"Insolent! How dare you show such disdain for me, your King!"
"Execute!"
Behind Tuoba Zhang, a top-tier Great Saint Realm副将 (fùjiàng - deputy general) watched Li Su step forward, shaking the heavens. Fury ignited, and chilling killing intent surged forth as he brandished a cold iron spear that blazed with a sky-piercing black light!
"Insignificant ant, how dare you stand at the forefront of the formation!!"
"Die!"
Li Su roared. The saber-light, ablaze with layers of Qilin Divine Fire and shaking the firmament, was sharp enough to eclipse all worldly things. The divine fire piercing through the clouds tore through the void, locking onto the Great Saint Realm deputy general, and descended!
The sharpness was extreme. The moment it passed through the clouds, Lei Ce and Tuoba Zhang trembled. Tuoba Zhang, in particular, instinctively raised his hand to block this terrifying saber-light!
Alas!
The saber-light was too fast!
This ultimate sharpness turned the faces of Tai Shang and Zi Li pale from afar. The moment Li Su made his move, they finally understood how terrifying the human being, Yang Hao, the Divine Emperor of the Great Han, had personally named, truly was!
Boom!
Li Su, who had descended to this realm for half a month, held no official position, commanded no grand army, nor was he tasked with drilling soldiers in any barracks. All his waiting was for this day, to wield his long saber and clear the path for the Divine Emperor, earning glory befitting his station!
The sky-piercing black light shattered at this moment. The cold iron spear in the top-tier Great Saint Realm deputy general's hand ignited with layers of divine fire. Startled, the deputy general threw his weapon aside. His fists, now laced with wisps of divine fire, were clenched tightly. Without time to shake off the divine fire's embrace, he directly swung his fists, bombarding the heavens!
Boom!
A dull, resounding roar erupted from the deputy general's body. A vivid red crack appeared on his armor, and terrifying saber intent burst forth from it.
"Damn it!"
The deputy general's helmet fell off, his hair flying as he roared in anger. His fists swung, no longer possessing their peak power, but rather imbued with the indelible Qilin Divine Fire. Layers of dim divine power continuously reinforced his armor, yet it still could not withstand the terrifying, blooming saber intent!
Boom!
In the span of a single breath, the top-tier Great Saint Realm deputy general's entire armor erupted with vivid red saber intent before shattering!
Gurgle gurgle!!
Streams of blood gushed downwards!
Bang!
"King... Your Highness... save..."
With his armor shattered and blood flowing, the deputy general had no time to retaliate. The divine power within him was instantly used as nourishment by the Qilin Divine Fire, diluting and obliterating his divine power. The divine fire raged, engulfing the deputy general's entire body. The divine fire, like a skyrocket, soared a hundred zhang high. Within the divine fire, his mournful cries echoed. The deputy general's body, like withered wood, hunched powerlessly and then disintegrated!
A gust of wind blew, without any blood splashing. The divine power belonging to the deputy general was directly severed, and then specks of dust scattered away.
In the sky, only Li Su stood, his long saber in hand, his eyes scanning Lei Ce and Tuoba Zhang, the sharpness of his blade undiminished.
"This... one... a Great Saint Realm expert, just... just like that... perished? Utterly powerless, like an ant!"
After a long while, within the city of Chang'an, a sage who had come to witness the ceremony turned deathly pale and collapsed weakly onto his mount behind him. His entire body trembled violently, and he swallowed hard, speaking in fear.
They were merely at the Sage Realm, still holding great hopes for higher levels. But today, the Great Saint Realm beings they had striven for were before their eyes, like ants, without even the slightest struggle. They vanished like dust, as if they had never come to this world, or perhaps had never been. Fallen into the dirt, who would remember them even a little!
It wasn't just them. Even the Saint Lord Zi Li, the Saint Lord Tai Shang, and even Tuoba Zhang and Lei Ce standing nearby were shocked!
Da Han's Li Su was at the fourth layer of the Great Saint Realm, while Tuoba Zhang's deputy general was a top-tier Great Saint Realm expert. A top-tier Great Saint Realm expert was instantly killed like this; they had never witnessed such a thing in their lives.
Seated in the clouds, the Sovereigns Gui Hai and Li Xin, who were exchanging pleasantries, were also moved. They both acknowledged that the Great Han's heroes were indeed prodigies of the human race and that their true combat power could not be judged by their apparent realms.
"These humans, they truly make us both love and hate them!"
Sovereign Gui Hai looked at Li Su, then his gaze shifted towards the civil and military officials standing in formation in the Xuanzheng Hall square.
"Indeed!"
"Blessed by the Great Dao, yet insatiable!" Sovereign Li Xin said.
Boom!
The void roared!
"The people from the Demon Sea Swamp have arrived."
Sovereign Gui Hai looked up at the cracking spatial rift and smiled.
"I heard that Jia Gu Zhe of the Demon Sea Swamp has some connection with the Yaoguang Divine Dynasty. I wonder if this is true," Sovereign Li Xin said to Sovereign Gui Hai.
"That would be interesting. However, I am more curious to see how this Great Han Divine Dynasty will emerge from this crisis. If they can pass this trial, they will be able to establish themselves in the west," Sovereign Gui Hai stroked his beard.
"Who is Yang Hao?"
"Come out and die!!"
A furious roar echoed. From the spatial rift, a pair of scarlet pupils flashed. The pupils were narrow, slightly dilated then contracted.
"Ancestor Crocodile!!"
"It's the Ancestor Crocodile clan from the Demon Sea Swamp!!"
Countless beings were once again shocked. This Great Han Celestial Dynasty, having just been promoted to Divine Dynasty, had already offended the Tianyuan Divine Dynasty and the Leiyun Palace. Now the Demon Sea Swamp was also involved. All beings were curious as to where the Great Han Divine Dynasty derived its confidence to offend three forces simultaneously.
Especially the Demon Sea Swamp, with its eight Saint Lords, was at the highest level among the second-tier forces in the west.
"This place is truly lively!"
"What!"
"If I were to intervene, would any of you have an objection!"
From the spatial rift in the sky, a figure strode out. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his eyes were narrow and small, as if he hadn't fully opened them.
"It's Hao Chen, the Fifth Palace Master of the Tai Xuan Palace!"
"Good heavens!"
"Of the second-tier forces in the west, besides those not offending the Sword Palace and Ziyun Mountain, the Great Han Divine Dynasty has now offended them all!!"
"What's the big deal? Didn't you all just see it? Da Han's Li Su instantly killed a top-tier Great Saint Realm expert. If, as the rumors say, Da Han's generals can fight beyond their level, perhaps they are not much weaker than these forces!"
The beings below analyzed amongst themselves.
High in the sky, Jia Bin, the Fourth Cave Master of the Demon Sea Swamp, emerged. His divine eyes swept around, and upon seeing Sovereigns Gui Hai and Li Xin, his body instinctively retreated a few steps. After pausing for several breaths, he then looked towards the Xuanzheng Hall square.
"You are Yang Hao, the Divine Emperor of the Great Han Divine Dynasty?"
Seeing Yang Hao, clad in imperial robes, Jia Bin said coldly, "Do you know that the Yaoguang Divine Dynasty has some connection with my Demon Sea Swamp? With an army of a million, we swept across Yaoguang. Did you even spare a thought for my Demon Sea Swamp?"