191: Chapter 191 Zhao Shanhe Makes a Move

Between heaven and earth, the curtain of rain suddenly stalled.

Everyone felt a tightening in their chests, and even breathing became difficult.

"Well done!"

A low, steady voice rang out.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's figure had appeared on the city wall at some unknown moment.

The rain automatically parted three zhang above his head, as if an invisible barrier was isolating him from the rest of the world.

Augustus slowly raised his head, his golden eyes narrowing completely for the first time.

"Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe?"

Augustus's voice carried a clear sense of panic, no longer as composed as before.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe didn't look at him immediately. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the air, sending Lin Mo, who was both mentally and physically exhausted, across the distance to Shen Yi's side.

"Medics, stop his bleeding first!"

Shen Yi hurriedly caught him, her fingers trembling.

Only then did Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe slowly turn around to look at Augustus.

"Augustus, you've crossed the line."

The trace of panic in Augustus's eyes lasted only a moment before he suppressed it.

As a once-in-a-century Genius of the West Federation, although he only had a seventh-order Late Stage cultivation, his status in the West Federation was extremely high, and he was accustomed to maintaining his dignity in any situation.

Even if his opponent was Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe.

"Crossed the line?" he spoke calmly, his voice carrying a deliberately maintained coldness.

"This is Ironwall City, a border buffer zone. If Lin Mo hadn't killed our knight first, I wouldn't have taken action myself."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe looked at him and suddenly smiled.

The smile was extremely faint, not even mocking, yet it made one feel inexplicably cold.

"Two Temple Knights besieged a fifth-order junior of my Great Xia and one was even killed in return. Your Temple Knights are becoming more and more useless!"

"As for you, Augustus!"

"Since you violated the agreement first, you can't blame me!"

Augustus's expression changed drastically. He lightly tapped his fingers behind his back, suppressing his inner fear as he spoke:

"What, Vice Hall Master, are you going to kill me?"

"Are you not afraid of provoking our West Federation..."

"What, does the Vice Hall Master want to kill me?" Augustus suppressed his inner fear, his fingers tapping lightly behind his back, yet his voice still maintained a layer of dignified composure. "Are you not afraid of provoking our West Federation—"

"Provoking what from the West Federation?"

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe interrupted him directly. He didn't wait for Augustus to finish, because he had heard that line too many times before.

Augustus's fingers clenched inside his sleeve, his knuckles turning white.

He suddenly realized how foolish the words he just blurted out were.

Using the West Federation to pressure Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe? How many people from the West Federation had this man killed in that great war thirty years ago?

Moreover, this guy was someone who dared to directly confront even the projection of a deity; would he care about offending the West Federation further? But since the words were already out, he had no choice but to brace himself and continue.

"Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, you should be very clear about the consequences of killing me!"

Augustus's voice rose slightly, and his speaking speed unconsciously quickened, as if he were rushing to lay out all his trump cards.

"I am no ordinary Awakener. I am a Transcendent Seed personally certified by the three deities of the God's Kingdom, and the only candidate in the West Federation with the most hope of stepping above the Ninth Order in decades. If you kill me now, it would be equivalent to severing the top-tier combat power of an entire generation of the West Federation before the war."

He stared intently at Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's face, trying to catch even a hint of hesitation on that expressionless visage.

But unfortunately, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's expression didn't change at all, like a wall through which he could see nothing.

Augustus's heart began to sink.

He swallowed, his throat tightening, and his speech became even faster:

"Think carefully. Why has the border agreement between our two countries lasted so many years? It's not because both sides follow the rules; it's because both sides have hidden cards."

"If you dare to attack me today and break the last fragile layer of strategic balance between our two countries, I, Augustus, might be nothing, but behind me are the Three Pillars of the God's Kingdom, and all the Ninth Order existences and Transcendents of the West Federation."

If you kill me, the Sealed Land will become the second Northern Frontier Battlefield tomorrow, and you—"

He gasped for breath, gripping the broken scepter so tightly that the cracks on its body spread several more inches, and crystal shards rustled down from the fissures.

"And you, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, will become the sinner who provoked a total war."

"Can you bear it? Can your Great Xia bear the consequences of forming a blood feud with the West Federation?"

He spoke faster and faster, more and more urgently, as if he were building a wall with the density of his words.

But Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe remained silent, simply standing in the Void Realm with his hands behind his back, watching him.

Watching the composure peel away layer by layer from his dignified face, revealing the panic beneath and the beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

"Kid, are you finished?" Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe finally spoke.

Augustus was stunned.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe took a step down.

