85: Master! I surrender! Please don’t hit me in the face!!!

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Ruobai immediately tightened his grip on the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd, and a dark golden Battle Intent surged explosively from his entire body, even more intense than before.

Having constantly faced the young emperors within the Tower of Prodigies, his Battle Intent had grown increasingly domineering. Now, meeting Gu Changge's gaze, he felt his blood boiling with excitement.

He exchanged a glance with Fang Hanyu, and the two instantly scattered.

Xiao Ruobai charged forward head-on with the halberd on his shoulder, the blood and Qi of his War God Body surging through his Meridians. Each step he took caused the bluestone slabs to tremble slightly.

Fang Hanyu, meanwhile, circled to the side and rear, his Primordial Sword pointing diagonally at the ground. Chaos Sword Qi condensed into a fine gleam, like a poised venomous snake waiting for Gu Changge to reveal an opening.

"Master, be careful!"

Xiao Ruobai let out a low shout, suddenly activating Shadow Step. His figure shot toward Gu Changge like an arrow from a bow, the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd descending with a sharp whistle as it cleaved through the air.

The dark golden Battle Intent at the halberd's tip condensed into a half-foot-long blade of light, wrapped in an unstoppable Battle Intent that even split the air, creating fine cracks.

This was a new move he had developed by fusing the characteristics of his War God Body with the experience gained from the projections of the War Heaven Emperor. It concentrated all his Battle Intent at the halberd's tip, making it several times more ferocious than before. Even the emperor projections within the tower had been forced to retreat repeatedly by this technique.

Fang Hanyu seized the moment to move!

He calculated the opening when Gu Changge would be dealing with the frontal assault. His Primordial Sword "shua" left its sheath, and Chaos Sword Qi shot straight toward Gu Changge's side like a green rainbow.

The sword technique was both fast and sharp, without any feints. This was his grasp of battle opportunities, honed within the tower.

When an opponent raises their hand to block, the side is often the most easily overlooked opening. Even the Void Emperor projection had stumbled because of this.

Gu Changge watched their coordinated attack, a flicker of approval flashing in his eyes, yet he kept his cultivation firmly suppressed at the Peak of the Purple Mansion Realm.

Only at the moment when the halberd blade was about to strike did he slowly raise his hand into a palm. Pale cyan spiritual power, wrapped with the force of the Purple Mansion Realm, gently pressed against the shaft of the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd.

"Boom!"

A dull sound echoed. Xiao Ruobai felt a dense yet profound force surge along the halberd shaft. His originally domineering Battle Intent felt like it had crashed into cotton, instantly dissipating by more than half.

The Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd "clanged" as it struck the ground. He retreated five steps, his palms slightly numb, and the surging dark golden Battle Intent around him wavered into afterimages.

Even though Master had only used the force of the Purple Mansion Realm, he had completely neutralized his all-out attack, leaving no room for counterattack whatsoever.

Seeing his Senior Brother at a disadvantage, Fang Hanyu's Chaos Sword Qi "exploded" with a surge. His Primordial Sword thrust straight toward Gu Changge's back.

But Gu Changge seemed to have eyes on his back. With a light shift of his foot, he avoided the sword blade. At the same time, he flicked his hand back, pale cyan spiritual power sweeping over the sword with a clever arc.

Fang Hanyu felt a dissipating force travel along the sword. The condensed Chaos Sword Qi "poof" scattered, and the Primordial Sword nearly slipped from his grasp. He staggered two steps before steadying himself, the hair at his temples already disheveled by the wind.

"Still coming?"

Gu Changge stood before the two, twirling a lustrous Spirit Fruit between his fingers, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.

Xiao Ruobai stood up, clutching his numb palms. Just as he was about to gather his Battle Intent again, he saw Fang Hanyu staring at Gu Changge's hand, his eyes filled with shock.

That earlier dissipating force had been too exquisite, completely surpassing his understanding of spiritual power control at the Purple Mansion Realm.

Xiao Ruobai stared at Gu Changge's unchanged stance, then suddenly his eyes flickered as he secretly transmitted a message to Fang Hanyu.

"Junior Brother, Master has been using dissipating techniques all along, never directly blocking our attacks! I suspect his spiritual power and Physical Body at the Purple Mansion Realm aren't as robust as ours."

"Later, I'll attack from the center, using the blood and Qi of my War God Body to lock down his space for dissipation. You strike from below, forcing him to raise his hand and block directly!"

A flicker of understanding passed through Fang Hanyu's eyes as he nodded subtly in response.

When the two assumed their offensive stances again, their Aura was even more imposing than before.

