As the dragon's roar shook the heavens, a colossal azure dragon coiled behind Xu Zimo. Its eyes glowed with a brooding intensity, and its whiskers extended more than a meter long. The scales on its body were thick and interlocked like armor, and now the dragon radiated a brilliant light.

Xu Zimo’s aura surged into the sky. Gripping his blade Shadow Tyrant, he slashed downward with force.

With a thunderous boom, the surrounding space shattered completely.

The compressed air violently exploded, forming countless energy arrows. The lightning tiger in the sky didn’t even have time to react before it was cleaved in half by Shadow Tyrant. Thunder wailed, flames surged, and beside him, Lord Luo He spat a mouthful of blood. The Holy River Scripture in his hand shattered into pieces.

Without giving Luo He a second glance, Xu Zimo turned and punched the nearby demonic phantom straight in the face. The phantom howled, stumbling several steps back. Under the control of the Ghost Demon Prince, it lunged again, its lava-like face radiating intense heat. It hurled a fist powerful enough to tear through space, casting a blanket of dark demonic aura across the sky.

As the punch neared, Xu Zimo snorted coldly, tilted slightly, and dodged. He grabbed the phantom’s right arm with both hands. Behind him, the phantom of the azure dragon let out a deafening roar. With a furious shout, Xu Zimo tore the arm off with sheer brute force.

The Ghost Demon Prince's screams echoed as Xu Zimo laughed madly, then grabbed the phantom's other arm and ripped it apart as well. The pain of his true life being torn apart was like having one’s soul ripped into pieces, a torment from within.

As the Ghost Demon Prince rolled on the ground, writhing in pain, the nearby Sacred Buddha's expression turned grim.

He had been controlling the Holy Buddha's attacks, but Xu Zimo had fended off every strike.

Now, with the thunder tiger cleaved and the demon phantom crippled, Xu Zimo was like a tiger loose in a pen of sheep. He once again raised Shadow Tyrant.

“Heaven Blood.”

The furious Holy Buddha was instantly ripped to shreds.

Xu Zimo’s momentum didn’t slow. He charged with Shadow Tyrant, now aiming directly at the Sacred Buddha.

“Young Master Xu, stop! The Sacred Buddha is from the Buddha Realm. You can’t kill him!” Cai Yueting called out anxiously from the side.

“If anyone dares block my path today, even a Grand Emperor, I’ll cut them down,” Xu Zimo smiled coldly.

His overwhelming aura pinned down the Sacred Buddha, leaving him completely paralyzed.

With world-shattering force, Shadow Tyrant descended in an unstoppable arc from above.

The earth thundered and rumbled. Amid the Sacred Buddha’s terrified screams, the blade struck from his forehead down, annihilating his entire body.

Where he had stood, a bottomless chasm was carved into the earth, so deep it even tore open a fissure in the tea garden’s dimensional barrier.

“He really killed the Sacred Buddha...” someone muttered in disbelief.

“He really dared to do it. This guy is insane.”

“We should stay far away. He’s offended Lord Luo He, the Ghost Demon Prince, and the Sacred Buddha, all three backed by Imperial Lineages. And he’s vowed to wipe out the Heaven-Severing Sacred Ground? He’s courting death.”

“Challenging four lineages alone? Even ten lives wouldn’t be enough.”

...

Amid the whispers and gasps, Xu Zimo chuckled and shook his head.

Covered in blood, he hoisted the blood-soaked Shadow Tyrant and walked toward the Holy Son of Heaven-Severing Sacred Ground.

At that moment, all eyes were fixed on him.

“I said you’re all trash! Who still wants to argue?” Xu Zimo roared hysterically.

Many trembled. Some lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

As his eyes landed on the Heaven-Severing Holy Son, the injured youth swallowed hard and instinctively backed away.

Step by step, Xu Zimo approached, and no one dared say a word, not after witnessing the brutal death of the Sacred Buddha.

...

By the time Xu Zimo reached him, the Heaven-Severing Holy Son was frozen in fear.

Just then, a furious shout rang out from nearby.

“Evil one! Let go of the Heaven-Severing Holy Son!”

The voice was wrathful, making the whole world tremble.

Xu Zimo turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in a green robe stepping through the air.

A powerful Empyrean Meridian Realm aura surged from him, shaking the small world with deafening booms.

“Who’s that?” Xu Zimo asked a nearby prodigy.

“That’s Wei Wuhai, the City Lord of Heaven-Severing City,” the young man quickly replied.

Hovering in the sky, Wei Wuhai glared down at Xu Zimo and shouted, “Let go of the Holy Son at once! I’ve already informed the Sacred Ground. Their people are on their way. This city is surrounded, you won’t escape.

“Surrender now, and you may still live.”

“Surrender?” Xu Zimo chuckled. “Shouldn’t you be worried about your own life right now?”

Just as he finished speaking, Dark River suddenly struck.

With a surge of God Meridian Realm power, Dark River grabbed Wei Wuhai’s neck like swatting a fly.

“What are you doing? I’m the City Lord-”

Crack!

A spray of blood erupted like a blooming flower.

Wei Wuhai’s neck snapped cleanly in Dark River’s grasp.

The Heaven-Severing Holy Son watched in horror.

At that moment, the world’s spiritforce suddenly surged.

A circular formation appeared in the sky.

As infinite energy gathered, the sky thundered violently.

“That’s a teleportation array!” someone exclaimed. “Someone’s linking a long-distance formation to descend here!”

Dark River glanced at Xu Zimo.

Xu Zimo shook his head slightly. “Let them come.”

Up in the heavens, the clouds swirled, and the sky darkened.

As the array absorbed enough energy, a tremendous boom echoed, and a rift tore open a path through space.

Three figures emerged, stepping down from the void.

Three overwhelming God Meridian Realm auras exploded into the air, shaking the heavens.

Xu Zimo laughed softly. “Still not taking me seriously? Just these three?”

He stepped forward, every pair of eyes watching him.

Turning toward the stunned Cai Yueting, he grinned.

“After today,” he said, “my name might just shake the entire Middle Continent.”