As the white-robed immortal made his gesture, the already immense pressure in the air intensified, weighing heavily upon the experts of the Jinshi Sect. Those with weaker capabilities could hardly withstand the oppressive force, and many cultivators at the initial Dividing Spirit stage coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, trembling as they struggled to stay on their feet.
Guo Xingyue, being a martial cultivator, had stronger spiritual energy than the average cultivator. Although he had expended considerable energy when activating the formation, he was still able to withstand the pressure, albeit with a heavy chest and great discomfort. Having previously absorbed the three-layered demonic power from the demonic ruler, he knew that the strike from this Great Luo Golden Immortal was not something a mere cultivator could take head-on. He could only hope that the marvelous uses of his spiral spiritual energy and the power of the lightning ball would help him escape another calamity.
As he saw the white-robed immortal prepare to attack, Guo Xingyue quickly began to mobilize his spiral spiritual energy and the energy of the lightning ball. The white-robed immortal lightly thrust out a hand, releasing an overwhelming force that caused the already uneven sandy ground of the battlefield to explode in a shower of sand and stones, charging towards the experts of the Jinshi Sect. This blow was too powerful; the assembled cultivators stood no chance against it. Just as it seemed their lives would be extinguished, a massive shield suddenly descended from the sky, blocking the oncoming force.
The overwhelming palm strike collided with the shield, creating a thunderous sound, and after a blast of flying sand and stones, a deep pit appeared in the ground. Although the palm strike's power was deflected by the shield, the collision's residual force knocked down many of the Jinshi Sect's experts. Several at the initial Dividing Spirit stage were directly thrown back by this backlash, some even heavily injured and unconscious.
The white-robed immortal seemed taken aback by this sudden turn of events, his body swaying slightly before he furiously shouted, "Which rat dares to attack from the shadows? Show yourself!" As he finished speaking, he raised his hand towards the sky with a force that was several times greater than the one directed at the Jinshi Sect members. The enormous shield that had been standing on the ground shrank to a few feet in diameter and flew into the air to block the white-robed immortal's palm.
With a thunderous boom, the remaining cultivators on the battlefield were all knocked down. The tremendous shockwave left the white-robed immortal standing alone amidst the chaos, while the rest were sent sprawling, their faces pale with disbelief.
As the white-robed figure surveyed the scene, a hearty laugh echoed across the battlefield. A middle-aged immortal clad in blue appeared opposite him, grinning as he said, "Luo Yi, my dear brother, long time no see! Why so impatient? That palm almost shattered this old man's bones!"
The white-robed immortal, Luo Yi, narrowed his eyes and replied coldly, "Li Yanfeng, you old coot, what brings you here?"
Li Yanfeng chuckled, "If you can come, how could I not? If I don't show up, what about my disciples? They'd just die for nothing!"
Luo Yi's expression grew colder as he replied, "Do you really think you can stop me? Step aside, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Ha! Bold words, little brother. Let's see what breakthroughs you've made recently," a purple-clad immortal joined the fray.
Luo Yi's face changed. "Lin Chongyang, why are you here?"
The purple-clad immortal, Lin Chongyang, huffed, "You've got a lot of gall, Luo Yi, daring to attack my disciples. I'll break your legs today!"
"Is that so? I'd love to see you try," said a brown-clad elder as he materialized on the sandy ground.
Another immortal had arrived! Immortals rarely descended to the mortal realm, as only those above the Great Luo Golden Immortal could withstand the pressure of the reverse passage. Additionally, there was an unspoken rule in the celestial realm that immortals should not casually descend. Most were too busy cultivating to reach the divine realm, so they wouldn't come down unless absolutely necessary.
The crowd of thousands watched in stunned silence as four immortals appeared simultaneously. It was evident that these four did not belong to the same faction, and if a battle broke out among them, anyone caught in the crossfire would likely be obliterated. Although it was thrilling to witness, the onlookers prioritized their lives and hurriedly began to flee from the battlefield.
Lin Chongyang scoffed, "Fang Jing, you're quite quick on your feet, following closely behind me."
Fang Jing, the brown-clad elder, smirked, "Just because you came doesn't mean I can't. If I'm here, we should settle our old scores."
Lin Chongyang laughed heartily, "Excellent! Let's sort this out!" Just as he spoke, he prepared to strike, but Li Yanfeng quickly interjected, "Wait! Let's get these disciples out of the way first. Do you want to ensure the extinction of your lineage?"
The four immortals quickly executed hand seals, sending the fallen cultivators far away from the battlefield. Guo Xingyue, while also injured but not severely, took a recovery pill and felt that he could still move. He promptly offered his own recovery pills to others. The injured experts of the Jinshi Sect expressed their gratitude, sitting down to meditate and heal. Although Guo had only sustained minor injuries, he ascended into the air on his flying sword to observe the battle between the immortals.
At this moment, the four immortals had paired off for combat. Lin Chongyang faced Fang Jing, each standing on the sandy ground and clashing in a brutal battle. Lin Chongyang wielded a Mixed Yuan Hammer, swinging it down with overwhelming force towards Fang Jing. Unfazed, Fang Jing released his own artifact—a Celestial Ruler—to clash with Lin Chongyang's hammer.
The sound of their strikes resonated like rolling thunder, and the ground around them shook, with sand flying everywhere and deep pits forming from the powerful collisions. Guo Xingyue, feeling a sense of dread, thought to himself, "The might of these immortals is terrifying! For a cultivator, just standing too close to their battle could turn them to dust." Observing their fierce engagement, he noted that neither seemed to have a clear advantage; thus, it would likely take some time to determine a victor.