Chapter 379: True Strength

Surface World.

At this moment, the live chats across every major streaming platform had completely exploded.

No one had expected that in the final battle, three people would simultaneously besiege He Xinquan.

"I'm a little confused. Jin Yao fighting He Xinquan makes sense, but why are that woman and Zhao Dongchuan attacking him too?"

"Same question. What was that woman's name again—Wang Gang? Isn't she Yan Jing's captive? Did Yan Jing order this?"

"The guy above is a pure Yan Jing hater. Didn't you watch Yan Jing's perspective? He said his Sin Value is already maxed out, but hers isn't. Doesn't that mean she has to join the four-advancing-to-three free-for-all?"

"Don't change the subject! The real question is why she chose to fight the strongest person, He Xinquan, when there were clearly three targets to choose from."

"First, how would she know He Xinquan is the strongest? Second, she just wants to fight. Does she need a reason?"

"..."

Soon, fierce arguments broke out across the streams. However, as time passed, the narrative began to shift.

"This woman doesn't seem to be from Yueyin, right? Can anyone look up her background? I asked a relative in the Law Enforcement Agency to check, and this person simply doesn't exist."

"Yeah, me too. My friend checked and said she isn't from Yueyin. Plus, look at the way she talks and acts—it's all a bit strange. That explains it perfectly. If she's not from Yueyin, isn't it normal for her to attack?"

"Yeah. Compared to that, I think the more crucial point is why Zhao Dongchuan is moving against He Xinquan."

With that question, the tone completely shifted.

"That's right, Zhao Dongchuan and He Xinquan are both from Yueyin. Why is Zhao Dongchuan helping outsiders?"

"Exactly! That traitor Zhao Dongchuan! He must be jealous that He Xinquan is fighting as the exchange representative."

"Truly disgusting. Does he really not know the Surface World can see this?"

"Damn it, Zhao Dongchuan, get out of Yueyin!"

"Yeah! Get out of Yueyin!"

"..."

"..."

Surface World.

Beneath the massive screen, Lin Xiaoran stared blankly at the scene, forgetting her introduction for a moment.

She knew Zhao Dongchuan disliked Zhoulin. She had known for a very long time.

But she never expected him to harbor such immense hatred for Zhoulin.

The two of them had been close when they were young. Later, Zhao Dongchuan had joined the Precognition Society, and she had gone to Zhoulin. At first, they still frequently shared their lives with each other.

She just didn't know when it had started, but their texts and calls had eventually grown sparse.

...

...

He Xinquan watched the three people charging toward him. A faint ripple finally stirred in his heart. Then, the hand gripping his scabbard moved up and grasped the sword's hilt.

Weird energy and white light erupted simultaneously. The slender white jade blade suddenly unsheathed, manifesting out of thin air like the line where water meets the sky, and slashed toward the three people in front of him.

Purple, black-purple, black, black.

The phantom images of four colored Rituals erupted all at once—three at limit-quality and one at perfection-quality!

At this moment, the flashing light of that black-purple Second Ritual was the most dazzling; it was the very scabbard He Xinquan had just let go of.

The sword was The Vessel, the scabbard the Rite. In the Second Ritual, the calming rite, He Xinquan had already reached the absolute extreme.

Under the scabbard's amplification, that unleashed strike was like a flower in the mirror and moon on the water, splitting into three paths that slashed at the trio simultaneously.

In the Surface World, the live comments completely boiled over!

"This is... Deputy Domain Lord Ye Jinyuan's One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones!!!"

"Right, Deputy Domain Lord Ye relied on this exact move to become Yueyin's strongest individual combatant! To think a second person has now walked this path! No wonder He Xinquan never used this move during the earlier exchanges—he was hiding his strength!"

"Even though I think it's still a notch below Deputy Domain Lord Ye's One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones, it truly... has already reached perfection."

"A notch below, my ass! Domain Chief Ye's One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones causes the strength of his three bodies to drop. Don't you guys feel that even though He Xinquan's sword split into three, it looks more like two extra swords were generated out of thin air?"

"Indeed... the guy above makes sense. Domain Chief Ye's Ritual is probably only at limit-quality too. The difference between the two isn't large."

