The crowd, far from blind, had all witnessed this scene unfold with their own eyes.
Yet, none of them could quite grasp what had just happened, their minds unable to keep pace with their sight.
It wasn't until several seconds later that they finally reacted… the Third Elder, killed by this brat?
Even having seen it themselves, they still harbored some doubt.
The reason was simple: the scene before them was too shocking, too unbelievable.
Although before the fight began, hardly anyone had favored Chen Xiao, nor did many believe he could win.
However, Chen Xiao winning was something they could accept.
After all, the Four Guardians hadn't attacked together; only the relatively weaker Third Guardian had stepped forward.
But for Chen Xiao to defeat the Third Guardian in such a crushing manner, killing him with a single punch to the head, that was something they could not accept.
“No, this can’t be real, this must be an illusion!”
This thought, in unison, echoed in the minds of many.
However, facts were facts, and facts would not change according to human subjective will.
Chen Xiao had punched through the Third Guardian’s head. While others were still in shock, the remaining three Guardians of the Pantheon were enraged.
“Attack together, kill him and avenge our third brother!”
The First Guardian roared, initiating his Sacred Body first. He soared into the air, hovering in mid-sky.
Behind him, countless long swords suddenly appeared, arrayed in a fan shape in the air.
From a distance, it resembled a peacock fanning its tail.
And as the First Guardian chanted incantations, the long swords behind him began to increase exponentially.
“Third brother, rest assured, I will personally sever that brat’s throat and avenge you!”
The Fourth Guardian whispered.
As he activated his Sacred Body, two daggers gleamed with cold light in his hands.
Simultaneously, a mass of black smoke suddenly rose around him.
The Fourth Guardian’s figure quickly vanished into the dense smoke. When the smoke dispersed, his silhouette had completely disappeared, leaving no trace.
“Big brother, Fourth, I’ll hold this brat down, you two find an opportunity to finish him!”
The Second Guardian shouted loudly.
He was thin and small, originally only about 1.6 meters tall, appearing to weigh less than fifty kilograms.
But with his bellow, his body suddenly began to swell, growing to about 2.5 meters before stopping.
As his height rapidly increased, his body’s girth also expanded, as if he were a balloon being inflated.
His arms, which had been scrawny, now became long and thick, like those of a gibbon, hanging past his knees when lowered.
At the same time, the muscles on his body grew rapidly, bulging and knotting, stretching his oversized robes to the point of tearing.
“Yaa!”
And that wasn't all. After emitting a chilling cry, two pairs of arms suddenly sprouted from his shoulders, giving him a total of six arms.
Fortunately, he still only had one head; if another head had grown, he would truly have become a creature with three heads and six arms.
Not only did he resemble a gibbon, but his movements were also like one, nimbly darting behind Chen Xiao. Two of his hands clamped onto Chen Xiao’s neck, two bound his arms, and two more embraced his waist.
At this moment, he was like an octopus, binding Chen Xiao tightly.
“Fourth, I’ve got him under control, hurry and strike!”
The Second Guardian shouted into the air.
Since the Fourth Guardian was invisible, the Second Guardian didn’t know where he was at the moment.
He could be in front, behind, or even above.
He could completely conceal his aura, like a venomous snake, waiting for an opportune moment.
He would either not strike at all, or when he did, it would be a fatal blow to his opponent; that was his most terrifying aspect!
However, the Fourth Guardian apparently did not consider this the right moment to strike, so after the Second Guardian’s shout, he did not reveal himself.
And the First Guardian was still continuously summoning his flying swords, so for a time, only the Second Guardian remained in confrontation with Chen Xiao.
At this point, the crowd had finally recovered from the shock of the Third Guardian’s head being blown off by Chen Xiao, and they refocused their attention on the even more intense battle unfolding.
The martial artists from the secular world were sweating profusely, their palms slick with moisture. They were even more nervous than Chen Xiao.
Gongsun Yi and Lu Datou silently prayed in their hearts, *Chen Xiao, you must win! If you lose, everything will be gone!*
Xiao Li’s gaze, however, held a look of longing. He wondered when he, too, could be like Chen Xiao, the protagonist in the spotlight of so many experts.
Even if he lost in the end, he would be content, dying without regret.
Duan San’s face was filled with excitement. He was a martial arts fanatic, and this battle had ignited the flame in his heart completely.
On the other side, Chu He’s expression was grim, his brows furrowed.
Although the three Guardians seemed to have the advantage on the surface, he could clearly see that Chen Xiao was not using his full strength, as if he were toying with the three Guardians.
“Just how strong is this young man? Could it be that he is truly the legendary peerless genius…”
Chu He fell into contemplation, and the same thought was on his daughter, Chu Qingluan’s mind.
Her face was etched with a wry smile, as she suddenly realized how ridiculous her actions had been just now… someone as powerful as Chen Xiao, why would he need her to intercede for him?
Huangfu Yan’s expression was unpredictable. As the pride of the ancient martial arts world, after witnessing Chen Xiao’s power, he involuntarily began to compare Chen Xiao with himself.
He, too, could defeat the Third Guardian, but he couldn’t achieve such a swift and devastating kill as Chen Xiao.
Of course, he wouldn’t conclude that Chen Xiao was stronger than him… after all, he was the pride of heaven; he refused to believe that there existed a younger martial artist in the world whose strength surpassed his own.
He silently cheered for the three Guardians in his heart, *You must kill this brat!*
The three Guardians wished to eliminate Chen Xiao even more than anyone else. That was why the Fourth Guardian had delayed his attack, desperately seeking an opportunity for a fatal blow.
And the First Guardian’s flying swords were still accumulating; the more flying swords he gathered, the greater their power.
He only had one chance, so he had to ensure a hundred percent certainty before unleashing his full might!
But the prolonged inaction of these two began to make Chen Xiao impatient.
“When are you going to make your move? If you don’t act soon, I’ll make the first move!”
Chen Xiao said impatiently.
“Hmph, brat, stop boasting. You are already bound by my Six Harmonies Lock. Unless I die, you will never have a chance to make a move!”
From behind Chen Xiao, the Second Guardian’s disdainful voice rang out.
“Unless I die, you say? Then you shall die!”
Chen Xiao’s lips curved upwards, revealing a cold smile.
Immediately, he strained his arms with all his might, and the Second Guardian’s thick arms were severed from his body by Chen Xiao.