"As long as you can survive under my hand, I might just spare your worthless life!"
Jin Hao's voice rang out in a twisted laugh, his body radiating a violent, oppressive aura.
Yet in the face of his arrogance and murderous intent, Mu Yan remained utterly unmoved. His gaze, however, grew increasingly cold—so sharp and frigid it seemed to crystallize into invisible blades.
To Mu Yan, this man—Jin Hao—must die.
"Core Formation, Second Level! And at such a young age? Crushing Mu Yan will be effortless for him!"
The Grand Elder and Second Elder looked on with eagerness and delight.
After all, Mu Yan had long ceased to regard the clan as family. Better to let Jin Hao rid them of this potential threat now.
No matter how talented Mu Yan was, could he possibly be stronger than Jin Hao?
"And to think this boy truly believes his so-called Kunlun Holy Land can rival the Jin Yu Sect? What a joke—utterly laughable!" the Second Elder sneered, his contempt for Kunlun undisguised.
Seeing his son in mortal danger, Mu Lei grew anxious and prepared to intervene.
But before he could move, Old Zhang—silent till now—raised a hand and blocked him.
Mu Lei turned to him in confusion. He knew the man had arrived with Mu Yan, likely a senior from his sect. But the man had kept to himself all this time—what did his sudden interference mean?
"Just watch," Old Zhang said calmly.
Mu Lei was bewildered. His son was clearly in peril—why stop him from acting? Unless… this man intended to act himself?
With no better option, Mu Lei suppressed his rising unease and chose to wait.
"Brother Mu Yan, be careful! He cultivates the 'Purple Sun Codex,' the Jin Yu Sect's most powerful technique—it's a Royal-grade technique, incredibly domineering!" Gu Yingluo warned urgently.
The Mu Clan elders were stunned. The Purple Sun Codex? A Royal-grade cultivation method?
The highest-level technique in the Mu Clan was only of the Profound grade!
There was no need to explain the difference in power—those who trained in superior arts naturally possessed superior strength.
Among the younger onlookers, none dared even breathe too loudly. They watched in silence, nerves taut.
Mu Tingting and Mu Kun wore the most conflicted expressions. As the two recognized prodigies of the clan, they now realized how insignificant they truly were. In front of Jin Hao, they didn't even qualify to enter the ring.
Especially Mu Kun, who felt every ounce of his pride reduced to dust. Yet his face twisted into a sinister grin, filled with anticipation.
"Start fighting already. Kill him! Kill Mu Yan!"
Hatred surged in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to watch Mu Yan die—preferably by Jin Hao's hand. He was desperate to see blood spill.
As the crowd bristled with conflicting emotions, Jin Hao made his move.
With full force, he unleashed a series of devastating punches. The very air trembled as space itself seemed to crack beneath his blows.
His vast spiritual energy condensed into brutal waves of fist force, crashing toward Mu Yan in relentless succession.
Even seasoned Core Formation cultivators within the Mu Clan were shaken. Was this really the power of someone at the second stage of Core Formation?
It was unreal.
Gu Yingluo gasped aloud. "That's the Haoyang Fist! A Royal-grade martial art!"
The others, unfamiliar with the name, instantly grasped its power by the radiant gold that burst from Jin Hao's fists—like two miniature suns radiating intense heat and destructive might.
"Good timing," Mu Yan muttered.
He made no move to evade. Instead, a golden flame erupted from within him, swiftly flowing like molten metal across his body, forming a radiant set of flame-forged armor.
This was the Heavenly Emperor Flame, born from cultivating the Flame God's Codex. One of the most destructive flames under heaven.
Even a wisp of it could boil oceans and incinerate mountains.
Though Mu Yan's cultivation was not yet deep enough to fully harness its catastrophic potential, it was more than enough—for someone like Jin Hao.
Boom!
Jin Hao's fists landed squarely against Mu Yan's chest, a deafening explosion resounding through the heavens.
Everyone held their breath, bracing for the gruesome aftermath.
But what they saw defied all expectations.
Mu Yan stood exactly where he had been—unscathed, calm.
Golden armor gleamed on his body, radiating intense heat that distorted the very air around him.
"How… how can this be?"
The Grand Elder and Second Elder were dumbstruck. Jin Hao's full-force strike hadn't even scratched him?
And that golden armor—what in the world was it?
Mu Kun and Mu Tingting were equally stunned. They had felt the overwhelming power in Jin Hao's strike. If it had landed on them, not even ten lives would have been enough.
They had thought Mu Yan would be annihilated.
Yet here he stood—untouched.
Jin Hao's face twisted in shock. He knew exactly how powerful the Haoyang Fist was. He had never failed to kill with it.
And now?
It had done nothing.
Could it be… this so-called cripple was stronger than him?
Impossible!
He was the chosen one—the strongest of the Jin Yu Sect's younger generation! How could this insect even compare?
Unwilling to accept it, Jin Hao let out a roar and unleashed another punch, even more powerful than the last.
All his spiritual energy surged outward, forming twin golden suns brimming with annihilating force, and hurtled toward Mu Yan.
But Mu Yan only looked at him coldly and uttered a few words:
"Petty tricks."
Then, with an effortless motion, he raised his right hand.
Golden flames burst from his palm and coalesced into a massive ten-zhang flaming handprint.
With a thunderous crash, it met the twin suns head-on.
An earth-shattering explosion followed. Golden energy waves surged outward in every direction, shaking heaven and earth.
If not for the Mu Clan elders forming barriers, their disciples and buildings would have been reduced to ash.
Even so, many of the young cultivators turned deathly pale—some collapsing in fright.
Mu Kun fell back with a thud, too terrified to stand.
Jin Hao, meanwhile, was a wreck. His attacks had been completely nullified by a power greater than his own.
Terror and despair gripped his soul. His mouth opened to speak, but no sound emerged.
The Heavenly Emperor Flame devoured him, burning away his spiritual energy.
Under that absolute power, Jin Hao's body—broken, charred, defeated—was flung through multiple walls before crumpling under the rubble.
No one could tell if he was alive or dead.
Silence fell over the world.
Every eye remained wide, every heart gripped by boundless fear and awe.