"Trash" worked as an insult just as well in the language of the endless space.

The golden-armored Golden Immortal roared and swept his left hand. As golden light filled the sky, a whip burst forth, stretched thousands of zhang through space, and crashed toward Wang Sheng's head.

Wang Sheng dared not be careless in the slightest. They weren't up against the average Golden Immortal; their opponent was a general of the Immortal Saint Realm, though only a minor one. Before the attack was even launched, lightning had already gathered beneath his feet.

Just before the golden whip hit him, Wang Sheng wrapped himself with lightning and retreated a thousand zhang backward in an instant, leaving behind only a lightning bolt.

Wang Sheng's lips curved into a faint, cold smile. He angled his sword upward and shot a beam of sword radiance from the tip. It was only three chi long at first, but it expanded as it flew, growing to a hundred zhang before it even crossed half the distance.

When masters fought, the opening exchanges were little more than probing moves—a turn-based test of each other's strength.

The golden-armored Golden Immortal flicked his whip and shattered the sword radiance with ease. His lips twitched slightly.

"How dare you, a mere Heavenly Immortal, speak so arrogantly? Are you as ignorant as a frog in a well, or simply delusional?" He raised his right hand and pointed at Wang Sheng. Coldly, he shouted, "Would anyone like to capture him?"

A female late-stage Heavenly Immortal immediately replied, "I volunteer!"

"Go. No need to take him alive."

Sneering at Wang Sheng, she gripped a long saber shaped almost exactly like a Green Dragon Crescent Saber[1] and descended from the sky.

It was obvious these people were deeply arrogant. They did not take a vice sect master from some remote solar system seriously at all. On the contrary, most looked at Wang Sheng with open disdain.

Still, they were clearly a regular army under the Black Emperor. They were very disciplined, their obedience absolute. Not one person mocked Wang Sheng aloud.

The core of this force appeared to consist of only one Golden Immortal, several dozen Heavenly Immortals, and a few hundred True Immortals. The Ascended Immortals and Primordial Immortals with them had likely been recruited on Guishen. Their discipline and bearing were noticeably inferior.

The female immortal descended to Wang Sheng's height and pointed her long saber at him from afar. Bending her slender legs slightly, she charged forth like a terrifying meteor plunging from heaven. It was as if ten thousand warhorses thundered behind her.

Covering a thousand zhang in a blink, she lifted her long saber and swung it horizontally. Threads of black mystic light coiled along its edge. Crushing pressure closed in around Wang Sheng, as though pinning him in place.

The people hidden within the killing array tensed in alarm. Wang Sheng's expression, however, remained calm, his gaze steady and untroubled.

"Sever!" the female immortal shouted.

Black light erupted from the edge of her saber, seemingly yanking space itself into deep wrinkles as though it were a tablecloth. Her thick eyebrows slanted upward, and her gaze became sharp enough to slice flesh. Killing intent filled her otherwise decent face as the saber closed in on Wang Sheng's neck, ready to decapitate him.

Wang Sheng slightly turned the hand gripping Spiritless, making time seemingly slow down.

Even the female immortal suddenly felt as if she had plunged into mud. It was only a fleeting illusion, but that was all Wang Sheng required. He casually flicked his sword upward.

Down to the left of her peripheral vision, a flash of sword radiance ignited. It was so unbelievably fast that it made even the female immortal look like an ordinary mortal sprinting. Wang Sheng struck her like a lightning bolt cleaving through the sky.

Barely anyone from the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect managed to see how he even drew his sword. Before they knew it, he had split her cleanly in the middle and blasted her two halves in opposite directions. They were already several hundred zhang away when her blood sprayed into the air.

Wang Sheng casually spun his sword and stood still as a fierce wind continued to blow toward him. The female immortal's long saber, which had also been broken in half, spun through the air. It then fell behind him and plunged into the empty city below, which was where the killing array was.

The golden-armored Golden Immortal narrowed his eyes, while the dozens of Heavenly Immortals and hundreds of True Immortals behind him all had grim expressions, showing no other emotion. It was as if the one Wang Sheng had just killed was not their comrade at all.

Wang Sheng said calmly, "If not for the gap in our realms, I alone would have been enough even if you all attacked together."

He was not boasting. Rather, he was provoking them on purpose.

Most of the enemy had not yet entered the killing array. If they ignored him and rushed straight toward Fengmo, the situation would become far more troublesome.

Wang Sheng had to lure them inside. Once they were trapped, perhaps Ling Sheng would not even have to help. The array alone could wipe them out completely.

Not even the Golden Immortal had noticed it, but during the delay that Wang Sheng had created, the tiny pale-green "seeds" that Ling Sheng had released had attached themselves to half the people present.

"General!" another Heavenly Immortal eagerly called out. "Allow me to take his life!"

The Golden Immortal replied coldly. "No need. You are no match for him."

The long whip in his left hand swayed and transformed into a golden snake that was a few chi long. It then coiled around his left arm, its head resting on his shoulder. As it slowly flicked its tongue, it fixed its icy eyes on Wang Sheng.

