozen tents—clearly a treasure-seeking expedition camped there.
Most striking of all, faint traces of sword qi lingered in the air around the camp. Though much had faded, it still carried a cutting chill sharp enough to rend flesh.
The handsome man walked slowly into the camp. His gaze swept past the guards cleaning their weapons outside the tents, and finally settled upon a stone table at the camp’s center.
There sat a man in white robes, polishing a longsword.
Though simply dressed, his frame was tall and upright, exuding a natural poise and unrestrained bearing even in repose.
His profile was as if carved from flawless jade—lines sharp and flowing. A high nose and tightly pressed thin lips lent him a faint, aloof air.
When he lifted his head, eyes clear as a mountain lake met the handsome man’s gaze. They bore no ripple, yet seemed to pierce through all things.
The longsword in his hands gleamed coldly in the sunlight, perfectly mirroring his aura.
The handsome man’s eyes flickered with surprise, and at last he spoke slowly: “I did not expect Penglai Island to harbor someone like you.”
The man in white paused at the sound of his voice, set down his sword, and raised his head with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
It was none other than Dustin, who had only recently set foot upon the island! - Marinien
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