......

They acted as if blocking a single [Unshakable as Mountain] meant victory.

Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.

They saw...

Lu Ding had already charged toward their Heavenly Observers.

The truth was...

While they were busy blocking [Unshakable as Mountain], Lu Ding had made straight for these Heavenly Observers.

From the moment he activated this technique,

Lu Ding never intended to kill them with it.

[Unshakable as Mountain] was merely a smokescreen.

It could only suppress.

Of course it had mass - crushing weaklings was natural.

Even Sun Wukong could kill someone by casually picking up a random rock.

But Lu Ding never expected...

These people were even better at deluding themselves than he imagined.

Getting inexplicably pumped up and excited for no reason.

What a bunch of lunatics.

Lu Ding quickly adjusted his position.

If possible,

he would maximize the damage.

Aligning all enemies along a single attack vector.

His figure skidded to a sudden halt.

Raising high the Blood Frost blade.

The Way of the Jinche, accumulated for so long, would finally taste blood today!!!

The crimson blade emitted crisp, whispering chimes.

Repressed killing intent erupted endlessly.

Propagating Lu Ding's overwhelming aura.

Tai Island's Heavenly Observers were stunned by Lu Ding's presence.

With a tone both accusatory and arrogant, one shrieked: "Heavenly Observers cannot be insulted! A mere Earth Observer like you dares commit deicide!?"

Suddenly, darkness descended.

Lu Ding's voice intertwined with a divine resonance brimming with bloodlust.

Two voices, different yet identical in tone and content:

"Have you ever seen a real god?"

Merciless crimson eyes ignited in the darkness.

They were the judgment of the mortal realm!!

Lu Ding swung his blade - this was the verdict of an ultimate technique!!!

The razor edge of Way of the Jinche erupted alongside mysterious, powerful talisman sigils.

Ancient, unfamiliar characters.

Though incomprehensible, their meaning was instinctively clear.

At a glance...

Every talisman sigil screamed: KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL!!!!!!

The owner of those dark eyes spoke, freezing time for an instant.

Only one voice echoed between heaven and earth:

"KILL!"

The blade's light appeared first, tearing through darkness.

Then...

The ultimate destructive force manifested.

An unending chain of explosions erupted.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM......

One slash divided islands, another severed seas, and the final... split the heavens!!!!

Azure skies were ripped with jagged wounds, vast oceans scarred terribly.

Whaleguard Island - bisected cleanly in two.

Everything blocking his path... was halved.

Numerous Tai Island Heavenly Observers, most Tai Island Qi Refiners, were all split in two by this single stroke.

Lu Ding stood still, raising both hands as the world fell silent. In this moment, listen carefully to the sounds of slaughter.

Drip drip drip.......

Countless bisected bodies collapsed.

Blood sprayed from severed wounds.

One... ten... a hundred... a thousand... rising and falling like waves.

Like celebratory fountains constructing a stage for carnage's finale.

The survivors, including our own Heavenly Observers.

Their gazes...

Were spotlights illuminating Lu Ding's solitary performance.

Pointing his blade at the remaining crowd.

Following the tip to their terrified eyes.

That was the undying fear of witnessing absolute slaughter.

Lu Ding delivered his lines: "Who... is Tanaka Hirota?"

Killing enemies was one thing, slaying monsters another.

Lu Ding could be content with little, but given opportunity, he'd indulge his greed.

The Tanaka Hirota he mentioned...

Was the Tai Island Qi Refiner possessing Scholar Stripe-Special.

At these words,

Several surviving Tai Island Qi Refiners simultaneously glanced at one location.

Among the crowd...

Tanaka Hirota trembled uncontrollably, pale face dripping cold sweat...

He'd almost believed he might survive.

Now Lu Ding was calling him out by name!!

Could he still live!?

Escaped East Kang Island's disaster... survived the earlier slash...

Only to be marked by Lu Ding's death sentence.

He didn't want to step forward... he wanted to live!!

He desperately wanted to live!!

He couldn't recall offending Lu Ding - why target him!?

Now he lacked even the courage to face Lu Ding directly.

Previously, when superiors ordered him and Suzuki Oshima (possessing General Stripe-Tiger) to jointly attack Lu Ding...

He'd felt scornful.

Believing Lu Ding's reputation was merely hype.

Back then, Lu Ding wasn't even an Earth Observer.

Forget teaming with Suzuki Oshima -

He alone could have killed Lu Ding.

Only now, after witnessing everything, did he understand...

How laughable his assumptions were.

How?

How could he possibly kill Lu Ding?

Great Han - such a massive nation, with such profound cultural heritage.

Here, someone universally acclaimed as the generation's foremost genius...

How could he possibly oppose such a being?

Fear... stumbling backwards...

Those around him instinctively distanced themselves.

This reaction instantly drew Lu Ding's gaze: "Found you."

Another technique of his.

He was coming!

That smile terrified every Tai Island Qi Refiner present.

Lu Ding advanced.

Unexpectedly, someone dared block his path.

Tai Island's Earth Observer Goto Go, stammering from terror: "Lu... Lu Ding... you've won... we surrender... according to pre-battle agreements... surrendering means..."

One slash.

A round head soared skyward.

Goto Go's severed head weakly murmured: "...means sparing our..."

Thud...

Heavy impact on ground.

The headless corpse sprayed blood, drenching nearby Qi Refiners.

Blood mixed with sweat rolled down their faces.

Lu Ding stepped over the head, answering: "You didn't sign that agreement with me."

If mere surrender or apology could atone for sins, the cost of wrongdoing would be too cheap.

Our Heavenly Observers died, and now you want to surrender?

What were you doing earlier?

Weren't you all pumped up and happy?

Addressing the survivors: "Surrender is acceptable - but surrender means losing half."

Meanwhile...

He pointed Blood Frost's tip at Goto Go's separated remains.

First at the head: "Namely this half."

Then the body: "And that half."