I Am Unaware That I Am the Peerless Martial God Chapter 1277: He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount.

As several figures plummeted into the vast desert below, the soul flame tucked within Liu Changfeng's sleeve flickered with uncertainty.

"Father..."

"That man is still sipping his tea, completely oblivious that his end is near. Once the grand formation is finished and you trigger it yourself, he will undoubtedly fall with a single blow."

"But is it truly necessary to send those elders just to stall for time?"

Liu Runan responded with a subtle, knowing smile.

"Hmph."

"You are still far too naive, much like those outer sect elders who believe everything they are told."

"If the goal was merely to slay him, a simple ambush would suffice, and there would be no need to use these mediocre fools as sacrificial pawns. However, what I desire is to take him alive. To achieve that, the Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation must be deployed—it is the only way!"

As those words were uttered, Liu Changfeng's soul flame leaped from the sleeve in shock.

The youthful face formed by the azure fire was etched with pure disbelief!

"The Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation?!"

"Father, that is an ancient formation with the power to seal all living things! If it is unleashed here, capturing that man is certain. But won't the elders be trapped inside as well?"

"They haven't reached the Desolation Realm. They cannot endure the pressure of the Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation for long; they will surely die!"

"If word of this reaches the Divine Fall Palace, how can we possibly justify it?!"

Gazing at the shivering, terrified soul flame, Liu Runan’s eyes remained frigid.

"What does it matter if these mediocres die?"

"They are already guilty of incompetence. They spent an entire day hunting the killer and found nothing. Do they even deserve the title of Divine Fall Palace elders? If it weren't for their utter uselessness, why would I have to personally step in?"

"The reputation of our Divine Fall Palace has been tarnished repeatedly. They cannot escape the blame for such failures. Now, their deaths can serve a final purpose!"

Liu Changfeng stood frozen, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"But... but those elders are at the Half-Step Desolation Realm. Losing so many at once is a massive blow to the Divine Fall Palace..."

Though he knew his father was a man of ruthless conviction, hearing such cold-blooded words was difficult to process. It felt as if he were looking at a heartless superior rather than his own flesh and blood.

Shaken to his core, Liu Changfeng found himself unable to say another word.

Observing his son's pathetic state, Liu Runan looked down at the sea of sand.

A flicker of disappointment at his son's weakness crossed his face before returning to a mask of total apathy.

"You call their deaths a loss? You call it 'perishing'??"

"Changfeng, you have been pampered with endless resources and rare treasures since birth to reach your current level. Yet, your perspective has never grown to match your status. It has been stagnant for ten thousand years, which is unacceptable."

"Only when you have gazed upon the vast sea of stars will you realize that a Half-Step Desolation Realm cultivator is nothing more than a speck of dust in the infinite universe, utterly trivial."

"The Great Dao is eternal and boundless. Unlike those mediocres, your journey is just beginning. You must not limit your vision to the present."

Liu Runan turned his piercing, icy gaze back toward the soul flame.

"Later, once you have successfully seized a new body and ascended to the Desolation Realm, even the Star Lord himself will not question this matter. No one in the Divine Fall Palace will dare to whisper a word of protest."

"Those people were mere nobodies who had reached their limit. What is there to mourn in exchanging them for your advancement into the Desolation Realm?"

"The strong are revered. That is the only truth!"

Liu Changfeng was left speechless, his pupils shaking violently.

He had heard the maxim "the strong are revered" countless times, but its true weight had never felt so heavy. With absolute power, one could truly ignore all consequences, and even the Star Lord would look the other way.

The brutal reality of the world was laid bare before him, raw and unforgiving.

In that moment, tens of thousands of years of mental Cultivation seemed to evolve. Liu Changfeng was profoundly moved.

"I am grateful for your wisdom, Father. I shall never forget it!"

At that point.

He lost all interest in the sandy depths below. Any lingering pity for the elders he once knew began to evaporate.

He wasn't to blame.

The fault lay with those elders for their weak Cultivation and lack of talent!

Whether it was those pawns or that mysterious, arrogant cultivator, they were all merely stepping stones for his path forward!

After a few moments of silence in the air, Liu Changfeng’s gaze turned just as indifferent as his father's.

Watching his father release a terrifying surge of Cultivation as ancient runes began to manifest, Liu Changfeng’s eyes burned with excitement. The sheer pressure from the initial hand seals was already far beyond anything he could achieve!

This was his father’s ultimate move. This was the pinnacle of the Great Dao he desired!

Within seconds.

Liu Runan’s aged hands blurred through complex seals. Runes flooded the sky, aligning in a mysterious pattern that began to warp the very essence of heaven and earth!

Even though the formation was incomplete, its aura was already soul-crushing.

Just watching it felt like a revelation to Liu Changfeng. He felt like a child again, looking up at his father with absolute awe. Though the man was old, the power he radiated made him seem like a god.

Anticipation swelled within the soul flame's face.

The Desolation Realm was finally within reach!

But right as father and son were swept up in their excitement.

Suddenly!

A series of horrific screams erupted from the desert floor!

"Argh..."

"How can a Desolation Realm monster like this exist in the outskirts of the Divine Land?! Who are you?!"

"This can't be happening!"

"Elder Liu, help us!"

Though the cries were distant, they were perfectly clear to Liu Runan and his son.

It sounded as if the outer sect elders had been completely annihilated...?

The two of them exchanged a silent look. Liu Runan’s hands stopped mid-seal. The air grew thick with awkwardness as they stared at one another in total confusion.

How much time had passed? Ten breaths?

That was impossibly fast!

The formation wasn't even ready, yet the cannon fodder had already been spent. No matter the opponent’s strength, taking down several Half-Step Desolation Realm experts in an instant should have been impossible!

Curse it all...

Even a pack of mindless beasts would have lasted longer than those elders.

Before they could process their frustration, a massive surge of sword Qi blasted toward the heavens!

Whoosh!

A sudden chill gripped both of their hearts!

They were now in a precarious position. The bait had died too soon. How could they finish the Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation now? And if they didn't, would they have to face him in direct combat?

Winning a direct fight might be possible, but capturing him alive would be a nightmare.

An unexpected crisis had arrived. Something was very wrong. The father and son hovered awkwardly in the sky, their faces twisted with discomfort.

They quickly turned their attention back to the sea of sand, their eyes now filled with intense caution and dread...