Chapter 408: Strength Skyrockets

"Fight!"

Chen Yan stood quietly above the void, his face cold and stern, like a silent iceberg.

As the Master of Martial Dao, to be challenged by a martial artist of the Will path.

This is likely something people of the world could hardly imagine.

Chen Yan did not directly obliterate Lu Fusang's Will path strength; instead, he wanted to see just how far this person could go.

The number one of the world's Fifth Realm?

Just how strong is he?

Chen Yan did not believe he would be weaker than the other party.

He appeared to be only at the Fourth Realm, but he cultivated the three physical martial paths of Qi-Blood, Horizontal Refining, and Will.

And the three auxiliary martial paths of Elements, Formations, and True Intent.

It had been a long time since Chen Yan encountered an opponent who could make him exert his full strength.

Even Yu Changsheng was unbearably weak in front of Chen Yan.

Chen Yan was somewhat excited; could he, as he was now, actually fight the number one of the Fifth Realm?

Even if he couldn't now, what about after absorbing those resources from the underground organizations of the Aristocratic Family Alliance?

Subsequently, Chen Yan sensed his Saint-Breaking Realm.

At this moment, there was actually a deep blue light flickering; the 【Break】 character Saint-Breaking Fruit was growing.

Eighty-one percent.

Eighty-two percent.

Eighty-three percent.

Because of Chen Yan's fearless acceptance of the challenge, faith sprouted in the hearts of more people.

A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Chen Yan's mouth; this was much better than him struggling desperately to break his limits.

Above the void, the golden Dharma-image giant's gaze was indifferent as it stared fixedly at Chen Yan, who stood in the void:

"Six days from now, a battle at Xiaoyang!"

Immediately, the Dharma-image giant slowly vanished.

Chen Yan narrowed his eyes and walked toward Xiaoyang City.

The reason Chen Yan had left Xiaoyang City was precisely to harvest the resources of the Aristocratic Family Alliance.

Now that everything was settled, he could head home and begin cultivation.

The challenge to Lu Fusang clearly caused a shock to the world once again.

The living beings of Xiaoyang City were clearly destined to be sleepless tonight.

Lu Fusang's voice traveled from Tie Province to Qin Province, crossing mountains and seas, a distance of tens of thousands of miles.

On the earth, the residents of the two provinces who had already fallen asleep were also awakened by the voice just now.

Qingshan Town, inside a private residence in Luoshan County.

The burly Hu Yuan and his father, Hu Zeyuan, hadn't even finished dressing before they rushed into the courtyard, gazing at the void.

The sky had already gone dark, but at this moment, there were still tiny specks of golden light drifting in the void.

"Dad..."

Hu Yuan spoke with difficulty:

"Was that great person just now challenging Chen Yan?"

Hu Yuan's breathing was extremely rapid; that powerful existence had only leaked a trace of pressure, yet it nearly made him faint.

To think, it was just to declare war on Chen Yan.

Had Chen Yan already become that strong?

Hu Yuan stood stunned in place, his mouth agape as he looked at the void.

It was as if the scenes he had once experienced with Chen Yan were playing out once more.

That towering existence had once knocked him down with a single punch at Qingshan High School and said the word "clown."

At the time, Hu Yuan was furious to the extreme, but as time slowly passed, this "clown" had been deeply etched into his life.

At the edge of the village.

Inside a small, quaintly decorated courtyard.

Wang Yang walked out of the newly built cultivation room, faint Qi-Blood flames still flickering on his body.

At this moment, he was also looking at the void in horror.

When Chen Yu brought that pile of supreme treasures to Wang Yang, Wang Yang had been completely dumbfounded.

He hadn't expected that his student had always remembered him.

Those items were enough for Wang Yang to establish a massive family like the Gong family, but Wang Yang did not; instead, he continued to live in Luoshan County.

He believed that sooner or later, his student would return home under the reverence of the masses.

"This child."

Wang Yang sighed softly; Chen Yan seemed to have encountered trouble again.

But throughout history, what powerful existence hasn't encountered layer upon layer of obstacles?

As a teacher, Wang Yang could no longer help Chen Yan, but he believed that Chen Yan would definitely win.