He stepped out a visible ripple in the Void Realm, and the scorched earth cracked in response, the fissures spreading from beneath Augustus's feet to the base of the city wall a hundred zhang away.

"Augustus, everything you said is correct. You are a once-in-a-century Genius of the West Federation, the darling of your Three Pillars of the God's Kingdom. If I kill you, the West Federation will indeed go mad, but I have to tell you one thing."

"Anyone who violates the rules must bear the due punishment!"

Boom!

No sooner had he finished speaking than Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe boldly took action.

There was no build-up, no wind-up, and his movement could even be called casual—he simply pressed out a palm.

But it was this single palm strike that caused Augustus's expression to change abruptly.

Because in that instant, what he saw was not a hand, but a mountain descending from the sky.

It was too fast.

So fast that he didn't even have time to fully deploy his defenses. He could only instinctively raise his hand, and Holy Light exploded as three barriers formed in front of him almost simultaneously.

The first layer blocked the momentum of the palm's force.

The second layer blocked the penetration of primal power.

The third layer blocked that terrifying will that pressed directly upon the Soul.

Boom—!

The palm print descended.

The first barrier instantly shattered, turning into a sky full of golden fragments of light.

The second barrier lasted only half a breath before it cracked into countless patterns with a snap, like glass struck by a giant hammer.

The third barrier was the toughest, yet it too only held for a moment longer.

Then, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's palm power truly pressed down in front of Augustus.

Thud!

A dull roar, like a mountain striking a bell, exploded.

Augustus was sent flying backward, dragging a blinding golden trail through the air before slamming heavily into the hills outside the city.

A wave of dust rose like a tsunami, and half of the mountain collapsed from the shock.

The city wall was dead silent.

Han Xiao swallowed, his voice dry: "What terrifying power!"

Shen Yi's face was pale: "Half the mountain has collapsed..."

Only Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's expression remained unchanged; even the hem of his clothes wasn't ruffled.

He looked toward the collapsed hill in the distance and said indifferently, "Seventh order Late Stage, to be able to take a palm strike from me and not die, you are indeed a Genius."

Augustus slowly stood up from the rubble, blood at the corner of his mouth, his robes disheveled, and a clear palm print on his chest. He had clearly suffered significant internal injuries.

But what embarrassed him even more was that he knew Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's palm strike just now hadn't used full strength at all.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe seemed to be testing his worth.

And he had tested out a suffocating conclusion.

"Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, you are stronger than I thought." Augustus slowly raised his head.

"You are weaker than I thought," Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe replied quickly.

These words were like a needle, precisely piercing Augustus's dignity.

In the next second, all the calm on Augustus's face vanished, replaced by a Battle Intent so sharp it was almost cold.

"Since so, then let's see if you can kill me!"

After Augustus finished speaking, he slowly raised his hand.

"Holy Judgment Feather Wheel."

Buzz—!

As soon as he finished speaking, the pair of pure white light wings behind him suddenly unfurled, and a holy radiance soared into the sky.

Simultaneously, the light above his head rapidly condensed into a massive wheel of light.

Countless tiny runes appeared on the edge of the light wheel. As it rotated, it actually sliced the surrounding raindrops into a fine white mist.

It wasn't just a simple offensive Magical Artifact, but a Divine Art core that integrated both offense and defense.

Its existence instantly gave Augustus an extra layer of defense that could deflect force, split attacks, and transfer damage.

Even more terrifyingly, as the light wheel turned, even space was sliced with imperceptible fine lines.

On the city wall, Gu Yunting whispered, "That thing... it seems to have bound offense and defense together."

Ji Wuchen gritted his teeth: "No wonder he dares to challenge Minister Zhao."

Augustus looked at Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, a hint of confidence finally appearing in his eyes.

"Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, who do you think you're facing?"

"If you don't show some real skill, you won't be able to kill me!"

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe looked at the wheel of light, his expression unchanged as he simply nodded.

"This is your trump card? Not bad."

This indifferent evaluation caused Augustus's gaze to falter slightly.

In the next instant, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe had already raised his hand again.

Still just a palm strike.

Still just as simple.

But this time, Augustus didn't take it head-on.

He stepped down, and the Holy Judgment Feather Wheel suddenly pressed down. Countless golden-white light blades poured out like a downpour from the sky, sweeping toward Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe to strangle him.

This strike wasn't meant to kill, but to use the momentum.

Using the feather wheel to deflect the frontal impact, then using the light blades to delay, cut, and force the opponent to change their move.

This was Augustus's true combat intelligence.

