Chapter 406: Explosive Kill

Chen Yan closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, carefully contemplating the mysteries belonging to the 【Dragon-Slaying Phantom Slaughter Style】.

The more he contemplated it, the more confident he felt in his heart.

At the same time.

Inside Xiaoyang City, before that massive lightning hourglass, the phantom of the previous Sovereign had already vanished.

Thousands of General Stars opened their eyes in unison, with many showing looks of confusion in their eyes.

"Did you all hear clearly?"

"I only heard a faint, indistinct trace."

"It seems that if one wants to comprehend it, the requirements for one's own aptitude are very high."

"Actually, I was thinking about the path of Will the whole time, so I never really calmed my mind."

"Yeah, me too. It's shocking; such a talent, and the Xia Clan actually failed to protect him."

"I reckon that after today's events pass, the Xia Clan will likely protect him."

A series of discussions arose.

Xi Congyun slowly opened his eyes, a trace of bewilderment also appearing in them:

"I could only faintly grasp a trace, but overall, the harvest was too little. This Dragon-Slaying Phantom Slaughter Style is too profound; I simply cannot master it in a short time."

Beside him, Mu Zigui also nodded gently:

"I have the same feeling. Your comprehension is even higher than mine, and if you are like this, there is even less need for me to say anything."

Xi Congyun sighed softly, then looked toward the rest of Xiaoyang City.

Yet he saw that, a city block away, Jidao Wu, Li Muyun, and the others were also showing the same expression as him.

And it was right at this moment.

With a hum.

A flash of light flew out from within the lightning hourglass standing in the void.

"Hm?" Xi Congyun stood up instantly and looked toward the direction the flash of light flew out from, but he discovered nothing.

"Did you see it?" Xi Congyun asked.

"See what?" A look of confusion rose in Mu Zigui's eyes.

Xi Congyun shook his head; was it an illusion?

Almost the very next instant.

That flash of light that flew out from the lightning hourglass submerged deep into the center of Chen Yan's brow.

This flash appeared in the blink of an eye, and no one noticed it at all.

At the same time.

Chen Yan, still sitting cross-legged, had a flicker in his gaze.

Inside his mind, a figure suddenly appeared, and a mirror also appeared within his Origin Space.

"Long time no see, General Yan."

A faint, smiling voice echoed in Chen Yan's mind.

This was the voice of the Sovereign, Xia Qi.

Chen Yan was startled and tried to reply with his consciousness.

"Sovereign?"

"It is I." Xia Qi's voice sounded:

"This is a long-distance voice transmission. I used the Lightning Strike Treasure Land as a relay station to establish communication with you."

Xia Qi's voice carried a sigh:

"General Yan, you have truly not made a sound until now, but once you did, you soared to the heavens. The path of Will—I never expected there to be a brand new martial path in the human world."

Chen Yan replied with his consciousness:

"It is indeed a powerful martial path."

"Mm." Xia Qi nodded:

"I have come now to explain the function of the Lightning Strike Treasure Land to you."

"Sovereign, please speak."

Xia Qi said slowly:

"I designed this Lightning Strike Treasure Land myself, but the design plan was proposed by my Imperial Father. The reason is that my Imperial Father discovered that the more powerful a genius is, especially those who break through realms, their advancement cannot be protected by the martial path.

The most critical point is the advancement to the Law-Extinguishing Realm of the Tempering path. Anyone advancing from the Origin Realm to the Law-Extinguishing Realm will attract a lightning tribulation.

My Imperial Father proposed a theory: the longer a breakthrough genius stays in the Origin Realm, the more terrifying the lightning tribulation they will attract.

This is why I prepared the Lightning Strike Treasure Land for you, so that you could advance to the Law-Extinguishing Realm in a short period of time."

Chen Yan's expression tightened slightly.

This was the first time he had heard this viewpoint.

However, Chen Yan had already heard that one would encounter a lightning tribulation when advancing to the Law-Extinguishing Realm.

Human martial paths are all more or less related to the rules of heaven and earth.

But the Tempering path has taken the opposite road.

To put it simply.

The realms of the Qi-Blood path are the fourth realm, Origin Realm; the fifth realm, Law-True Realm; the sixth realm, Self-Fusion Realm; and the seventh realm, Creation Realm.

The Qi-Blood path, whether it is the Law-True Realm or the Self-Fusion Realm, advocates a path of merging the external with the self.

But the Tempering path is different: the fourth realm, Origin Realm; the fifth realm, Law-Extinguishing Realm; the sixth realm, Sole-Self Realm; and the seventh realm, Creation Realm.

