As those sharp voices rang out, everyone quickly looked up.
They saw five young men in golden robes slowly step forward, walking through the air from within the crowd.
“The Five Sons of Divine Heaven, perfect for the opening act,” someone nearby commented.
“Rumor has it they’re quintuplets, sharing one heart and soul, even cultivating a joint martial technique.”
“Yeah, if it weren’t for Shen Yu’s overwhelming presence, Divine Heaven Mountain would’ve probably focused on grooming them instead.”
Xu Zimo looked up and saw the five brothers, all identical in appearance. Even when they spoke, they did so in perfect unison, tone, expression, everything in sync.
It was as if they moved and thought as one.
“Lin Qiu, others may fear you, but we five brothers want to face you,” the Five Sons of Divine Heaven said together.
“Come on, I’ll let you strike first,” Xu Zimo said calmly, still seated, without moving an inch.
The five frowned and raised their hands, spiritforce surging around them.
Their auras connected, uniting the five into a single whole.
Their spiritforce shifted between five colors.
“Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth!” the five shouted in unison.
In an instant, their surroundings erupted: blazing flames, flooding tides, boundless vitality, indestructible force, and immovable resolve.
Five distinct energies radiated from the brothers. When they fused together, a massive yin-yang disk appeared in the sky.
“Interesting,” Xu Zimo smiled.
Though the five elements could indeed form yin and yang, and yin and yang could become chaos, not just any five-element power could create true yin-yang force.
The fusion had to be precise, the right amount, perfect balance, for true yin and yang to form.
“Great Yin-Yang Art!” the five roared together, hurling the yin-yang disk downward.
The disk transformed into a giant spinning gear, slicing through the sky as it flew toward Xu Zimo.
The spinning yin-yang gear tore through layers of space, leaving sparks in its wake.
Xu Zimo remained seated and calmly took out his Heaven-Demon Bow.
He nocked an arrow, slowly drawing the bowstring as demonic energy gathered at the arrow’s tip, forming a dark, powerful shot.
When he released the bowstring, there was a thunderous roar as the demon arrow streaked into the sky like a thousand wild stallions, tearing toward the heavens.
Rumbling echoed across the battlefield.
With a deafening boom, the yin-yang disk was pierced straight through its center before it could even resist for a second.
The demon arrow didn’t slow down. It streaked through the sky, leaving a black trail behind it.
The Five Sons of Divine Heaven tried to dodge, but it was far too late.
The arrow pierced through all five of their chests like skewering candied fruit, pinning them together on a single shaft.
Blood spurted from their mouths, so dark it was nearly black.
Everyone stared in horror. The five brothers’ eyes were wide open, lifeless, nailed to the cliff wall above.
“This... this...” someone stuttered for a long time, unable to speak.
“Not even one full move... So this is the Fusion Heaven Realm,” someone sighed.
“Until the Imperial Sons arrive, we’d better not act. Let them carry the main fight.”
…………
“So weak,” Xu Zimo shook his head and sat back down.
The midday sun blazed above. The valley opened out to a boundless plain.
Only a few sparse trees stood in the distance, and the occasional breeze brought rare comfort.
“The wind’s picking up,” someone said, looking to the sky. Dust and sand drifted on the breeze.
Suddenly, the wind surged through the land, howling and twisting.
Leaves and dust were lifted, dancing and falling slowly.
Everyone looked up to see nine figures approaching from afar, cloaked in dust.
Their spiritforce surged, causing visible ripples in space.
Nine different-colored robes fluttered in the wind. As they walked forward, they seemed to draw all attention, as if enchanted.
“The Nine Imperial Sons have joined forces,” someone exclaimed in shock.
“This has never happened in the history of the Nine Heavens Sect. A once-in-a-lifetime event.”
Xu Zimo slowly opened his eyes, looking toward the nine approaching figures.
“Disciples of Divine Heaven Mountain, where are you?”
“Imperial Son of Jade Heaven Mountain, where are you?”
…………
As the nine shouted in unison, the entire valley and the surrounding mountains erupted with the voices of countless disciples.
“Here!”
The roar was deafening, like dragons crying across the plains, tigers roaring through the forest, shaking the sky with thunderous force.
“If I die in battle today, take my body back to the Nine Heavens Sect. Let it return to its roots,” Shen Yu shouted to the crowd.
“We obey the Imperial Sons!” the surrounding disciples shouted in unison.
The nine walked forward, step by step, until they stood before Xu Zimo.
“You’ve come,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.
“We have. Junior Brother Lin truly is full of surprises,” Shen Yu replied with a smile.
“I thought some of you would run, afraid to die,” Xu Zimo said.
“Junior Brother Lin has already entered the Fusion Heaven Realm. Alone, we wouldn’t be a match for you. So today, we can only challenge you as a group,” the nine said, cupping their fists, their gazes sharp.
“Today, we Nine Imperial Sons of the Nine Heavens Sect challenge you, this cultivator of Fusion Heaven Realm.”
“Come all at once. That way, no one can say I bullied you,” Xu Zimo stood and replied calmly.
The nine gathered their spiritforce. Qi Ye took out his harp, his six fingers glowing with energy.
As he strummed the strings, a sound like war drums and battle cries filled the air, sonic waves like a thousand troops charged toward Xu Zimo.
Jade Heaven’s Imperial Son, Yan Song, unleashed thick, endless spiritforce, proof of high mastery of the Nine Heavens Empyrean Canon.
He struck with one palm, thunder and lightning erupting from his hand, white energy surging violently.
Pure Heaven’s Imperial Son, Yu Changlong, wielded a five-foot-long blade. His body radiated sharp blade intent, like an unsheathed weapon.
The aura of his Heaven-Derivation Sword Technique grew stronger and stronger. As his blade rose, even the surrounding space cracked.
The other Imperial Sons also unleashed their techniques, all aiming to kill Xu Zimo.
Among them, Shen Yu remained the calmest. Spiritforce gathered in his hands, but he didn’t strike immediately, he watched Xu Zimo closely, waiting for the perfect moment to find an opening.
All of these attacks launched at once, unstoppable, overwhelming, like the sky collapsing and the earth shattering.
The space around them crumbled completely. Even the shockwaves terrified the nearby spectators, forcing them to retreat.
The air was filled with harp music, blade aura, sword energy, formations, palm strikes…