The air crackled with anticipation, and the sea seemed to hold its breath in reverence. Then, with a thunderous explosion that echoed through the very marrow of the earth, he unleashed his devastating punch.


    Bang!


    The sound erupted like a cataclysmic p of thunder, a primal shockwave of raw power.


    Dust and debris spiraled into the heavens, as if the earth itself had cried out in agony. The waves of the sea recoiled in fright, crashing against the shore in a futile attempt to escape the fury of that punch.


    Onlookers, including the old man, held their collective breath, eyes wide and hearts racing, waiting to witness the aftermath. What they saw was nothing short of miraculous.


    As the dust settled and the tumultuous waves subsided, the elite soldiers remained, like an unyielding wall against the tempest.


    Their shields bore the brunt of the impact, still intact, though bearing intricate web-like cracks that spoke of the tremendous force they had endured.


    The soldiers themselves stood firm, their formation unbroken, their shields trembling with the strain but unyielding in their defense.


    Liu Fu, his voice trembling, broke the stunned silence, "T-they withstand it..." He gazed at the soldiers in disbelief.


    Beside him, Cheng Hong struggled to find words to describe the impossible scene that had unfolded before her eyes.


    The other ounders, their mouths agape, were equally struck dumb by the sight.


    In this barrennd, the rules of the world seemed to have been upended. For the first time, they witnessed a Qi Refinement stage warrior challenging a Foundation Building realm fighter, a feat considered ludicrous in the realm of martial cultivation.


    ording tomon knowledge, a single Foundation Building realm expert could effortlessly obliterate thousands of Qi Refinement warriors with a mere flick of their finger.


    However, the soldiers, though they quivered and shook under the incredible force, remained unbroken, defying the very essence of martial norms.


    The old man, who had dedicated his life to reaching the Foundation Building realm through hard work and sacrifice, stood in jaw-dropping disbelief.


    His eyes, once filled with shock, soon transformed into a seething rage. He had sacrificed blood, sweat, and loyalty to the Wang n patriarch, all in the pursuit of respect and advancement for his n.


    Yet, here, in this forsaken barrennd, it all appeared to be a cruel and bitter jest, mocking his years of sacrifice and unwavering dedication.


    The old man didn''t give the soldiers a moment to recover from their shock. His determination zed, and with a guttural cry, heunched another devastating punch.


    An illusory, massive fist materialized in the air, casting a suffocating shadow over everyone as it hurtled toward the soldiers at breathtaking speed.


    Witnessing the iing attack, Huang Guo''s sharpmand pierced the stunned silence, "Switch!"


    In an instant, the front-line soldiers switched ces with those behind them. The first shield, which had borne the brunt of the old man''s initial assault, was now held by fresh soldiers.


    Boom!


    The earth trembled once more as the terrifying punch collided with the shield. When the dust settled, the soldiers remained unharmed, but this time, they were not going to remain passive.


    "Attack!" Huang Guo''s voice thundered.


    The soldiers moved their shields to the side, taking a step forward and then sideways, allowing theirrades behind them to step forward.


    Their armor lit up with an eerie glow, and the surrounding air quivered with deadly killing intent. Their aura reached its zenith, and they unleashed a terrifying assault on the old man.


    In addition, their attacks were not haphazard; they stacked upon each other, forming an illusory sword beam that traveled at a horrifying speed.


    Wherever the beam passed, the ground cracked with a menacing howl. The old man''s heart skipped a beat, and his instincts screamed of impending doom.


    "I can''t take this attack head-on," he realized in a panic.


    But even in his fear, he marveled at how these soldiers, mere Qi Refinement warriors, had found a way to threaten a Foundation Building realm fighter.


    In an instant, the old man activated his movement skills and vanished from his spot, leaving an array of afterimages behind.


    He dodged the deadly iing attack, throwing punches in a frenzied bid to destroy the illusory sword beam.


    Bang!


    The sword beam shattered, and the old man remained unscathed. However, before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the soldiers moved forward,unching another attack.


    This time, the old man had the previous experience to help him evade the attack, and he retaliated with a deadly palm strike.


    Bang! Bang!


    The two sides exchanged a flurry of attacks. The old man''s assaults proved incapable of breaking the elite soldiers'' defense, while the soldiers'' coordinated attacks were too slow to connect with the old man.


    It became evident to the onlookers that even though the elite soldiers possessed the power to withstand the attacks of a Foundation Building realm expert, their overallbat abilities, coordination, and skill were inferior to the old man''s.


    The battlefield crackled with tension as both sides continued to sh in a mesmerizing disy of skill and determination.


    "Look, the attack from the soldiers is getting slower, and the cracks on their shields are getting deeper," Cheng Hong whispered to Liu Fu, her face beaming with a hopeful smile.


    "I know… but I''m worried about the Foundation Building realm," he responded with a slight worry etched on his face.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. If there is a Foundation Building realm, why would he or she not appear..." Cheng Hong had yet to finish her statement when a dazzling whip materialized in the sky, moving at a speed impossible for the naked eye to follow.


    Bang!


    The snake-like whip coiled around the old man like a deadly serpent, sinking into his frail body before ripping off.


    An anguished scream tore through the air as the old man was sent hurtling into the distance, crashing into a nearby ship.


    The vessel couldn''t withstand the lethal force and shattered into pieces, while the old man continued his flight until he crashed into the sea.


    His chest and back wereid bare, flesh torn asunder, blood gushing like an open dam, and he wailed in agony.


    Just as the onlookers wondered about the mysterious savior, a cold and intimidating beauty materialized in front of the old man, a long whip in her hand.


    "You don''te to ournd and behave like a king," Huang Yin stated in a low, icy voice.


    The old man, though writhing in pain, stared in disbelief at the young and stunning woman before him.


    He had expected the Foundation Building realm expert in this barrennd to be an ancient monster with one foot in the grave, but this was beyond his wildest imagination.


    Huang Yin regarded the old man with disdain andshed her whip once more.


    Bang!


    Another miserable scream filled the air as the old man cried out, "My dantian!"


    Huang Yin had shattered his dantian, rendering him powerless. Floating in the water, the old man aged before their eyes, his face crumpling with wrinkles.


    Huang Yin didn''t spare the old man another nce; she calmly walked toward the petrified ounders. None of them dared to breathe audibly, but cold sweat soaked their spines.


    "You said you were going to destroy the Celestial Heavenly Sect?" Huang Yin asked, fixing her gaze on Liu Fu.


    Liu Fu heard those words and wanted to cry. He realized that in the barrennd, the worst thing one could say was to threaten the Celestial Heavenly Sect.


    Just as he drowned in regret, Huang Yin casually waved her hand.


    "Pop!"


    His head shattered like a ripe melon, brain matter and blood sttering on the petrified Cheng Hong. Her face twisted in panic, trembling visibly on the brink of losing control.


    Huang Yin then shifted her gaze to the paralyzed Wang Baozhai.


    "Kill yourself," shemanded in a chilling tone.