Suppression

Seeing this, Shi Tao ignored Xia Youyu and sneered directly at Li Dao:

"What, did I hit the nail on the head? Getting angry out of embarrassment now?"

"If everyone from the Heaven Mending Pavilion can only hide behind women, you should stop coming out to make spectacles of yourselves!"

Even Xia Youyu, normally so dignified and gentle, wanted to hit him. She was about to say something else when Li Dao held her back.

"Senior sister, why bother arguing with these fellows? I'll teach them a lesson in a moment!"

Li Dao's expression turned indifferent as well. Buzzing flies could not hurt anyone, but they certainly were annoying.

Without looking at Shi Yi again, he took a step forward. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and his figure instantly became a streak of light that appeared in the center of the Training Grounds. He said calmly:

"Come on."

"You all said I had to get past you before I could spar with Shi Yi. I wonder if you can live up to your big words?"

"Come at me together. This is a good chance to weigh just what the Martial King Manor's younger generation is worth."

At Li Dao's words, the faces of the Martial King Manor disciples, led by Shi Tao, immediately darkened.

They all stared at Li Dao with hostile eyes.

"If looks could kill, every last person in the Martial King Manor would be a master."

Li Dao shrugged and spoke with apparent indifference.

Since they had provoked him first, he naturally would not spare their dignity.

Pfft-

Standing at the edge of the field, Xia Youyu heard Li Dao's words, then looked at the Martial King Manor disciples, their faces as black as the bottoms of pots and their eyes gloomy. She could not help laughing softly.

That laughter, clear as a mountain stream, sounded to Shi Tao and the others like oil poured into a scorching pan.

They instinctively gathered behind Shi Tao, and in an instant, all the disciples on the Training Grounds had assembled together.

An outsider had mocked them inside the Martial King Manor itself. Who could swallow that?

"Brat, I hope your mouth stays that tough in a moment!"

Shi Tao took a Golden Trident from his back and gripped its shaft with one hand. Three Cave Heavens slowly emerged behind him.

Pieces of golden battle armor, condensed from Divine Power, also appeared across his body.

Thud, thud, thud-

His feet pounded heavily against the ground as he charged straight at Li Dao.

He dragged the Golden Trident along the ground, its friction against the platform made of black gold stone sending sparks flying.

"Hah!"

When he reached a point thirty feet in front of Li Dao, he abruptly checked his charge, transferring tremendous force into his right hand.

The Golden Trident he had been dragging swept through a full arc and smashed toward Li Dao.

The Golden Trident tore through the air with a sharp whistle, whipping up fierce winds that forced the surrounding cultivators to retreat.

Behind Shi Tao, the expressions of the Martial King Manor disciples eased slightly. They could already picture Li Dao being smashed into pulp.

If Li Dao was killed outright in one blow, not only would it spread the Martial King Manor's fame, but they would reap considerable benefits as well.

Shi Tao, now in midair, even felt the corners of his mouth lift.

If I kill this petty fame-seeker, I'm sure to earn quite a few rewards!

His eyes grew increasingly vicious.

Clang-

Before he could finish indulging in his fantasy, a terrifying force of impact traveled along the Golden Trident and into Shi Tao's arm.

Crack, crack, crack-

The tremendous force twisted his arm. In an instant, it had wrung it into a twisted braid, producing a series of bone-cracking sounds that set teeth on edge.

Jagged white bones pierced his skin and protruded into the open.

Heart-piercing pain instantly jolted Shi Tao awake from his beautiful dream. One moment he had been immersed in glorious fantasies; the next, he had been dragged straight into the depths of the netherworld.

Looking ahead, he saw strands of golden Dao patterns spreading over Li Dao's right hand, which held the Golden Trident firmly in its grip.

His heart was already filled with horror, and shrill cries burst from his mouth.

The spectators watching from the sidelines saw everything more clearly, making the sight all the more shocking.

As the Golden Trident smashed toward Li Dao, strands of profoundly mysterious aura had naturally radiated from his body.

Facing that ferocious attack, he had merely raised his hand slowly.

They had all thought Li Dao had lost his mind. Trying to stop such a terrifying attack with one hand was nothing short of a mantis raising its forelegs against a charging cart.

Standing to one side, Shi Yi, who wanted to see how strong Li Dao was, felt puzzled by the Dao Aura rising around him.

Still, he too believed that Li Dao was being far too arrogant in trying to block a full-force attack from someone in the same realm with one hand.

Yet in the next instant, that slender, white-jade hand actually clamped the Golden Trident firmly in place!

The price was that the black gold stone Training Grounds shattered inch by inch within a hundred feet of Li Dao's feet.

Cracks spread rapidly like a spiderweb, weaving a vast net around him.

And Shi Tao was clearly the first prey caught in that net!

Whether they were the Martial King Manor disciples behind Shi Tao or those drawn over to watch the commotion, everyone's eyes widened at the sight.

Seeing that not a ripple disturbed Li Dao's expression, a trace of solemnity flashed across Shi Yi's face.

Li Dao naturally had no time to pay attention to those astonished or bewildered gazes.

Lotus Dao Patterns flashed through his eyes. Divine Power surged through his body, and the brilliant golden Dao patterns on his palm blazed with light.

Gripping the trident tightly, he suddenly yanked it toward himself. Shi Tao stumbled; not only was the Golden Trident torn from his hand, but his body also pitched toward the ground.

Bang-

Before he could hit the ground, Li Dao kicked him, sending him flying backward like a cannonball.

Crash-

He slammed heavily into the ground, jagged white bones protruding from his right arm, and lost consciousness.

Gulp-

The Martial King Manor disciples, who had been upset that Shi Tao had snatched their "chance to shine," could not help swallowing at the sight of his miserable condition.

Cold sweat streamed down their foreheads. Not a trace of their earlier arrogance remained.

This was no chance to shine. It was marching straight to our deaths!!

Li Dao had no interest in hearing their inward screams. He said calmly:

"I told you to come at me together. Do you really think so little of me?"

"But if you're scared, just disperse."

At Li Dao's words,

Those who had already been wavering became even more uncertain.

But Shi Yi was standing right there. He was the future master of the Martial King Manor-how could they simply back down now?

Seeing that no one chose to withdraw, Li Dao lost interest in fooling around with them.

"Forget it. Let's end it here."

They did not understand what he meant, but they soon found out.

Tap-

Li Dao took a step forward, and in the next instant, a strange ripple spread from his body.

Thump, thump, thump, thump-

Immediately afterward, the sounds of knees striking the ground rang out one after another.

The Martial King Manor disciples, who had been standing together, all looked up and saw a stone stele rooted in the void above them.

The terrifying divine might radiating from it swept over them, as though a divine mountain had been forcibly placed upon their bodies.

In the blink of an eye, every Martial King Manor disciple on the Training Grounds had been pressed flat against the ground.