World's Strongest Martial Warrior

He Chenyi crashed back to the earth, using the Purple Lightning Immortal Blade in his grasp to prop himself up. It was only then that he managed to steady his trembling form. A gush of fresh blood spewed violently from his mouth.    

"I never imagined the tree demon could muster such formidable power," he muttered, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his complexion deathly pale.    

In their excitement, they had nearly perished at the hands of this tree demon due to a moment's inattention!    

Peter Parker inhaled deeply, forcefully quelling the tumultuous Qi within him. "The tree demon has expended a great deal of energy to launch that attack. We'll have an easier time handling it shortly."    

He Chenyi nodded in agreement and promptly began to meditate, seeking to restore his energy.    

Just moments ago, he and Peter Parker had joined forces to eradicate the roots of the tree demon. The exertion had been immense, and to make matters worse, he had sustained a heavy blow from the creature. The situation was dire, and he needed to regain his strength as quickly as possible.    

However...    

No sooner had He Chenyi settled into a cross-legged position than a violent spatial disturbance erupted in the sky behind them.    

In an instant...    

A black-clad young man, hands clasped behind his back, stepped through the air with an effortless grace.    

This mysterious figure moved with astonishing speed, materializing above Peter Parker and the others in the blink of an eye. He paid them no heed, instead darting toward the Tree Yao Essence Fruit perched atop the tree demon's branch.    

"Is that him?"    

Peter Parker's eyes narrowed at the sight of the newcomer.    

The youth in black was the enigmatic Eighth Stage True Immortal from the Lu Family, a being even more formidable than Lu Hongyu in Peter Parker's estimation. It was unexpected for him to appear at this juncture.    

A suspicion dawned on Peter Parker that this youth had been lurking in the shadows all along, biding his time as they battled the tree demon, waiting until they were both gravely wounded. It seemed he intended to play the proverbial oriole to their mantis and cicada, swooping in at the last moment for his prize.    

"How dare you!"    

He Chenyi's shout echoed as he witnessed someone audaciously trying to steal his prize right before his eyes.    

Without hesitation, he sprang into action, brandishing the Purple Lightning Immortal Blade and slashing at the black-clothed youth.    

The youth, merely an eighth-grade True Immortal, seemed no match for him.    

Despite not being at his best, He Chenyi was confident that the Violet Electricity Immortal Saber would easily dispatch such a lowly opponent.    

"Lu Chenyi, scion of the Lu Family from Long River Immortal City. At your peak, you might have posed a threat. But in your current state, what right do you have to challenge me?" taunted the black-clothed youth, his faint smile chilling as a frigid aura emanated from him, plummeting the temperature and whipping up a blizzard.    

In the midst of the snowstorm, the youth's palm struck out at He Chenyi.    

Boom!    

The palm, simple in appearance, unleashed a maelstrom of snow, a colossal ice palm generating blizzards that clashed with He Chenyi's attack. The intense cold seemed capable of freezing the very world.    

Boom!    

The ice palm met the Purple Lightning Immortal Saber, and in an instant, both shattered. The explosion of cold energy surged toward He Chenyi.    

He groaned, his body plummeting from the sky before crashing into the earth, forming a massive crater.    

Battered and bloodied, He Chenyi spat out a mouthful of blood, his face now ashen.    

Looking up at the black-clothed figure hovering above, fear etched into his features, he stammered, "You... Who are you?"    

It was beyond his comprehension.    

This youth, at the same eighth-stage True Immortal Realm, wielded a power that seemed to rival even He Chenyi's own at full strength.    

Wasn't the Great Luo Mystic Realm's opening this time limited to the prodigies from Heavenly Water Immortal City and Long River Immortal City within the True Immortal Realm? He Chenyi had long been celebrated as the premier genius in both cities, with scarcely anyone able to match his prowess at the same level of cultivation.    

However, the emergence of a formidable talent like Peter Parker in the Great Luo Secret Realm was unexpected. A mere seventh-grade True Immortal, he wielded a fearsome power that rivaled that of a ninth-grade True Immortal such as He Chenyi.    

And now, a youth clad in black had made his appearance. An eighth-grade True Immortal, his strength appeared to be on par with He Chenyi's as well. It was baffling to He Chenyi how two such extraordinary geniuses could emerge in succession from Heavenly Water Immortal City and Long River Immortal City.    

"All the Tree Fairy Fruits here are claimed by this young master, Ten Thousand Starfrost of the Cangyun Immortal Estate. If you value your life, vanish from my sight at once." As He Chenyi grappled with his shock, the black-clad youth's commanding and chilling voice echoed across the heavens and earth.    

This individual... it was Wan Xinghan from the Cangyun Immortal Estate!    

Upon hearing him speak, the faces of all those present were etched with alarm. Luo Qing'er couldn't contain her surprise, "That's Wan Xinghan from the Cangyun Immortal Estate!"    

"Is Wan Xinghan that well-known?" Peter Parker inquired, noting the reactions of Luo Qing'er and the others, a hint of curiosity in his gaze.    

Though Peter Parker was unfamiliar with Wan Xinghan, he was well aware of the esteemed reputation of the Cangyun Immortal Manor—a major power within the Great Luo that governed the Cangyun State. No wonder Wan Xinghan, hailing from the Azure Cloud Immortal Estate, exuded an aura that seemed even more intimidating than that of Lu Hongyu, despite being an eighth-grade True Immortal.    

With a grave expression, Luo Qing'er informed Peter Parker, "Big Brother Peter, Wan Xinghan is a celebrated prodigy of the Cangyun Immortal Abode. His talents are so exceptional that he's likely among the top five in the entire Azure Cloud State. There are even rumors that he once defeated a first-grade Heaven Immortal with just three punches, all while being a mere seventh-grade True Immortal!"    

Upon hearing Luo Qing'er's words, Peter Parker's pupils involuntarily contracted.    

In the realm of the Immortals, it wasn't uncommon for gifted True Immortal prodigies to leapfrog over their peers and defeat those of a higher rank.    

Yet, engaging in combat across different realms was an entirely different challenge, even for a True Immortal.    

A ninth-grade True Immortal of He Chenyi's caliber would be a formidable opponent indeed, and without resorting to a trump card such as a Heavenly Immortal treasure, overcoming a first-grade True Immortal would be no small feat.    

Wan Xinghan, a seventh-grade True Immortal, had managed to vanquish a first-grade Heavenly Immortal, suggesting his innate talent might even surpass He Chenyi's extraordinary abilities.    

Peter Parker observed Wan Xinghan as he made a beeline for the Tree Fairy Fruit. He made no move to intervene; instead, he retrieved an immortal crystal to replenish the energy he had expended earlier.    

Wan Xinghan's prowess and strength were acknowledged to be greater than He Chenyi's. At his full strength, Peter would have faced Wan Xinghan without trepidation.    

However, the recent skirmish with the tree demon had drained over half of his True Immortal energy. Engaging Wan Xinghan now was out of the question.    

For the moment, his only option was to bide his time and focus on regaining his strength as swiftly as possible.