Dragon Pride Cloud in the Pantheon

Yu Conglong collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily from exhaustion. Blood soaked his clothes, making for a gruesome sight.

Everyone stared in shock at the gentle, jade-like blind young man standing calmly before them.

This was Yu Conglong—ranked 44th on the Heavenly Rankings, a dominant force in the South Sea region!

And he had just been defeated?

"Impressive. I admit defeat," Yu Conglong said bitterly.

"You were a worthy opponent," Xiao Ye replied indifferently.

Lin Chen gave a slight nod.

Where the hell did An Yi find such a powerhouse? he wondered. This guy’s strength is unreal.

Though Xiao Ye had only used sword fingers, the finesse of his technique was unparalleled—the most refined swordsmanship Lin Chen had ever witnessed.

"Old Yu!"

A furious, white-haired elder in Taoist robes suddenly stood, his concealed horsetail whisk snapping out from his sleeve as he lunged at Xiao Ye, eyes blazing with murderous intent. "You little brat, you’ve got a death wish!"

Clang!

A spear shot out, blocking the whisk’s strike.

Bai Xiu, who had been lazily sprawled nearby, lifted his dull, lifeless eyes and drawled, "You wanna fight too?"

The elder narrowed his eyes. "Weapons aren’t allowed in the assembly. How did you smuggle that in?"

"Like your whisk was allowed either. Mind your own damn business," Bai Xiu retorted with a dismissive glance.

"Disrespectful whelp!"

The Taoist’s robes billowed as his rage flared.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

Is Cangshan Taoist, ranked 37th on the Heavenly Rankings, really about to make a move?

That sickly-looking guy hasn’t even opened his eyes properly—will he even survive?

An Yi raised an eyebrow. "Old man, is this guy from your Taoist Alliance?"

"Old man?!"

Cangqiong Taoist’s veins bulged at the disrespectful address.

"No," Cangqiong Taoist forced out through gritted teeth.

The Taoist Alliance, formed less than a century ago, was a coalition of major Taoist sects—Wudang, Maoshan, Chunyang Palace, Dragon Elephant Mountain, and others.

Clearly, this Cangshan Taoist wasn’t part of it.

An Yi’s gaze swept over the restless crowd of martial artists.

Seems our Asura Gate’s rapid rise has made us a target. Plenty of people here wouldn’t mind taking a shot at us.

"Heh, this is getting fun. Mind if I join in?"

A martial artist with unusually large ears grinned, revealing a sinister smile.

Hei Fu—ranked 35th on the Heavenly Rankings.

He took a step forward—

Then froze as a drop of blood slid down his face and splattered on the ground.

A thin, precise cut had appeared across his cheek.

Threads.

Hei Fu touched the wound, his brow furrowing.

Chen Bing adjusted his black-framed glasses, his voice eerily calm. "Take another step, and you die."

"Oh? What if I do anyway?" Hei Fu licked the blood off his finger, still grinning.

Suddenly, shimmering silver threads materialized in the air before him—an invisible web of death.

Cold sweat drenched Hei Fu’s back as he stared at Chen Bing in disbelief.

"One more step. That’s all it’ll take," Chen Bing said, lifting the threads in his hand, his glasses reflecting a chilling glare.

"I’d like to see what gives the Asura Gate the right to call itself the fifth major faction!"

"Damn it, let’s just rush them!"

In the assembly hall, several restless figures could no longer hold back.

Liu Dachao and Qin Shan stepped forward.

Xiao Yike’s aura exploded—his frail body bulging with muscle as he roared, "Who the hell wants a piece of me?!"

The next second, a mob tackled him to the ground, fists flying.

Han Liang, who had been about to shout something, immediately shut his mouth.

"I’m the leader of the Asura Gate. If you want a fight, come at me!"

A crushing pressure suddenly weighed down on the room. Everyone paled, turning toward the speaker.

An Yi now wore a grotesque, domineering demon mask.

An inexplicable dread gripped the crowd—an oppressive force sapping their strength.

[Mask Skill: Aura Suppression—All enemies’ power reduced by 5%.]

Bai Xiu flicked his spear, sending shredded whisk fragments scattering like snow.

Cangshan Taoist stared blankly at the now-bare handle in his hand.

Xiao Yike reverted to his usual slender, meek appearance—though his black eye and bloody nose ruined the effect.

The chaotic hall fell silent.

All eyes locked onto An Yi.

That mask…

Since when did showing off require special equipment?

"Damn it, so what if you’re the Asura Gate’s leader?!"

A wiry man cracked his knuckles, sneering.

"Let’s see what a brat like you is really made of!"

A fierce-looking middle-aged woman in tight-fitting martial arts gear stood, her glare icy.

Clearly, not everyone was willing to back down.

The Asura Gate’s meteoric rise had disrupted a century-old balance in the martial world. Resentment ran deep.

Why should a bunch of kids lord over us?

Han Bing, the Law Enforcement Bureau’s chief, finally decided the spectacle had gone on long enough. He slammed his fist on the table.

"Enough!"

The room instantly stilled.

"If you want to brawl, the Bureau’s cells have plenty of space!"

His words carried weight—almost everyone backed off immediately.

This was the Law Enforcement Bureau’s turf. Picking a fight here was suicidal.

Chen Bing adjusted his glasses, studying Han Bing thoughtfully.

He waited until now to step in. This bald bastard’s got an agenda.

"The Asura Gate is dragging the entire martial world into their mess!"

"Yeah, we’re innocent! Punish them!"

Voices rose in protest.

The Netherworld Sect—a sinister, globe-spanning organization—was a nightmare no one wanted to provoke.

Even the Four Demon Halls were just their lackeys. Who knew what monsters lurked higher up?

They’d learned the hard way not to cross them.

"Oh? Then by that logic, the Divine Court’s slaughtered tens of thousands of Netherworld fiends. Should we punish them too?"

A clear, resonant voice cut through the noise.

Every head turned toward the entrance.

Even Master Yuanyi, who’d been dozing off, slowly opened his eyes.

A striking young man in his late twenties stood there, clad in a black trench coat.

Each step he took reverberated like a drumbeat in their chests.

His overwhelming presence made it hard to meet his gaze.

Ranked 1st on the Heavenly Rankings.

The War God of Xia—Long Aoyun.

A legend among legends, a man whose strength bordered on the supernatural.

Han Bing smirked in relief.

Thank god he’s here. I’m not sure I could’ve reined in these freaks otherwise.

An Yi removed his mask, locking eyes with Long Aoyun.

Long Aoyun’s gaze met his in turn.

The two titans stared each other down in silence.