He knew very well that an opponent of Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's level couldn't be taken down in one or two moves.

So what he had to do was not to win, but to make Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe pay a price.

However, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe simply pressed forward gently.

Boom!

Those light blades, capable of slicing through mountain rock, suddenly stalled a hundred zhang in front of his palm, as if they had hit an invisible bottomless abyss.

In the next instant, the light blades all exploded.

"What!"

"Impossible!"

"Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, have you already broken through to the Ninth Order?!"

Augustus's expression changed drastically.

However, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe only shook his head slightly.

"Ninth Order? Of course I'm not at the Ninth Order, but killing you is effortless!"

"Hmph."

Augustus let out a low breath, the slight hesitation in his golden eyes completely erased, turning into a ruthlessness that was almost cold.

Since testing was useless, he could only fight for his life.

"Holy Judgment Domain."

Boom—!

Golden light erupted beneath his feet as he suddenly retreated a hundred zhang. Then, he spread his arms, and holy runes swept out from the ground, covering the entire battlefield in an instant.

The hundred-zhang Domain opened with a roar.

At this moment, the surrounding rain was dyed pale gold by the holy power within the Domain. The air seemed to become viscous in an instant, and even breathing brought a slight burning sensation.

On the city wall, Han Xiao subconsciously took half a step forward and was immediately forced to let out a muffled groan by the pressure.

"What on earth is this..."

Gu Yunting's face was pale as he stared intently at the battlefield.

Ji Wuchen's expression also changed: "The flow of Spiritual Qi has been reversed."

Just as he said, once the Domain opened, the free Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in the surroundings actually began to converge toward Augustus, forming a continuous backflow cycle.

And the primal power fluctuations on Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's body were clearly weakened by a few points.

Even more terrifyingly, every tiny change within the Domain seemed unable to escape Augustus's perception.

He slowly raised his head and stared at Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, a hint of arrogance finally returning to his expression.

"In my Domain, every time you exert force, every breath you take, and every shift in your center of gravity will be exposed beforehand."

"Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe, come, let's see if you can kill me!"

With these words spoken, his Aura finally stabilized.

Even if it was only a brief confrontation.

However, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe only gave him a glance.

That gaze was very indifferent, yet it made Augustus's back feel a slight chill.

"Not a bad Domain."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe spoke calmly.

"But you're too hasty."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly took a step forward.

It was this single step that caused Augustus's expression to change once more.

Because within the Domain, he should have been able to capture Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's force trajectory in advance, but this time, he actually only saw a blurry afterimage.

Fast.

Too fast.

So fast that even the Domain's perception seemed to be a moment too slow.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe didn't use any fancy techniques; he simply raised his hand and threw a punch forward.

Boom!!!

The punch's force pierced through the Domain like a silent black Dragon, slamming directly into Augustus's chest.

Augustus's pupils constricted, and he almost instinctively activated the Holy Judgment Feather Wheel for defense, using the Domain to deflect the force.

But this punch was still too heavy.

The Holy Judgment Feather Wheel was sent spinning backward, and the holy backflow within the Domain was abruptly interrupted by this punch, the runes within the hundred-zhang range flickering unsteadily.

Augustus retreated several steps, a dull pain in his chest as blood slid down from the corner of his mouth.

He finally realized that his second trump card still hadn't changed the situation.

Worse still, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's eyes still showed no fluctuation at all.

That kind of calmness was like watching a trial that hadn't even begun.

On the city wall, everyone could see clearly.

In this battle, Augustus wasn't pressed to the point of being completely powerless to fight back.

But the problem was that every card he played seemed to be just to prove he could still stand, rather than to actually turn the tide of the battle.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe looked at him and suddenly spoke:

"Do you have any other means? Is this all the once-in-a-century Genius of the West Federation is capable of?"

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's tone was calm, yet it was as if he had already seen through Augustus's background.

"You want to rely on this Domain to stall me and use the light wheel to deflect force."

"Unfortunately."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe raised his hand, his fingertips slightly curled.

"These things cannot save you."

When these words fell, Augustus's expression finally became truly ugly.

He knew he no longer had any room to hold back.

"Fine, then as you wish! God-Gifted Armor!"

Buzz!

Pieces of gilded armor plates condensed from the Holy Light, as if some ancient will was awakening within Augustus.

On the chest of the armor, a golden Holy Emblem slowly rotated, pulsating like a living thing.

In an instant, the Aura around Augustus surged!

His Aura, which was originally only at the seventh-order Late Stage, was now forcibly raised to the level of an eighth-order Awakener.