Only those who understood Chen Yan would know how much fearlessness and grandeur were condensed beneath Chen Yan's fists.

Border of Qin Province.

Chen Qi, dressed in white, stood by the clouds with a man in green, watching the scene that had just occurred.

"The Lu clan is getting carried away; do they really think my Chen clan has no one?"

Before Chen Qi could speak, the man in green robes beside him let out a low hum.

Chen Qi smiled faintly:

"Since that is the case, Chen Musheng, you go to Xiaoyang first to meet with Chen Yan."

The man named Chen Musheng was taken aback:

"Great Elder, are you not going?"

Chen Qi shook his head.

It was not that he did not want to go, but the figure he had seen that day, along with the hundreds of thousands of corpses beneath that figure, made Chen Qi feel uneasy even now.

"I will stay at the border of Qinzhou; if anything happens, I will step in, but I am not going now," Chen Qi said.

As the Great Elder of the Chen Clan, Chen Qi was not afraid of death.

But he would not participate in a crisis event where he could not make a decision.

Chen Qi concluded that an Eighth-Rank fall event would certainly occur at that Thunder-Strike Treasure Land.

"Understood!"

The man named Chen Musheng nodded:

"I will definitely bring Chen Yan back!"

"Go," Chen Qi smiled:

"The Path of Will, two hundred and twenty-four Extreme Satin Patterns; this kid always gives me a massive surprise."

…………

Outside Xiaoyang City.

Jidao Wu and the other General Stars also had mixed expressions due to the duel between Chen Yan and Lu Fusang.

"Although Chen Yan is a genius, how is he going to fight the number one of the Fifth Rank?"

Li Muyun frowned:

"Unless he still has a trump card, but how could he possibly still have a trump card?"

As Li Muyun spoke, Jidao Wu and Yin Youming also frowned.

Chen Yan had already exposed enough; it was impossible for him to have any hidden abilities left.

If he still had hidden abilities, then they, these Second-Rank General Stars, might as well go die.

"Don't forget, Chen Yan's courage assessment is the number one in the Great Xia; he even dared to kill Lu Xuanzhi, so what do you think?"

Beside them, Yin Youming gave a dry laugh.

Jidao Wu and Li Muyun understood.

They saw it now.

And they understood.

So that was it.

"How did he train his guts?"

"Who knows?"

"Then he really isn't worried about dying in battle."

"His courage is number one, after all."

The three fell into silence.

They all had some appreciation and recognition for Chen Yan, otherwise they would not have repeatedly withstood the pressure from the Xia Clan to help Chen Yan.

"I have always been unwilling to see such a genius die," Jidao Wu said:

"Especially since the Xunyang faction clearly advances and retreats with Chen Yan; Chen Yan is the successor to the Xunyang Divine General!"

As Jidao Wu's voice fell, Li Muyun and Yin Youming's expressions trembled.

Lu Xunyang!

This person had disappeared for a long time, but still had a huge influence on them.

"The Xia Clan has no guts," Li Muyun sighed softly.

"What are you spouting nonsense for? Be careful about getting caught!"

A crisp female voice rang out; it was the Second-Rank General Star Jiang Miaoxuan who had arrived.

Jiang Miaoxuan looked at Yin Youming and said:

"Yin Youming, what you are best at is simulating other people's combat."

"You have fought Lu Fusang several times; why don't you go fight Chen Yan in private, so that Chen Yan can figure out Lu Fusang's combat style."

Yin Youming was slightly startled.

He fell into deep thought.

He had actually done many things against the Xia Clan because of Chen Yan.

In the past, it was all hot-bloodedness, and he did not regret it.

But today, his father called and scolded him for a long time.

If he went now...

"Go, if something happens, I will take the blame for you," Jidao Wu said.

Yin Youming was taken aback, then nodded.

"I think you all have misunderstood one point," Jiang Miaoxuan said with a faint smile:

"The Xia Clan has never helped Chen Yan openly, but the Xia Clan has also never suppressed Chen Yan openly."

As Jiang Miaoxuan's voice fell, Yin Youming and the other two were instantly stunned.

"That's right," Jidao Wu smiled:

"Don't worry."

Yin Youming nodded and sighed softly.

…………

Inside the cultivation room of the Military Guard.

