# Chapter 89: Spear and Shield
Han Li turned his head to glance at Sect Leader Wang. He saw Wang Juechu's face dark with worry as he conferred with three unfamiliar figures beside him—men whose brows bore the weight of years—who seemed equally troubled by the golden glow emanating from the dwarf.
Gold Light Immortal's eerie laughter rang out again. In the midst of his cackling, he tilted his head back, nostrils flaring toward the sky, then bellowed with arrogant bravado: "This Immortal will stand right here and let you attack at will. If anyone can break through my Diamond Indestructible Body, then perhaps I might spare your wretched lives." Having said this, he burst into another round of mocking laughter.
These words from Gold Light Immortal utterly enraged the disciples of the Sect of Seven Mysteries, who had already harbored some fear of the golden barrier. Immediately, several martial artists of considerable skill attempted to rush from the crowd toward the dwarf, but Sect Leader Wang stopped them.
Wang Juechu waved his hand, summoning the guardian still on the field back to his side. He then whispered a few words to the burly man among the three beside him. The man nodded and strode forward with deliberate steps until he stood before the dwarf.
The dwarf stared at the bearded man before him, a flash of venomous hatred crossing his eyes.
It should be known that due to his congenital physical deformity, he had been mocked since childhood. As a result, he harbored a deep loathing for anyone tall and imposing—the man before him fell squarely within that category. He was already contemplating what cruel methods he would use to torture his opponent.
This broad-chested, bare-armed man was one of Wang Juechu's three grand-uncles. Despite his full beard giving him the appearance of a rough brute, his actual age had long surpassed sixty. As a once-renowned general of the Sect of Seven Mysteries who had slain countless enemies, he would not rashly attack this peculiar golden barrier.
The man carefully examined the golden radiance, then glanced at Gold Light Immortal within it. He cracked a grin, then suddenly extended two fingers and lightly tapped the golden barrier, producing a clear, resonant "clang."
This casual gesture enraged Gold Light Immortal, who snarled with dark menace: "You brute—do you wish for this Immortal to send you to reincarnation sooner!"
Hearing this, the man's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he took a step forward, arriving at the dwarf's side, then lifted his leg and appeared behind the dwarf.
In this manner, the man began circling around Gold Light Immortal as the center, his strides growing ever wider, his circle turning ever faster. In the blink of an eye, his figure blurred into a haze, impossible to track.
Dizzied by the relentless circling, Gold Light Immortal grew even more furious. Without thinking, he reached into his robes, apparently to retrieve something.
The bearded man, still circling, naturally observed this movement.
He suddenly threw back his head and unleashed a long howl—a sound that resembled both a dragon's roar and a tiger's cry, powerful and sustained, making every person on Sunset Peak's ears ring, even causing the leaves on nearby trees to tremble.
The howl struck Gold Light Immortal with such force that his limbs went weak. His hand, already inside his robes, could not be withdrawn.
Suddenly, a series of sharp cracks echoed from the man's body—the sound of joints popping, crisp and loud, growing more rapid until they resembled a torrential downpour, even drowning out the howl for an instant.
When the man once again circled to the dwarf's front, he halted. Both the howl and the crackling ceased simultaneously.
Only now, as the dazed onlookers recovered their senses, did they realize the man's body had swelled to more than twice its original size. The muscles on his chest and arms bulged outward, appearing as dark and lustrous as wrought iron. Compared to the dwarf, he now seemed like a giant.
Having gained this brief respite, Gold Light Immortal finally withdrew an elongated wooden box from within his robes. The box was entirely pitch-black, affixed with a talisman paper that appeared to seal the item inside.
Before the dwarf could tear off the talisman paper, the giant-like man had already extended a palm-sized fist and struck the golden barrier with a devastating blow. The golden light shuddered and deformed, sending the dwarf's body rocking unsteadily, making it impossible for him to calmly remove the seal.
Gold Light Immortal felt a chill of alarm. He knew full well the power of his golden barrier—yet this man had managed to deform it with a single strike. What kind of monstrous strength would that require? His contemptuous attitude evaporated entirely, and his hands moved even faster to tear away the talisman paper.
*Rip*—the talisman paper finally came free.
A flicker of triumph had just appeared on Gold Light Immortal's face when a series of thunderous impacts rang out against the barrier. His body shook with each blow until he could no longer maintain his footing and collapsed onto the ground.
Only then did he realize the man before him was attacking with fists and feet alike, launching a relentless, storm-like assault against the golden barrier. The shield of light around him was being kneaded like dough, buckling inward and bulging outward with every strike, bending and deforming under the onslaught. That layer of golden radiance seemed as though it might shatter at any moment.
Watching this unfold, Gold Light Immortal's face changed drastically. He could no longer maintain the composure of an Immortal Master. In a panic, he began forming hand seals and chanting incantations. Unfortunately, in his frantic state, he made numerous errors—the black box remained utterly motionless.
Watching all of this from behind, Jia Tianlong was struck with astonishment.
On one hand, he was speechless at Gold Light Immortal's idiotic behavior; on the other, he was stunned by Wang Juechu's grand-uncle's martial prowess. He had personally tested the power of Gold Light Immortal's golden barrier before—it was truly impervious to blades and spears, resistant to fire and water, a defense as hard as diamond. Yet now, this barrier was trembling under the man's fists and feet, being kneaded and deformed at will.
This was simply inconceivable! This man's skills were far too profound and unfathomable!
The thought that two more equally formidable experts stood on the opposite side made Jia Tianlong experience, for the first time, a flicker of regret for his hasty agreement to the death match. Only now did he understand why the other side had been so confident in demanding such a confrontation. With three monstrous experts like these as their backing, if roles were reversed, he too would have eagerly demanded a blood duel.
With this in mind, Jia Tianlong looked at the dwarf, who was clearly at a disadvantage. He was already considering whether he should send someone to aid this prestigious Immortal Master—lest the man perish in confusion before he even had a chance to unleash his signature flying sword technique.