Long Tianyu, now more cautious, inspected the one who dared speak such bold words—and was stunned.
He was merely a peak Martial Adept.
"You're just a peak Martial Adept, yet you have the courage to call us cowards?" Long Tianyu laughed maniacally. "You're not even a disciple of any sect. How did someone like you even get into Arkania Valley?"
Wei Rongxian and Sui Meiran had thought they were saved, but now that they saw it was just a peak Martial Adept, hope vanished from their eyes. They began preparing again to hand over their spoils to Long Tianyu.
"Keep your harvest," Aladdin said, stepping forward calmly. "If they want something, let them go find it themselves."
"Where did you even come from?" Feng Haoran, another Martial Master from the Blackscale Thunder Sect, asked suddenly. "You don't look like someone from the Xuanlan Continent."
The others gave Aladdin a more serious look, sensing he was different.
"It doesn't matter where I'm from," Aladdin replied. "Just go your way and leave these two alone."
"Hey, outcast," Duan Wuji, another Martial Master from the Blackscale Thunder Sect, said coldly. "Just leave while you can. This doesn't concern you."
"You should go," Sui Meiran added gently. "Don't get involved. We'll be fine."
"Outcast," Long Tianyu said again, voice sharpening, "I'll tell you one last time—leave while you still can. You're just a peak Martial Adept. Even one of our junior brothers can defeat you in ten moves. Scram."
"What if I don't?" Aladdin asked, his tone steady.
"Then don't blame us for being ruthless," one of the Blackscale Thunder Sect's peak Martial Adept disciples warned.
"Then show me how ruthless you can be," Aladdin said.
He was craving a fight. Since arriving in the Xuanlan Continent, he had only fought beasts, and Old Bao had always held back in sparring. But now—now he had opponents of his own level. This was what he had been waiting for.
Now, he'd see just how strong he had become.
The peak Martial Adept of the Blackscale Thunder Sect suddenly leapt into the air, aiming a fierce palm strike straight at Aladdin.
But Aladdin didn't panic..
He calmly launched a Dragon Fang Fist toward the incoming palm. Old Bao had always told him—every cultivator in the Xuanlan Continent dreams of having a physical body as strong as his. So when it came to battles of pure physical strength—especially against those of the same level—Aladdin had absolute confidence.
And this wasn't even his full strength. The Dragon Fang Fist he used wasn't infused with wind or thunder attributes—it was just a normal punch.
Yet it was enough.
The Blackscale Thunder Sect disciple was sent flying two hundred meters, crashing with a loud thud against a massive stone. He tried to get up—only to suddenly faint from the extreme pain.
Everyone was stunned.
The Blackscale Thunder Sect disciples were left speechless by Aladdin's strength. Wei Rongxian and Sui Meiran also stood frozen, disbelief written all over their faces.
"H-How is this possible…?" Long Tianyu murmured in shock.
"You… you—how can someone be so ruthless?" Feng Haoran said, his voice trembling, staring at his junior brother lying unconscious.
"Didn't he also want to show me how ruthless he was?" Aladdin replied coldly.
The other peak Martial Adept of the Blackscale Thunder Sect took three steps back cautiously. Even though his senior brothers had claimed he could defeat Aladdin in just ten moves, what he had just witnessed left him shaken. Seeing his fellow disciple sent flying with a single blow, he didn't dare act recklessly and silently returned to stand beside his three Martial Master senior brothers.
Aladdin's voice rang out firmly, "Now, I'll say it again—leave these two alone and go your way."
"Don't be arrogant, outcast," Duan Wuji snapped. "Just because you defeated our junior brother in one move doesn't mean you can take on either of us!"
"If you think I can't, then why waste time talking?" Aladdin replied, his tone calm but sharp. "I already sent your junior brother flying—go ahead, make your move."
"You...!" Duan Wuji's eyes flared with anger. Being looked down on by a mere peak Martial Adept enraged him. He stepped forward and drew his sword, his voice roaring, "Heaven Splitting Sword Slash!"
