Under the deafening roar that could shatter eardrums, everyone instinctively closed their eyes. When they opened them, they saw that the puppet Xiao Feng, who had charged forward like a cannonball, was standing steadily, unharmed. The three demon shadows, however, had fallen to the ground, spread out in a fan shape, their emanated black light significantly dimmed.
Had the battle been decided in a single strike? No one had expected it to end so quickly. What puzzled the audience even more was that their perceived top experts were fighting in such a manner – using their bodies to ram into opponents? And the most absurd part was that this strange method had actually heavily wounded three level-eight demon shadows. Was this the strength of the Water Blue Star's mightiest?
Countless eyes revealed adoration. Some were even excited. "This fighting style is too cool, I'm going to learn it too!" "Elder Yang's move clearly told them that I don't even need treasures to deal with you!" "The body is the strongest weapon, I finally understand what that means!"
Yang Jun watched the discussions in the live stream, a mix of amusement and helplessness washing over him. "Dear viewers, calm down! Xiao Feng could use this move because his body is made of materials akin to a Primordial Spiritual Treasure, making it indestructible. You are all mere mortals..." However, he naturally wouldn't say this aloud. If everyone knew that the seemingly invincible Elder Yang was actually just a puppet, they would likely find it unbearable.
Yang Jun turned his gaze forward. It seemed Brother Feng's plan was proceeding smoothly. A mere phantom puppet had resolved a catastrophe that could have destroyed Water Blue Star. He wondered how much the squad members would improve after capturing the three level-eight demon shadows alive and draining their consciousness through the energy shield.
At his signal, Puppet Xiao Feng prepared to press his advantage and take down the three. Suddenly, an anomaly occurred. The demon shadow army let out a synchronized low growl and raised their hands. The three demon shadows also wore grim expressions, muttering to themselves. Just as Yang Jun sensed something was wrong and wanted to urge Puppet Xiao Feng to finish quickly, a circular band of black light shot out from the demon shadow army, streaking forward.
As the entire squad entered defensive mode, the light band abruptly stopped upon contact with the bodies of the three demon shadows. Under everyone's watchful eyes, the three demon shadows flickered and vanished. This caused Puppet Xiao Feng, who had taken a step forward, to miss his target entirely. As he moved towards the demon shadow army, preparing to capture some level-seven demon shadows as a fallback, figures in the demon shadow army began to flicker one after another, disappearing. However, this instantaneous teleportation ability did not seem to be universally effective. Approximately two-thirds of the demon shadows teleported away instantly, while the remaining portion stayed put.
After Puppet Xiao Feng swiftly captured the five level-seven demon shadows left behind, the members of the War God squad emerged one by one and captured the rest of the demon shadow army that had failed to teleport. The rapid shift in the battle’s momentum caught the live stream viewers off guard. "It's over so soon? Even the level-eight demon shadows aren't that resilient." "So many demon shadow troops were scared away by Elder Yang's one or two moves?" "Even though most ran, the ones left are still a huge fortune, the War God squad has struck it rich!" "Several level-seven demon shadows were captured alive, it probably won't be long before another level-eight expert emerges from the War God squad!" "A level-eight expert is probably the strongest in the three worlds right now, possessing one can ensure one's safety!" "I just applied to join the demonized side, we don't have any level-eights yet, your words make me nervous..." "Brother, the demonized side only fools those who don't understand. If you want to follow a true powerhouse, you should join the War God side!" "The War God side has top experts, but it's said that the other side can only advance to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, limiting their own development." "Think long-term, I believe the experts have a way to solve this!"
As the audience chattered, Zhu Yan, who had finished cleaning up the battlefield, spoke into the live stream with his professional voice, "Comrades, this highly anticipated battle has concluded with the complete defeat of the demon shadow forces! It proves that we humans fear no challenge; they have level-eights, and so do we, and we are even stronger! Follow my live stream, and I will bring you more exciting battles in the future!" With that, he directly closed the live stream. He then turned to Yang Jun and asked, "Are you sure about this operation?" Yang Jun nodded. "Don't worry, this time we've piqued everyone's interest. There will be plenty of opportunities later." Tang Xiaowan peeked over, "What are you two talking about? I don't quite understand." Zhu Yan curled his lip, "Children shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking!" "You fatso, are you itching for a beating?" "Ahhh, ow, ow..." Yang Jun shook his head with a wry smile. These two were like overgrown children.
This battle caused a huge sensation throughout Water Blue Star. Countless people's thinking began to shift. It turned out that the rapid advancement of the demonized squad did indeed have hidden dangers. Otherwise, how could they, who were no match for the level-eight demon shadows, have been so easily defeated by the War God squad and Yang Jian Qingming? Many people slowed down their killing and absorption of demon shadows, becoming more cautious, at least towards demon shadows of Golden Immortal level and above. Didn't they see that the demonized side's strength was mediocre? They were still no match for true powerhouses.
In the days that followed, the otherworldly realm launched several attacks. They also dispatched lineups with level-eight strength. However, they also suffered setbacks at the hands of Puppet Xiao Feng. Some even had a level-eight expert who didn't escape in time and died in front of the Five Zhuang Temple. The death of this level-eight expert caused a sensation. This was the first level-eight to die since the invasion of the otherworldly realm. The demise of this peak Heavenly Dao Saint level being also brought about significant changes to Water Blue Star. Upon death, his Great Dao power surged outward, saturating vast areas, causing the Heavenly Dao barrier of Water Blue Star to expand and strengthen once more.
Countless players who could still enter the game discovered with surprise that their physical transformations had accelerated significantly after returning to reality from the game. Even many who couldn't enter the game found their own strength had increased considerably. This was precisely due to the elevation of the world's tier, which liberated their previously restricted bodies, leading to an increase in the strength of all players on Water Blue Star.
However, at the same time, the restrictions on the otherworldly realm and the demon shadow forces were also lessened. The number of individuals who could enter and the maximum combat power of their experts were different. In an instant, many Saint level powerhouses who had been stuck at level six, influenced by the Great Dao power pervading Water Blue Star, experienced improvements and breakthroughs. But faster than them were the otherworldly realm and the demon shadows. Level-seven experts sprang up like mushrooms after rain, appearing all over Water Blue Star, causing the players who had just felt stronger to lament their misfortune.
Even level-eight experts, who were previously rare, began to appear frequently. Facing the onslaught of the otherworldly realm and demon shadows, which had instantly become infinitely more powerful, the players of Water Blue Star were powerless to resist. Players hid in their homes like startled birds, afraid to come out. These powerhouses, however, seemed uninterested in them. Once they appeared, they headed directly towards the direction of the Five Zhuang Temple.
Five days after the death of the level-eight expert from the otherworldly realm, a despair-inducing pressure descended. It was an ethereal old man. His pale eyebrows and beard could not conceal his wise eyes. Every movement he made could cause violent fluctuations in heaven and earth. When he appeared above the Five Zhuang Temple, it summoned rolling dark clouds and roaring thunder. This celestial phenomenon made Zhu Yan, who had started the live stream as per Yang Jun's instructions, somewhat fearful. "This guy is terrifying, and doesn't seem easy to deal with. Xiao Feng might not be able to beat him?" "What should the live stream title be?"
In the sky, as the old man's figure fully revealed itself and he hovered steadily in the air, a familiar voice echoed in the ears of all Water Blue Star players: "Hongjun, you dare to descend here in person?"