Chapter 662: Hammering Ke Dali

“Senior Brother Ke, Senior Brother Xiu Chen, let’s talk this through. There’s no need for this to turn hostile.”

Xiao Yingluo truly hadn’t expected them to attack so suddenly. She was even more surprised that this Senior Brother ‘Xiu Chen’ would dare to take on everyone all by himself.

As a result, she reacted a step too slow. By the time she caught up with the group at the edge of the Cold Pool, she was already speaking up to mediate.

“Junior Sister Xiao, I already gave this pretty boy a chance for your sake. Since he’s seeking death himself, you can’t blame me for what happens next!”

At this point, Ke Dali’s killing intent was soaring. Why would he possibly listen to reason?

‘This Xiu Chen’s Martial Arts Power is incredibly formidable. If he had tried to escape from the very beginning, I wouldn’t have been confident I could stop him.’

‘But now that our Eight Desolates Returning to the Source Array is formed, killing this pretty boy will be as easy as crushing an ant!’

‘I have to land the killing blow and put an end to this problem for good!’

“Xiao Zhenchuan, while you were on the island, don’t tell me you were forcibly married by this Xiu Chen? If that’s the case, you’d better convince your lover not to put up a futile struggle!”

Duanmu Xi sneered, her tone full of mockery.

She had prepared meticulously to gain as many advantages as possible in the Fog Concealment Cave Mansion.

She had even, at great cost, hired three exceptionally powerful Stewards from the Tide Hall to accompany her.

The four of them in a Battle Array possessed enough combined power to contend with the other disciples from the Major Sects in the cave mansion!

At the very least, it would guarantee them the upper hand with the geographical advantage the Cold Water Lake provided, securing them a strong position.

But as fate would have it, she ran into a freak of nature like Xiu Chen and lost her three Stewards at once. This left her isolated and powerless, forcing her to swallow her pride, join the Dali Alliance, and submit to Ke Dali’s command.

Based on past combat records, Duanmu Xi was ranked fourteenth on the Northern Territory Earth List—one rank higher than Ke Dali, who only excelled at defense.

This situation was utterly humiliating for her. Her hatred for the culprit, Xiu Chen, was therefore boundless, and nothing would satisfy her but his death!

Women in this world placed great importance on their reputation. As a True Disciple of the Great Dao Sect and a daughter of a prominent family from the State City, Xiao Yingluo valued her honor more than her own life.

She was instantly incensed. Her brows shot up in anger as she snapped at Duanmu Xi, “Duanmu Xi, you used the geographical advantage of the Cold Water Lake to launch a lethal, unprovoked attack on me, and I haven’t even settled that score with you yet! And now you’re the one spreading rumors and slandering my name! Do you really think that once we leave the Cold Water Lake, I won’t be able to kill you?”

Duanmu Xi only wanted to kill Xiu Chen; she had no desire to truly antagonize Xiao Yingluo. She said coolly,

“I made our feud clear before I joined the Dali Alliance. We are both True Disciples of Major Sects. Dueling one-on-one to determine a winner when we meet is in accordance with the rules of the Jianghu. If you want to settle the score, you can challenge me anytime in your capacity as a True Disciple of the Great Dao Sect. For now, we are all members of the same alliance, so we should present a united front against our common enemy. Killing Xiu Chen will also prove that you have no illicit relationship with him!”

Duanmu Xi spoke with such righteous conviction that Xiao Yingluo was rendered speechless. After all, if she tried to intervene again, it would be as good as confirming she had an illicit relationship with Xiu Chen.

“Yingluo, stand down.”

Nearby, Xiao Nianci saw how inept her niece was being and grew furious herself. She snapped,

Then, she raised her longsword and roared, “Attack!”

The members of the Dali Alliance were already prepared. They all unleashed their Realms at full power, enhancing the Realm Power of the combined Eight Desolates Returning to the Source Array.

In an instant, auras surged forth—the heavy, solid Xuanwu Realm imbued with a ferocious Power Dao; the dense and condensed Gui Water Realm; the resilient Wood Element Realm; the scorching Li Fire Realm; and the sharp Geng Metal Sword Intent. The energies of these various Realms swirled chaotically, interweaving and vibrating.

Carrying an utterly terrifying pressure and an immense, unstoppable power capable of shattering the heavens, it tore through the void like a torrent, rushing toward Chen Cheng!

The Eight Desolates Returning to the Source was fundamentally a simple Battle Array for combining Realms. With only a few participants, it often couldn’t compare to other arrays that used more compatible Realms.

However, with a sufficient variety and number of Realms, it could unleash their collective Realm Power to the absolute maximum, becoming unstoppable within a radius of several hundred zhang!

“Hah!”

Chen Cheng was greatly alarmed!

‘The combined Realm from the Eight Desolates Returning to the Source Array, formed by over a dozen people, is simply too powerful. Even with my Perception, I can’t accurately sense its numerical value.’

‘But no matter what, its value is at least over ten thousand. I can’t possibly defeat it!’

‘Faced with this combined Realm, even if I tried to retreat and flee, I would inevitably be severely injured!’

‘Unless, of course, I was in the Cold Pool!’

Pushing the Second Layer of his Xuanshuang Realm to the absolute limit, Chen Cheng’s figure flashed and vanished into the Cold Pool. Like a flood dragon entering the sea, he rapidly dove to a depth of forty zhang!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Across the entire Cold Pool, the void was torn asunder. The pool’s water erupted, the blast reaching a depth of over ten zhang as a world-shaking roar resounded!

The entire Lake Heart Island began to tremble!

“After him!”

Having decided to go for the kill, Ke Dali would not let Chen Cheng escape. With a great shout, he was the first to charge toward the Cold Pool.

Duanmu Xi followed close behind. Fully activating her Jade Sea Shell, she unleashed the Second Layer of her Gui Water Realm and her Tidal Realm. The water of the Cold Pool parted, held back by a Water Curtain to reveal a passage leading straight down for more than ten zhang.

Maintaining the Eight Desolates Returning to the Source Array, the group followed them inside, standing within the passage created by the Water Curtain.

The Cold Water was too heavy. Even with Duanmu Xi exerting all her strength, she could not lead the group any deeper.

After carefully extending her senses, a look of shock crossed her face. “That bastard has actually cultivated a Realm from the Gui Water Lineage! He’s escaped to a depth of forty zhang! I’m afraid that even if we push the combined Realm Power of our Eight Desolates Returning to the Source Array to its absolute limit, we won’t be able to hurt him!”