Now free from the oppressive pressure, the onlookers gradually regained their vision and divine senses. Finally, they could once again see the battle unfolding before them.
The sky was split in two: a sea of stars and an endless expanse of black mist, forming a stark boundary. Above Long Chen stretched a starry sea, while beneath him roiled starry clouds. With his Starry Sky Battle Robe fluttering and five streams of astral dragon qi swirling behind him, he looked unspeakably domineering, like the war god of the starry sky.
Opposing him was a figure shrouded in the aura of death. Its massive black wings filled the heavens, constantly emitting thick black qi. It tainted the sky, turning the world beneath it into a hellish domain. Behind Long Zaiye, five streams of black dragon qi merged into a black ominous clump that connected to his enormous wings, creating an endless supply of power for them.
A sea of stars clashed against a pair of heaven-shrouding black wings. As the two domains collided, the world trembled, unable to bear the weight of their power.
The scene was so overwhelming that it left the onlookers in stunned silence. Now, the Jiang clan’s top experts finally understood why their peerless war goddess had warned of Long Zaiye’s strength.
She had admitted she couldn’t guarantee victory against him—a confession that had seemed impossible at the time. After all, the Jiang clan’s top experts knew just how terrifying Jiang Yue’e was, and they refused to believe there was someone in this world who could beat her in the same realm.
But now, seeing the monstrous wings and sensing the oppressive aura emanating from Long Zaiye, they realized Jiang Yue’e hadn’t exaggerated.
Long Zaiye’s power was suffocating. His presence alone suppressed their souls, snuffing out any flicker of courage in their hearts.
Jiang Yue’e herself was stunned. She gazed at Long Chen, whose body was surrounded by flowing astral light. This time, she knew she had underestimated him.
His power rivaled both hers and Long Zaiye’s. The two combatants were like gods facing each other, their domineering auras compelling even the strongest experts to feel a primal urge to kneel.…
“Good… You’ve finally unleashed your full power. Only by defeating you at your peak can I feel a shred of satisfaction,” said Long Zaiye.
Now that he had summoned his wings, his aura and voice had changed. It was like the voice of a fiend, each word awakening the primal terror in people’s hearts.
Long Chen sneered, “Is watching your own people die part of your satisfaction? It seems the so-called divine clans, other than the Jiang clan, are no better than beasts.”
The Ye, Long, and Zhao clan experts seethed with rage, but under the suffocating pressure, they couldn’t even muster the strength to curse him. It was as if one word from Long Chen could end their lives.
Long Chen’s gaze swept across the battlefield. “Any of the top experts here could have saved their people with just a fraction of their power. But instead, they chose to stand by and watch as their clansmen perished. All to preserve their strength for the Jiuli Divine Stele. To them, everyone else—even their own kin—is nothing but an expendable pawn. What cold-blooded monsters.”
After Long Chen had said this, everyone couldn’t help but look toward the four divine clans. Other than the Jiang clan, all the divine clans had taken hideous losses—about half of their experts. However, it wasn’t due to the overwhelming power of the battle but because their leaders had chosen not to act.
The onlookers were filled with disbelief, unable to comprehend how they could do such a thing. Were they not afraid of being condemned when they returned to the clan?
Jiang Yue’e was shaken by his words as well, feeling a pang of guilt. After all, their clans had explicitly ordered them to prioritize the Jiuli Divine Stele above all else. They were to do everything and anything to obtain the original runes on the Jiuli Divine Stele.
In front of those runes, anyone’s life could be sacrificed. If they had to choose between the Jiuli Divine Stele or their comrades, perhaps the only one to choose their comrades would be Feng Fei alone.
Jiang Yue’e wasn’t emotionless, but as a clan grew to a certain size, its interests inevitably overshadowed individual feelings. They couldn’t afford to use their emotions here, and each clansman had to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the clan.
Hearing Long Chen call them cold-blooded, Jiang Yue’e felt a jolt of realization. At some point along her path, she too had become a cold-blooded monster.
Long Zaiye sneered, “What childish thinking. The path of cultivation is one that inherently defies the heavens. The weak are nothing but a waste of resources. It’s better for them to die early, leaving those resources to the strong. Survival of the fittest is the natural law of the world. Soft-hearted fools will only die sooner.”
Surprisingly, some experts found his words reasonable and felt less disgusted by their actions. Wasn’t it true that sects and clans prioritized their own interests above all else? Wasn’t survival of the fittest the driving force behind every sect’s growth?
But Long Chen’s disdainful sneer cut through the air like a blade.
“And who decides who is weak and who is strong? Who can guarantee that today’s strong won’t be overtaken tomorrow? Who can say the weak won’t rise beyond imagination one day? If your pursuit of strength means abandoning all feelings, all sense of right and wrong, if you simply strip away your humanity, then no matter how powerful you become, you’re nothing but a cold-blooded beast.
“Have you ever thought about the trust it takes to leave your back to someone else? Have you ever thought about what it feels like to use your life to protect what you believe in, to the point that you wouldn’t regret it even if your body is crushed to dust? Well… I suppose these things are meaningless to a cold-blooded animal. You won’t understand no matter what I say.”
Jiang Yue’e was especially shaken this time. She had always lived a solitary life, her high realm placing her far above most. Few people ever earned her notice, let alone her friendship. Aside from Feng Fei, she had no true companions.
Jiang Yue’e suddenly recalled a conversation with Feng Fei about Long Chen and his Dragonblood Legion. Feng Fei had told her that every single member of that group was a true warrior. They were bonded to Long Chen as life-and-death brothers.
Back then, Jiang Yue’e almost laughed at that. It was simply impossible. Cattle and sheep formed groups, but wild beasts roamed alone. How could a peerless expert share their life and death with a group of weaklings?
Feng Fei had seen through her skepticism and let the matter drop. But now, Long Chen’s words stirred something within Jiang Yue’e. Could what Feng Fei had said be true? Was it possible that this man’s strength came not from isolation, but from an unbreakable bond with those who followed him?
She suddenly thought of how calm Long Chen had been before, only for him to go all-out when his people were threatened.
“No matter what you say, this is the nature of the world. This is fate, and you are only an ant. Don’t you think it’s so arrogant to speak about defying fate?!”
Long Zaiye’s tone sharpened with irritation. With a wave, he raised his hand and a black spear materialized, its dark tip aimed at Long Chen through the space.
“Long Zaiye had finally taken out his strongest trump card. The Dark Demon Spear,” said Jiang Yue’e.
Jiang Yue’e’s heart skipped a beat. The Dark Demon Spear’s appearance was a clear sign: Long Zaiye was no longer holding anything back.
At the same moment, Evilmoon appeared in Long Chen’s grip. Black flames erupted from the blade, distorting the air with their malevolent heat.
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