"..."

However, no matter how the outside world cheered like a tsunami, within the Inner World, the three people facing this sword only showed mild surprise. Then, relying on their own methods, they neutralized the attack.

Wang Gang crossed her arms. The steam surrounding her body seemed to turn into armor attached to her flesh, crashing directly into the sword light.

After a deafening boom, a trace of blood appeared on her hands, but her gaze darkened, and her speed sharply increased!

Jin Yao brandished his saber, forcefully conjuring a monstrous tidal wave. The great waves collided with the sword light, surging endlessly before both were finally annihilated.

Amid the sky-piercing weird energy, he charged right up to He Xinquan.

As for Zhao Dongchuan, his eyes flickered. He lightly flicked one of the wooden slips rotating in his palm, squarely striking a nearby telephone pole. As the pole collapsed, its dragging wires whipped into a running commercial blower by the side of the road.

The giant inflatable dummy powered by the blower fell, perfectly blocking the incoming sword and smashing a gap in the linear sword light just large enough for one person to pass through.

Zhao Dongchuan calmly walked through the gap.

In the next instant, the four clashed in a chaotic melee once again.

Even though He Xinquan's sword light had split into three by relying on the Second Ritual, he still gradually fell to a disadvantage against their ferocious onslaught.

Soon, He Xinquan's black Third Rite lit up.

It was a Jade Pendant, materializing in that moment. As He Xinquan swung his sword, every strike seemed buffed under the pendant's illumination. Flames, frost, lightning, metal... various elements surfaced within the sword light. Paired with the split of the Second Ritual, blinding light instantly filled the sky.

But his three opponents were no ordinary figures, and they equally unleashed all their own methods.

Before long, He Xinquan fell to a disadvantage once again.

Several seconds later...

Following a heavy slash from Jin Yao, a saber wound appeared on He Xinquan's chest. Blood splattered as he rapidly retreated.

Seeing He Xinquan spill blood, the Surface World live chats instantly ignited into a frenzy once more.

"Damn it, three against one! It's a completely unfair fight!"

"Right, if it were one-on-one, He Xinquan would definitely win!!"

"Despicable and shameless! The people of the Beast Lord are all barbarians!!"

"And that Zhao Dongchuan—damn it, he's the most shameful of them all! Dog!"

...

...

"Heh, looks like I won."

When the saber and sword clashed once more, Jin Yao looked at He Xinquan's face just inches away and gave a slight smile.

"You are very strong, He Xinquan, but luck is not on your side."

"..."

Looking at Jin Yao opposite him, the corners of He Xinquan's mouth actually rose slightly.

This was the first time he had smiled since entering the Dungeon.

"Jin Yao... you still don't understand what true strength is."

As his voice fell, Jin Yao's expression shifted slightly, an extremely ominous premonition suddenly rising in his heart.

He was too close to He Xinquan.

He didn't know when it had happened, but Wang Gang and Zhao Dongchuan had already put some distance between themselves and He Xinquan. He alone was barely a meter away.

"The body is also a sword."

Suddenly, He Xinquan opened his mouth and softly spoke.

A black-orange light abruptly bloomed behind him!

It wasn't a black Fourth Rite! It was black-orange!!!

He, He Xinquan, had already reached the absolute peak of the Fourth Tier. It was impossible for anyone to surpass him.

Not only that, but he had also clearly mapped out his own path.

Because of this, he viewed anyone else in the same tier as nothing but worthless rabble.

Filled with extreme unease, Jin Yao was about to retreat, but He Xinquan had already reached out a hand and tapped his forehead.

Jin Yao violently shivered, feeling as if something had surged into his body.

He hastily used his weird energy to slice open his own palm.

Pale gold liquid surged out frantically.

This was the trump card of every Monarch of the Beast Lord.

They always firmly believed that a king's blood would bring Victory.

But it was already too late. Before Jin Yao could even speak, jade-like sword blades pierced out from within his body.

"Shnk, shnk, shnk—"

In a flash, Jin Yao's pupils violently widened. As if struck by lightning, blood sprayed out like a fountain.