"Daddy!"
Seeing Yao Qianming gravely injured and on the verge of defeat, Yao Xi'er gasped in shock.
But the aftermath of the battle raging above was far too powerful.
Yao Xi'er, merely a martial arts master, could do nothing. She was helpless, unable to intervene in a battle of this level. Anxiety flashed across her beautiful eyes as she stood by, worrying.
"Daddy… you have to hold on!" Yao Xi'er thought, her face filled with concern.
Above the sky.
Yao Qianming quickly swallowed several healing pills, stabilizing his chaotic energy temporarily.
At this point, he couldn't even think about the battle involving the disciples of Yaowang Valley below. The real question now was whether he could even protect himself.
It was clear that, given the strength displayed by his opponent, Yao Qianming couldn't win.
Subconsciously rubbing the space ring on his finger with his thumb, a desperate glint appeared in his eyes.
"It seems I'll have no choice but to use my last resort!"
Yao Qianming, being one of the wealthiest alchemists on the continent, had several trump cards at his disposal. As a top-tier alchemist, he carried with him pills that could greatly enhance his strength for a short period.
Without hesitation, he retrieved two golden pills from his space ring and consumed them.
Boom!
In an instant, a surge of overwhelming energy erupted from Yao Qianming's body. His eyes gleamed as he faced his opponent, Yuan Zuozong.
"Let's fight on!" he sneered, feeling the surge of power.
His strength had increased by more than 30%. Surely now, he could defeat Yuan Zuozong.
"Hmm?" Yuan Zuozong frowned as he sensed the shift in Yao Qianming's aura.
"Half-Emperor…" Yuan Zuozong muttered.
Indeed, after taking the pills, Yao Qianming, who had already been at the peak of Martial Saint, now possessed the power of a Half-Emperor.
Just then, a sharp sword intent swept through the sky, and Li Sandao appeared beside Yuan Zuozong.
"General Yuan, do you need assistance?" Li Sandao asked, eyeing Yao Qianming warily. His sword was already poised for battle.
Yao Qianming flinched. Another Martial Saint-level expert had appeared! Suddenly, realization dawned on him.
"I see... So, this is who you were talking to earlier."
It became clear to him now: Yuan Zuozong hadn't been dismissing him, but was communicating with this swordsman before the battle began.
Embarrassed, Yao Qianming's expression darkened. He, a powerful Martial Saint, had been used as a sparring target!
"Die!" Yao Qianming roared in fury.
As a former leader of an influential faction and a top-tier Martial Saint, he couldn't tolerate this insult. With a surge of anger, he unleashed three pseudo-emperor weapons, launching a fierce attack at Yuan Zuozong and his allies.
Below, Orion noticed the sudden spike in Yao Qianming's power.
"Luo Yi, are you recovered from your injuries? Should I step in?" Orion asked, nervous as he observed the intense battle above. He feared something might happen to Yuan Zuozong and Li Sandao.
Luo Yi, however, smiled and reassured him, "No need, Lord. His aura may seem as strong as a Half-Emperor's, but he lacks the true power of one. He's just a much stronger peak Martial Saint. General Yuan and Li Sandao can handle him."
Orion relaxed, "That's good to hear."
Luo Yi added with a comforting smile, "Rest assured. If anything unexpected happens, I'll step in. We won't let any harm come to General Yuan."
Orion nodded. "Thank you, Luo Yi."
Luo Yi was right.
Though Yao Qianming was formidable, the effects of his pills only lasted so long. His initial surge allowed him to fight on par with Yuan Zuozong and Li Sandao, but as the battle dragged on, it became clear he wasn't as strong as he seemed.
After exchanging several rounds with Yao Qianming, both Yuan Zuozong and Li Sandao realized the truth: Yao Qianming's strength, while bolstered by the pills, wasn't enough.
With renewed vigor, the two fighters began pressing their advantage, unleashing powerful moves that shook the very sky.
Gradually, Yao Qianming began to falter as the elixir's effects started wearing off. With every clash, his movements became more labored.
Bang!
He barely managed to deflect a combined attack from Yuan Zuozong and Li Sandao, retreating as he gasped for air.
His eyes were filled with terror. Despite the pills boosting his strength, he couldn't defeat his two opponents. It wasn't the pills' fault—Yuan Zuozong and Li Sandao were simply too strong.
If it weren't for his pseudo-emperor weapons, he would've been defeated long ago.
As Yao Qianming desperately clung on, a cold voice suddenly echoed from below:
"Yao Qianming, if you don't surrender now, I can't guarantee the safety of the people in Yaowang Valley!"
Distracted, Yao Qianming looked down to see that the battle on the ground had ended. The dragon cavalry had slain all of the ordinary disciples of Yaowang Valley. Only a few senior alchemists, including his daughter, Yao Xi'er, had been spared.
"Xi'er!" Yao Qianming's heart clenched.
"Don't hurt them! I…I surrender!" Yao Qianming's voice cracked as he dropped his weapon.
Yuan Zuozong and Li Sandao quickly approached, sealing Yao Qianming's power and confiscating his pseudo-emperor weapons.
Yuan Zuozong couldn't help but grin in satisfaction. With these pseudo-emperor weapons, it was unlikely Yao Qianming would ever return to power.