Despair spread through the allied forces as the Heavenly Wing Race's true one realm expert appeared. They truly had no chance of victory left. The higher one's cultivation, the more each realm stood a heaven and earth apart. Those in the true one realm were genuine gods, capable of utterly crushing divine fire realm cultivators.
"My lord, would you allow us to ransom our lives? We are also willing to compensate your race for its losses," the leader of the Earth Dragon Race suddenly said. The eyes of the other races' cultivators in the allied forces lit up. This might be their last chance. Expectation appeared on every cultivator's face.
The Heavenly Wing Race's true one realm expert curled his lips slightly. "Our Heavenly Wing Race has suffered grievous losses this time. Several divine fire realm experts have fallen. What could you possibly offer as compensation? Even ten thousand deaths would not absolve your guilt. Besides, once we slaughter you and raze your races to the ground, won't all those treasures belong to our Heavenly Wing Race anyway?"
The Heavenly Wing Race's true one realm expert's words were like an icy blade, instantly severing the last thread of hope in the allied cultivators' hearts.
His voice brimmed with contempt and killing intent. He clearly had no intention of leaving the allied forces any room to negotiate. To a true one realm expert, divine fire realm cultivators were mere ants, their lives and deaths subject to a single thought of his.
The Earth Dragon Race's leader turned pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He knew the terms he had offered were worthless in the true one realm expert's eyes. The Heavenly Wing Race's losses had indeed been devastating, especially the deaths of its divine fire realm experts. Even within the Heavenly Wing Race, experts of that caliber were exceedingly precious. The compensation the allied forces offered could not possibly make up for those losses.
The other races' cultivators in the allied forces realized this as well. The expectation on their faces gradually gave way to despair.
They understood that the Heavenly Wing Race's true one realm expert had made up his mind. He would not only slaughter them, but completely wipe out the races behind them as a warning to others.
"Then we'll fight to the death!" the Earth Dragon Race's leader said through gritted teeth, a glimmer of resolve flashing in his eyes. Although he knew any resistance against a true one realm expert was futile, he refused to sit and await death.
The cultivators of the other races nodded in agreement. Though their hearts were filled with fear, cornered like this, only a desperate struggle might offer them a sliver of hope.
The Heavenly Wing Race's true one realm expert sneered, contempt flashing in his eyes. "You ants dare dream of resisting?"
He swept his hand through the air. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth instantly gathered into an enormous palm imprint that pressed down upon the allied cultivators. Boundless pressure filled that palm imprint, as though it could crush anything. Feeling its terrifying power, the allied cultivators were overcome with helplessness.
Even so, they unleashed their strongest Treasure Arts and magical treasures, blasting them together toward the enormous palm imprint.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
With the allied forces resisting together and several divine fire realm cultivators sacrificing their lives, they finally stopped the enormous palm imprint. Though its power was terrifying, it gradually dissipated in the air under their combined efforts. The allied cultivators breathed sighs of relief, gratitude at their survival appearing on their faces.
Yet the battle was not over. Though they had temporarily blocked this blow, everyone knew it was only the beginning.
Their opponent's strength was unfathomable, and the fighting ahead would only grow more difficult. The experts among the allied forces exchanged glances, their eyes grave.
"Don't let your guard down!" one of the leading cultivators said heavily. "This is only the beginning. We must give it everything we have, or none of us will survive today!" Everyone nodded at his words and brought forth their strongest Treasure Arts and magical treasures, preparing for the fighting to come. Tension filled the air. They all knew that every ensuing blow might decide whether they lived or died.
Just then, another low rumble came from the distant sky, as though an even more powerful being was approaching. The allied cultivators' hearts tightened. They clenched their magical treasures and stared fixedly at the distant horizon.
"It's coming!" someone said quietly.
Sure enough, the next moment, a palm imprint even larger than the last descended from the heavens, bearing the might to destroy heaven and earth as it bore down on the allied forces. This time, its power was even greater, as though it meant to crush the entire world.
Without the slightest hesitation, the allied cultivators joined forces to meet it again. The radiance of their Treasure Arts intertwined with the power of their magical treasures, forming a formidable barrier in an attempt to stop this fatal blow.
Boom! Amid the tremendous roar, heaven and earth seemed to tremble. The allied cultivators fought with all their strength and finally blocked the blow once more, but this time, the price was far heavier. Several cultivators fell in the palm imprint's aftershocks, their blood staining the earth red.
"We can't retreat! Retreat means certain death!" the leading cultivator shouted through gritted teeth, resolve flashing in his eyes.
Though the allied cultivators were terrified, they all knew there was no way back now. Once again, they gathered their strength and prepared for the fighting ahead.
Everyone understood that only by giving everything they had could they possibly survive this battle of life and death.
