The aged figure echoed in their ears.
Lu Lianxue and the others were stunned. The next moment, looking at the aged figure blocking their path, Cao Yu's eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed:
"...Old Master Willow?!"
He recognized the newcomer.
Wasn't this Old Master Willow, a Ghost King-level existence that his father had gone to great lengths to recruit into the Guard Department, even inviting Chief Sheng?
Not only Cao Yu, but Lu Lianxue also recognized Old Master Willow, her pretty face instantly showing surprise:
"Old Master Willow, why are you here!"
Upon hearing this, Old Master Willow turned his head towards Lu Lianxue, a smile on his kindly face:
"Miss Lu, long time no see. I'll catch up with you later, let this old man handle your current troubles first."
As he spoke.
Old Master Willow looked at the Ghost King before him, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding vehicles.
At this moment, centered around him, the surrounding vehicles had either been pushed to the roadside or overturned. Suddenly, a vacuum had formed on this congested highway.
Seeing this.
Old Master Willow spoke with a slight apology to the shocked onlookers nearby:
"Apologies, it's been a long time since I last acted, and I didn't quite control my strength. I've caused you trouble, my apologies."
As his words gently fell.
The old man lightly raised the cane he was leaning on and tapped it on the ground with a 'dong'.
The next moment.
A breathtaking scene unfolded.
Where the cane touched the ground, countless willow branches surged forth, thousands upon thousands, each like a verdant divine dragon soaring into the sky. They danced with their dragon bodies, extending from the ground to every surrounding vehicle.
As the divine dragons soared upwards, they wrapped around the vehicles, lifting the tons of metal and righting them before gently setting them down.
This scene.
Was awe-inspiring.
Dozens of cars, including a large container truck, were all lifted by the willow branches, spun in the air, and then steadily and slowly landed.
And not only that.
At the same moment, the Ghost King that had been blocked also recovered, its ghostly eyes flickering with chilling intent:
"Who are you?"
Its words did not hide its shock. It hadn't expected that the one stopping it from killing was, like itself, a Ghost King.
However.
What truly shocked it wasn't Old Master Willow's Ghost King status. What truly made it lose its composure and tremble was Old Master Willow's statement that Lu Lianfeng knew a Ghost King, and was even friends with that Ghost King's master. Master?! Had it misheard...
That was a Ghost King. What kind of existence could make a Ghost King subservient and acknowledge it as its master?
Unfortunately, the current situation did not allow the Ghost King to ponder further.
As the Ghost King spoke, its body erupted with yin energy like a volcanic eruption, soaring into the sky and condensing into countless chilling, pale ghostly hands, which clawed at Lu Lianfeng.
Thousands upon thousands of pale ghostly hands, so numerous they induced trypophobia.
However, not a single ghostly hand managed to grasp Lu Lianfeng.
*Swish!*
The moment the ghostly hands extended.
Verdant green surged, and one by one, willow branches shot into the sky, completely blocking the thousands of dense ghostly hands.
The scene was too spectacular.
Tens of thousands of ghostly hands, clawing and flailing like abyssal dragons lunging, were intercepted by the verdant willow branches.
The ghostly hands and willow branches collided, erupting with intense, spark-like yin energy. The sounds were deafening, as if it were not the collision of ghostly hands and willow branches, but the clash of bells and tripods, a deafening roar that reverberated through the area.
The scale of the spectacle.
Anyone unaware would have thought the area was being bombarded by artillery, with continuous booming sounds.
Astonishing!
With just a light tap of his cane on the ground.
With a sky full of dancing willow branches, Old Master Willow not only blocked the Ghost King's assault but also righted all the overturned vehicles around.
"This..."
Uncle Lin's heart pounded wildly. There was no mistake, the kindly old man before him was... another Ghost King!!
*Boom boom boom—*
At this moment.
Loud noises continued.
Old Master Willow was like the center of the world, standing amidst the swirling willow branches. The branches around him were like dragons. Even with the Ghost King's fierce attacks, Old Master Willow remained unmoving, unshakable. His aged figure was faintly like a towering ancient willow, weathered by time, standing tall and indomitable.
In fact.
After holding on for only a short while, the Ghost King was whipped away by the willow branches, crashing into a black carriage. Splinters flew, and dust billowed.
When the dust settled.
Everyone saw it: a bloody mark of a willow branch with willow leaves imprinted on the Ghost King's face.
Regarding this.
Old Master Willow smiled and said leisurely:
"Little one, don't blame this old man for being rough. Who told you to try and take the life of my master's friend? I couldn't help but be forceful."
The Ghost King's face darkened, and it roared, charging forward.
Its yin energy was like a level ten blizzard, causing the overpass behind it to shake violently.
Facing the charging Ghost King.
Old Master Willow was fearless. He had not retreated a single step, nor moved an inch from the beginning. He met the Ghost King head-on, and during this time, he even took the opportunity to glance back and kindly remind Lu Lianxue and the others:
"Miss Lu, it's dangerous here. Please evacuate the crowd and move further away, so as not to be caught in the crossfire when this old man and that little one spar."
Not long after.
Once Lu Lianxue and the others had evacuated the crowd.
Old Master Willow, who was fiercely battling the Ghost King, finally felt at ease. His kindly face turned towards the Ghost King:
"Little one, since you insist on a fight to the death with this old man, I shall not hold back any longer."
With that.
Old Master Willow unleashed his formidable power.
His aura was not just a little stronger than before. If the previous Old Master Willow's strength was comparable to a sturdy, ancient willow tree that had stood for a hundred years, then now, he was like a thousand-year-old willow tree that had stood for millennia.
*Boom!!*
The Ghost King's expression changed, fear appearing on its face for the first time. It no longer cared about any oath of allegiance and turned to flee.
Old Master Willow smiled at the Ghost King's actions.
He lightly struck the ground with his cane, emitting a crisp tapping sound.
The next moment.
The sky was filled with willow branches that condensed into a giant verdant hand, which grabbed the fleeing Ghost King's feet. Then, the large hand swung, smashing the Ghost King fiercely onto the ground. The entire ground sank, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The subsequent situation.
Was a one-sided beatdown.
The Ghost King was being pummeled by Old Master Willow, its head slammed into the ground by the willow branch hand.
The intensity of the beatdown.
Even.
The ground was indented, and small stones flew up, shooting towards a citizen. Old Master Willow even had the time to extend a willow branch, blocking in front of the citizen and deflecting the stones.
Then Old Master Willow apologized:
"My apologies, I didn't injure you, did I?"
This scene.
Even Uncle Lin was dumbfounded, let alone Lu Lianfeng and the others.
Lu Lianfeng slowly turned his head to look at Lu Lianxue, swallowed, and then pointed at Old Master Willow, who hadn't moved an inch, with a gasp:
"Holy crap, sis! Who is this grandpa who looks as cool as Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni from the Captain of the First Division of the Shinigami? This, this is too fierce! Do you know his master?"