He opened his right hand, and a nine-ringed, blood-red great saber appeared within it. A glance at it was enough to send a chill crawling up one's spine.

The Golden Immortal descended slowly as his aura locked onto Wang Sheng. If Wang Sheng retreated even half a step, he would be met with a lightning assault.

Unable to hold herself back any longer, Lin Yun transmitted, "My lord, allow me to deal with him."

Wang Sheng's mind raced. He had not expected the arrogant-looking Golden Immortal to join the fray so soon. Clearly, he cared a great deal about his subordinates.

Unfortunately, this development ruined the neat calculations that Wang Sheng had made.

He did not want even one enemy to escape; he intended for everyone from the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect to die here, preventing any news from returning. Otherwise, this wave would just be followed by another. They would kill even the elderly and the children. He could not allow that.

He transmitted to the people below, "Senior Lin Yun, hold him off. Ling Sheng, influence his mind and amplify his killing intent from the shadows. Liekong, Hu Chang, wait for my signal to activate the grand array!"

The group below nodded.

From within the empty city, Lin Yun soared and released Golden Immortal Realm pressure. She took out a bright lantern with one hand and made several immortal ribbons circle her. Afterward, she launched a series of palm phantasms at the enemy Golden Immortal.

Her opponent sneered. "Hmph! So you set up an ambush after all!"

He did not notice that his eyes had begun to redden. A violent, unexplainable fury was welling up in his heart.

His descent had originally been meant as a test. He planned to draw out Wang Sheng's hidden forces, then withdraw or order his army to press forward.

Now, however, only killing intent remained.

He swung his saber and shattered Lin Yun's palm phantasms. Afterward, he threw back his head and roared, "All forces, heed my command! Use everything you've got to kill that man!"

The True Immortals, Heavenly Immortals, and the tens of thousands of celestial soldiers above answered affirmatively in unison. Maintaining formation, they flew down together.

Their strict discipline and unquestioning obedience were what made them invincible. Today, however, those became the weapon that would lead them to their deaths.

As Lin Yun fought the Golden Immortal head-on, Wang Sheng dropped to the city below. The enemy army overhead split into dozens of groups and charged down to kill him.

The two Golden Immortals exchanged more than ten blows in the blink of an eye, causing thunderous shockwaves. Lin Yun was already struggling, forcing her back little by little. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The sight filled the cultivators of the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect with confidence. They all rushed into the killing array.

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow. Instead of retreating, he turned and charged toward them while merging with Yaoyun. Spiritless scattered starlight across the sky as he formed a sword finger with his left hand, sending nine flying swords upward. Dozens of lightning bolts struck the descending crowd as well.

At that moment, he telepathically commanded, "Activate the array."

Long Liekong and Hu Chang immediately triggered the killing array that Lin Yun had prepared. A hemispherical barrier appeared out of thin air, sealing off a thousand li of land beneath it.

Within the empty city below, streaks of dark light rose and condensed into massive arrows that were several zhang long. They shot toward the sky and then fell like rain as lightning filled the air.

Wang Sheng had resolved to commit an unrestrained slaughter. Holding Spiritless, he plunged into the host of immortals. Starlight blazed, sword energy swept in every direction, and the Heavenly Ziwei Sword unleashed overwhelming power. Clusters of sword radiance burst again and again, cutting down hundreds of immortals in mere moments.

Wang Sheng still wasn't satisfied, however. Spiritless extended a ten-zhang sword radiance as heavenly tribulation lightning erupted around him. At extreme speed, he moved through the storm and swung his sword so quickly that he eliminated one row of enemies after another.

At that moment, furious battle cries erupted all around.

Wang Sheng focused. Everyone in sight had reddened eyes and twisted expressions, attacking anyone nearby without hesitation.

Wait. When I gave the signal to activate the array, did Ling Sheng mistake it as her signal to start as well?

Wang Sheng frowned, withdrew at once, and used voice transmission to send a few urgent instructions to Lin Yun.

By now, the golden-armored Golden Immortal had completely lost control.

Lin Yun turned and plunged straight into the densest cluster of Heavenly Yuanshen Sect cultivators.

Her opponent rushed in as well, great saber raised. With each swing, he cut down whoever stood before him.

Taking the initiative, Ling Sheng made the Heavenly Immortals and True Immortals swarm toward the Golden Immortal.

A short while later, Wang Sheng and Lin Yun withdrew and landed beside Lishang, who had been waiting in ambush as a hidden trump card. Her expression matched Lin Yun's: brow furrowed, lips pressed tight, and disbelief flickering in her eyes.

Wang Sheng coughed lightly and rested Spiritless behind his back. He transmitted, "Later, do not give Ling Sheng strange looks. That child is actually kind at heart."

Lishang and Lin Yun turned and stared at him with equally complicated looks.

1. A legendary weapon wielded by the Chinese general Guan Yu in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. ☜