Chapter 314: Actually Quite Capable

Lin Xuan gave a low shout, and as the Fire Dragon churned and roared, it swept outward, the scorching heat waves making the very ground tremble. The gray-robed man's expression was cold and stern; he seemed not to take this strike seriously, merely waving one hand to instantly condense a mass of ghostly blue cold mist in the air, which collided head-on with the flames. With a loud "Boom—", sparks flew in all directions, and the intertwining of cold and heat created a chaotic energy storm, forcing the few people nearby to involuntarily retreat several steps.

"This kid really has some skill," Wang Zhenqiu said through gritted teeth, his fists clenched tight, "It's my turn!"

He let out a roar, and a powerful shockwave of Spirit Qi erupted from within his body; he charged toward the gray-robed man like an enraged beast. Every step he took caused the ground to sink and crack, the strength of it heart-shaking. Yet the gray-robed man's reaction was understated; he simply reached out and tapped lightly in the Void, and a transparent barrier blocked his path. Wang Zhenqiu's fist slammed directly into this barrier, yet it could barely shake it even a fraction!

"How can it be this hard?" Wang Zhenqiu was greatly surprised, shouting with wide eyes, "Lin Xuan, are your moves still not working?"

Xiao Qing stood in the distance observing, her eyes flashing with alertness and calm. "Something's not right," she mused for a moment, "This person hasn't used their full strength at all."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the gray-robed man's lips curled into a sneer of disdain. "Thanks for the evaluation, but now it's my turn to counterattack."

Before the words were finished, his figure suddenly accelerated, appearing at Lin Xuan's side as if by teleportation, and he raised his hand to strike with a palm. The speed was too fast; even Lin Xuan, who was always quick to react, could not dodge in time. He hurriedly raised his arms to block, but was still sent flying several meters away by the palm wind, landing on the ground in a sorry state.

"Lin Xuan!" Xiao Qing and Wang Zhenqiu exclaimed at the same time.

Xiao Qing hurriedly whipped out a water lash in an attempt to rescue him, but before it could even touch the opponent, the gray-robed man waved his hand casually and froze the water lash into an icicle. Then, he set his sights on Lin Xuan, who was struggling to climb back up. "Good talent, but the control is lacking. However, if such potential could be brought under my own use..."

"You think you're worthy of such delusions?" A small, crisp voice interrupted him. Xiao Qing leaped rapidly to the gray-robed man's side, her slender fingers forming a seal to carve out an arc of light. The surrounding air became humid, and a fierce wind mixed with raindrops swept toward the gray-robed man.

At the same time, Wang Zhenqiu seized the opportunity, raising his fists high to gather Spirit Qi and attack again. This time, his attack was not only more ferocious but also covered a huge area, coming in a pounce that was almost flush with the ground. Under the joint suppression of the two, the gray-robed man, who had previously been at ease, finally revealed a look of strain—though of course, it was merely a display, and more so because his interest had been piqued.

"Interesting, truly very interesting... It seems I have no choice but to get a little serious." The gray-robed man muttered to himself and suddenly stopped in his tracks, standing still.

Then, a whisper, infinitely profound and carrying a strange, rhythmic quality, spread out from a small area:

"Domain Activation: Annihilation Realm!"

In an instant, the world seemed to turn upside down: thick fog permeated the surroundings, making vision blurry and incredibly oppressive; all attacks that landed on the invisible shield dissipated without a trace. The most terrifying thing was that no matter how they tried to approach or destroy the barrier, some special power was constantly weakening the recovery rate of the vital energy within their bodies.

The three people trapped in the predicament exchanged glances. In the end, it was Lin Xuan who spoke first: "Continuing to fight like this is not a solution. We need to find a breakthrough point."

Xiao Qing nodded in agreement and responded: "His ability seems to rely on some kind of barrier. As long as we crack this Core node, we might be able to win."

Hearing this, Wang Zhenqiu, the 'tank' who had been silent for a long time while readjusting his state and waiting to unleash his remaining accumulated strength, laughed loudly in mocking provocation: "Stop with all that theoretical knowledge. Why don't we put our hearts together and pull off one big move? Since we're already at our limit, let's just risk our lives and give it a try!"

Thus, the three gathered once more, fighting side by side to launch a brand new round of even more fierce and crazy all-out attacks...

**Scene Transition**

After countless failed attempts, at the final critical moment of their joint breakout, the three finally discovered the pattern, utilized a brief gap to successfully invade the gray-robed man's mental fluctuation frequency, broke the shackles of the pseudo-absolute domain, and caused him to fall from his high position, heavily wounded and on the verge of death.

The enemy lying on the ground looked up at the sky and cursed in frustration: "Damn you... you actually discovered... this kind of secret... but... don't think it ends here... no one can predict what the future... will be like... Hahahahaha..."

Upon hearing these meaningful words, everyone's expressions turned solemn; after looking at each other, they decided that the subsequent actions still needed to be discussed and determined as soon as possible regarding the specific follow-up matters.

Just as everyone intended to rest and catch their breath, they suddenly noticed the Yinying of the woods nearby swaying, and the sound of hoarse, hurried footsteps emerged. Immediately, another strange guy appeared, also wearing a similar style of gray cloak, a weird and evil smile hanging on the corner of his mouth. He walked straight toward them and greeted them slowly:

"Yo, you guys are tired of playing, right? It just so happens it's my turn to accompany you for some practice~"

"Yo, you guys are tired of playing, right? It just so happens it's my turn to accompany you for some practice~" The middle-aged man's smile became increasingly eerie. He slowly pulled back the hood of his gray cloak, revealing a face that was sharp-featured but filled with evil energy. He gently flexed his wrists, his joints making a crack-crack sound.

Lin Xuan frowned and watched the other party vigilantly, shielding Xiao Qing and Wang Zhenqiu behind him. "Who exactly are you? Why do you know we would be here?" His voice was low and cold, revealing a composure that did not match his age.

"Haha! An interesting little brat, quite protective." The middle-aged man clapped his hands, but his eyes were as sharp as knives. "I have no interest in introducing myself, but since you all like fighting and killing so much, then let's be direct. Let me see how much ability you still have."

Before the words were finished, the middle-aged man lunged over, his speed so fast that the air seemed to stagnate for an instant. Lin Xuan reacted extremely quickly, swiftly drawing the Long Sword at his waist to meet him; the silver sword light collided with the Yinying, sparking in all directions.

"This guy is not simple!" Lin Xuan was shocked in his heart, feeling that this person's attacks were fierce and precise, completely exceeding the level of the enemies they had encountered before.

"I'll help!" Wang Zhenqiu roared, swinging his iron hammer toward the middle-aged man's flank. Accompanied by a heavy sound of breaking wind, the giant hammer tore through the air, forcing the opponent to retreat a few steps.

However, the middle-aged man merely sneered: "Two of you teaming up want to stop me? What a joke!" He brought his palms together, actually condensing a wave of black energy, which directly crushed the offensive created by the combined efforts of Lin Xuan and Wang Zhenqiu, forcing both of them back several steps.

At the same time, Xiao Qing quietly circled to the side, gripping a Dagger that shone with a cold glint in her hand. "We can't let him have the upper hand, otherwise we will lose miserably!" She said through gritted teeth, and the moment she found the right opportunity, she stabbed fiercely toward the middle-aged man's back.

Ding—