But they could not retreat, because they were Martial Artists. They held esteemed positions, high above others, enjoying many privileges and policies that ordinary people could not.

In principle, the higher one stood, the more one feared death. But ever since they became Martial Artists, listed among the Martial Ancestors and leaving a trace of their primal vow on the Sky Ranking, a single thought had taken root in the hearts of all the Grandmasters, be it Niu Taishan or Feng Lang.

That was to protect the land beneath their feet!

So no one retreated, not even a single step.

Even Xu Huang, who had been terrified by the Sea Demon from Sakura Country, realized something after turning to flee for a few seconds without a response. He fell into a long silence. Then he silently walked back and stood at the very front of the group, directly facing the ferocious, eight-headed Sea Demon, Yomotsu Hiraka.

Xu Huang slapped himself hard across the face and said, "My apologies. That was a shameful display."

"Heh heh heh." Feng Lang untied the wine gourd from his waist and chuckled. "We're all about to die anyway. No need for apologies."

The other Martial Ancestors also laughed lightly. In the face of death, they felt fear and terror, but if they all scattered and fled, what would happen to the ordinary people left behind?

If the sky were to fall, someone had to hold it up; otherwise, countless weaker people would be crushed to death.

The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

As one of only three pinnacle Seventh Grade masters present, Niu Taishan spoke in a heavy voice, "Xu Lai, hurry back and send a message. Request reinforcements from the East Sea Martial Dao Association. The heavy responsibility of protecting the ordinary people on the cruise ship… is now yours!"

"And what about the rest of you?" Xu Lai asked.

"We're staying here, of course," Feng Lang replied.

"But the gap in our strength is too vast," a white-haired old woman said softly. "If we fight, we will certainly die."

"Then we die here," another Martial Ancestor stated in a hoarse voice. Hearing this, the white-haired old woman smiled with acceptance.

Then we die here.

Simple words, yet they echoed as the sole thought in their hearts.

Feng Lang nodded. "You're the youngest one here. You still have a chance to advance further. The Eighth Grade… that's where the Martial Dao truly begins."

"Xu Lai, you should go. Quickly."

The other Martial Ancestors also urged him to leave. Even though there had been conflicts before, with some wanting to eliminate Xu Lai to gain the rights to Sea Temple Island, they all stood on the same side when hundreds of lives were at stake. As for wealth, it was completely forgotten.

Xu Lai was speechless.

I can't leave. They're obviously here for me.

This was clear from the gaze locked firmly onto him from within the dark clouds.

"Xu Lai, what are you standing there for? Go, now!"

Noticing that Xu Lai hadn't moved, even Xu Huang, who had previously radiated killing intent toward him, couldn't help but shout.

"You don't have to worry about me," Xu Lai said, shaking his head. "I can handle this. You should all go."

Everyone was baffled.

Feng Lang, Xu Huang, and the others looked at Xu Lai with pity.

Has he been scared senseless? He's already started spouting nonsense… No! He wants to stand with us, to live or die together! As expected. There are no cowards in Hua Country!

This sudden realization filled the Martial Ancestors' hearts with admiration and regret. Xu Lai was so young, with such a promising future, yet he was choosing to die with a group of old men and women. How unjust the Heavenly Dao was!

A new respect for Xu Lai kindled in Niu Taishan's heart. His gaze softened, a rare sight. "I understand your resolve to die, but you're still young and have a great future ahead of you. When the fighting starts, you stay at the very back. Let us old-timers be the ones to die. If you see a chance, take it and escape. There's no shame in that!"

In ancient battles, the generals stood at the front, with the soldiers behind. The same was true today. If their deaths could be traded for Xu Lai's life, it would be well worth it.

Gazing at the eyes that were once filled with resentment but were now full of admiration and warmth, Xu Lai was at a loss for words.

Isn't it good to be alive? Why is everyone so eager to die...

He let out a soft sigh but said nothing more, silently moving to the very back of the group. He was suddenly reminded of his early days in the Immortal Domain, of his master standing before their dilapidated Sect Gate. His master had drawn his sword to block hundreds of cultivators, shielding him from behind. Though covered in wounds, that figure had remained as straight and unyielding as a pine tree.

Just like these people now.

Xu Lai closed his eyes and whispered in his heart, Hua Country is fortunate to have people like you.

「Meanwhile.」

Feng Lang took several large gulps from his gourd before letting out a carefree laugh. "Fellow Daoists, this Sea Demon before us is terrifying. It's likely in the Great Demon Realm. Even a Great Martial Sect at the pinnacle of the Ninth Grade might not be able to slay it. Today—shall we give it a try?"

"Let's try."

The other ten Martial Ancestors nodded in unison. There was no fear, only the fervent boiling of their blood.

To die for Hua Country… No regrets!

"This is the sovereign sea of Hua Country! Since you are a Sea Demon from Sakura Country, leave at once! This is your final warning!" Feng Lang bellowed in Mandarin with a thick Northwest grassland accent, not caring if the Sea Demon could understand.

Naturally, Yomotsu Hiraka had no intention of retreating. Its eight heads roared at the sky in unison. The terrifying sonic attack caused the sea for a kilometer around to roll back on itself, exposing the sand of the seabed. The seawater formed walls, creating a deep pit that resembled not so much an arena, but a watery prison.

And Yomotsu Hiraka was not here to fight beasts; it was here to kill people.

The moment the battlefield formed, Yomotsu Hiraka whipped its tail around, smashing forward with horrifying force.

Not daring to be careless, Feng Lang hastily used his Wind Attribute Spiritual Energy to summon a celestial wolf made of pure silver and charged boldly forward to meet the attack.

However, the wolf shattered into dissipating specks of Spiritual Energy. As the psychic link broke, Feng Lang spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood and screamed as he was sent flying backward, his body landing hard and sinking deep into the sea sand. He struggled several times but could not get back up, clearly gravely injured.

"All of you… will die!"

Yomotsu Hiraka's heads hissed, their forked tongues flicking in and out. Its sixteen pupils flickered, sweeping over the humans before it.

But when its gaze landed on Xu Lai, Yomotsu Hiraka felt a profound restlessness bloom in its heart, a powerful urge to flee. Yet, it forcibly suppressed this impulse.

With Mother here, it should be fine…

With this thought, Yomotsu Hiraka let out a furious roar, its massive serpentine body unleashing a heaven-shattering Realm pressure.

BOOM!

The sandy seabed caved in. The horrifying pressure made the legs of Seventh Grade Martial Ancestors like Niu Taishan and Xu Huang tremble. Their breath caught in their throats, and their very souls shuddered. If they weren't clenching their teeth and holding on with all their might, they would have already collapsed to their knees, trembling under the terrible pressure.

"Merge!"

Xu Huang's body trembled. As his hands formed a seal, he uttered a string of words only he could hear and summoned an illusory shadow from the distant seawater. The shadow was blurry, its animal form unclear, but its body was immense. It instantly merged into Xu Huang, causing his Boundary to skyrocket.

In the blink of an eye, he soared from the pinnacle of the Seventh Grade to the pinnacle of the Eighth Grade, just barely managing to stand straight under the immense pressure.

Using all the Spiritual Energy in his body, Xu Huang executed the Xuantian Finger. However, compared to Yomotsu Hiraka's colossal body, that single finger looked despairingly insignificant.

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