Chen Yan sat cross-legged, a mirror appearing in his hand.

This was the Continent-Illuminating Mirror that Xia Qi had given him, capable of realistically simulating a Fifth-Rank Lightning Tribulation.

Prodigies who break through to the Law-Extinguishing Realm would actually encounter powerful lightning tribulations.

Even Chen Yan himself did not know how many times he had broken the martial arts limits of the Body-Refining path.

Perhaps the lightning tribulation he would face would be the most terrifying Law-Extinguishing Realm tribulation in history.

Chen Yan stroked the Continent-Illuminating Mirror with one hand, his mind stirring.

The next moment.

His consciousness dove into the Continent-Illuminating Mirror.

This was a scarlet and desolate land; the boundless ground was like an ancient piece of silk, wantonly stained by the giant hands of time.

The moment Chen Yan appeared.

Boom!

Above the dark, heavy sky, rolling thunder suddenly condensed.

Chen Yan's Body-Refining divine physique uncontrollably appeared behind him.

At this moment, the nine hundred and ninety-nine True Dragon Dharma Images upon that divine physique had completely solidified.

This was the state the Continent-Illuminating Mirror simulated when Chen Yan had reached the limit of the Origin Realm.

In fact, up until now, Chen Yan had only condensed a total of two hundred and sixty-seven True Dragon phases.

At the same time.

High above the sky.

The rolling thunder condensed, transforming into a giant human face that swallowed the heavens and earth, appearing like a god descending to the world, majestic and mysterious.

Countless bolts of lightning intertwined and coiled before the forehead of this face, as if pulled by a mysterious force.

Gradually condensing into shape, they transformed into nine giant thunder flames floating beneath the human face.

The next moment.

Boom!!!

One of the nine thunder flames descended in an instant.

It transformed into a giant pillar of lightning a full thousand meters in diameter, striking toward Chen Yan and slamming into his physical body in an instant.

Almost in an instant.

Chen Yan's skin and flesh were blasted apart, leaving him no longer in human form.

Inside the Continent-Illuminating Mirror, Chen Yan gasped violently.

This was only a single bolt of lightning, and he had nearly died.

The next moment.

Boom!

Another thunder flame crashed down; Chen Yan let out a low roar, unleashing 【Forge-Evolution Boundless Vault】 and 【Void-Breaking - Interstitial Saint Explosion】, punching out toward the lightning.

Boom!

A massive explosion resounded.

Chen Yan gritted his teeth, using all his strength to block this bolt of lightning tribulation.

Until the third bolt of lightning tribulation crashed down.

Chen Yan erupted with powerful willpower, resisting it once more.

Boom!

The fourth bolt!

Chen Yan's physical body was already in ruins, unable to resist again.

Chen Yan, dead!

Chen Yan exited the Continent-Illuminating Mirror, a trace of shock still surging in his eyes.

Was this the lightning tribulation he was going to face?

It was a bit too difficult.

He was actually only able to block the first three bolts.

At this moment, Chen Yan felt for the first time the feeling of being unable to resist the power of heaven and earth.

That grand thunder did not even let Chen Yan sense what grade it was.

But when that fourth bolt of thunder fell, Chen Yan had absolutely no power to resist.

One must know that inside the Continent-Illuminating Mirror, Chen Yan's physical body had already been simulated to the state where all nine hundred and ninety-nine True Dragon Dharma Images were fully condensed.

Yet Chen Yan still could not withstand the fourth bolt.

Chen Yan fell into a long silence.

Although he knew the Lightning-Tribulation Treasure Land would deploy a protective lightning net before he encountered the lightning tribulation to help Chen Yan block a portion of the tribulation's power.

Chen Yan unleashing the 【Phantom-Slaughter Dragon-Culling Style】 would also awaken the good intentions of the Continent-Illuminating Mirror that sent down the lightning, reducing the power of the tribulation.

But from the bottom of his heart, Chen Yan still wanted to rely on his own ability to withstand the lightning tribulation head-on.

Growing up until now, Chen Yan had always believed that man could conquer heaven.

However, it seemed there was no way this time; he had to rely on external help.

Chen Yan shook his head:

"The matter has yet to happen, and I am not without a path forward; why must I give myself a prophecy of failure first?"

