Clash

Above the skies of the Holy Land of the Immortal River, fierce winds howled through the dense waves of spiritual energy blanketing the heavens, as if even the heavens themselves were uneasy with what was about to unfold.

Thirty-eight Great Emperors and over a hundred Half-Emperors from the Holy Land of the Immortal River floated in formation, facing off against more than two hundred Great Emperors from the Wu Clan and its allied forces.

The air was thick with tension. The silence that pervaded wasn't born from peace—it was the eerie stillness that always came before a storm.

In the midst of this gathering of top-tier cultivators, Han Ming stood atop a flying sword, looking completely relaxed. One hand held a bowl of rice, the other scooped up a bite of stewed pork. He chewed slowly, unhurriedly, showing not the slightest concern that death might strike with his very next breath.

Luo Yunhai looked over at Han Ming, his expression one of disbelief, as though he wanted nothing more than to bash the younger man over the head. He shouted angrily,

"You've got the nerve to eat at a time like this!? Sure, we can be revived in the Spirit Hall if we die, but our cultivation drops, damn it!"

Han Ming shrugged as he scooped another mouthful of stewed pork into his mouth. He chewed it thoroughly, then replied calmly,

"Eating helps reduce stress, old man."

After swallowing, he continued with a more serious tone, "Engaging in a familiar activity like eating can help ease tension during high-stress situations. The body and brain associate meals with safety and relaxation, which helps induce a state of calm. That, in turn, can improve mental clarity and decision-making."

Luo Yunhai was momentarily dumbfounded. Then he shouted back, flustered,

"Th-There you go again! Spouting things normal people don't understand... You really are crazy!"

But before he could finish his sentence, Han Ming vanished without a trace.

The members of the Wu Clan, who had been carefully assessing the situation, widened their eyes in shock. In the blink of an eye, Han Ming had teleported right in front of them, catching them completely off guard.

One of the Great Emperors reacted instantly, drawing his weapon in a split second. He summoned an Emperor-grade Spirit Sword to block Han Ming's sudden assault.

But Han Ming merely raised his hand. A sword of light, seemingly forged from condensed pure radiance, materialized in his grip and slashed toward the man at frightening speed.

The other Great Emperors from the Wu Clan immediately rushed in to assist. Countless attacks rained toward Han Ming from every direction.

The cultivators from the Holy Land of the Immortal River were just as stunned as the Wu Clan. But those who were close to Han Ming Luo Yunhai, Zhao Honglong, Bai Jingchen, and Chen Xingtian instantly understood the meaning behind his sudden movement. Without hesitation, they sprang into action.

"If someone opens the way, others must follow," Chen Xingtian said simply as he shot forward like the others. At the same time, he sent a sound transmission to the rest: use your strongest attacks on Han Ming.

Meanwhile, Han Ming offered a faint smile. The sword of light in his hand swept out with a power so overwhelming, it made even the Great Emperors shudder.

The Great Emperor of the Wu Clan braced himself confidently to block the blow, intending to withstand the strike with all his strength and pull Han Ming into close range so that the others could strike simultaneously.

But in the instant before the sword landed, it vanished into thin air—as though it had never existed.

The man's eyes went wide with realization.

He knew immediately... he had miscalculated. He should have counterattacked. He should never have chosen to defend.

That single moment of hesitation doomed him. He swung his blade toward Han Ming's neck with all his might, but...

It was already far too late.

The Sword of Light reappeared in Han Ming's hand... and with a single clean strike, it cleaved the Great Emperor in two with terrifying speed.

Blood and fragments of spirit energy scattered across the sky.

But the man refused to die in vain. Gritting his teeth, he forcibly dragged his bisected body toward Han Ming and wrapped himself around him with all his might.

"Kill him!! Now!!" his soul roared with its final breath.

In that fleeting instant, elemental forces surged toward Han Ming like a violent storm. Earth, water, wind, fire, and countless other elements, along with swords, spears, and emperor-grade weapons, erupted from every direction.

Hundreds of attacks converged into a massive tidal wave of destruction meant to crush Han Ming completely. Yet Han Ming did not move. His expression remained calm as he softly spoke a few words.

"Relax..."

Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of weapons piercing flesh echoed across the heavens, accompanied by the violent impact of elemental energy. It was loud enough to make the entire battlefield fall silent for a moment. A man from the Wu Clan spoke in a trembling voice.

"The power of... the Void..."

What unfolded before everyone's eyes was something no one could have ever imagined.

Every attack from the Wu Clan's Great Emperors be it the power of earth, water, wind, fire, or the weapons they wielded, from blades to spears to imperial arms none of them could so much as graze a single strand of Han Ming's hair.

Because surrounding Han Ming now... was something beyond explanation. It was Void.

A translucent Void, drifting like air without form. No color. No sound. Intangible. Impossible to detect. Nothing could pierce it.

Every strike aimed at Han Ming, regardless of its power or speed, vanished the instant it entered the radius of that Void. As though it had never existed in the first place.

But Han Ming didn't stop at merely defending himself. He raised one hand and slowly turned it in midair, as though he were manipulating something unseen.

In the next instant, the void around him began to distort, linking to another pocket of emptiness—this one manifesting directly behind the Wu Clan's Great Emperors themselves.

His ability wasn't just about defense... it could reflect as well.

Every attack that had been aimed at Han Ming was redirected, soaring back toward their original wielders with deadly speed and precision.

Hundreds of imperial-grade weapons launched only moments ago now came flying back, piercing through the bodies of the Wu Clan's Great Emperors. Crimson blood sprayed through the air, mingled with screams of agony and disbelief.

"Aaargh!!"

"Ughhhhhh!!"

"Gyaaaaaaaa!!"

Cries of torment erupted from all directions. The swords, spears, halberds, and elemental powers that had been meant to slay Han Ming... had now become a relentless barrage slaughtering their owners with no means of resistance.

Some were caught off guard. Some had their bodies riddled with holes. Some were cleaved in two. Arms were severed, legs burned away, torsos crushed, and some perished on the spot.

"What the hell is going on!?" one of the Wu Clan's Great Emperors shouted, staring at his own arm, nearly torn off by his own returning spear.

But before they could regroup, a hoarse voice rang out in the middle of the battlefield.

"Take that bastard down together!" bellowed Luo Yunhai, his aura erupting around him.

"I've been waiting for this moment!" Zhao Honglong roared with battle-hungry eyes.

"If we can't kill him, I'll be happy just taking an arm!" Chen Xingtian laughed as he drew his blade.

"I'll make sure your braised pork rice gets delivered to you in the afterlife!" Bai Jingsen declared as he waved his hand and activated an array.

The auras of the Great Emperors from the Holy Land of the Immortal River surged to their peak in an instant. They held nothing back. Every ounce of power they had was poured into this single strike, turning them into beams of blinding light as they charged straight toward Han Ming, as if to truly kill him.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!

Countless waves of destructive force rained down upon Han Ming's position from all directions like a storm gone mad. The Great Emperors of the Wu Clan, who had been poised to defend themselves, quickly realized they couldn't gather even a trace of spiritual energy.

"You dare use poison on Aaaaargh!!"

"Damn it… Nooooo!!"

"I can't condense my power Gyaaaaaah!!"

"What the hell!? This wasn't in Lady Sui's prophecy Aaahhhh!!"

"Who the hell would think to coat poison on the exit point of the Void!? Aaaargh!!"

Screams erupted one after another from the Wu Clan's side.

Several Great Emperors, already wounded from their attacks being reflected moments ago, were unable to react in time to this new barrage. Their bodies were struck directly by the overwhelming force from the Holy Land of the Immortal River, their flesh and souls erased in an instant.

Bodies were hurled through the air, blood trailing behind them like crimson ribbons, while rain continued to pour down from the skies as if the heavens themselves mourned the fall of so many Great Emperors.

But it wasn't over yet...

Just as the members of the Wu Clan who hadn't been caught in Han Ming's counterattack thought they had escaped the danger zone, a strange sensation crept beneath their feet.

"Th-The Void…!?"

Their gazes dropped, only to see it beneath their feet, the air was silently giving way to an expanding realm of Void: colorless, soundless, formless.

And in the next breath, countless blades of light surged upward from the depths, tearing through their ranks.

Some had their legs severed, others lost their arms, and a few were mercilessly cleaved straight down the middle bodies split in half by the ruthless blades.