This is related to the state of mind of the two Masters of Martial Arts when they created their martial paths.

The only certainty is that the Horizontal Refining path is a martial path that isolates oneself from the outside world and walks the path of physical strength alone.

This point is actually quite close to the path of Will.

The Horizontal Refining path, when advancing to the fifth realm, the Law-Extinguishing Realm, will inevitably encounter a lightning tribulation.

Because the Law-Extinguishing Realm is a process of completely severing oneself from the outside world.

As for the point that the longer a Heaven-Defying Prodigy stays in the Origin Realm, the more terrifying the lightning tribulation they will attract, Chen Yan had actually heard of this for the first time.

"It is a very simple principle: the longer you stay in the Origin Realm, the longer you, in the Origin Realm, will spend with the heavens and earth.

The deeper your bond with the heavens and earth will be, and the more difficult it will be to extinguish the laws.

Especially for Heaven-Defying Prodigies; the heavens and earth like this type of prodigy more and will not let them break away from the laws of the heavens and earth."

Xia Qi smiled and said:

"The most intuitive example is Lu Xunyang. When he stepped into the Law-Extinguishing Realm back then, the lightning tribulation was universal and almost wiped him out completely.

Ever since Lu Xunyang, my Imperial Father proposed the concept of designing the Lightning-Striking Treasure Land, specifically to avoid the recurrence of such a prodigy as Lu Xunyang encountering misfortune.

You have broken through realms more times than Lu Xunyang, your attraction to the heavens and earth is even stronger, and the lightning tribulation you will encounter in the future will only be greater!"

Chen Yan's eyes trembled slightly.

When Lu Xunyang advanced to the Law-Extinguishing Realm, was it truly that tragic?

Only at this moment did Chen Yan realize the importance of the Lightning-Striking Treasure Land.

It was to allow Chen Yan to enter the Law-Extinguishing Realm in the shortest possible time, severing Chen Yan's connection with the heavens and earth.

Otherwise, every extra minute Chen Yan spent in the Origin Realm would add a sliver of danger.

The Xia clan was saving him.

"Many thanks, Sovereign." Chen Yan said in his heart.

"No need for thanks." Xia Qi smiled and said:

"Seven days from now, General Yan will be appointed. The Lightning-Striking Treasure Land will temper your body. Once you reach the Law-Extinguishing Realm at that time, the Lightning-Striking Treasure Land will unfold a lightning light protection to withstand a portion of the lightning tribulation for you.

But I am still worried."

Chen Yan paused in his heart:

"Is there any other problem?"

Xia Qi replied:

"I have said that you are even more extraordinary than Lu Xunyang; the lightning tribulation you are about to attract will only be more terrifying than the one Lu Xunyang faced back then.

Therefore, I have used a drop of my Imperial Father's essence blood to manifest his phantom, to teach you the Phantom-Slaughter Dragon-Culling Style.

The Phantom-Slaughter Dragon-Culling Style is a Horizontal Refining martial art created by my Imperial Father. When the Continent Brightness descends with the lightning tribulation, General Yan will only need to execute the Phantom-Slaughter Dragon-Culling Style."

Chen Yan's heart trembled; within this one sentence from Xia Qi, a heaven-shaking secret seemed to have been revealed.

"That's right, after my Imperial Father died, he transformed into the Continent Brightness of Qin Prefecture.

After I die, I must also take over as the Continent Brightness of Tui Prefecture, becoming the next Continent Brightness of Tui Prefecture."

Chen Yan fell silent.

Even though he knew the descendants of the Xia Lord all lived extremely miserable lives.

He had not expected that even a dignified Sovereign would need to do such things.

The founding sovereign of the Great Xia is truly a person who is both detestable and awe-inspiring.

Xia Qi spoke indifferently:

"General Yan has excellent aptitude. You only need to practice the Phantom-Slaughter Dragon-Culling Style to the introductory level before the appointment. When you undergo the tribulation, executing it will awaken my father's benevolent thoughts, causing him to show mercy and weaken the lightning tribulation."

Xia Qi's voice gradually faded:

"By the way, that mirror in your origin space is the Continent Brightness Mirror. It can simulate the lightning tribulation that General Yan will encounter in the future with absolute realism. You should adapt to it first."

In the moonlit night.

Chen Yan was silent for a long time.

It must be said that Xia Qi had prepared extremely well for him.

In every aspect.

Only now did Chen Yan know the full purpose of the Lightning-Striking Treasure Land.

Chen Yan sighed with emotion; he suddenly felt that if Xia Qi could live a few more years, the future of the Great Xia would definitely not be bad.

