The rain continued to pour, pattering down relentlessly, with occasional thunder splitting the darkness and illuminating the entire estate. Windows in some taller buildings were flung open, and many, unable to sleep, quietly observed the imminent life-and-death battle unfolding in the rain-soaked night.

What few knew was that a more astonishing confrontation was taking place behind the estate: Chen Ran and the top figure from the New Technique realm were engaged in a fierce duel. Whenever sword light shot up, onlookers merely assumed it was lightning arcing through the night, unaware of the extraordinary battle unfolding.

Sword light clashed with fireballs, bursting into dazzling showers of light that evaporated the rain, swirling mist that made it feel as if they had risen to the clouds.

Suddenly, a golden-haired elder clad in super-material armor but disguised as bronze armor retreated, hovering in mid-air. "How about we call it a truce?" he proposed.

Old Chen, his expression cold, stood firm on the ground, the black sword pointed at the elder, showing no intention of halting his attack.

The golden-haired elder spoke seriously, "Once people like us reveal our true power, it incites fear and leads to heightened scrutiny. In the future, we might be under constant watch, even targeted by super weapons. If we grow stronger, we might have to file travel reports, losing our freedom. Let's end this now—no one knows, we can leave quietly as if nothing happened."

"You're clearly the one who came to kill me," Old Chen replied succinctly.

The elder expressed regret, then continued, "There's nothing that can't be forgiven. The New Technique and The Old Technique can coexist. We are both extraordinary beings, and many opportunities for cooperation await us. We shouldn't let the tycoons, authorities, and various organizations bind us. Our future lies in the depths of space, where the mysterious, supernatural traces and undiscovered worlds await us. The Immortals and deities are no longer distant myths; we will draw near, and legends can be realized!"

Old Chen replied coldly, "Your words are somewhat inciting, yet I've already formed a spirit realm, clearly sensing your murderous intent. What do you mean by all this?"

The golden-haired elder sighed. For him, coexisting peacefully was far less desirable than eliminating Chen Yongjie, ensuring his own security. Some of his words were sincere; he wanted to avoid revealing too much too soon, fearing attention from various factions.

He was currently perceived as a top master. Two years ago, he had consumed a vast amount of life energy to break through but failed, making it unlikely he could reach the extraordinary realm again in his lifetime. Now that Chen Yongjie had managed to break through and was not weaker than him, eliminating him was the best way to keep his secret. Unfortunately, that was a tall order.

He had thought that the things unearthed from that mysterious place were nearly mythical; using them on himself allowed him to look down on all practitioners. With time on his side, he believed that in a century or two, he would approach divinity.

He hadn't anticipated that an anomaly had arisen in The Old Technique realm—Chen Yongjie. In the battle at Green Ridge, he couldn't show himself but deemed it necessary to send out three top masters. The result, while disastrous, aligned with his expectations: Chen Yongjie was supposed to die.

Yet now, not only had the other party survived, but he had also stepped into the extraordinary realm, forcing the elder to reevaluate.

The golden-haired elder remarked with some emotion, "Human potential is limited. I considered all possibilities; you should have perished. Your existence is abnormal, suggesting that you must have obtained something related to the legends of the Immortals and deities, triggering some mysterious power, just like me!"

Old Chen retorted coldly, "Since we're at this point, to keep the secret, only one of us can leave alive."

He suddenly surged into action, his silver wings unfurling—a state-of-the-art booster developed by the Wu family—propelling him rapidly toward his airborne opponent. His internal organs erupted in dazzling radiance, quickly enveloping his body, further amplifying his speed.

In an instant, he reached the elder, sword raised to strike, illuminating the dark rain-soaked night with a chilling spectacle!

The golden-haired elder was taken aback, his pupils contracting in surprise. He hurriedly attempted to unleash a terrifying fireball capable of melting metal, but in his haste, he drew his broad sword to counter Old Chen's assault.

Old Chen's expression remained cold as he extended his left hand, striking the alloy sword with force, causing it to crack immediately. He swung his black sword forward, aiming to cleave the elder in two.

However, Old Chen's expression shifted in an instant. From the shattered alloy sword, a brilliant silver light erupted, revealing an extraordinary divine sword aimed straight for his forehead.

This was too sudden—not only because he hadn't anticipated the hidden silver sword within the broad sword but also due to the elder's formidable swordsmanship, the unleashed sword light frighteningly powerful, rivaling the fireball.

This was undoubtedly a deliberate trap set to kill Old Chen!

Indeed, as the dazzling sword light flared, the golden-haired elder's earlier astonishment vanished, replaced by an icy demeanor. He evaded Old Chen's black sword, the brilliant divine sword nearly grazing Old Chen's forehead!

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Blood trickled down Old Chen's face, a result of the sword energy's slicing. Had it not been for the thunderous power erupting from his chest, illuminating the dark night, he might have been impaled through the skull.

He twisted his body, the gleaming sword narrowly missing him, severing a strand of hair and causing a trickle of blood to flow from his scalp.

Old Chen's killing intent surged. After retreating a safe distance, he glared at the golden-haired elder, the black sword in his hand radiating an overwhelming light, ready to unleash a devastating attack.

Yet, he quickly regained his composure, reminding himself to clear his mind, refusing to let emotions dictate his combat strategies. Cold and silent, he prepared to battle once more.

At the same time, Old Chen reflected on his recent impulsiveness, realizing he had been somewhat rash, even referring to himself as Chen Ran, only to suffer such a significant setback.

"I must reflect—how can Ran Deng compare? I should call myself Chen Mingtu! Set a more distant goal!" With that, Old Chen charged forward. This was a battle for life and death; if one fell, the other would not leave unscathed.

"Clang!"

