Chapter 652: Truly Ruthless

“Heh!” Duanmu Xi scoffed, the corner of her lips twitching in disdain.

Here on the Cold Water Lake, she naturally held a geographical advantage. She was confident she would even have a fighting chance against an expert like Ji Lingxiao.

This black-robed, masked man arrived with aggressive momentum, riding arcs of thunder. He seemed powerful and domineering.

‘But his exposed aura isn’t particularly profound, nor has he manifested the aura of any powerful Realm. What do I have to fear?’

‘Besides, he’s robed in black and masked, deliberately hiding his identity. What kind of esteemed senior acts like that?’

‘Xiao Yingluo keeps calling him ‘Senior,’ but it’s probably just an empty bluff!’

‘Wasting even a single word on a nobody like this is pointless. I’ll just kill him!’

At this thought, Duanmu Xi held back no longer. She unleashed her full Qi Blood Power, and ripples burst forth from the Jade Sea Shell in her hand.

The Tidal Storm besieging Xiao Yingluo suddenly erupted with a sonic boom and surged violently toward her, aiming to kill her in a single blow!

Sensing the ferocious, tyrannical energy of the Tidal Storm, Xiao Yingluo’s face paled. She desperately activated her Pseudo-Spiritual Sword, condensed her Profound Celestial Sword Intent, and formed sharp gales of Primordial Gang to shield herself.

At the same time, she pulled out a small, round shield and activated its Array, swiftly forming a yellow Thick Earth Light Shield around her body!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ferocious, tyrannical Tidal Storm easily shattered the gales of Profound Celestial Sword Intent.

It then transformed into surging waves that crashed down upon her!

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the yellow Thick Earth Light Shield before it shattered completely.

Xiao Yingluo was blasted away, her Qi Blood Power roiling and her Primordial Gang True Force scattered. She plummeted straight toward the lake!

Even after giving it her all and using a Defensive Treasure Artifact, she still couldn’t withstand two of Duanmu Xi’s attacks!

Having decided to kill her, Duanmu Xi certainly wasn’t going to let Xiao Yingluo escape.

Condensing the aura of her Gui Water Realm, she unleashed the Tidal Storm once more. It raged like an exploding tidal wave, infused with a ferocious Power Dao as it hurtled toward Xiao Yingluo.

Xiao Yingluo barely managed to gather enough Primordial Gang True Force to stand on the lake’s surface, just keeping herself from falling in. How could she possibly have the strength to counter such a deadly attack?

For a moment, she was utterly horrified, her soul nearly leaving her body in fright!

Just in the nick of time, thunder cracked, and a massive hammer, wreathed in immense, ferocious power, came smashing down!

BOOM!

The Tidal Storm instantly shattered!

The incomparably tyrannical energy scattered the Gui Water Realm’s aura, which dissipated into countless droplets that rained back into the lake.

“Senior!”

A wave of joy at having survived washed over her, and Xiao Yingluo couldn’t help but cry out!

“Let’s go!”

Chen Cheng grabbed Xiao Yingluo by the waist and, riding arcs of thunder, sped toward Lake Heart Island.

Duanmu Xi, who was floating on the rippling surface of the lake, turned pale with shock!

‘The Tidal Storm I just unleashed at full power was infused with two compatible Second Layer Realms, amplified by the Jade Sea Shell—a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact—and further boosted by the dense Gui Water Aura of the Cold Water Lake.’

‘Its power was so immense that no one, aside from experts like Ji Lingxiao and Ning Hao who wielded Spiritual Artifacts, could have possibly withstood it.’

‘Yet this black-robed man shattered it with a single hammer strike—and it wasn’t just shattered, it was utterly crushed!’

‘This is simply too terrifying, too unbelievable!’

‘That massive hammer is most likely a Yellow Tier Spiritual Artifact!’

‘This man’s combat power is in no way inferior to Ji Lingxiao’s. He must be one of the Innate Realm Experts who entered this grotto-heaven!’

The Kan Palace uses the cold water as its Array Hub, granting control over the power of ice and snow. It has the most abundant Gui Water Aura, making it the most suitable place to practice the Tide Hall’s Cultivation Techniques.

Therefore, Duanmu Xi was determined to claim the Kan Palace Array Hub. She absolutely could not allow an expert of this caliber to return to Lake Heart Island.

Her thoughts raced. She shouted, “Attack!”

The words had barely left her mouth when several massive waves erupted from the Cold Water Lake, surging toward Chen Cheng.

From within the waves, an incredibly dense and massive Water Spear, a roaring Water Dragon of terrifying might, and an Ancient Steel Fork gleaming with a cold, emerald light all shot toward Chen Cheng in unison.

The three Tide Hall Stewards who had accompanied Duanmu Xi had finally made their move.

And they had opened with their strongest killing blows, each one empowered by a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact!

The three auras converged, carrying an incomparably tyrannical pressure that made the entire Cold Water Lake tremble violently.

The combined might of their attack far surpassed the Tidal Storm that Duanmu Xi had unleashed at full power!

With the geographical advantage of the Cold Water Lake, they were nearly invincible against anyone else in the grotto-heaven.

Even Ji Lingxiao, with his Profound Tier Spiritual Artifact, might not escape this attack unscathed!

Sensing this terrifying power, Xiao Yingluo, who had only just recovered, went pale with fright all over again.

‘This Senior is incredibly powerful. Perhaps he can block this attack.’

‘But here in the Cold Water Lake, with its dense Gui Water Aura, the attacks will only grow more terrifying and relentless!’

‘My life is over…’

Xiao Yingluo lamented internally. But a moment later, her body felt light as Chen Cheng grabbed her and plunged into the Cold Water Lake!

RUMBLE!

Raging torrents swept over and furious waves crashed down. The space above the lake where the two had just been exploded with a world-shaking roar!

Not far away, the three Tide Hall Stewards materialized on the lake’s surface, all of them slightly stunned.

They had been lying in ambush within the lake for some time, forming a Battle Array to launch their most powerful attack. They had sealed off all of Chen Cheng’s escape routes and were certain they could kill him.

But they had overlooked one possibility—that Chen Cheng would dive into the Cold Water Lake.

After all, they held every geographical advantage in the Cold Water Lake. For Chen Cheng to make such a choice was tantamount to suicide!

Let alone Chen Cheng, even Ji Lingxiao with his Profound Tier Spiritual Artifact would pay a heavy price for fighting them in the water!

This miscalculation allowed Chen Cheng to easily evade their attack!

Duanmu Xi was also stunned for a moment, but a sneer quickly formed on her lips as she shouted: