Chapter 428: I Am the Afterglow, and Also the Blazing Flame

The Xia Clan's King Changsheng is leading a great army to march on Ji Province!

Amidst the sea of clouds, Ji Yanqing and another Eighth-Rank of the Ji Clan had expressions that were ugly to the extreme.

The next moment, they transformed directly into two streams of light and flew off.

Chen Qi, Lu Jianxia, and that Eighth-Rank of the Lu Clan all had their bodies stiffen.

This was absolutely something the Xia Clan had premeditated.

Chen Yan appointed as a general, the Lu-Xia marriage alliance, the march on the Ji Clan!

So many major events had actually occurred within this single day.

At this moment, even the fall of the Xia Clan's King Chen, an Eighth-Rank, seemed insignificant in the face of these major events.

Why now, why today?

At this moment, even Chen Qi's expression was gloomy to the extreme.

Although among the five clans, only the Ji Clan and the Great Xia were openly hostile, a direct march on the Ji Clan like this was the first time in ten years.

Lu Jianxia's mood was also extremely low.

So that was it.

The Xia Clan suppressing the four elders of the Lu Clan and Lu Ming'an was merely out of concern that the Lu Clan would provide support to the Ji Clan.

After all, within the five clans, the factions inside Chi Province were not unified.

Chen Province is very far from Ji Province, and the relationship between the two clans is not good.

Chen Province's Chen He once killed the then-Ninth Elder of Lu Province.

Of course, no one saw Chen He make the move, and Chen He himself denied it and insisted it was Xia Hanzhou who did it.

But the conflict between the two clans had indeed deepened.

The one most likely to support Ji Province is Lu Province!

It is impossible for Lu Province to watch Ji Province be attacked and slaughtered by Great Xia; after all, although the five clans are not unified, they have secret trade ties.

"Xia Qi, Chen Yan..."

Chen Qi spoke in a low voice, suddenly laughed, and with a wave of his large hand, his robes fluttered:

"I would like to see what you intend to do?!"

Is he afraid?

He is not afraid.

He has lived too long and experienced too much.

Ji Province cannot be destroyed directly; the Xia Clan does not have such a deep foundation, and even if they did, would they dare to unleash it all at once?

Do they really think the other clans are pushovers?

The Xia Clan most likely wants to open a battlefield in Ji Province, let Ji Province be dragged down by the war, and simultaneously support their troops through war.

Opening a battlefield in Ji Province is completely different from opening one in the Xia Clan's territory.

Because of the Ancient Divine Beasts.

The more slaughter there is, the greater the malice of heaven and earth, the more Ancient Divine Beasts are born, and it may even give birth to mysterious and unpredictable dangerous zones of malice.

Originally, the Ji Province's sudden military strike on Great Xia was for the same reason.

Chen Qi looked toward the direction of Tie Province, then looked at Lu Jianxia:

"Little girl of the Lu Clan, I know you want to contact Bing Yi, but you should think about whether that Bing Yi might just be Chen Yan."

As his voice fell, Lu Jianxia's expression trembled violently.

Chen Yan?

Her face turned somewhat pale, and she was lost in thought at this moment.

There were indeed many similarities between Chen Yan and Bing Yi.

Chen Qi did not speak; he himself was not sure, and he even thought it impossible for Bing Yi to be Chen Yan.

But he still had to say this sentence to disrupt Lu Jianxia's judgment.

What if Lu Jianxia really found Bing Yi?

Would his Chen Clan miss out on another heaven-defying talent who could break through their realm?

The Chen Clan has already lost Chen Yan.

Chen Qi's gaze was profound, and he regretted it to the extreme, but regret was useless at this moment.

"Is it you?"

He looked toward the direction of Great Xia, murmuring to himself.

Meanwhile.

In Chen Province, inside a technology park surrounded by high walls.

The towering buildings were like giant pillars supporting the sky, piercing straight into the clouds.

The glass curtain walls shimmered with a mysterious radiance under the sunlight.

Inside one of the skyscrapers.

The Chen Lord, dressed in white, appeared; it was only a phantom, making it impossible to see his appearance clearly.

The Chen Lord walked through the corridor just like that, and the Chen Clan staff members who passed by all trembled and bowed their heads in salute.

"Chen Qi..." the Chen Lord murmured, showing no emotion.

Is he angry?

Of course he is angry.

Even if he felt that Chen Qi was not wrong to be cautious, letting such a heaven-defying talent leave the Chen Clan would make him, the Chen Lord, angry.

The Chen Lord's phantom radiated a lonely white light and slowly walked into the basement of the skyscraper.

This was a massive research institute.

He walked past experimental zones one after another, passing giant mechs standing thousands of meters tall.

These giant mechs had lines that were rigid yet fluid, with structures complex to the extreme, just standing there in rows.

Many Chen Clan technicians were suspended in mid-air, surrounding these giant mechs to perform flaw detection, welding, and data recording.

He walked past laboratory after laboratory, including a Precious Medicine Lab, a Strange Creature Lab, an Ancient Divine Beast Lab, and a Malice Crystal Lab.

He reached a certain laboratory and pushed the door open to enter.

"Greetings, Master Chen!"

Several staff members hurriedly saluted.

"The Xia Clan is pouring body-tempering energy into Chen Yan. Chen Yan will undergo a tribulation later; use the database to match someone with strength similar to Chen Yan.

Simulate a lightning tribulation to see if Chen Yan can successfully pass it."

Master Chen spoke, and the staff members hurriedly began to start the instruments.

Master Chen just stood there quietly.

He knew what the Xia Clan was doing, and he knew what Chen Yan was doing.

Worried that Chen Yan had stayed in the Origin Realm of the Hardened Body path for too long, and that the heavens would not allow Chen Yan to ascend?

So that Lightning Strike Treasure Land was designed specifically for Chen Yan.

Such good intentions, such meticulous care; they were practically pampering their Chen Clan prodigy like a treasure.

Master Chen's expression was gloomy; even if no one could clearly see his face, his expression was indeed very ugly.

This should have been his Chen Clan's prodigy!

Damn that Chen Qi!

Master Chen took a deep breath.

Let him see, just what level Chen Yan had reached by now!

Inside the laboratory's giant screen, photos flickered one after another as the system searched.

Until a certain moment, the face of a slightly pale middle-aged man appeared on the screen.

This was the person with strength closest to Chen Yan, retrieved from the Chen Clan's internal database.

However, the moment this face appeared, the entire laboratory fell silent.

"Report... reporting to Master Chen..." An old man wearing a white research coat was terrified at this moment:

"We will search again!"

"No need!" Master Chen spoke:

"Prepare the simulated lightning tribulation, and call Chen Yuanxin over."

Chen Yuanxin—Master Chen naturally knew this person.

A Chen Clan prodigy who was already at the Sixth Rank; he was no longer just a prodigy, but a powerhouse.

He also had a ranking on the World Sixth Rank List.

Four hundred and sixty-fifth place.

In other words, Chen Yan, a Fourth Rank, had not even undergone his tribulation yet.

Based on Chen Yan's Qi fluctuations, movement trajectory, muscle changes, and combat videos, the system determined that Chen Yan already possessed the strength of the four hundred and sixty-fifth place on the Sixth Rank List.

The World Sixth Rank List, the strongest Sixth Rank individuals in the entire world.

Chen Yan could rival someone in the four-hundreds.

No wonder the other party could instantly kill the number one of the Fifth Rank.

Number one of the Fifth Rank, aren't you still a Fifth Rank?

You haven't even reached the Sixth Rank; it would be impressive if you could even beat the seven-hundredth place on the Sixth Rank List.

Lu Fusan's dominance on the Fifth Rank List could not compare to Chen Changyuan and Lu Xunyang.

You were slaughtered by Chen Yan, you deserved it!

Master Chen's heart sank; he had already held Chen Yan in high enough regard.

He remained silent, not knowing what he was thinking.

…………

Inside Xiaoyang City, Chen Yan continuously absorbed the body-tempering energy.

So pure, so refreshing.

This didn't feel like absorbing energy at all; it felt like bathing, eating and drinking, or sleeping.

It was too comfortable, and his strength was still surging.

There was not a hint of discomfort; his physical body was growing stronger, and his power was growing stronger.

This was the energy infusion of the Lightning Strike Treasure Land.

It even carried a trace of the feeling of laws.

The True Dragon Phase was condensing, one piece after another, continuously condensing.

If only people could cultivate so comfortably, how good that would be.

But Chen Yan knew that the easier he felt, the more the Xia Clan had to pay.

Otherwise, with the Great Grandmaster and the Lesser Fate-Controller being absolute powerhouses, and the Lightning Strike Treasure Land connecting the Continent Brightness and the power of heaven and earth, it wouldn't have taken so long.

One could imagine just how much was hidden behind this infusion.

Of course, no orange or cyan light appeared within the Saint-Breaking Tree.

The Saint-Breaking Tree was linked to Chen Yan himself; however much Chen Yan put in, the Saint-Breaking Tree would yield fruits accordingly.

Even when absorbing precious medicines, Chen Yan still had to personally experience the body tempering and the condensation of blood and Qi.

But this time, Chen Yan did not pay anything, did not use force, and was even enjoying it.

Therefore, the Saint-Breaking Tree did not give birth to the 【Force】 or 【Body】 Saint-Breaking Fruits.

Chen Yan's gaze turned toward the two azure-blue fruits.

The 【Break】 Saint-Breaking Fruit.

One was completely full and round, while the other had reached the size of a red date.

【Break: 126/100】!

The Lord of Xia asked three questions with his sword, and Chen Yan asked four.

This caused the progress of Chen Yan's 【Break】 Saint-Breaking Fruit to go from forty-five to one hundred and twenty-six, and one had already condensed.

The most important thing was still Chen Yan's fourth question.

The birth of the 【Break】 Saint-Breaking Fruit could be considered a safeguard for Chen Yan.

Within the Continent Bright Mirror, he had failed so many times, even reaching the point at the end where the tenth one appeared—that lightning tribulation which was simply impossible to overcome.

But while the Continent Bright Mirror was good at everything, it could not simulate Chen Yan's Saint-Breaking Tree.

Perhaps the method to break the deadlock today was the Saint-Breaking Tree!

Chen Yan's eyes were clear.

Since he had always failed the tribulation, why did he still come?

Was it because he did not want to delay Xia Qi's plan?

That was one reason.

Was it because he already had a guess in his heart?

That was also a reason.

But the most central reason remained that heart which refused to admit defeat.

Because the Saint-Breaking Tree was also unwilling to bow its head; because it was never the mountain walking toward him, but him walking toward the mountain.

"It has always been you."

Within the Saint-Breaking Realm, Chen Yan's consciousness gently stroked the Saint-Breaking Tree.

He had never treated the Saint-Breaking Tree as a tool; this was his partner, his comrade-in-arms, and even...

It was himself.

He, Chen Yan, was a towering azure tree that kept growing higher!

Chen Yan's eyes were tightly shut; the people of the world were still gazing at him, but he was currently focused on experiencing himself.

His physical body was still growing stronger, and his tempered divine physique was becoming increasingly divine.

Under the irrigation of the body-tempering energy, the already condensed True Dragon Phases surged from three hundred and forty-one to three hundred and eighty-two!

But the total number of Chen Yan's True Dragon Phases was nine hundred and ninety-nine!

Chen Yan was not in a hurry; his physical strength was surging rapidly.

But these were not enough to let him pass the tribulation.

Within the Continent Bright Mirror, the simulated Chen Yan had already condensed all the True Dragon Phases.

Chen Yan's current method to break the deadlock lay in the 【Break】 Saint-Breaking Fruit.

But the use of the 【Break】 Saint-Breaking Fruit required the assistance of other Saint-Breaking Fruits; the two fruits had to be consumed together to increase the effect of that one fruit by a hundred times.

Chen Yan felt it must be, and could only be, the 【Will】 Saint-Breaking Fruit.

Currently, Chen Yan's strength in the path of tempering far exceeded that of the path of Qi and blood.

But what was truly powerful was also Chen Yan's third-level Fist Realm.

Horizontal-Pushing Fist Realm!

Chen Yan needed to let his Fist Realm improve once more.

Boom!

A roaring sound!

Lightning flickered around Chen Yan, appearing like silver snakes dancing wildly.

From all over Chen Yan's body, fist shadows erupted; the fist shadows were like falling meteors, carrying an incomparably sharp momentum.

Each fist imprint caused the surrounding lightning to surge like rolling waves.

Horizontal-Pushing Fist Realm!

Chen Yan had no opponent now and could only sit cross-legged.

But deep in his mind, he was constantly simulating.

He was pondering, breaking through the limits of his thinking; he wanted to cultivate his Fist Realm and let his own Fist Realm break through.

But the 【Will】 fruit was growing very slowly.

Very slowly, very slowly.

When Chen Yan's True Dragon Phases condensed to five hundred, the 【Will】 fruit had only grown to fifteen percent.

But Chen Yan's eyes remained clear throughout.

After constantly understanding the path of will, the concept of will also slowly faded in the depths of Chen Yan's mind.

He only knew that at this moment, only correct thinking could bring him the hope of truly breaking the deadlock; any anger or confusion was an internal enemy.

Time passed slowly.

People from all continents were watching him, feeling Chen Yan's constant growth in strength.

Some were envious, some were excited, and some were filled with emotion.

Gold Continent.

State-Ruling Mansion.

"The Four Elders and Lu Ming'an have already been imprisoned."

"From Ji Province, a report of victory has arrived!"

"State Master..."

The woman in the green dress was still reporting, but a pair of eyes flickered with sorrow.

"No need to report; leave everything to be handled by King Xiayue," Xia Qi said.

"State Master..." Tears welled up in the eyes of the woman in the green dress.

She knew what Xia Qi was going to do.

She knew that Xia Qi was going to pave the way for Chen Yan, and would once again expend a drop of essence blood.

"Why are you crying?" Xia Qi gave a faint smile:

"Looking from the perspective of heaven and earth, looking from the perspective of history, I, Xia Qi, have also existed, have also shone, but the destiny of the human world was not placed in my hands."

A smile appeared at the corners of Xia Qi's mouth, and his aura grew even more withered.

He gazed into the distance at the cloud-mist silver screen outside the window.

This world, in the end, needs an existence capable of dominating the world, one that transcends concepts and holds the world in their heart.

He looked at Chen Yan within the silver screen, remaining silent for a long time.

Time passed slowly.

The clouds at the edge of the sky were as gorgeous as flowing sand, intertwined with the afterglow of the setting sun.

Chen Yan's irrigation was coming to an end.

Xia Qi watched quietly:

"The sunset here is also the sunrise of the west; it is falling at every moment, and it is also rising at every moment.

"I am a streak of intense afterglow when the sun sets today, and I am also the raging flame when the sun rises tomorrow."

Behind him, the woman in the green dress let her tears fall silently.

Outside the Great Xia.

Chen Qi had not left, and Lu Jianxia had not left either; they were gazing intently.

This day was the birth of a hero, and perhaps also the starting point of future changes.

Within the cloud-mist silver screen, the lightning light dissipated.

Anyone could see that the young man was even more powerful, powerful to the point of making one tremble.

Heaven knows what kind of heaven-defying opportunity the Great Xia had prepared for him.

But one could not be jealous; it was impossible to be jealous.

In the entire human world, perhaps only that one person could achieve this level.

Immortal Body, two hundred and twenty-four Extreme Satin Patterns, path of will, instant kill of a first-rank Tier 5, first in will, first in courage!

Too many firsts.

Even if someone obtained the same opportunity as him, could they achieve one percent of what he did?

Boom!

The sky sank, and the sudden thunder was like the heartbeat of the earth.

Countless wild lightning snakes surged and flickered within the heavy clouds, condensing into a lightning human face that covered the entire Xiaoyang City.

"Ah!!!"

Someone screamed, their face deathly pale, frightened.

This is a lightning tribulation!

But what a terrifying lightning tribulation!

Just its appearance for an instant made it difficult to breathe.

"This... what is this?"

"The lightning tribulation of the Law-Extinguishing Realm, but I have never seen one so terrifying!"

"I understand, I understand; Chen Yan has broken through realms too many times, the lightning tribulation is terrifying, heaven and earth do not want him to succeed in crossing the tribulation!"

"This... what should we do!!!"

One exclamation after another rang out.

Even the strong felt their hearts beating violently, shocked.

Back then, Lu Xunyang's lightning tribulation was not this terrifying.

Some strong individuals were conflicted and filled with emotion.

This is the recognition of heaven and earth; just what level had Chen Yan reached to be able to draw such a lightning tribulation?

But this recognition was a bit too overbearing.

Chen Province.

Experimental Base.

The pale-faced Tier 6 of the Chen Clan, Chen Yuanxin, stood inside a laboratory built from four glass walls reaching a thousand meters high.

"Could there be a mistake? How could Chen Yan possibly be as strong as me?"

Chen Yuanxin frowned and spoke; the system actually judged that his strength was most similar to Chen Yan's.

This was too insulting.

It was not to say that Chen Yan's strength was lacking.

It was just that... he was Tier 6, and a strong individual on the Tier 6 rankings at that.

Comparing him to a Tier 4 really was looking down on him.

Outside the glass wall, a researcher glanced at the Chen Master and spoke:

"Chen Yan's lightning tribulation has appeared, system synchronization simulation!"

At the same time.

Boom!

Inside the laboratory, electric light shot in all directions.

Chen Yuanxin was suddenly startled; above his head, a lightning tribulation identical to Chen Yan's appeared.

"This isn't right!"

Chen Yuanxin growled:

"How is this possible? I'm going to die!"

Chen Yuanxin shrieked; he was terrified. Was this the lightning tribulation Chen Yan was about to face?

Had there been a mistake?

"With Lord Chen here, how could you die?" a laboratory staff member spoke, then tapped the tablet in their hand:

"Lord Chen, system detection shows that Chen Yuanxin can only withstand the fifth lightning strike.

This means Chen Yan can also only withstand the fifth; when the sixth lightning strike falls, Chen Yan will die."

As their voice fell, Lord Chen was slightly stunned, then immediately said:

"The Xia Clan will provide him with protection."

Lord Chen was no fool.

The Xia Clan had prepared to such an extent for Chen Yan; would they really let Chen Yan die from the lightning tribulation?

Such a heaven-gifted talent, if he were to die in a lightning tribulation, it would truly become a joke.

Sure enough.

Yunmeng City.

Rumble!

Nine lightning flames emerged beneath the massive face of thunder, each one appearing to condense the might of a sea of lightning, terrifying to the extreme!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!!!

Bolts of lightning diffused from within the Lightning Extremity Treasure Land, forming a massive lightning net covering the top of Chen Yan's head.

Layer upon layer of construction completely protected Chen Yan!

Someone breathed a sigh of relief:

"Good, the Lightning Extremity Treasure Land actually has a protective effect!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Someone exclaimed that the Xia Clan had prepared too thoroughly.

Jin Prefecture, Xia Hanzhou frowned.

He felt that something was not quite right.

Chen Yan's lightning tribulation was a bit too exaggerated; where had a problem occurred?

Moreover, his heartbeat was accelerating, which was very strange.

It was not because he was startled that he was like this, but rather he had a faint premonition in the dark.

Why?

The Lightning Extremity Treasure Land did indeed have a protective effect, but could it actually protect him?

Yet, at this very moment.

A clear, youthful voice rang out.

"No protection is needed."

This voice was calm to the extreme, carrying firmness and dominance.