Chapter 62

The proverb says that urging people to be magnanimous may invite heaven's thunder and lightning.

At this point, urging Chen Zheng to magnanimously spare Jiang Lingkong's Wan Luo is about to bring a bolt of lightning.

"Fang Qingxue, you actually possess an upper‑grade Dao artifact?!"

Wan Luo's momentum stalled as he stared at the massive sigil spanning thousands of miles overhead, bombarded by endless thunder and lightning, and his color changed dramatically.

Not only him.

Jia Lan, Ye Piaoling, the Jin Rilie father and son whose steps halted because of Wan Luo's appearance, and everyone else in the scene were all deeply shocked by the massive sigil that suddenly appeared overhead.

Even the many Grand Elders of the Heaven Punishment Grand Hall rose abruptly, staring at the sky, each with an extremely solemn expression.

All because the upper‑grade Dao artifact is a legendary treasure, its power is simply beyond belief.

In other words, if someone were to fully unleash an upper‑grade Dao artifact's power, destroying dozens of stars in a corner of space would be a trivial task.

Moreover, even the Heaven Punishment Elder, a timeless titan, does not possess such a treasure.

Even if all the Grand Elders of the Heaven Punishment Grand Hall were packaged and sold, they still couldn't obtain a single one.

Yet Fang Qingxue does have one; how could she not astonish everyone and make Wan Luo's heart race with fear?

Chen Zheng, however, remained composed.

He infused the essence refined from Jiang Lingkong into his limbs and bones, converting it into qi and blood, then into spirit, which surged into the magical energy source in his mind.

In an instant, his magical power surged, increasing by about a thousand units to over six thousand.

Only then did he look at the massive sigil in the sky, mildly surprised: "Senior Sister Fang Qingxue wasn't supposed to be in seclusion working on a breakthrough, why is she paying so much attention to me?"

He knew the sigil well; it is called the Indestructible Lightning Sigil, reputed as the ancient Thunder Emperor's talisman, which Fang Qingxue obtained not long ago while traveling the Great Northern Ocean and entering the Thunder Emperor's Cave Abode within the Return to the Ruins.

Fang Qingxue gave him that Thunder Bone Relic, which was most likely also obtained in the Thunder Emperor's Cave Abode.

Because she wielded the Indestructible Lightning Sigil, Fang Qingxue was able to traverse several realms on the Forty‑Nine Islands and suppress the Water Gu Great Heavenly Demon King, who had reached the Seventh‑Stage Golden Core Divine Ability.

As for why everyone was so startled, it must be because Fang Qingxue had just returned to the sect from her family, and the news of her acquiring the Indestructible Lightning Sigil had not yet spread.

"If I possessed an upper‑grade Dao artifact, even if it were only a lower‑grade Dao artifact, how could I tolerate Wan Luo's arrogance?" Chen Zheng thought silently.

There was also a hint of helplessness.

If you want to obtain a Dao artifact, staying inside the Feather Ascension Sect offers no hope.

Only by venturing into the outside world and seeking adventures can one hope to obtain one.

In fact, that makes sense.

In the original work, Fang Han reported to the sect's divine clan that an invasion of the Xuan Huang Great World was imminent.

He also contributed over twenty great divine abilities and supreme divine abilities to the sect, including the Taiyi Sect's Great Sun Fire Calamity, Black Sun Wind Calamity, and the Great Severing Technique among the Three Thousand Great Dao.

All those contributions allowed the Heaven Punishment Elder and others to join forces and forge one of Fang Han's ultimate‑grade treasures into a lower‑grade Dao artifact.

This shows how difficult it is to obtain a Dao artifact within the Feather Ascension Sect—it's like trying to pluck a feather from an iron rooster, virtually impossible.

Chen Zheng also harbored no hope in the sect.

In fact, the sect owed him nothing.

The last time he managed to obtain a Heavenly Azure Easy Origin Pill was probably just a coincidence.

He plans to leave the Feather Ascension Sect in a few days to see if he can encounter adventures in the outside world or seize others' treasures and resources.

In the Eternal World, staying in one place to cultivate diligently is useless if you want to achieve success.

