Silence came in two forms.
One was a silence so profound that a needle would have sounded like a clap.
The second was the complete deafness experienced by everyone after an unimaginable, colossal commotion.
This was precisely the situation Li Qi and Qin Zhang had created.
Under the immense disturbance they had caused, even the cultivators who had crossed the continent and were at the furthest fringes of the land lost their senses entirely for a brief moment.
The only sensation they could feel was the primal sense of danger that welled up from within their hearts.
In the next instant, as their sight and spiritual senses returned, their gazes fell upon the center of the Qin Yang Merchant Guild headquarters.
Before them lay utter devastation.
The once magnificent buildings were now completely shattered, not a single piece left intact.
Following this, the array formations in the sky dimmed once more.
Cultivators screamed as they fell from the sky.
Among these cultivators were some who, out of desperation, had been trapped within the energy-gathering array formations – these were the cultivators from beyond.
There were also some who were part of the Qin Yang Merchant Guild themselves.
But all of them were in a pitiful state, a vast number gravely injured and on the verge of death.
Within the now utterly destroyed Qin Yang Merchant Guild headquarters, Qin Zhang’s eyes were filled with horror.
"How could this happen, how is this possible? How could the array formations be compromised?"
Qin Zhang’s complexion was pale, clearly suffering from no small injuries.
His aura was chaotic, and his face was a mask of unconcealable unwillingness.
In his estimation, by combining the strength of all the cultivators of the Qin Yang Merchant Guild and some external cultivators, he felt their explosive combat power was not much inferior to Li Qi's.
However, the moment he attempted to unleash their full might, a portion of the superimposed energy-gathering array formations abruptly lost their connection. Because of this, Qin Zhang’s command over his power instantly vanished by more than half.
It was akin to taking a deep breath and then suddenly choking, a far greater impact than a normal exhalation would have caused.
Simultaneously, Li Qi's second move of his "Farmer's Three Punches" arrived instantly, leaving Qin Zhang no chance.
And so, what followed was the scene that had just unfolded: Qin Zhang, Qin Sang, and Qin Fang, all peak Tribulation Crossing cultivators, were severely injured. Qin Zhang was comparatively better off.
Qin Sang and Qin Fang, standing beside Qin Zhang, were now near death, having been at the epicenter of Li Qi's attack.
The damage they sustained was beyond what others could imagine.
As for the other cultivators caught within the energy-gathering array formations, the reason for their widespread severe injuries... it was merely a fraction of the residual shockwave from Li Qi's second "Farmer's Punch."
If the feedback had been any stronger, these cultivators would have been far beyond merely severely injured.
"I already told you, playing with array formations in front of me is just asking for death."
At this moment, Li Qi looked at Qin Zhang and smiled leisurely, his expression utterly relaxed.
Qin Zhang raised his head again.
He saw Li Qi flick a finger.
A third of the energy-gathering array formations blanketing the dome of this artificial continent began to flicker.
And as time progressed, the number of these flickering formations grew.
Qin Zhang was now utterly astonished.
He realized that the flickering formations were precisely those that had lost their connection at the crucial moment.
"You... you infiltrated my array formations! How is that possible?"
The array formations had been activated and then initiated in mere moments.
In such a short span, how could this person in front of him gain control of his array formations?
If he were given more time, could he have turned these formations against them?
At this thought, Qin Zhang’s mind completely short-circuited.
This was far beyond his comprehension.
His energy-gathering array formations were of an extremely high and complex level, which was why they served as Qin Zhang’s final trump card.
Yet now, this ultimate trump card seemed laughably weak before Li Qi.
And at this very moment, a suction force suddenly appeared on Qin Zhang’s body.
The silent space began to stir once more.
From all directions, countless Qin Yang Merchant Guild cultivators were within the devouring range of the silent space.
They tried to flee in terror, but already gravely injured, how could they escape this terrifying suction force?
Qin Sang and Qin Fang, who were near death beside Qin Zhang, were already being pulled in, about to be consumed.
Qin Zhang also tried to struggle, but his current physical condition made it difficult to escape the devouring grasp of the silent space.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, Qin Zhang felt that this silent space was considerably stronger than when he had first encountered it.
"Why, why is my Qin Yang Merchant Guild facing such a great catastrophe?"
Qin Zhang uttered with a sense of unwillingness and despair.
If he had just a little more time, he would have had a more than ninety percent chance of breaking through the lightning tribulation and ascending to the Mahayana stage.
But now, at the very precipice, everything was gone.
Not only was his combat power completely crushed, but even his sole trump card proved so ineffective against Li Qi.
Qin Zhang had completely abandoned any thought of resistance.
His old, despairing face turned towards Li Qi once more, a plea evident in his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist, can you at least let Qin die as an enlightened spirit?"
Qin Zhang truly had no idea of Li Qi's origins.
It was no exaggeration to say that Qin Zhang had recalled every moment of bullying younger generations when he was a teenager.
Yet, he still did not know who Li Qi was.
To this, Li Qi offered a faint smile, remaining silent.
Finally, just as Qin Zhang was about to be completely swallowed by the silent space, a faint voice sounded in his ear.
"This is all thanks to your good grandson, Qin Tianyi."
As the words fell, Qin Zhang’s expression froze for a moment. His mind recalled the news Qin Sang had brought him two days ago: his grandson Qin Tianyi and his companions had been utterly annihilated in a small place far from civilization.
In that instant, Qin Zhang seemed to understand something. A flicker of realization and complexity appeared in his eyes.
A wry smile touched his aged face.
But alas, before that smile could even form, Qin Zhang's figure was completely swallowed into the silent space.