A blinding vertical arc of energy surged forth from his blade, the ground beneath them splitting as cracks spiderwebbed outward. The air itself trembled as if fearing the power of the strike—an attack meant to tear through space and energy alike.
Aladdin's eyes sharpened. He knew this wasn't a blow to take lightly. While he remained confident in facing a Martial Master, he wasn't arrogant. This wasn't a time to tank a hit.
"Stormbreaker Slash!" Aladdin shouted.
The air around him twisted as he swung his saber. Once an incomplete technique, the Stormbreaker Slash had now evolved. With his newly gained Thunder attribute, it unleashed its full potential. A storm exploded forth—violent winds surged and crackling thunder qi raged, clashing head-on with Duan Wuji's sword strike.
The impact was deafening. Duan Wuji's technique shattered under the force of the storm. He was thrown backward violently, blood spraying from his mouth, his body torn and battered as he crashed to the ground.
Aladdin, who had leapt during the attack, descended with a faint electric hum still radiating from his body—sparks of thunder flickering across his arms and blade.
"Duan Wuji!" the Blackscale Thunder Sect disciples cried out in panic, rushing to him.
He lay there—pale, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth, his form barely recognizable, bruised and wounded from head to toe. The arrogant Martial Master had been defeated soundly… and now silence fell over the battlefield.
"Duan Wuji! Are you alright?" Long Tianyu called out, kneeling beside his fallen junior brother.
Duan Wuji struggled to speak, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His lips trembled, and after much effort, he finally managed to force out a few rasped words, "A... avenge... me..."
"Don't worry, Duan Wuji. We won't let him off!" Long Tianyu assured him grimly.
He stood and sent a voice transmission to the other disciples. "Let's attack together. This outcast is stronger than we thought. If we go at him separately, he'll defeat us one by one. But if we overwhelm him with numbers, we might have a chance."
But what Long Tianyu didn't know—what none of them could possibly know—was that Aladdin, thanks to the magic lamp embedded deep within his body, had a secret advantage: he could hear voice transmissions not even directed at him.
He immediately heightened his senses, alert and calm as he waited.
Suddenly, Feng Haoran, Long Tianyu, and the remaining peak Martial Adept surged up from where Jian Wuxin had fallen. Without saying a word, they launched their techniques.
"Silent Moon Pierce!"
"Soaring Dragon Fang!"
"Starfall Cleave!"
Energy burst forth—draconic force surged, precise thrusts laced with moonlight, and slicing starlight energy all converged on Aladdin in perfect synchrony, targeting vital points with deadly speed and stealth.
But to Aladdin, who had been on guard the entire time, they were anything but stealthy.
"Whirling Saber!" he cried, his saber spinning at blinding speed.
A wall of wind erupted around him. The combined force of his saber and storm qi clashed with their incoming techniques, dispersing much of their power. Though the collision forced Aladdin back several meters, his feet dug into the earth, and he remained standing—steady, unshaken.
Before Wei Rongxian or Sui Meiran could even think of stepping in to help, Aladdin moved.
The magic lamp within him pulsed—lightning surged across his body. Wind and thunder roared together.
In an instant, a walking storm charged forward.
Boom!
A Dragon Fang Fist crashed into Long Tianyu's chest, sending him flying like a ragdoll.
Before Feng Haoran could even process what had happened, he saw a flash—a saber gleaming with thunder qi was already slicing toward him. It struck clean. He was thrown a hundred meters away, crashing hard against the ground.
The final peak Martial Adept barely managed to lift his guard before Aladdin appeared before him like a shadow. With a single kick, the disciple was launched ten meters into the air, then smashed back down with a brutal thud.
The dust settled.
Though not as severely injured as Duan Wuji, the three disciples staggered, trembling. Blood trickled from their lips. They could still stand—but not a single one dared to.
Because now, they knew. They were completely outmatched.
This outcast... was a monster.