Chapter 143: Clash of Titans

A hum echoed through the space.

The formation was now fully activated, and the entire room was engulfed in a thick, blood-red mist. Countless blade lights flashed all around as massive sabers planted themselves densely into the ground, innumerable and endless. Their blades vibrated incessantly, as though they might burst out of the earth at any moment.

"Then let you taste the might of this formation!"

A cruel smile spread across the face of the demon commander, Dust.

Not only Liu Ping, but the several demon generals nearby as well, were subjected to immense pressure. Although they had all scrambled to hide behind Dust, they were still affected to a certain degree. One could only imagine how intensely overwhelming the pressure was for the primary target of this grand formation, Liu Ping.

In every fraction of a second, as the countless long sabers vibrated, countless blood-red blade phantoms surged invisibly toward Liu Ping, beginning a frantic onslaught of slaughter.

Everything around them—the bright red silk drapes, the exquisite tables and chairs, the banquet spread across the table—was ground into fine dust amidst these blade phantoms. Meanwhile, the body of gods and demons sustained continuous attacks, its flesh tearing open until it finally dropped to one single knee.

The pain traveled through the divine-demonic body straight to Liu Ping. Yet, he did not lose his focus for even a split second. Raising his hands high, he finally completed the charging of his attack and fiercely swung down the long sword in his grip.

Sword Qi surged mightily, as if splitting heaven and earth apart. Overbearing and peerless, it tore directly through the blood-red mist and struck straight toward Dust.

Dust’s expression shifted slightly. Despite his casual words, in reality, this young man before him had acquired nearly Earth Immortal-level combat prowess through some mysterious arts. Such a powerful attack already posed a serious threat to him.

With a claw-like hand, he abruptly pulled the snake-headed staff from the ground, pointed it toward the oncoming Sword Qi, and barked shrilly, "Kill!"

The blood-red blade light reappeared. The massive sabers on the ground ceased their trembling, instantly launching themselves into the air to jointly hack at the incoming Sword Qi.

This technique, "Flattening the Heavens" unleashed under the descent of gods and demons, possessed peerless might and an unstoppable momentum, rarely tasting defeat. Yet now, it had finally encountered a match of equal strength.

Swords and sabers clashed again and again, each swipe of the long sabers releasing blades of energy some five or six meters long. While a single strand was unremarkable and could be instantly shattered, the accumulation of so many blades striking simultaneously caused a qualitative change in quantity, instantly generating an equivalent and formidable might.

Boom!

The blade Qi and sword Qi collided, sounding like a sudden peal of thunder on flat ground. The shockwave rippled outward, and a massive mushroom cloud billowed into the air—a truly magnificent spectacle. Under this terrifying power, the entire building became as fragile as paper, shattering instantly.

The numerous demon generals standing behind the demon commander Dust watched the massive explosion born from this collision, feeling their footing turn unsteady. They nearly tumbled to the ground, their eyes filled with shock and awe.

If the opponent had been an Earth Immortal, that would be one thing; a clash between peers of equal rank was terrifying, yet understandable.

Yet the opponent was merely at the second revolution of Human Immortality, and yet could unleash such astonishing power! This defied all logic! A sudden thought flashed through their minds: if that attack had been directed at them, no matter what methods they possessed, they would surely have been reduced to ashes in an instant. At this realization, they could not help but shudder.

The demon commander's son, Huitu, looked at Liu Ping—whose entire body was encased in the divine-demonic form—and then at Yingning, who remained calm right behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing closely against his body. He felt as though his eyes were about to split from rage.

The woman he desired above all else was about to become his bride. How blissful, how ecstatic, how agonizingly impatient he had been! Yet, at this crucial moment, she had been carried away by someone else, wearing an expression of pure happiness. With such a sharp contrast, how could he not hate him to the point of madness? If it were possible, he would swallow Liu Ping alive without a moment's hesitation.

Yet he could not. His strength was far too weak; stepping forward now would be pure suicide. Though consumed by a maddening hatred, he could only remain cowering behind Dust, glaring fiercely at Liu Ping.

Yet how could Liu Ping ever deign to notice him? Though he felt that hostility, he completely ignored it, for no attention was required whatsoever. Such absolute disregard, without a single shred of response, nearly drove Huitu to vomit blood in fury, yet he remained utterly helpless.

The rooms at the rear pavilion shattered with a thunderous roar, forming a mushroom cloud that soared into the sky while whipping up a towering wave of dust and debris that swept outward in all directions.

The several scholars who were searching for Liu Ping in the front halls heard the commotion and turned their heads in astonishment.

After exploring for a while without finding anything, they had gathered together, only to discover with a start that one person was missing—Liu Ping.

Liu Ping was someone Lu Liang had invited and begged to join through relentless pestering. To have lost him during this expedition filled Lu Liang with deep regret. Had he known this would happen, he would never have split up. And so, they had begun searching for him everywhere.

Yet after searching for a long time, they found nothing. The Wu estate was simply too vast; trying to find a single person was exceedingly difficult. After discussing it among themselves, they decided to split up to search.

At that moment, Lu Liang and his companion reached the rear pavilion. Hearing the earth-shattering roar, they looked over and froze in utter disbelief as they clearly beheld a massive blue divine general standing tall.

Lu Liang cried out in shock, "Holy cow, look at God!"

"God your foot! Hurry up and run before you get caught in the crossfire!" Sensing extreme danger from that fleeting glance, his companion quickly urged.

"But what about Brother Liu?!"

"He... he never had any interest in this exploration to begin with! He probably left ages ago!"

"No!" Lu Liang suddenly noticed something.

"What's wrong?"

In that fleeting fraction of a second, Lu Liang had caught a glimpse of a figure within that blue divine general—and it appeared to be none of other than Liu Ping. In that instant, his mind went completely blank with a loud hum.

If that was the case, then the figure sitting atop the azure dragon's head was one hundred percent Brother Liu! He remembered not long ago when Liu Ping had calmly said, *'I am an immortal. Why don't you all kneel down right now, kowtow in worship, and offer up silver coins, tributes, and virgin boys and girls—what are you waiting for?'* At the time, he thought it was a joke, but was he actually speaking the truth all along?!

Boom!

Another explosive roar rang out, and a fierce wave swept across the surroundings, dust filling the sky. The two men quickly covered their faces, unable to see anything further.

"If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!" his companion urged from the side.

Lu Liang finally snapped back to his senses. If that divine general truly was Liu Ping, then there was nothing to worry about. He couldn't help out here in the slightest and would only be a burden. Without making a sound, he fled along with his companion, pulling the other four men away from the battlefield as well.