The great sword vanished.
The black malevolent energy dissipated like smoke, as if it had never been.
But the scene of world-ending destruction from that moment was forever etched in the minds of the audience.
When people finally came back to their senses, they all regretted.
Why hadn't they taken out their phones to capture that moment?
For a battle of this magnitude, if they could record it and watch it a thousand or eight hundred times, they would surely gain some insight.
Fortunately, the live broadcast footage had been preserved.
There were even some disciples from folk sects who enjoyed photo editing, who took a screenshot from the live broadcast and posted it on a forum after some color correction.
In this picture, the giant phantom of the heroic soul shattered, countless heroic souls fled in a frenzy, Hou Jingchen was slumped on the ground, supporting himself with his arm, his face filled with shock, his eyes revealing a hint of fear, looking up towards the sky.
On the other side of the picture, Yan Shouyi, clad in silver armor, rode Treading Snow, holding the Ancestral Dragon Sword in one hand, surrounded by purple energy. Behind him, a giant general phantom held a black greatsword with both hands, thrusting it towards Hou Jingchen on the ground. Da Feng Novel Network.
Up close were the audience members, their expressions varied: some happy, some excited, some shocked, some frantic.
In the distance was the serene West Lake of Rongcheng.
This picture contained too much information; at a single glance, everyone felt as if they were instantly transported back into this earth-shattering duel, once again seeing the magnificent Yan Shouyi.
For a long time afterward, this picture circulated widely among disciples of folk sects. Many young people even used it directly as their phone or computer wallpaper, diligently looking at it every morning when they woke up and before they slept, even imagining themselves as peerless masters standing tall like Yan Shouyi in their dreams.
Later, this picture even spread beyond their circles. Netizens were shocked by its authenticity and frantically searched for the master who had edited such a mythical picture. However, they didn't know that this picture was a story that actually happened at West Lake in Rongcheng.
Returning to Rongcheng.
All the opponents surrounding Longfei City had disappeared, and the Zanpakuto flew back to Yan Shouyi's side.
Hou Jingchen looked at the black greatsword that had turned into smoke, and it took him a long time to recover from his shock.
Once he came to his senses, he felt a surge of fear and realized he had been sitting on the ground just moments ago.
He quickly got up and masked his embarrassment with laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"The young are truly formidable, truly formidable!"
"President Yan's strength is actually above mine. I, Hou Jingchen, am truly impressed! I concede defeat wholeheartedly!"
Yan Shouyi dismounted and then walked closer to Hou Jingchen, cupping his fists and saying, "Senior Hou, my apologies."
Hou Jingchen of course knew what Yan Shouyi meant. In this duel, Yan Shouyi had defeated him with overwhelming force, even humiliating Hou Jingchen, to put it bluntly.
However, Hou Jingchen was not a petty person. He also knew that Yan Shouyi needed to establish his authority at this crucial moment.
Therefore, Hou Jingchen shook his head and smiled, "The victor is king, the loser is the bandit. You don't need to apologize. Losing to a strong person is nothing to be ashamed of. I, Hou Jingchen, am not that petty!"
"Thank you for your understanding, Senior," Yan Shouyi replied with a smile.
Hou Jingchen was a respectable opponent. He preferred to convince people with reason but was not afraid of victory or defeat, and Hou Jingchen had the personality of "a tiger in his heart but sniffing roses with delicacy."
That was why Yan Shouyi had been able to attack Hou Jingchen with such confidence.
If it were someone with Zhou Yan's personality, it would likely have been difficult to handle.
However, this time Yan Shouyi had used the right approach and managed both of them perfectly.
Hou Jingchen sighed, "I didn't fully trust you before, and I even thought your parents were too arrogant. Looking back now, it was my own limited perspective. I am truly ashamed!"
"What are you saying, Senior?" Yan Shouyi said humbly, "I was just a bit luckier and had some fortunate encounters."
Honestly, if Longfei City hadn't sacrificed itself to snatch half of the Grand Tutor's malevolent energy for Yan Shouyi, he might have fought Hou Jingchen to a draw today, or even won by a narrow margin.
The effect would not have been as strong as the overwhelming victory he achieved now.
"Don't be so modest!" Hou Jingchen patted Yan Shouyi on the shoulder, "The stronger you are, the better it is for me and for all the disciples of folk sects! I'm happy about it, yet you're being humble!"
Yan Shouyi chuckled sheepishly.
The audience erupted in thunderous cheers. The undefeated legend in their hearts had once again created a legend.
Everyone realized that they had followed the right person.
With Yan Shouyi presiding over the Folk Sect, leading everyone, how could the folk sects lack a future?!
The future was promising!!
"Everyone!"
Hou Jingchen grabbed Yan Shouyi's hand and raised it high, shouting loudly:
"Yan Shouyi has earned my recognition, his strength is undeniable! I, Hou Jingchen, representing the Northwest Changlin Army, join the Folk Sect forces and henceforth recognize Yan Shouyi as my leader, never to betray him!!"
"Yan Shouyi! Yan Shouyi! Yan Shouyi!"
Everyone chanted Yan Shouyi's name, their faces reddening, their voices hoarse and strained.
For thousands of years!
The folk sects had developed for thousands of years, yet they had never been as united as they were now!
And all of this was the result of the efforts of this young man named Yan Shouyi!
They saw Yan Shouyi's power, his ideals, and even more so, the sacrifices he had made for the folk sects!
Therefore, they recognized Yan Shouyi's character, believed in his integrity, and respected him as their leader!
Looking at the enthusiastic audience below, Yan Shouyi felt an indescribable emotion.
He had always treated the disciples of the folk sects as family, and he had been betrayed several times because of this. Later, he had repeatedly lost faith in others.
But now, seeing everyone's excited demeanor, Yan Shouyi suddenly realized he hadn't made a mistake.
He had succeeded.
All the folk sects in the land had united as one family!
"Fellow disciples!"
Yan Shouyi looked at the audience. The moment he spoke, everyone fell silent.
His prestige had reached its peak; even the former Yan Chou had never commanded such authority.
Yan Shouyi said softly:
"I hope everyone joins the Folk Sect not for power, nor do I wish to control you. I only hope that you can help each other, have a place to belong, and no matter where you are, always remember that a powerful Folk Sect and countless fellow disciples stand behind you, your strongest backing."
"Senior Hou, Senior Zhou, Senior Li Chongxi, and all the leaders who have graced the Folk Sect with their presence today, you will still have absolute authority over your organizations. I also promise here that I will never interfere with any of your decisions."
Upon hearing this, the leaders who still had a final lingering concern had completely let go of all their reservations.
It was not easy for them to establish their organizations; some had even paid a heavy price. If Yan Shouyi had directly annexed their forces, although they wouldn't have said anything, they would have felt at least a little displeased.
Yan Shouyi's words ensured their unwavering loyalty and complete devotion to him.
Then, Yan Shouyi put on a serious expression and said to everyone:
"However, there is still one final step before our folk sects can be completely unified."