"The last time I crossed swords with the Master was three years ago. Back then, both of us were in the Yuan Dan Great Perfection Realm. Now, I have broken through to the Qiányáng Realm, and I presume the Master has not been idle either,"
Master Fanyin chuckled lightly, and his gaze suddenly intensified. The three essences of spirit, energy, and mind at the back of his head began to merge slowly, releasing a burst of intense heat, which then emitted a holy light as fierce as the scorching sun.
Once the three essences above his head had completely merged, the light shone to its limit, resembling a great sun suspended behind his head. Master Fanyin's presence suddenly surged, rapidly equaling the stance of Gu Tianyun standing before him...
"Qiányáng Realm, Master Fanyin is also at the Qiányang Realm!"
"Hiding your skill, have you not shown your hand for three years just to conceal your true capability?"
"What a leader of Jialan of the Sect's Guardians, what a Master Fanyin, concealing such depth, impressive, impressive!"
The four great masters among the five, Lian Ningxue, Moxuzi, Zhang Yuning, and Zen Master Yuan Fa, sensing Master Fanyin's aura, all voiced their astonishment.
After their initial surprise, a hint of embarrassment colored their faces. They had thought they were on the same level as Master Fanyin, only to find he was one major realm higher, which naturally upset them.
Only Zen Master Yuan Kong's expression remained largely unchanged, yet Ding Buhai, who had been standing silently next to him, now had a slight shadow over his face, realizing that what Fan Longhe had said about Master Fanyin holding back was true.
"Gu Tianyun, I want to see how much your Sky-Melting Sword Qi has progressed!"
"The Holy Sound Charm of Good and Evil, Mr. Gu might not have experienced it for a long time, Master, please!"
The two great masters from the Qiányáng Realm clashed fiercely, their Sword Qi and Cursed Sound meeting in mid-air, truly like two suns hanging in the sky, colliding ferociously. The commotion, though not as loud as the two powerful figures above, nearly overshadowed the scene of nearly fifty thousand people fighting below.
As the masters dueled, those below were not idle either. With Gu Tianyun drawing away Master Fanyin, and thus removing the threat, the Xuzhou Army recommenced the intense action of besieging the city, and the sounds of combat rose again.
Perhaps because both parties had masters present, the ferocity of the fighting even exceeded what had come before. Whether they were soldiers of body-opening or the Gang Qi Realm, all had blood-red eyes, the attackers and defenders both becoming more frenzied.
Including Fan Longhe at the city gate, who was now fighting more fiercely than ever. Only, previously motionless Tian Fazheng was now teaming up with Lu Guanqing to confront him. Before long, Fan Longhe was in dire straits.
Meanwhile, at the gate, Hou Yuxiao, who was ostensibly helping defend, was in fact coldly observing Fan Longhe's predicament. Several times, he saw Fan nearly lose his life, each time just missing by a fraction, and he couldn't help feeling regret.
"I implore the Master of Hou Family to come quickly and help me hold the east gate!"
As he observed intently, the voice calling for help from Fan Longhe reached him. Hou Yuxiao's gaze darkened slightly, tempted to pretend he hadn't heard, but then he sensed a piercing gaze suddenly cast from the sky.
He turned and met a pair of extremely calm eyes; his hairs stood on end.
That was Master Fanyin, with an eye full of warning.
She was engaged in battle with Gu Tianyun and still had the spare time to monitor him.
Realizing she might have seen through his intentions, Hou Yuxiao didn't think twice; he immediately grabbed Old Fifth and leaped towards the east gate, shouting to Fan Longhe, "Lord Fan, Mr. Hou is here to assist you!"