"You treat me with sincerity, and I will not let you down."

Chen Yan whispered in his heart, took a deep breath, and looked at the extra mirror in his origin space.

This is the Continent Brightness Mirror.

It can simulate the lightning tribulation that Chen Yan will encounter in the future with absolute realism.

Chen Yan set this matter aside for the moment.

He turned his attention back to the Saint-Breaking Realm.

【Break: 81/100】

From today's lecture, Chen Yan gained a great deal.

The progress of the 【Break】 character Saint-Breaking Fruit had reached eighty-one, and it was not far from maturity.

This is the power of faith.

Previously, Chen Yan had struggled to death just to condense three un-advanced 【Break】 character Saint-Breaking Fruits.

Put into today's terms, that is three percent.

But after consuming the faith fruit, everything changed.

Chen Yan felt that if he were to pretend... to manifest holiness before others a few more times, this 【Break】 character Saint-Breaking Fruit would be ripe.

One maturity equals one hundred energy-type fruits.

This will be the greatest fortuitous encounter Chen Yan has obtained since his birth!

It is even more precious than that Lightning Strike Treasure Land itself.

How exactly should one acquire faith?

Chen Yan was troubled.

Those who should have been killed have already been killed, and what should have been said has already been said.

If only another Lu Xuanzhi or An Qing could appear for him to kill once more, that would be great.

Chen Yan frowned.

Subsequently, Chen Yan condensed a communication array disk, and the array disk connected quickly.

"Are you short on resources recently?" Chen Yan spoke up.

"Not short, buddy, I'm really not short this time."

Jiang Yuan chuckled, then immediately disconnected the communication.

Outside Xiaoyang City, Jiang Yuan gave a low shout:

"If I cooperate with you again, I'm a pig!"

A strange smile still lingered on the corners of Jiang Yuan's mouth, as if an unbearable power was erupting.

"Hahahahahaha!!!"

He laughed out loud, his eyes nearly tearing up from the laughter.

He had discovered a fact that even he found hard to accept.

That is, ever since cooperating with Chen Yan, he, Jiang Yuan, the head of the Second-Rank General Stars, had been played like a monkey by Chen Yan all along.

The only time he won, absorbing the malicious blood energy, Jiang Yuan had originally thought he had successfully tricked Chen Yan.

After all, he, Jiang Yuan, had awakened a brand-new Martial Dao and could grind away malice.

But until last night.

The will pressure overflowing from Chen Yan was no less than his own.

Moreover, Chen Yan even said that the Immortal Body was a higher-level ability of the Will Martial Dao.

This indicated that Chen Yan's strength in the path of will was even stronger than his own.

Jiang Yuan felt he was living in stifling misery!

Better not to live at all!

Jiang Yuan chuckled, took out an instrument similar to a mobile phone, on which a rough map was displayed, with six light dots moving across it.

"Besides, why should I join forces with you?

This time, buddy is going to make a big profit!"

Jiang Yuan had long known that the Aristocratic Family Alliance would relocate their assets, so he had been tracking them secretly all along.

These light dots represented the locations of the various base managers, and now he was going to go harvest them directly.

On one of the tips of the Martial Dao veins, Jiang Yuan's face was clearly displayed.

Chen Yan sighed lightly.

Why go to such lengths?

On another Martial Dao tip.

That white-clothed youth who had just entered the Will Martial Dao appeared inside the Tie Prefecture military camp.

He met with a Xia clan noble named Xia Chenwang.

It was only just now, when the other party was in contact with Lu Menghan, that Chen Yan learned this person was named Lu Fusan, the number one on the world's Fifth-Rank Ranking.

Naturally, Chen Yan also observed all of the other party's preparations.

Lu Fusan's strand of soul clone, as well as that Seventh-Rank martial artist, Dark Thorn.

The reason Chen Yan was not worried.

Was because he could sense a trace of emotion that was subtle to the extreme.

Originally, that hidden existence should have been extremely powerful and should not have been perceived by Chen Yan.

But yesterday and today, that existence clearly had two moments of emotional eruption.

Especially in that instant just now, that existence revealed a very fearful emotion.

He did not know why it was fearful, but it was not because of Chen Yan.

It was precisely the emotions that erupted during these two points in time that made Chen Yan certain that an extremely powerful existence had been protecting him all along.

Since he knew this, Chen Yan would no longer have any worries.

Chen Yan stood up; everything was ready, and it was time to make a move.

Tie Prefecture.

Inside a military tent.

Xia Chenwang, wearing a suit of battle armor, sat in the main seat, and at the head of the side seats was that Lu Fusan, dressed in white.