Dark clouds churned overhead, lightning flashed, and thunder roared, as though heaven and earth themselves trembled before the destructive power about to descend. An enormous hand slowly took shape, blotting out the sky and sun, as though even time had stopped at that moment. Its outline was clearly visible, each line upon it as deep as a mountain range. Cold light glittered at its fingertips, as though they could tear through the void and crush everything.
The allied cultivators looked up at the enormous palm slowly pressing down, their eyes filled with despair and helplessness. Their clothes were already soaked with sweat, and the magical treasures in their hands had lost their luster from excessive use.
Some clenched their fists until their knuckles turned white; some sighed softly, tears glimmering in their eyes; others silently closed their eyes, seemingly awaiting their final release.
"My lord, that Heavenly Wing Race cultivator is a human in disguise! Capture him, quickly!"
The sudden cry startled everyone present. It came from a divine fire realm cultivator of the White Ghost Race, who had recognized Shi Yi as he was leaving the battlefield. He had seen Shi Yi before and recognized him at a glance.
Damn it.
Shi Yi, who was flying toward the Teleportation Array, naturally heard the shout. He realized he had been exposed and knew that leaving would now be difficult.
The enormous hand in the sky, which had been about to crush the allied forces, suddenly changed direction and reached for Shi Yi. No matter how much he increased his speed, he could not escape its reach.
Alarm surged through Shi Yi as he sensed that irresistible force rapidly closing in. He struggled with all his might to break free, but no matter how he drove the power within his body, he could not escape the enormous hand's suppression.
The surrounding air seemed to solidify, and the pressure grew ever stronger
until even breathing became difficult.
Boom! Shi Yi's body slammed heavily into the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust. He barely propped himself up and looked toward the sky, only to see the enormous hand still slowly descending, as though it intended to crush him completely.
Under that overwhelming pressure, blood began flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and some of his bones began to break.
"You old bastard! Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish!" Shi Yi roared. His expression turned cold, and a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes. He raised his right hand, and a dazzling edict flew from his palm, instantly erupting with golden light that blazed for ten thousand lengths.
Profound runes flowed across the edict, each seemingly containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth and radiating pressure that made hearts tremble.
The edict expanded in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into an enormous golden curtain of light that blocked the sky-blotting hand. Runes flickered across the curtain, and faint echoes of the Great Dao resounded, as though heaven and earth were resonating with it.
With a low shout from Shi Yi, the edict's power erupted in full. Countless golden beams stabbed toward the enormous hand like sharp swords.
Boom!
With a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering crash, the golden beams collided with the enormous hand, unleashing terrifying waves of energy. Though the hand blotted out the sky and sun, before the edict's power it proved as fragile as paper, instantly torn into countless fragments.
Golden light and black energy intertwined in the sky, forming a breathtaking scene. The fragments of the enormous hand turned into specks of black light and dispersed between heaven and earth, as though they had never existed.
Shi Yi stood with his hands behind his back, his robes snapping in the wind and his gaze flashing like lightning. He stared coldly into the sky. The edict circled above his head, showering him in golden light and making him look like a Heavenly God descended to the mortal world, too imposing to look upon directly.
"A Heavenly God's Edict? It seems you have quite a few fine things on you. I wonder how many attacks that edict of yours can withstand?
" the Heavenly Wing Race's true one realm expert said. "You old bastard, why don't you try? I'll cut you down today!" Shi Yi shouted. Hearing Shi Yi's insults, the true one realm expert flew into a rage. As one of this world's strongest beings, how long had it been since anyone had dared raise their voice at him, let alone curse him? His black hair stirred without wind, runes blazed around his body, and divine power surged.
A mighty treasured sword formed in the sky, its power rippling ceaselessly as it thrust toward Shi Yi.
Shi Yi poured his divine power into the edict above his head. Its radiance instantly intensified, runes flowing across it as it released immense power. That power burst forth to meet the enormous sword in the sky. Unexpectedly, the two forces did not fall into a stalemate. The edict's divine light swept forward like a blade splitting bamboo, shattering the enormous sword outright before piercing through the true one realm cultivator's body.
Everyone present, whether among the allied forces or the Heavenly Wing Race's cultivators, stared in shock and disbelief. That was a true one realm expert, an invincible existence in this world, one of its rulers. Had he really just been killed by a Human Race cultivator wielding that edict? Their shock knew no bounds.
While everyone was still stunned, Shi Yi retrieved the edict and flew into the Teleportation Array before their eyes. A pillar of light shot into the heavens, carrying him out of Flame Valley.
"What are you doing?"
While everyone was still reeling in shock, an angry voice rang out from among the Heavenly Wing Race. They all turned to look and saw an unbelievable sight.