The situation was too bizarre, like a sky filled with clouds of thunder and lightning. Even the personnel from various sects, though exhausted from dealing with it all, couldn't resist taking a moment to look up at the sky, utterly shocked. Such a sight had never been seen before.

Upon seeing this, Guang Haoyou immediately put away his weapon and gestured frantically to his fellow disciples.

Everyone believed that their elder uncle wouldn't lead them astray.

However, the imminent threat before them was undeniable. Leading the charge, a monstrous beast the size of a small mountain with a bull's head and razor-sharp claws leapt forward. Its body burned with green flames, and with a ferocious roar, it opened its massive maw, aiming to bite Li Hongjiu, who was in its path.

Alarmed, the disciples of Yanbao Sect watched as Li Hongjiu raised two fingers before his chest and swiftly flipped his palm downward in a sudden chop.

BANG! A lightning bolt as thick as a giant serpent descended from the sky, striking the beast just before its jaws could close on him. The creature's hideous visage immediately crumbled, blown to bits and turning to ash, not even managing a scream before countless sparks scattered into the wind. Amazingly, Li Hongjiu hadn't even been touched.

The Yanbao Sect disciples barely had time to recover from their shock before countless other monsters, glowing in terrifying splendor, surged forward from below the cliff, their sheer oppressive aura frightening enough to make most retreat—even marginally.

Li Hongjiu, however, stood firm and unshaken.

At this moment, the sky erupted with countless flashes of light. Though the number of monsters surging forward was great, the number of lightning strikes descending from above was equally overwhelming, ferociously slamming into the monsters.

The sound of thunder also came from behind them. When the Yanbao Sect disciples turned to look, they realized that the lightning bolts weren't only targeting the front but were falling all around them, in all directions.

At this moment, everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives. It was a forest of lightning stretching from heaven to earth. Every hair on their bodies felt pulled straight by an invisible force, leaving their scalps tingling. The sight was utterly awe-inspiring.

Countless bolts of lightning continued raining down, densely intertwined and incessantly striking the monsters until they were annihilated completely.

This seemed to be an abrupt Heavenly Punishment, mercilessly obliterating the monsters of the world, forbidding them from wreaking havoc.

"Ah, my banner..." Amid the cacophony, Xu Anzhang cried out in anguish.

A sudden bolt of lightning struck his Boundless Banner, forcing him to release his grip. Afraid the artifact would be blown away by the wind, he cast a spell to grab it remotely. But Heaven's thunder showed no mercy; bolt after bolt struck the Boundless Banner.

Equally flustered was Youu Mu, whose Six Paths Golden Wheel was also nearly struck from his grip. He cast a spell to pull it back, watching helplessly as bolts of lightning tempered his artifact.

Shi Chun stood dumbfounded, wanting to lend a hand but afraid to do so, and could only watch helplessly.

The lightning was not solely targeting those two artifacts.

"My sword..." Gu Lianni cried out in alarm, as her Green Soul Refining Rainbow Sword, released and remotely controlled, suffered the relentless hammering of the lightning.

It wasn't just her—every artifact revealed by the sects faced the same Heavenly Punishment.

No one was willing to give up their treasures, even as lightning struck them repeatedly, fearing they might be swept away by the fierce winds.

The unfortunate monsters struck by lightning weren't so lucky. After exploding into debris, they were carried away by the powerful wind. Countless sparks scattered in the air, entwined within the storm of lightning—a scene as spectacular as a dream that not even fantasy could conjure.

The continuously twisting lightning seemed to dance wildly across the world, twisting and writhing in joyous celebration.

The awestruck disciples of Yanbao Sect gradually turned their gazes back to Li Hongjiu. Standing amidst the flashes of lightning, he looked as though he was a divine being incarnate.

Li Hongjiu slowly raised his arms and pushed outward. Instantly, the area covered by the lightning forest rapidly expanded in all directions, and the range of the lightning's onslaught grew wider.

The monsters advancing from all sides had stopped at the edge of the lightning forest, seemingly intimidated by this heavenly power. Now, seeing the area of destruction growing larger, even these fearless creatures finally felt fear, turned tail, and fled in chaos.

They had come swiftly, and they departed just as quickly.

Once those unwelcome guests were gone, the lightning forest began to contract rapidly, finishing off the remaining monsters.

Li Hongjiu's gaze, however, remained fixed on the masked man. It was impossible not to notice him—while everyone else's weapons had been struck from their hands, the masked man still carried a gleaming blade, sweeping his gaze across the battlefield as if searching for someone to cut down, making him conspicuously stand out.

Li Hongjiu then moved his finger subtly, sending several bolts of lightning slamming toward the masked man.

Shi Chun wanted desperately to dodge, but his cultivation wasn't fast enough to outrun lightning. Resigned to his fate, he took the hits honestly, grimly muttering to himself that he might as well donate to charity after leaving this place to build up some karma.

Unable to evade, he was left with no choice but to endure it, activating his Bath Demon Skill to withstand the lightning strikes. To his surprise, the strikes seemed ineffective against him, as his Green Wave Energy absorbed the lightning.

With every strike of heavenly thunder, his Dharma Origin felt restless, resembling a bizarre sense of pleasure.

Shi Chun couldn't tell whether to be happy or despairing. And even if he wanted to rejoice, he couldn't—why did the lightning only target him and not Youu Mu or Xu Anzhang? Was it because the other two looked pitiful while he appeared more attractive?

Fortunately, the lightning soon subsided.

Xu Anzhang hastily grabbed his Boundless Banner back, immediately casting a spell to control it, only to mutter to himself, "It's over, it's over, it's ruined..."

Youu Mu similarly retrieved his Six Paths Golden Wheel, inspecting it with a woeful expression.

Shi Chun, seeing their state, summoned his Black Lotus to try controlling it. The artifact, however, remained inert, as useless as a piece of scrap metal.

It wasn't just them—almost everyone across the sects was shrouded in an air of despair, with some even breaking out into cries of lamentation.

Gu Lianni held her Green Soul Refining Rainbow Sword in her hands, muttering despondently before raising her head to look at the sky.

All the magical treasures the sects had revealed to combat the monsters had essentially been rendered useless by the earlier thunderous spectacle.

Faced with this scene, the disciples of Yanbao Sect turned meekly to their elder uncle, swallowing their pride and abandoning their desire to boast about their sect's prowess. Pretending that none of this was their concern, they finally understood why their elder uncle had earlier told them to put away their treasures.

Shi Chun, cursing under his breath, hadn't forgotten to plan his escape. With their artifacts destroyed, he couldn't scare off the other sects' members, so staying here would only mean awaiting death.

Now, he regretted not killing Wu Shanshan earlier when he had the chance.

But the world won't sell him regret pills. And worse, Li Hongjiu now had his sights set on him.

Seeing Shi Chun gathering Youu and Xu to escape, Li Hongjiu flicked his sleeves and said, "You wait. I will personally deal with him."

The disciples around him were taken aback—was their elder uncle actually going to intervene himself? Was it necessary? With his abilities, wouldn't a simple gesture be enough to resolve the matter?

They didn't realize that it was precisely because a mere gesture wouldn't suffice that Li Hongjiu had decided to take action himself.

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