He murmured, a trace of determination surfacing in his eyes once more.

Afterwards, he took out corpse after corpse; these were the bodies of the people from the Aristocratic Family Alliance.

After Chen Yan caused a scene yesterday, the managers of each underground organization began to flee with all the resources of their respective underground organizations.

But Chen Yan still managed to pick up the scraps.

Mature and immature precious medicines were taken out by Chen Yan one by one.

There were also large quantities of tempering precious medicines and Qi-blood precious medicine extracts.

Chen Yan did not count them in detail.

Converted, this batch of resources was worth roughly seventy Bright Moon-grade Grade D precious medicines.

Qi-blood precious medicines accounted for sixty percent, while tempering precious medicines accounted for forty percent.

This batch of resources could be called terrifying.

But it was far less than what Chen Yan had imagined.

Chen Yan had checked Luo Dongli's files; the other party had recorded some matters within their own tablet.

Chen Yan knew that the majority of the Aristocratic Family Alliance's underground organization resources had still been taken away by the two Seventh-Rankers of the Aristocratic Family Alliance.

Chen Yan immediately began to absorb them.

This absorption would take about two days or so.

Chen Yan's 【Forging Expansion Firmament】 and 【Illusion Ripple Abyss Domain】 were both Bright Moon-grade Grade A breathing techniques and Qi-blood cultivation arts.

Added to Chen Yan's Immortal Will and Word Realm, Chen Yan's cultivation speed was frighteningly fast.

Time passed slowly.

Early morning.

Yin Youming arrived at the Military Martial Guard.

"Is Chen Yan still in seclusion?" Yin Youming frowned.

"Mm." Tan Yishi nodded, looking at Yin Youming with emotion in his heart.

He knew that Chen Yan was going to be appointed as a general, but these Second-Rank General Stars like Yin Youming did not know.

That they were willing to come and help Chen Yan at this moment was entirely because the other party possessed a Red Heart.

"Good, when Chen Yan wakes up, call me." Yin Youming left.

Tan Yishi nodded.

Immediately following, another figure appeared within the Military Martial Guard.

Tan Yishi was surprised; the person who arrived was another Second-Rank General Star.

Mu Zigui.

"Chen Yan is still in seclusion." Tan Yishi spoke up.

Mu Zigui's brows furrowed slightly, and after nodding, she left directly.

That night.

The lights of Xiaoyang were dim.

A massive thunder hourglass stood in the center of Xiaoyang City; at this moment, one-seventh of the sand grains condensed from lightning light had flowed from the upper layer to the lower layer.

Thousands of General Stars were already sitting together before the hourglass, waiting for the phantom of the previous generation's Ruler to appear again.

It was also at this moment.

A white-clad figure with a faint, hazy halo all over his body appeared from outside Xiaoyang City; he was handsome in appearance, and with a single step, the void rippled with layers of gauze-like, shimmering white light.

He was slender, appearing like a graceful and beautiful youth, but the depths of his eyes always held a trace of unspeakable killing intent.

It was only a split soul, but when it appeared, it brought a powerful pressure upon everyone.

Lu Fusang.

Within Xiaoyang City, someone had come with hostility; it was this person who wanted to fight Chen Yan to the death.

Jidao Wu and other Second-Rank General Stars watched with furrowed brows, not speaking.

Lu Fusang's split soul stepped into Xiaoyang and sat alone above the void, closing his eyes.

His true self was still on the way, but coming here to listen to the sermon with his split soul could also allow his true self to absorb profound techniques.

"Could it be that this person also wants to become a First-Rank General Star?"

A General Star frowned and spoke, and everyone else's expressions trembled.

"He isn't even a General Star yet," someone immediately retorted.

"Nowadays, Great Xia is close to the Lu Clan; perhaps they will allow Lu Fusang to become a First-Rank General Star, as long as the other party's qualifications meet the standard," someone said in a low voice.

"This person is the number one Fifth-Ranker in the world, and his aptitude is no less than Chen Changyuan's."

"In history, there have been cases of non-General Stars being directly appointed as First-Rank General Stars, but no one from the Five Clans has ever done so; even Lu Xunyang rose from being a Second-Rank General Star."