Although it was a military tent, the interior was luxuriously decorated, and four night-luminescent pearls hanging from the top of the tent emitted a soft light.

Three women dressed in light gauze with graceful figures were singing along to piano music inside the tent, swaying their waists.

These three women were all famous singers and dancers in Tie Prefecture.

Each of them had millions of fans, and one even had tens of millions.

But inside this tent, they were merely playthings for the powerful.

Xia Chenwang narrowed his eyes, watching the singing and dancing, then turned his head to look at Lu Fusan sitting to the side and chuckled:

"Do you see any you like?

If you like all three, then they are yours tonight."

King Xiachen laughed loudly, and the three female celebrities who were still singing and dancing increased the intensity of their swaying figures upon hearing this.

Who does not know the name of Lu Fusang?

The number one Fifth-Rank in the world, he is the second Lu Xunyang cultivated by the Lu Clan.

The young man named Lu Fusang drank his wine and gave a faint smile:

"Common, vulgar powder; at a glance, their kidney essence is exhausted, their physical bodies withered—a pile of trash."

As his voice fell, the expressions of the three female celebrities still singing and dancing all changed, but they still tried their best to sway their waists.

King Xiachen gave an awkward smile and raised his cup:

"Brother Ming'an is about to become a prince consort; my Xia Clan and the Lu Clan will be one family from now on."

Lu Fusang smiled faintly and also raised his cup.

King Xiachen waved his hand, ordering the three female celebrities to withdraw, then asked Lu Fusang:

"Tell your brother, what are you coming to the Xia Clan to do?"

Lu Fusang smiled faintly:

"To take revenge, to learn martial arts, and to be appointed as a general to make a name for myself."

King Xiachen was stunned, then immediately spoke:

"Kill Chen Yan, learn..."

Lu Fusang spoke:

"Phantom Slaughter Dragon-Stripping Style!"

Clearly, the two were well-informed and had long since known about what had happened in Xiaoyang.

King Xiachen's expression changed slightly.

He was shocked by the very first thing Lu Fusang said.

Kill Chen Yan.

The commotion that Chen Yan had caused was not small; whether it was the two hundred and twenty-four Extreme Satin Patterns or the Path of Will, both were enough to shock the human world.

He had not expected that Lu Fusang actually still wanted to kill Chen Yan.

"Chen Yan will die tonight; what I care about is only the Phantom Slaughter Dragon-Stripping Style and being appointed as a general."

Lu Fusang spoke with a smile on his face.

King Xiachen was astonished.

Lu Fusang was actually being serious; the other party was not even a General Star.

At the same time.

Outside Xiaoyang City.

Within the void.

Lu Menghan watched Chen Yan below quietly, her eyes narrowed.

She took out a communication array disk and began to contact:

"Dark Thorn, have you arrived?"

From within the array disk, a voice cold to the extreme was transmitted:

"I have arrived, that damned Tan Yishi!"

A trace of a smile appeared on the corner of Lu Menghan's mouth, and she cut off the communication.

Yet at this very moment.

Above the distant sky, a beam of light approached; it was an illusory white-clothed figure.

Handsome in appearance, it was exactly the same as the face of the number one Fifth-Rank, Lu Fusang.

"Brother Fusang!"

Lu Menghan's face showed joy, but she quickly realized something was wrong.

This split soul of Lu Fusang did not conceal its aura; it was clear that it had absolutely been detected by Chen Yan.

But soon, a trace of a smile appeared on the corner of Lu Menghan's mouth.

At this moment, even if that split soul appeared, so what?

Dark Thorn was about to arrive, and there were still she and Lu Fusang's split soul here.

That Chen Yan would surely die.

Above the distant sky, Lu Fusang's split soul bloomed with clear light, a trace of an indifferent smile appearing on the corner of his mouth.

Looking from afar, the originally sitting Chen Yan had already stood up, but he was not looking at him.

Lu Fusang frowned slightly; Chen Yan should have already discovered him.

The next moment.

Lu Fusang's expression trembled slightly.

With a boom.

Chen Yan punched toward the void above his head, and in an instant, the space shattered, revealing a pitch-black void space.

Within this void space stood the body of Lu Menghan.

"You!"

Lu Menghan let out a cry of alarm.

"Wait!"

In the distance, Lu Fusang let out a low roar.

The next moment, Chen Yan's body had already drilled into the void, not giving Lu Fusang any chance to speak at all.

Boom!

Within the torn-open void, a deafening sound suddenly rang out.

The next moment.

Lu Menghan's headless corpse was kicked out from within the nothingness by Chen Yan.