Waiting for others to nurture you is also unrealistic.

Only by relying on your own hands can you seize.

If you don't fight or seize, you might as well go home and farm early. "Alright."

Just as Chen Zheng was focusing his thoughts, a stern voice rang from the Heaven Punishment Grand Hall: "Jiang Lingkong was slain by Chen Zheng because his skill was inferior. Wan Luo, as one of this sect's Five Great True Inheritors, you must set a good example for the other disciples. Fang Qingxue, you need not be nervous; with me and the other Elders watching, no one can touch Chen Zheng. Take the Dao artifact."

"Yes, Elder."

Wan Luo's expression turned sour; he bowed toward the Heaven Punishment Grand Hall, glared resentfully at Chen Zheng on the fighting platform, let out a cold snort, and turned away with a flick of his sleeve.

Cang Baizi followed behind, looking dejected.

"From now on, anyone who dares to move against Chen Zheng will be an enemy of Fang Qingxue; on the Heaven Punishment Platform, they will be executed!"

A cold phrase echoed from the Indestructible Lightning Sigil in the sky, sending a chill through everyone's hearts.

The sigil then shrank to the size of a palm, flashed toward the horizon, and landed in Purple Lightning Peak.

Many True Inheritor disciples and Elders exchanged glances, each resolving never to provoke Chen Zheng again, and then they dispersed.

For a moment, the vast Heaven Punishment Plaza returned to its former desolation, leaving only Chen Zheng, Jia Lan, Ye Piaoling, and a few others.

This novel, you...

"Senior Brother Chen Zheng, congratulations."

As Chen Zheng walked down from the fighting platform, Ye Piaoling and the other women rushed forward, smiling and congratulating him.

The girls' way of addressing him had quietly changed from "junior brother" to "senior brother."

Ma and Elder Zhou both dared not address Chen Zheng by name or casually call him "old brother," appearing rather restrained.

The cultivation world is like that; everything is illusion, and only strength can represent everything.

"Junior Brother Chen, even with Junior Sister Fang protecting you, you must be wary of Wan Luo; his temperament is gloomy, and after you publicly embarrassed him, he will not let it go. Moreover, he is highly regarded by Senior Brother Hua, having received the Panwu Great Strength Divine Ability from him, and his magical power far surpasses mine."

Jia Lan also stepped in front of Chen Zheng, whispering a reminder, her gaze toward him looking somewhat complicated.

Uncertain whether it was Chen Zheng's illusion, he vaguely detected a hint of sourness in Jia Lan's tone.

Jia Lan seemed not to have expected that Fang Qingxue and Chen Zheng's relationship had deepened to this extent.

Chen Zheng shook his head, dispelling the illusion, and smiled as he nodded: "Senior Sister Jia Lan, Wan Luo is just that; I will defeat him soon. In the meantime, I will be cautious of him."

The crowd fell silent upon hearing that.

Chen Zheng's arrogance remains as ever.

"Such bearing, perhaps that is the true reason why Junior Sister Fang looks upon Junior Brother Chen with different eyes." Jialan sighed softly.

She seems to understand Fang Qingxue's temperament well; the more reckless Chen Zheng becomes, the more Fang Qingxue admires him.

Of course, this recklessness is not the blind, arrogant kind, but a belief in oneself.

"Let's go back to my Zhengqi Peak; you all are my honored guests, and I haven't properly entertained you yet."

Chen Zheng smiled, called out to the crowd, and then prepared to leave Feather Ascension Palace.

"Chen Zheng, come to the Celestial Punishment Hall," the Elder of Transmission called, his voice echoing from the Great Celestial Punishment Hall.

Chen Zheng's steps faltered as he looked puzzled toward the distant Celestial Punishment Hall.

"Junior Brother Chen, the Elder likely has business for you; go quickly, we'll meet again another day," Jia Lan said.

The others also nodded in agreement.

"Mm."

Chen Zheng gave a slight nod to the crowd and turned toward the Celestial Punishment Hall.

Soon he entered the hall and saw many senior Elders looking at him with admiring eyes.

(End of Chapter)