At this moment, Ye Qinghan’s mind raced, realizing the true intent behind Lin Hao’s strike against him.
"I merely opened my mind to him, yet he managed to glean from those subtle clues that Di Lintian is no simple character," he thought. "And to think I always believed Di Lintian was nothing special. This Lin Hao..."
In an instant, Lin Hao became as terrifying an existence in Qinghan’s heart as the Li Long Crown Prince, Di Zangtian, and Prince Ling, Di Lingtian.
Setting aside Qinghan’s thoughts, the Third Prince spoke up. "How can the Li Long Dynasty allow an outsider to run wild? Fifth Brother, capture him!"
The Fifth Prince nodded. His figure immediately appeared amidst the lightning, just like the Sixth Prince before him. He moved with extreme caution, well aware that Hao now held a hostage. However, unlike his younger brother, he did not use his martial domain to block the lightning. Instead, he allowed the tempest to surge even more violently.
Standing proudly in the void, the Fifth Prince remained completely untouched by the terrifying bolts, while the area around Hao transformed into a sea of lightning.
"Lin Hao, release my Sixth Brother, and only you will die. Refuse, and I will execute your entire extended family!" His voice carried a commanding majesty that actually overpowered the roaring thunder.
To casually threaten the extermination of nine generations—the Li Long Dynasty truly possessed the power and authority to back up such words. The Fifth Prince’s expression remained indifferent; in his eyes, Hao was no different from an ant. Unfortunately, he failed to realize that even an ant could topple an elephant.
Hao simply smiled. In the next moment, he struck.
The Six Paths of Reincarnation manifested behind him. Without hesitation, Hao sent the Sixth Prince’s body straight into Reincarnation, obliterating him on the spot!
For a split second, everything in that patch of the void ceased to move. Even the two great princes and Qinghan, watching the projection, widened their eyes in shock.
RUMBLE!
Celestial Thunder tore through the sky, growing denser and far more terrifying as the Six Paths of Reincarnation conjured by Hao vanished. This lightning was not the work of any prince; it was the fury of the heavens themselves.
An unimaginably horrifying aura erupted from Hao’s body.
Yin Yang Realm Fourth Layer!
Using the Six Paths of Reincarnation had merely been a smokescreen. His true method was the power of devouring. He had directly consumed the Sixth Prince’s body, absorbing that boundless energy to break straight through to the Yin Yang Realm Fourth Layer.
The moment this aura swept out, the Fifth Prince cried out in sheer terror. As someone currently at the Yin Yang Realm Fourth Layer himself, he naturally sensed the terrifying might of that realm. Yet, the power erupting from Hao far surpassed his own. He tried to move, but Hao’s martial domain had locked down the void, stripping him of all control over his body.
Hao moved again. Utilizing the Heaven-Stepping Step, he reached out to grab the Fifth Prince.
The instant Hao made his move, the Third Prince and Di Lintian vanished from their original spots. After a brief moment of stunned hesitation, Qinghan also disappeared.
A massive collision echoed from Hao’s location, shattering the Endless Thunder Sea. The sheer force pierced a massive hole straight through the firmament.
When the dust settled, only three figures remained standing in the void: Lintian, Qinghan, and the Third Prince. As for Hao and the Fifth Prince, there was no trace of them.
All three men wore incredibly grim expressions. Hao had actually broken through their blockade and vanished, taking the Fifth Prince with him. Mixed with their grimaces was undeniable shock. Hao had just taken a combined strike from Lintian and the Third Prince head-on without dying. Instead, he used the impact to shatter their barrier. Among their generation, the only ones capable of such a feat were Crown Prince Zangtian and Prince Ling.
"The fourth layer. He was actually using the Celestial Thunder to temper his body this whole time, pushing himself to the Yin Yang Realm Fourth Layer!" Lintian said, unprecedented shock swirling in his eyes.
"Sixth Brother is dead. Given Lin Hao’s ruthless methods, Fifth Brother is surely doomed as well. The entire Lin family will be buried with them!" The Third Prince’s killing intent pierced the heavens.
"He cannot escape. The Li Long Dynasty and Nine Dragon Mountain form the Dragon Locking Formation. Even an expert at the Yin Yang Realm Peak cannot break it. Lin Hao is dead for sure!" Qinghan dropped to one knee, his armor clanking loudly.
SLAP!
In the next moment, Lintian viciously slapped Qinghan, sending him flying.
"Sixth Brother is dead, and Fifth Brother is most likely done for. Are you feeling pleased with yourself right now?!" Lintian moved like lightning. Before Qinghan could even hit the ground, he struck him again, knocking him further away.
He had only managed to form a faction capable of rivaling the Crown Prince and Prince Ling by allying with three great princes. Now, having lost two of them in one fell swoop, he might never have a chance to turn the tables again. At this thought, Lintian’s killing intent solidified. He lunged forward, intending to execute Qinghan on the spot.
But then, an unbelievable scene unfolded. Qinghan, who had been taking a beating and was seemingly on the verge of death from severe injuries, simply pointed a finger. Lintian was instantly blasted backward, spraying blood across the sky.
This seemingly casual finger strike not only caused Lintian—who had tempered his body with Celestial Thunder since childhood—to vomit blood, but the sheer recoil also made Qinghan cough up blood and fly backward.
"Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger!" The Third Prince’s eyes widened drastically, his voice trembling.
The Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger, the Eight Desolates and Six Harmonies Fist, and the Nine Heavens Divine Seal were collectively known as the three great divine skills of the Li Long Dynasty. The latter two were mastered by the Crown Prince and Prince Ling, respectively. Seeing Qinghan execute the first skill left the Third Prince utterly astounded. After all, in terms of ranking, the Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger stood above the other two!
Legend had it that the Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger consisted of only three strikes. Once mastered, the first finger could annihilate heaven and earth, and the second could shatter the sun and moon—unstoppable by gods or ghosts. As for the final finger, no records of it even existed.
For Qinghan to actually unleash the Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger right now was an absolutely mind-blowing revelation.
Lintian staggered to his feet, unable to hide the shock in his own eyes. A chill ran through his heart. If Qinghan’s cultivation base hadn’t been lacking, that single finger strike would have reduced him to ashes.
In the void, Qinghan’s body rumbled with energy. He immediately tore open a rift in space and fled into the distance.
Just then, two figures materialized in the void. They simultaneously reached out toward the spatial rift Qinghan had torn open. The newcomers were the Li Long Crown Prince, Di Zangtian, and Prince Ling, Di Lingtian.
The dynasty’s three divine skills reigned supreme over countless others. With the appearance of the Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger, both men felt threatened and wanted to eliminate Qinghan.
Seeing these two, Lintian and the Third Prince shuddered violently. The newcomers weren’t even targeting them, yet their mere presence provoked such a visceral reaction. It was a testament to their overwhelming strength.
Watching the two strike simultaneously, Lintian let out a heavy sigh. He had originally planned to ally with Qinghan to contend against these two, but now that possibility was about to be snuffed out. There was no way Qinghan could survive this.
A moment later, however, both Zangtian and Lingtian frowned in unison. Clearly, they had failed to catch their prey.
"Ye Qinghan..." Lintian began, his tone extremely cautious.
"He escaped," the tall man said flatly, glancing at him. This was Prince Ling, Di Lingtian.
"Someone blocked a strike for him," Crown Prince Di Zangtian added. Compared to the towering Lingtian, Crown Prince Zangtian appeared quite short, yet the aura radiating from him felt heavy enough to crush the heavens.
Lintian and the Third Prince exchanged a glance, the same name flashing through their minds simultaneously.