Discussions broke out one after another.

A trace of a smile appeared on the corner of Lu Fusang's split soul's mouth, and he suddenly opened his eyes, scanning everyone:

"Lu is here for the sake of the First-Rank General Star; becoming a First-Rank General Star requires no great difficulty, as long as I crush all of you."

A strong sense of self-confidence surfaced in his eyes, looking down upon all the Second-Rank General Stars.

"Hah!"

Jidao Wu sneered:

"You certainly have a big mouth; when my true self arrives, fight me!"

Lu Fusang gave a faint smile and slowly closed his eyes:

"You want to hurt me first?

You cannot save Chen Yan, because even you are no match for my true self."

The next moment.

Hum!

A powerful pressure radiated from his body.

Everyone was incomparably shocked.

That was the exact same will-pressure as the one on Chen Yan.

Jidao Wu and the other Second-Rank General Stars also trembled, all looking toward Lu Fusang.

"You..." Xi Congyun was even a bit unsettled.

And at that very next moment.

Hum!

Between heaven and earth.

Suddenly, countless rays of light appeared, the blazing brilliance condensed, transforming into the figure of the previous generation's State Holder.

The next moment, the State Holder began to preach the Dao.

Heavenly phenomena reappeared, and endless Dao essence descended upon Xiaoyang.

Lu Fusang closed his eyes and began to comprehend; the other General Stars also did not linger, continuing to comprehend.

But the next moment, Lu Fusang opened his eyes, frowning:

"Why is the sound of this preaching so blurry?"

He muttered, looking at the others around him, only to see that they were also frowning just like him before closing their eyes once more.

At the same time.

Chen Yan, still cultivating inside the cultivation room, felt a sonorous and powerful sound of preaching appear deep within his mind.

This time, it was still the first form of the 【Phantom Slaughter Dragon-Slicing Style】, the 【Condensing Radiance Form】.

However, unlike yesterday.

This time, the preaching included many obscure and difficult techniques that had not been mentioned before.

Chen Yan stopped absorbing resources, closed his eyes tightly, and began to comprehend in detail.

The 【Condensing Radiance Form】 involves channeling hundreds of thousands of one's own strands of force into a single point to erupt with invincible force.

If pushed to the extreme, it can pierce through earth veins and stars.

This time, the comprehension was clearly stronger than yesterday.

Within Chen Yan's Saint-Breaking Realm, the golden light of techniques produced was also far greater than yesterday.

With Chen Yan's wholehearted devotion, his understanding of the 【Condensing Radiance Form】 grew deeper and deeper.

Even in the latter half of the comprehension, Chen Yan stood up directly and began to execute the 【Condensing Radiance Form】 inside the cultivation room.

Boom, boom, boom!

Beams of bright white laser light shot out from between Chen Yan's fingers, slamming into the bluestone walls of the cultivation room.

Even though this was the cultivation room previously reserved for Lu Xunyang, it was still blasted with deep pits by the lasers shooting from Chen Yan's fingers.

Within the Saint-Breaking Realm, another 【Technique】 Saint-Breaking Fruit finally ripened.

Chen Yan swallowed it, and the next moment, his eyes narrowed.

His body maneuvered in mid-air, while his fingers instantly shot out a beam of light.

Sss!!!

The beam of light sliced through the wall of the cultivation room, carving a deep mark that was still emitting blue smoke.

"So strong, such a strike could instantly pierce the physical body of a Sixth-Rank mid-stage martial artist!

Even a Sixth-Rank early-stage martial artist of the Body Tempering path could be heavily injured."

A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Chen Yan's mouth.

He continuously executed the 【Condensing Radiance Form】, becoming more and more proficient in the operation of his force.

Until the preaching was about to end.

Another 【Technique】 Saint-Breaking Fruit ripened!

Chen Yan swallowed it in one gulp, his entire person suspended in the void, his whole body blooming with radiance that grew increasingly incandescent; the brilliant light made Chen Yan look like a god-child.

The next moment, the aura all over Chen Yan's body changed.

He slowly extended his hand; at this moment, the entire hand was radiating white light, as bright as if he were clutching a star, and a powerful aura radiated from Chen Yan's right hand.

【Condensing Radiance Form】, Entry-level!