The one-and-a-half-meter black sword collided with the roughly one-meter silver sword, sparks flying as brilliant lights erupted, intertwining like flashes of lightning. Chen Mingtu was confident that the weapon in his opponent's hand could rival the black sword of great origin he wielded.

"Chen Yongjie, you're not the only one with a mythical weapon. I am also favored by the heavens and have obtained an ancient supreme technique. Today, it would be a pity if either of us fell, but fate is cruel; let us both fight with everything we have!" The golden-haired elder's voice was heavy as he swung his brilliant white sword at Chen Mingtu.

---

In the rain-soaked estate, filled with an air of murderous intent, Wang Xuan walked silently, approaching a target. His presence did not go unnoticed; through the pouring rain, a figure approached with heavy footsteps.

Drenched, water dripped from Wang Xuan's face. He remained calm, his eyes shimmering with a faint golden light. Now that he had fully revealed his strength, some traits of the Golden Body Technique began to surface.

These traits were difficult to discern in the dark, but even if spotted, he didn't care. Facing a life-and-death battle, he would not be distracted.

After a moment of adjustment, his burning body cooled down. He stood still, utterly silent, focusing on the approaching figure.

It was another quasi-master clad in extraordinary armor, emitting a faint red glow in the dark. The dark red armor enveloped him tightly. The top figure from the New Technique realm had come to the Old Soil, and to avoid drawing too much attention, he had brought along several quasi-masters instead of true masters.

Wang Xuan's gaze was deep; he had no worries or concerns. He had faced such opponents before and had just recently eliminated one!

He prepared to employ Zhang Daoling's physical technique once more. In this critical moment, he could only rely on brute strength. If he didn't shatter the extraordinary armor, he would simply wait to be killed by his opponent.

Old Zhang's physical technique was immensely powerful. Although it was challenging for Wang Xuan at this stage, any of the engraved patterns he used could allow him to contend with a quasi-master.

With the extraordinary armor, his opponent was nearly equivalent to a true master. Wang Xuan's own level was insufficient; he would need to connect three patterns from the first page of the Golden Book to penetrate such sturdy armor!

Wang Xuan stretched his body, his internal organs beginning to emit a hazy glow, while the figure across from him quickly drew nearer.

Just as Wang Xuan was about to unleash his full strength against an opponent on par with a master, a sudden chill ran down his spine as he sensed danger.

From the depths of the rain, another figure emerged, similarly clad in extraordinary armor, coated in a dark green metal.

The two powerful adversaries closed in from both sides, trapping him in a deadly predicament!

Wang Xuan's heart sank; he was facing the worst possible scenario, akin to being besieged by two masters. His life was truly in jeopardy.

Old Chen had been right: tonight, he needed to fight for his life!

Wang Xuan silently assessed the situation. If he employed the three engraved patterns recorded in the Golden Book in succession to break through one set of extraordinary armor, he would be left exhausted. If he then used the triple strike, he would sustain injuries, and his body might not hold up.

"After using the triple strike, I'll need at least half a minute to recover before I can utilize the physical techniques again; otherwise, my body might collapse."

This was Wang Xuan's calculated conclusion, meaning that after shattering the first set of extraordinary armor, he would have no time to kill the person inside before needing to prioritize his survival. He would require a break of over thirty seconds to damage the second armor.

In an instant, Wang Xuan sprinted forward, charging toward the figure clad in dark red armor, creating distance from the other approaching adversary.

In the nearby courtyards, many watched silently, surprised by Wang Xuan's fierce fighting spirit and intent to kill.

"Whoosh!"

The experienced strongman in dark red armor, noticing Wang Xuan's approach, did not evade. Instead, he thrust out a glowing palm, unleashing a chain that sparkled with red light, aiming to ensnare Wang Xuan!

Wang Xuan allowed his arms to evade as the red chain, forged from super-material, locked around him. He intended to close the distance, his glowing fists relentlessly pummeling forward.

The two engaged in close combat, fierce and intense. Soon, the physical techniques from the three engraved patterns were unleashed by Wang Xuan, and with a resounding crash, he shattered the opponent's armor.

"That's terrifying! He shattered the extraordinary armor with his bare hands. What level of physical technique is this?!" Many were shocked.

"It resembles the secret techniques of the Taoist ancestral court, but there are some differences; it's both familiar and unfamiliar!" Beside Zhong Qing, an elder who had mastered the Snake Crane Eight Scatter Hand whispered in astonishment.

In his view, no one of Wang Xuan's age could master the secret techniques of the Taoist ancestral court; even Chen Yongjie had suffered internal injuries from training.

As the extraordinary armor shattered, the red chain that had entangled Wang Xuan disintegrated and vanished. He threw a final punch at the opponent, leveraging the force to leap into the darkness, seeking temporary refuge from the other formidable adversary clad in extraordinary armor.

Suddenly, sharp pains pierced various parts of his body. Wang Xuan instantly realized he was locked onto by a hot weapon; someone was attempting to assassinate him!

But he was in mid-air, unable to evade, with no way to gain leverage!

He gritted his teeth, his eyes gleaming with golden light. With no alternative, he could only brace himself!

The assailant was nearby, with a dark barrel protruding from an open window—not a new enemy, but an earlier guest now preparing to pull the trigger.

Wang Xuan felt slightly reassured; although he sensed the pain in various parts of his body, it was not the excruciating pain that pierced his heart, and he believed he could withstand it.

For a long time, he had been diligently training the Golden Body Technique, bringing it to the sixth layer; now was the time to test it!

Simultaneously, his expression turned fierce, and his killing intent surged. At this critical moment, among the original guests, someone attempted to shoot him, provoking more disdain than the two enemies behind him. That person must die!