Xiao Ruobai no longer rushed to attack. Instead, he channeled all his dark golden Battle Intent into the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd. The halberd's body glowed with a heavy light as he swung it horizontally toward Gu Changge's chest.

This move no longer pursued speed but used the weight of his War God Body's blood and Qi to suppress, deliberately denying Gu Changge any angle to dissipate the force.

Fang Hanyu, taking cover under Xiao Ruobai's Battle Intent, slid his Primordial Sword along the ground. Chaos Sword Qi condensed into a low, sharp gleam, thrusting straight toward Gu Changge's calf, perfectly positioned in the blind spot of Xiao Ruobai's Battle Intent.

"Oh? Changed tactics?"

Gu Changge raised an eyebrow, watching the pincer attack from above and below, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

He didn't sidestep or dissipate the force as before. Instead, he raised his hand into a fist, pale cyan spiritual power gathering in his palm as he punched directly toward the shaft of Xiao Ruobai's halberd—this time, he actually chose to block head-on!

"Boom!"

The moment the halberd shaft and fist collided, Xiao Ruobai felt a force even more profound than before surge through. His dark golden Battle Intent was instantly shaken into turmoil. He retreated three steps before steadying himself, his arm so numb he could barely hold the halberd shaft.

Meanwhile, as Fang Hanyu's sword approached Gu Changge's calf, it was blocked by an invisible spiritual power. The Chaos Sword Qi "ding" scattered, and the Primordial Sword was knocked back half a foot.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

The force of that direct block was several times more robust than they had imagined.

Gu Changge withdrew his fist, looking at their stunned expressions, and couldn't help but laugh. "What? Thought I wouldn't dare block directly?"

Before the two could recover, Gu Changge had already slowly stepped forward.

The pale cyan spiritual power around him remained steady, yet the oppressive feeling of the Peak Purple Mansion Realm suddenly intensified.

Even with just a casual raise of his hand, Xiao Ruobai felt that the Master before him was like an unshakable mountain, making even his breath feel stifled.

Clearly, he had mastered the Physical Body and spiritual power of the Purple Mansion Realm to the extreme, every ounce of force exuding an "unshakable" meaning.

It must be known that Gu Changge's Hongmeng Divine Body was the number one Physique in All the Heavens and Myriad Realms. Even suppressed to the Purple Mansion Realm, it was far beyond what others could compare to.

The earlier borrowing and redirecting of force was merely because he couldn't be bothered to clash directly. If he were to get serious, the two wouldn't be able to withstand even half a move.

"Still standing there?"

Gu Changge raised his hand and threw a punch, aiming for Xiao Ruobai's head.

This strike seemed slow, but it sealed off all of Xiao Ruobai's angles of evasion.

Xiao Ruobai's pupils contracted sharply. The instinct of his War God Body made him want to raise his halberd to block, but a familiar feeling suddenly surged in his heart.

Looking at Gu Changge's massive fist, his mind went blank with heat. Suddenly, "thump," his knees scraped against the bluestone slabs, leaving two glaring shallow marks.

He slid to Gu Changge's feet in an extremelydisheveled posture. He didn't even have time to retract his halberd; the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd "clanged" as it hit the ground. But his hands, as if grasping a lifeline, tightly hugged Gu Changge's thigh.

Even his voice trembled slightly: "Master! I submit! I really submit! Please don't hit my face!!!"

This sudden change happened too quickly, so fast that even Fang Hanyu froze in place.

His hand holding the Primordial Sword still maintained its thrusting posture, Chaos Sword Qi condensed at the sword tip not yet dispersed. But his eyes were fixed on his Senior Brother, who was hugging their Master's thigh.

Just a moment ago, Xiao Ruobai had been full of Battle Intent, shouting "the advantage is mine." The next second, he was surrendering in such a "spineless" posture.

The contrast was so great it made his mind unable to process it. He even forgot to breathe evenly, feeling only the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

Gu Changge was also taken aback.

He looked down at Xiao Ruobai clinging to his leg, and the spiritual power that was about to land on Xiao Ruobai "poof" dissipated.

He had originally intended to use this strike to let these two kids witness the power of the "Hongmeng Divine Body." After all, even with his Realm suppressed, the strength of his Physical Body was far beyond that of ordinary Purple Mansion Realm Cultivators.

But who could have expected this kid to pull such a move, completely disrupting the imposing Aura he had built up.

"You..."

Gu Changge raised an eyebrow helplessly, trying to pull his leg free, but found Xiao Ruobai clinging tightly, as if glued to it.

"Weren't you just saying 'we'll join forces to defeat Master'? Surrendering already?"