When YinLuoxia brought SikongQianluo to ErhaiLake, they found SikongChangfeng and JiangChe already facing each other in mid-air above the water, while BaiLiDongjun and LiHanyi watched from below.
"This young man is no ordinary figure…" Bai Li Dongjun murmured. "To have reached the Ninth Stage of the Grandmaster Realm at such a young age… it's truly terrifying."
He glanced up at the two figures in the sky, a flicker of wariness in his eyes.
As a Half-Step Heavenly Realm expert, Bai Li Dongjun could clearly sense that this young man's cultivation was equal to that of LiHanyi and SikongChangfeng—both peak Ninth-Stage Grandmasters.
How did such a talent emerge from the Song Dynasty without anyone knowing?
With strength like this, Jiang Che could rival even the Five Greats of Song.
"Indeed. He's incredibly strong," Li Hanyi nodded solemnly, her expression grave. Though already twenty-six or twenty-seven, she too had yet to break through to the Half-Step Heavenly Realm and remained at the Ninth Stage of the Grandmaster Realm.
While their conversation remained calm, nearby, YinLuoxia and SikongQianluo were utterly stunned.
"Master… did you say his cultivation has already reached the Ninth Stage of the Grandmaster Realm?" Sikong Qianluo asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
In Beili, even the strongest listed on the Hidden Dragon Rankings are only at the Ninth Stage of the Master Realm...
For someone her age to reach such a terrifying level of cultivation was beyond comprehension.
"Yes," Bai Li Dongjun confirmed gravely, his usual carefree demeanor sobered.
The sheer strength of this young man was overwhelming. It made him wonder if Jiang Che's intentions were truly peaceful.
After that confirmation, Sikong Qianluo's enthusiasm visibly dimmed.
She had always seen herself as a prodigy, even earning a place on the Hidden Dragon Rankings. But compared to Jiang Che, her accomplishments seemed insignificant.
She was only at the Third Stage of the MasterRealm—Jiang Che could likely crush her with a single blow.
Meanwhile, Yin Luoxia's gaze remained fixed on the confrontation above the lake, her expression unreadable.
In the skies above ErhaiLake, JiangChe and SikongChangfeng stood face-to-face, tension hanging in the air.
"City Lord Sikong, please enlighten me," Jiang Che said respectfully, then drew the Seven Star Abyss Dragon Sword from his waist.
Power from the Five Elements surged into the blade, making it hum with intensity.
"Blazing Heaven Flame!"
Jiang Che struck first, unleashing a devastating attack imbued with fire energy. A blazing sword light, dozens of feet long, shot toward Sikong Changfeng with incredible force.
Sikong Changfeng's expression darkened. He quickly countered with his signature technique, shocked at how proficient Jiang Che was not just in swordsmanship, but in elemental techniques as well—especially fire.
The fiery strike carried deadly energy, forcing Sikong Changfeng to go all out.
"Dragon Breaker!"
He unleashed his ultimate move, clashing head-on with the incoming sword energy.
When the flames finally dissipated, Sikong Changfeng stumbled backward several dozen steps. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"This…" Bai Li Dongjun's expression grew serious as he watched from below.
He had known Jiang Che was powerful, but hadn't expected him to overpower Sikong Changfeng so decisively in just one move.
LiHanyi's eyes brightened slightly, a flicker of fighting spirit awakening in her heart.
Over the past two years, she had traveled across Beili, challenging countless experts—but it had been a long time since she'd met someone of this caliber.
"That brat… he's ridiculously strong," Sikong Qianluo muttered in disbelief, her hand covering her mouth.
Moments ago, she had been worried that Jiang Che might get hurt by her father. Now, she feared her father might be the one in danger.
High above ErhaiLake, Jiang Che saw that Sikong Changfeng had barely stabilized his breathing. He smiled faintly—then launched another attack without hesitation.
Since there had been no systemnotification indicating victory, he knew Sikong Changfeng still had power left.
"Ice Spirit Sword Technique!"
Jiang Che invoked the ultimate move of the Water Spirit technique and swung his sword with precision.
Erhai Lake churned violently in response. A massive whirlpool formed at its center, and from the water surged towering waves that instantly froze mid-air, turning into countless deadly ice spikes.
All of them hurtled toward Sikong Changfeng.
Holding his ground, Sikong Changfeng activated his protective energy shield, trying to withstand the assault.
But his defenses quickly began to falter under the relentless barrage. Several ice spikes pierced his abdomen, while others lodged in his shoulders and chest.
"Urgh!"
Blood burst from his mouth as he was knocked from the sky, crashing into the lake below and sending up a towering column of water. His condition was unknown.
"Father!"
Sikong Qianluo's face turned pale as she rushed toward the lake, intent on diving in after him—but Jiang Che moved faster.
He reached the spot where Sikong Changfeng had fallen and caught him mid-fall, then leapt back to the lakeside in an instant.
He gently laid the wounded Sikong Changfeng on the shore, his expression growing slightly uneasy.
He had only wanted to test the limits of his Five Elements Technique—he hadn't expected Sikong Changfeng to be unable to withstand even seventy percent of his power.
"Cough… cough…"
Sikong Changfeng sputtered up several mouthfuls of lake water before slipping into unconsciousness.
His body temperature dropped rapidly, and his skin began to take on a crystalline, ice-like appearance.
"Father!"
Tears welled up in Sikong Qianluo's eyes as she clutched at her father, shaking him desperately.
In her panic, she completely forgot to scold Jiang Che.