Several hundred miles outside the Wushan Prefecture boundary.

Amidst the surrounding mountains, the sea of trees gradually turned into yellow earth cliffs, lush grasslands, and shrubs became bare white rock and sand.

The water flow grew smaller and smaller, until it vanished.

In a yellow canyon resembling a wound on the earth.

Zhang Rongfang tapped the tip of his foot, leaping dozens of meters in a single bound.

From above, he appeared as a small black dot swiftly moving across a broad yellow canvas.

Suddenly, he slowed down, stopping in his tracks. He looked ahead.

"Who?"

The voice reverberated through the canyon, slowly fading away.

At this moment, directly ahead of him, perched on a steep yellow earth cliff.

There sat a shadowy figure in black clothes and a bamboo hat, quietly cross-legged, holding an iron flute.

The iron flute wasn't being played, just slowly spinning in the figure's hand.

"Someone told me you might be cultivating in the Extreme Realm."

The iron flute in the shadow's hand paused.

"So I came to see."

"Who are you?" Zhang Rongfang repeated. "I don't have time to waste with you, so, if nothing's up, you'd better leave."

The shadow gently stood up and leapt forward.

The bamboo hat on her head suddenly flew off, precisely hanging on a nearby rocky outcrop as if it had been calculated.

With a plop, she landed, standing straight to reveal her entire figure.

This person turned out to be a woman.

No...

What surprised Zhang Rongfang was not the scarcity of women in martial arts circles, but women with such an unremarkable figure, like the one in front of him, were rarely seen.

Considering what he'd experienced, even the least impressive women had strong muscle lines. At most, they just dressed to hide it when they wanted to look pretty.

But the woman in front of him wore a plain long dress resembling a qipao, black at the top and white at the bottom like a Taiji symbol.

Her black hair was tied high, with two strands falling over the sides of her face.

Her complexion was porcelain-white, overall coldly elegant and distant.

The most striking was her muscle—or lack thereof.

There was no hint of muscle definition, as if she was a noble lady who never exercised.

"My name is Tang Xinyi." The woman slowly moved forward, stopping five meters away from Zhang Rongfang.

"Surely you've heard of me?"

"..." Zhang Rongfang racked his brain.

Try as he might, nothing about the name rang a bell.

"....." The self-proclaimed Tang Xinyi seemed to realize this, but she wasn't embarrassed.

"I heard someone say your strength was impressive. Suspected Extreme Realm, so since I was the closest, I came to see...."

"How do you intend to see?" Zhang Rongfang suddenly grew interested. He had heard of the Extreme Realm for a long time but never truly encountered it.

The Celestial Maiden before didn't count.

Because back then, she hadn't truly stepped into the Extreme Realm.

If the woman across was in the Extreme Realm now, it might just expand his current horizons.

"It's simple." Tang Xinyi's pitch-black eyes revealed a hint of a cold smile. "We'll find out with a fight!"

Swoosh!

A silver short sword, length of a forearm, suddenly flicked out of her hand.

The knife was incredibly sharp, and as it flicked out, a faint metallic hum spread.

"By the way, if you're not in the Extreme Realm, you can beg for mercy."

Before the words even settled, she had already stepped forward, her body technique extremely swift!

Zhang Rongfang hadn't anticipated her speed being so fast.

If those three God-worshipping Grandmasters before moved at a speed of 1, then this woman's speed right now... at least 1.5!

But this was different!

Those were God-worshipping Grandmasters, their physiques had long surpassed human limits.

They'd reached a terrifying brief level.

Fifty or sixty meters seemed a mere instant to them.

And to be even faster than that... what concept was that!?

No, wait!? Could this be overdrawn?

Suddenly, Zhang Rongfang's heart stirred. He stepped back, narrowly avoiding a horizontal slash aimed at his chest.

The blade carried a chilling coldness, impossibly sharp, grazing lightly across his clothing.

With just a slight brush, even before full contact, Zhang Rongfang's clothing ripped open with a slit.

'What a sharp blade!'

His heart chilled with a sense of awe, but he also spotted a flaw in the opponent.

It was... strength!

Her strength was severely lacking!

Zhang Rongfang quickly reached out, using a Meridian Passage Hand from the Mountain-shaped Talisman, precisely grabbing at the wrist holding the sword.

The sword was too sharp; better to seize it first.

Swoosh!

The Meridian Passage Hand struck air!?

Zhang Rongfang immediately changed tactics, rotating his open hand into a sweeping fist.

Swoosh!

The fist missed again.

It was as if Tang Xinyi had long anticipated his change in tactics, ducking to evade, her knife thrusting downward, aiming at the vulnerable area below his abdomen.

Bang!

Zhang Rongfang suddenly stomped hard, kicking up large clumps of earth.

The dirt clods shot out explosively.

With his current power, even a casual upward kick could unleash tremendous force, and the kicked-out dirt chunks could cause terrifying damage to ordinary people.

But eerily, Tang Xinyi had somehow anticipated his action once more, dodging perfectly to the left, avoiding the dirt chunks, slashing towards him with her sword again.

Chilled, Zhang Rongfang realized the opponent was also a Grandmaster, possessing an advanced anticipatory attack ability exceeding his own.

Coupled with her faster speed and formidable weapon.

He no longer hesitated.

Extreme State and Divine Intent unite, Yin and Yang collaborate, simultaneously erupting.

The body suddenly surged and expanded to three meters.

