"As expected!"
A smile of triumph played on the Evil King's lips.
Just as he had predicted, Bai Zihe would not stand by and watch the two women be crushed by the massive stones.
He had intervened the moment they were in danger.
Below.
Bai Zihe's internal energy surged, and he struck the boulder with a punch.
This boulder formation was indeed powerful.
Anyone else would have been unable to withstand the impact of the colossal stones unharmed.
But Bai Zihe managed it.
While his mighty punch did not shatter the boulder, it significantly slowed its descent, making it less swift than before.
Yan Zhiyun immediately dodged to the side, saving her life.
"Hmph."
The Evil King sneered incessantly, "I'd like to see how many times you can shield her."
Rumble!
Boulders began to fall continuously.
They were more fierce and numerous than before.
And...
They were all aimed at Yan Zhiyun.
This was the breakthrough point the Evil King had identified.
Bai Zihe saw his intention and positioned himself protectively in front of Yan Zhiyun.
A boulder descended.
The young man soared into the air, defying gravity, and struck out with his fist.
Another one.
One after another, ceaselessly!
Bai Zihe flashed through the air, fist after fist, intercepting all the boulders and giving Yan Zhiyun behind him a chance to breathe and evade.
After several such instances, the Evil King began to grow impatient.
This was not how the script was supposed to go!
"Plum Blossom Blooms Twice!"
"Let Bai Zihe enjoy himself."
The Evil King's icy command reached the ears of the operators above.
"Plum Blossom Blooms Twice" meant releasing two rounds of boulders simultaneously!
This would create a dense barrage of boulders, making evasion impossible and inevitably injuring Bai Zihe, perhaps even leading to his demise on the spot.
Rumble.
Rumble rumble...
The thunderous roar was deafening.
Countless boulders tumbled down, carrying immense power. The pressure and sense of crisis could not be truly felt unless one was in the midst of it.
Seeing the Evil King agitated, Bai Zihe smiled faintly at him.
Then, he performed an action that the Evil King had never anticipated.
Bai Zihe leaped into the air, jumping into the boulder formation and charging towards the falling stones.
He intended to confront the boulders directly!
Upon witnessing this, the Evil King was utterly shocked, but his joy was palpable.
"Bai Zihe, you are seeking your own death!"
"These boulders weigh tens of thousands of pounds, and they are falling with momentum. Mortals can hardly resist them!"
"A Houtian martial artist can at most deflect two boulders."
"A Xiantian martial artist would be at their limit after being hit by three boulders."
"Even a Martial Grandmaster..."
"Would be gravely injured and lose their fighting ability after resisting five boulders!"
"Bai Zihe, even if you are a Martial Grandmaster."
"You will be defeated before my boulder formation today."
The Evil King continued to sneer, his lips curling upwards.
His gaze towards Bai Zihe held a sliver of pity, three parts mockery, and six parts schadenfreude!
However, in the next moment, the smile on the Evil King's face froze, and the mockery was replaced by utter disbelief.
They saw.
Bai Zihe leaped before the first boulder, his palms forming, releasing an endless stream of force like countless silken threads that enveloped the stone.
The boulder's speed abruptly decreased, and it soon came to a halt.
Then.
To everyone's stunned gaze.
Bai Zihe raised his hands, lifting the colossal boulder overhead.
Stunned.
Everyone was stunned.
They stood there, gaping, their eyes wide, having forgotten to blink, forgotten to breathe, forgotten everything.
They stared at Bai Zihe, this youth who now appeared like a god descended from heaven, possessing unmatched strength and awe-inspiring might, inspiring worship from the bottom of their hearts.
Even the Evil King.
Felt a sliver of fear at that moment.
Such an opponent...
If he is not eliminated here today, how can I sleep soundly in the future!
But this was just the beginning.
After lifting the boulder, Bai Zihe suddenly grinned at the Evil King.
"It is impolite not to reciprocate."
"Evil King, I shall give you one too. Take this!"
As his words fell.
Bai Zihe hurled the colossal boulder upwards, from below.
Its speed was like lightning, even faster than its descent, creating gusts of cold wind that produced sonic booms.
Everyone present.
Without exception, no one could remain calm.
The operators above had forgotten to continue operating the trolleys to drop more boulders.
Even Liu Qianxun, the mischievous 'Little Poison' who was usually playful and irreverent, was struck dumb at this moment, not daring to utter a sound.
Bai Zihe's action...
Demonstrated that his control over internal energy had already reached an unparalleled, transcendent level.
Yan Zhiyun even secretly speculated.
That her junior brother might have already touched that realm.
A realm that transcended Grandmasters, transcended everything, a realm capable of altering the heavens and reshaping the earth!
The Evil King was also astonished.
But more than that, he was terrified!
Because the boulder was hurtling towards him.
Since he was not at the very top of the stairs, but on a high platform halfway up, the boulder could not be avoided, only blocked!
If he failed to stop it...
He might perish here today!
Swish!
Without thinking, the Evil King instinctively grabbed a nearby lion statue and threw it towards the boulder.
But the two were vastly disproportionate in size and speed.
Crash!
As they collided, the lion statue instantly shattered into countless pieces.
And the boulder...
Its speed was undiminished!
The Evil King's heart tightened. He immediately took out a black crystal and spat a mouthful of blood onto it.
Crash!
The black crystal dissipated into smoke, and four corpse-ghouls, clad in black armor and exuding an eerie aura, appeared in its place.
A flicker of pain crossed the Evil King's face. This was a treasure he had obtained with immense difficulty.
But facing imminent danger, he pointed at the boulder and commanded, "Go, stop it!"
The black-armored corpse-ghouls leaped into the air, intercepting the boulder.
Crash!
The boulder's power was immense. The four black-armored corpse-ghouls struck it and were instantly torn apart, scattering in all directions.
For a moment, a rain of black blood fell.
Fortunately, the boulder's speed had been significantly reduced.
Although it was still advancing, the threat to the Evil King had greatly diminished.
Indeed.
Due to gravity, the boulder's speed quickly became zero, stopping less than three feet in front of the Evil King, and then slowly began to fall back.
Only then did the Evil King breathe a sigh of relief.
Bai Zihe ascended the stairs step by step, smiling calmly.
But beneath that harmless smile, the awe-inspiring scene he had just displayed was indelibly etched in everyone's minds.
Seeing him, the Evil King instinctively retreated in caution.
Bai Zihe smiled faintly, "Evil King, I said I would give you three moves."
"Two moves have passed. You have one last move remaining."
As his words fell.
Bai Zihe clasped his hands behind his back and stood before the Evil King.
The Evil King let out a cold laugh and walked to the center of the high platform, where an altar stood.
He pressed a mechanism on the altar.
Click click click—
The high platform trembled, and after a moment, a desolate yet bizarre divine temple rose from the ground.
In the center of the temple stood a massive statue, with three eyes and six arms.
Its upright eyes gazed into the void, giving a sense of mystery and profundity, compelling one to kneel and offer worship.
Before the statue, the Evil King knelt with utmost piety.
"Vido, an unworthy descendant of Miao Jiang, greets the Gu Emperor. I implore the Gu Emperor to descend in person and annihilate this subordinate!"