"Die!"

His two hands slammed downward at the opponent, like two battle axes.

But it was too late.

Even though he burst into Extreme State, enhancing his speed, he was still predicted again.

Tang Xinyi precisely sidestepped, accelerating through his arms, holding a treasured saber, directly stabbing towards Hang Rongfang's chest.

"Too weak." Her saber tip almost touching Zhang Rongfang's chest.

Yet it suddenly stopped.

Both froze, neither moved again.

"Your strength and speed really are strong, but... your skills are far too poor... it's impossible for you to be in the Extreme Realm." Tang Xinyi's eyes revealed disappointment.

She heard top-secret news from the Hall, saying Zhang Ying went missing, someone impersonated him, saved a Hall Inner Grandmaster member, and killed three God's Grandmasters on the spot.

She initially thought his strength would be terrifying.

But unfortunately....

She miscalculated.

"Why didn't you stab?" Zhang Rongfang suddenly spoke.

"Stab? Do you want to die?" Tang Xinyi asked in surprise.

"You can give it a try." Zhang Rongfang's expression was calm.

"Since you are unwilling, then let's go again!" Tang Xinyi quickly retreated, creating distance. Her finger brushed along the saber, causing the blade to lightly tremble.

"The martial arts I cultivate, named Five-Heart Stepping Void Scripture, is an exquisite skill created by the Five-Hearted Elder a hundred years ago. Very few in the world can cultivate it."

Tang Xinyi's saber tip dropped as she calmly explained.

"Since you are unwilling, let me show you. Just how great the disparity between us is."

She slowly raised the saber, pointing towards Zhang Rongfang.

"By the way, I've been in the Extreme Realm for over a decade, walking the path of... Extreme Heart!"

As her words fell, she once again crossed several meters in an instant, thrusting the saber.

An instant saber light shone, as if coated with a brighter silver glow.

Other than that, there was no anomaly.

But only Tang Xinyi knew she had entered the Extreme State of Five-Heart Stepping Void Scripture—Sincere Heart.

Without those flashy names, only the basic two words.

Sincere at heart, to be faster, faster, faster!!!

In an instant, Zhang Rongfang's eyes seemed to see dozens of silver saber tips, forming a saber curtain stabbing towards him.

The saber curtain dazzled with silver light, forming a sea of sabers, completely obscuring vision.

"So fast!"

His face was uneasy. His feet swiftly moved to retreat.

Yet surprisingly, his retreating speed was completely outmatched by the opponent's advancing speed.

Tang Xinyi's speed was even faster than before!

Swish.

Carelessly, the skin on Zhang Rongfang's outer arm was easily sliced open.

He quickly withdrew his hand, placing it behind him, the wound wriggling to heal but needing several seconds.

Clang!

Zhang Rongfang immediately drew his saber, the initially acquired Autumn Rain Saber had always been carried by him, yet it hadn't been used for a long time.

At this moment, he wielded the saber again, slashing forward using the Flame Emperor Talisman's move.

But strangely, the Autumn Rain saber pierced directly through the opponent's sea of sabers, touching nothing, as if encountering an illusion.

Swish swish swish!!

Yet simultaneously, the saber sea enveloped Zhang Rongfang, raising a hand to shield his face.

Buzz.

All of the saber sea abruptly halted, coalescing into one, becoming a single saber.

Tang Xinyi held the treasured saber, suspended at Zhang Rongfang's chest. Just one more thrust, she could pierce his heart.

"Your strength and speed are very strong, far exceeding general limits of normal people.

But... your martial skills are too poor. Too poor....."

She repeatedly used 'too poor' to express her disappointment.

"If this is merely your level, you cannot possibly kill three God Grandmasters. But it's said you possess some secret technique to quickly kill Gods? Yet even with such a technique, three God Grandmasters aren't easy to deal with, just the Spiritual Line explosion you...."

She momentarily seemed lost in self-talk.

"My martial skills are indeed insignificant." Zhang Rongfang's expression remained calm, "So why don't you stab?"

"We hold no animosity, why should I kill you?" Tang Xinyi asked back. "Additionally, if you would share the secret technique to swiftly kill Gods with me, I could...."

Thud.

Suddenly, her speech paused, her eyes trembled.

The saber was held!?

Standing before her, Zhang Rongfang held onto the treasured saber pointing at his heart.

Not caring that the blade could cut his hand.

But even more unnervingly to Tang Xinyi's astonishment.

The top-grade treasured saber that had slain God Grandmasters before, now in his hand, only sliced the surface of his skin, unable to cut any deeper.

The blade completely lodged by thick muscle, unable to move.

Zhang Rongfang grinned, revealing a smile. His teeth seemed to glint coldly at this moment.

"Thank you, for letting me witness the level of the Extreme Realm. Next.... playtime is over."

Buzz!!

Suddenly Zhang Rongfang's entire body rapidly expanded, growing larger, behind a blood lotus bloomed covering him.

Dark long hair seemed to be covered in a layer of blood-red membrane.

No Limit-Breaking Skill, no need for Extreme State.

In an instant, Zhang Rongfang's body size surged to four meters, fully shadowing Tang Xinyi.

The treasured saber was abruptly launched, spinning before embedding into the distant ground.

Boom!!

Zhang Rongfang's arms shot out like cannonballs, from both sides like twin dragons, straight at the opponent's ears.

This was Flame Emperor Talisman·Blood-sucking Dragon!